# Claud Butler - any good?



## chugsy (12 Mar 2010)

Hi,

I want to retire my aging Carrera Fury from commuting duties and was interested in this via the Cyclescheme:

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/claud-butler-urban-item121785.html

componentry seems respectable enough for the price - does anyone have one they care to comment on or the brand in general? 

I've actually already put down a deposit on the Giant Escape R1 but am having second thoughts as they only have 17inch in stock and my MTB is 18... felt ok when I sat on it but I didn't get a chance to ride it  - my fault as I had a last minute change of heart from the Escape Mini 1 (which I did test ride the day before...)

Thanks


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## HaloJ (12 Mar 2010)

I ride a Claud Butler Explorer 200 each day. Not a bad bike but in the realm of you get what you pay for. Although covering 1000 miles on it in 4 months was maybe asking a lot of a £300 bike.

Still it has managed to cope with riding through the pothole hell that is London for 800 of those miles and stood me well on a 40 mile ride. Gearing is set for about 28mph pedalling like a maniac. It says "not for jumps" on the forks but it nicely soaks a speed bump jump.  Mine is a more sporty ride to the one you're looking at and is nice and nimble through traffic just wish that it had thinner bars.

Personally, Norm's experiences of cyclocross bikes has got me tempted to go down that route.

See this thread :
http://cyclechat.net/forums/showthread.php?t=56630


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## chugsy (12 Mar 2010)

Thanks for the review - had considered the Cyclocross route but drop bars are alien to me now - I was all fingers and thumbs on the Mini 1 test ride. Also, I'd prefer to keep costs down as much as possible and they don't start cheap.


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## HaloJ (12 Mar 2010)

Well in that case....

My bike hasn't failed me yet. Replace the Kenda tyres as they are crap for punctures. I'm now running a set of 700x35 Marathan Plus. Brakes are good and not much nose dive even with the forks set light. My main gripe is the lack of top speed as I regularly find myself running out of gears but I used to ride road bikes as a kid (20 years ago) so like going quick.


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## chugsy (12 Mar 2010)

Not much chance of me hitting 28mph any time soon! Max speed on the Fury is 22 on a flat and only 25 down hill :|
I see from the Claud Butler website the Urban Commuter has a MTB chainset so I may see little improvement even with 700c tyres...

Still, I went to the Bike Doctor yesterday (SusTrans sponsered thingy at work) who gave me a very long list of repairs so it really is time to move on.

I'll have a gander when the voucher arrives... Thanks!


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## Moodyman (12 Mar 2010)

They're good bikes, but so is pretty much everything else in the same price range.

From my limited knowledge, Claud Butler, in general, is a brand exploitation. The real CB was a famous rider who started producing bikes pre-WW2. 

Falcon Cycles bought the CB name some time ago and re-badge some of their lesser known brands as CB. By buying a CB, you're effectively buying a British Eagle, Townsend, etc with a better badge (and slight improvements).

Nothing wrong with the CB bikes, but you might as well buy a Townsend and pocket the difference.


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## shouldbeinbed (12 Mar 2010)

I've had a few CB hybrids over they years, solid, unspectacular and good general purpose bikes. the took the miles and eat the bumps well enough. Still got an old legend one in the shed, just needing a new brake/gear combo lever and I'd happily ride it again just as much as my more expensive cannondale


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## killiekosmos (12 Mar 2010)

I've had a CB Legend for 5 years. It has a similar spec. Done 3500 miles with just routine services, including two tours. I use it for commuting in summer too. It's a bit heavy.


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## mikeitup (12 Mar 2010)

chugsy said:


> Hi,
> 
> I want to retire my aging Carrera Fury from commuting duties and was interested in this via the Cyclescheme:
> 
> ...




I recently replaced my 2007 Carrera Fury for a Claud Butler Dalesman Tourer. It's a bit nippier and on my ride to and from Brum yesterday it was great (til some fit git went past me on a roadie at J7 M6 ) and I felt a bit useless.


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## TheCyclingRooster (12 Mar 2010)

Hi to you all,greetings from TheCyclingRooster to chugsy. I have an early 2009 Claud Butler Levante(Flat Bars) Model No 8536. The model that was Black up front and White everwhere else, with the trim colours in Red-Grey-Black. A quite stunning combination. The usual 24 speed (3x8) on a 52/42/30 triple. The wheels are QR Rijida Nova 28 spoke,front & rear,black finish. I bought it new from my local CB stockist in May 2009 for £404.00. A very nice light,frisky to handle Hybrid, on 700x23 Maxxis Detanator Tyres. It was listed with Kenda K-Sport 30 Tpi 700x25c tyres but came with the Maxxis. I looked at all of the options £50.00 either side of what I paid for it and considered nearly new but settled for the CB.I have reduced the bar width to 480mm(19").I do not regret my decision to purchase it.It makes a nice leisurely change to my drop bar Bianchi Gold Race 600 Reparto Corse. Happy & Safe Riding to You All.


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## chugsy (14 Mar 2010)

Thanks for the replies and advice towards other models... problem is they all inch the overall cost up evermore

Like I said previously my 1st choice was the Giant Escape Mini 1 at 250 quid which then became Giant Escape R2 which is roughly the same money. Then I convinced myself the R1 was worth the extra 50-60 for better shifters, dérailleur, brakes.... it's very easy to get carried away with spending more when there's always another model for ' another' 50 quid with better spec. Although I can afford a lot more than £300 I've set myself a maximum and I'm going to try to stick to it!

Thanks again and I'll let you all know the outcome.

Cheers!


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## chugsy (14 Mar 2010)

If only Halfrauds was on my cyclescheme... the choice would have been very straightforward - boardman all the way!!!


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## Norm (14 Mar 2010)

chugsy said:


> If only Halfrauds was on my cyclescheme...


Now *that* isn't something that you see every day.


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## TheBoyBilly (15 Mar 2010)

Scott P6 Sportster -£329.99 from Evans. It's all you need and without the weight of a suspension fork that doesn't really do much.


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## HaloJ (15 Mar 2010)

TheBoyBilly said:


> Scott P6 Sportster -£329.99 from Evans. It's all you need and without the weight of a suspension fork that doesn't really do much.



Funnily enough it was the P6 I was going to get when I was waiting for my cycle-to-work voucher. Rather unfortunately though my work was slow sorting it out and the damn thing went out of stock.


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## chugsy (16 Mar 2010)

In the end I went with the Giant - despite being a small (the only size in stock) it seems to fit me ok (5'11 (frame says for 5'4 - 5'7 - only saw that when I got home)) - just needs a little adjustment in the bars and saddle... might transfer my "bling bits" from the mtb over the weekend.

Annoyingly I did not pick up that the rear disc rubs on the pads - anyone au fait with Giant MPH hydraulic brakes? Chap at the shop said I could widen the gap with a flat screwdriver - I'll make that my last resort!

Pictures soon...


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## jonny jeez (17 Mar 2010)

Nothing as polished and modern as your choice, but I ride (and have ridden for around 10 years) a CB.

In her day she was "top of the range" with a full ally frame and pretty good components, including maintenance free front shock's.

a decade later (with a great deal of that time spent off road and in the air!) she still carry's me 120 miles a week (now on the road with a set of armadillo Slim-line boots) and is smooth and pretty much creak/rattle free (one tiny and pretty rare creak..possibly from the crank, possibly from the seat post..hard to tell).

I know the CB brand has taken a few re-incarnations with Falcon etc, so not sure how the modern incarnations stand up...but Chitty (my bike) has proven to be pretty much bullet-proof so far.




(Sigh...love old chitty, she's a smasher)


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## Alan Whicker (17 Mar 2010)

I had a CB Xanthos MTB for ages. It was as comfy as an armchair and built like a Sherman tank. Even did some road touring on it without even bothering to change the knobbly tyres! I wonder where it is now?


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## chugsy (17 Mar 2010)

*Pictures*

Even though this has turned into a love in for all things CB  here are some pictures of the new ride. Compared to my old Carrera the cockpit is a fair bit shorter - looks like I'll be looking for a longer stem if I can't get on with this setup 

















mind you, I was getting some back cramp on the mtb on my last commute so maybe stretching out isn't so good for me?


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## jontee70 (17 Mar 2010)

the one i had in 1955-6 was a terrific bike


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## TheBoyBilly (22 Mar 2010)

I know fit is important, but as kids we were always swapping bikes - even with much older lads and always seemed to manage without a thought (okay there were occasional probs with getting feet down) If your Giant has scope for adjustment and you end up comfortable then you will have many happy miles ahead. According to common sense my Spesh Langster is waaay too big for me but I seem to manage just fine and love the stretched out position. My mtb, on the other hand, is much more compact which is how I like it over the rough stuff.


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## clid61 (12 Dec 2016)

still going strong ....


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## PatrickPending (9 Jan 2017)

I had a CB for about a year - started to fail after 3 weeks...biggest pile of **** I ever bought - I e-mailed the company with regards to some of it such as the wheels failing after 3 weeks - they (falcon cycles) washed their hands of it....that says it all for me....


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