Saracen X-ray : any good ?

Quoted message said:

My son will need a new bike in the next 6 months or so. he likes to
ride on country paths and some hills. Most of his friends seem to have
bikes from Specialized which I think are Jump bikes (front suspension,
square frame , matt colour)

I notice for £230 in Halfords the Saracen X-ray which appears similar
and had in addition disc brakes.

Are these good bikes ? Is it a false economy (Specialized seem to start
at £300)

I'd vote for false economy, although it depends what use he will make
of it. Cheap disk brakes are not a good thing - certainly no better
than Vs, and what else has been scrimped on to add these to the mix?
Specialized are a reasonable quality brand.

However, if yours is the sort of kid who is going to abuse any bike
into scrap in six months then cheaper may be better. Jump bikes tend to
get a hard life anyway, and adolescent boys are not the best at
understanding that landing a bike gently is evidence of greater skill
than being flashy.

Also, be sure that a jump bike is what he wants in the first place -
they tend to be heavy, and the riding position is neither comfortable
nor efficient, so if he wants to go distances on it it will be very
hard work. A hard-tail mountain bike at around the same price point
will survive a reasonable amount of jumping, provided he can land well,
and will be better for general purpose riding - if not very efficient
on tarmac.