Absolutely
It's very true. If you're looking for something to sit in the shed and gather dust then a Halfords special is perfect for the job.

If you want to ride it for any length of time then you'd be better off spending £200 minimum and forget all about suspension. The suspension you get on your average Apollo is little more than a pogo stick and will exhibit similar properties when you take it off road for the first time.

If you want front suspension then £300 is a good starting point. Brands like Gary Fisher, Specialized, Trek, GT and the like start to feature. Trek and Specialized offer a lifetime warranty on their frames, which are not only designed to tackle proper cycling, but also to fit you properly.

In addition to the ubiquitous Apollo, Halfords also stock their own brand (and half decent) Carrera, not to mention the pedigree stuff like GT and Kona. However, it's all too easy for a flush chav, freshly relieved of his driving license for wrapping his Saxo Shitbox round a lamppost end up buying £2ks worth of Kona Stinky downhill bike because "it looks da fahkkin' tits innit", when he rides it to work and back. Yes, I have seen this happen more than once.

Frankly, he'd be better off buying a spacehopper.

The problem seems to be poorly trained staff. Many times I've been to Halfords looking for something specific and have asked a passing "assistant" who is obviously more preoccupied with spots and the effects of excessive masturbation on his health.

"Excuse me, do you stock Hope brake pads?"

"Meh-meh-meh-meh-next-week-meh-meh?"

"Erm, yeah. Thanks for checking".
(Bicycle Repairman "you're also a bit of a wanker", Mon 7 Jan 2008, 10:16, Reply)