# Carrera Zelos



## bex (1 Jan 2015)

Hi I've recently just bought a Carrera bike, haven't had one before, my old bike is a Trek Hybrid, just wondered whats the general maintenance, (or is it just the same as any bike?) and any tips to get the best speed in the most efficient way?Thanks x (I've done the tyres, raised the seat, and I'm getting new brakes fitted as my short arms cant reach the brakes! ).


----------



## Saluki (1 Jan 2015)

HI Bex.

To gain speed, you need fitness. Ride, ride and ride some more.  At the moment, I am not that fit so riding slower, also it's winter and I'm always slower in winter.

Have you considered going clipless in the pedal department. I find that I am faster clipless than on flats. I didn't notice the difference until I had to do a ride on flats and it was hideous and really slow, especially up hills.

If you are changing your brakes, you might want to have a squint at your stem length and maybe put a shorter stem on. I have 80mm stems on both my bikes, whihc makes life a lot easier for me. I don't have particularly short arms but I do have a short back. That 2cm shorter makes a vast difference to me.

Happy riding.


----------



## bex (1 Jan 2015)

thats great thanks, yes riding in winter is hard work!I'll have a look at getting clipless pedals, haven't tried them before. Yes I'll see how I go with the brakes, if its still a bit awkward I'll get a new stem. Thanks very much! xx


----------



## mjr (2 Jan 2015)

I don't know either bike but I doubt basic maintenance will be much different if they're both derailleur bikes. http://cyclingfortransport.com/plan/maintenance/

Supposedly the most efficient way- to get a spspeed is to pick the gear that will do it at ninety rpm and pedal at that, but it depends whether you want to favour muscles or cardiovascular.

Clipless or flat shouldn't make much difference as long as whatever pedals you use are decent, which a lot of free-with-bike pedals aren't.


----------



## cyberknight (2 Jan 2015)

Plenty of stuff on you tube for bike maintenance, its pretty straightforward, and as @Saluki says have a look at your stem length as you should be able to reach the brakes etc ,assuming you bought the right size although a few tweaks for a perfect fit are often needed.I ride 3 bikes and they all have different stems to give me the same reach from the saddle tip and they all have the same saddle height and set back.
Have a look at Jim Langley bike fit as a start

http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html
Most newer riders have their saddle to low and push a big gear slowly,the average best rpm is 90 .


----------



## Hughes (7 Oct 2016)

Hi I've got a carrera zelos personally its halfords sold me wrong size and its heavy not a smooth ride wish I'd never got it worst bike I've ever bought it about fast as a snail on steroids its rubbish and should b scrapped


----------



## cyberknight (7 Oct 2016)

On the flat bike weight makes very little difference , i have a mtb i converted to drop bars and even though its a lot heavier i can still do the same speed on the flat, just takes a bit longer to get up to speed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11958903


----------



## Hughes (8 Oct 2016)

cyberknight said:


> On the flat bike weight makes very little difference , i have a mtb i converted to drop bars and even though its a lot heavier i can still do the same speed on the flat, just takes a bit longer to get up to speed.
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11958903


Its a road carrera I find it crank heavy and frankly you cant resell it as noone wants carreras .. Parts are worth more than bike itself


----------



## cyberknight (8 Oct 2016)

Hughes said:


> Its a road carrera I find it crank heavy and frankly you cant resell it as noone wants carreras .. Parts are worth more than bike itself


Carreras sell well on ebay , if you have only just bought it and its too big why not take it back assuming its still in A1 condition and try to get a refund .

I ride a carrea vanquish for work and i can honestly say that although its heavy compared to my nice bike it rides just as nicely as my nicer bike which is a lot lighter , i only really notice the weight on hills but it is loaded down with lights,panniers etc .
What other road bike are you comparing it too BTW so we can have a comparison of what your comparing ?, its hard to quantify what you mean by heavy etc till we know what your comparing it too ?

Are there other issues with the bike that might be easy to fix like your seat height / reach etc ( bike fit ) as every bike i buy i expect to change stem length to get it perfect , we cant help if all we have to go on is "its heavy and crank "


----------



## Hughes (8 Oct 2016)

cyberknight said:


> Carreras sell well on ebay , if you have only just bought it and its too big why not take it back assuming its still in A1 condition and try to get a refund .
> 
> I ride a carrea vanquish for work and i can honestly say that although its heavy compared to my nice bike it rides just as nicely as my nicer bike which is a lot lighter , i only really notice the weight on hills but it is loaded down with lights,panniers etc .
> What other road bike are you comparing it too BTW so we can have a comparison of what your comparing ?, its hard to quantify what you mean by heavy etc till we know what your comparing it too ?
> ...


The crank is steel and thats y its heavy and not aluminium or catbon n frame is 3cm smaller for my build and I only carry underseat bag light lights and light computer and two water bottles I've had steel road. That's been lighter than this one and when you pick it up you can feel the weight in crank


----------



## cyberknight (8 Oct 2016)

Hughes said:


> The crank is steel and thats y its heavy and not aluminium or catbon n frame is 3cm smaller for my build and I only carry underseat bag light lights and light computer and two water bottles I've had steel road. That's been lighter than this one and when you pick it up you can feel the weight in crank


How much did this "steel road bike " cost ? in comparison when taking into account inflation ? the zelos currently is on sale at £220 , what do you expect for your money ?
Did you not get on the bike or try it for size when you bought it ? If you had a bike before then why did you let the salesperson sell you a bike you should have known was to small for you ?


----------



## vickster (8 Oct 2016)

As above. Why did you buy it in the wrong size if you've had bikes before? And not lift it up or look at the specs to get the weight?
Never heard anyone complain about the crank material...unless you actually mean the fork which is steel as is usual on cheap bikes


----------



## smutchin (8 Oct 2016)

Hughes said:


> Hi I've got a carrera zelos personally its halfords sold me wrong size and its heavy not a smooth ride wish I'd never got it worst bike I've ever bought it about fast as a snail on steroids its rubbish and should b scrapped



http://www.ef.com/english-resources/english-grammar/period-full-stop-or-point/

HTH


----------



## Hughes (8 Oct 2016)

cyberknight said:


> How much did this "steel road bike " cost ? in comparison when taking into account inflation ? the zelos currently is on sale at £220 , what do you expect for your money ?
> Did you not get on the bike or try it for size when you bought it ? If you had a bike before then why did you let the salesperson sell you a bike you should have known was to small for you ?


For you info I was pressured by halfords into this bike as it was the only one they shown me they never did a bike fit they said it was the right size and that pic is offensive


----------



## cyberknight (8 Oct 2016)

Hughes said:


> For you info I was pressured by halfords into this bike as it was the only one they shown me they never did a bike fit they said it was the right size and that pic is offensive






vickster said:


> As above. _*Why did you buy it in the wrong size if you've had bikes before?*_ And not lift it up or look at the specs to get the weight?
> Never heard anyone complain about the crank material...unless you actually mean the fork which is steel as is usual on cheap bikes



So When you went into to buy the bike did you tell them what you were after and what you wanted to spend ?

It seems very odd that someone can mention carbon cranks in one breath and moan about the weight of those on a bike that costs the same as just the aforementioned crank.


----------



## vickster (8 Oct 2016)

Hughes said:


> For you info I was pressured by halfords into this bike as it was the only one they shown me they never did a bike fit they said it was the right size


Presumably because it was the only bike for your budget? Did you at least sit on it? If it's too small, presumably in the reach, why not try a longer stem? Is the saddle as far back in the rails as it will go? Could also try a layback seatpost. What issues are you getting that have convinced you that it's too small?


----------



## Hughes (8 Oct 2016)

cyberknight said:


> So When you went into to buy the bike did you tell them what you were after and what you wanted to spend ?
> 
> It seems very odd that someone can mention carbon cranks in one breath and moan about the weight of those on a bike that costs the same as just the aforementioned crank.


Told halfords i wanted something light ....Chain set is steel (crank) wtf does everyone here think the sun shines of carreras ... Anyway I spoken to halfords head office and they exchange it for right size .... If they ask for more cash I'll refuse as its there fault as for forks are steel lightweight should be aluminium would ave been lighter


----------



## Hughes (8 Oct 2016)

vickster said:


> Presumably because it was the only bike for your budget? Did you at least sit on it? If it's too small, presumably in the reach, why not try a longer stem? Is the saddle as far back in the rails as it will go? Could also try a layback seatpost. What issues are you getting that have convinced you that it's too small?


Frame size


----------



## vickster (8 Oct 2016)

Hughes said:


> Frame size


Can be made to fit, easier if too small or big. I could ride a 54cm or 56cm. I prefer the smaller with a flipped stem as it gives me a more upright position


----------



## vickster (8 Oct 2016)

Hughes said:


> Told halfords i wanted something light ....Chain set is steel (crank) wtf does everyone here think the sun shines of carreras ... Anyway I spoken to halfords head office and they exchange it for right size .... If they ask for more cash I'll refuse as its there fault as for forks are steel lightweight should be aluminium would ave been lighter


It is relatively light for £250. Why would they ask for more cash? Most entry level budget bikes have a steel fork. It's a cheap road bike, that's the reality, I'm neither pro nor con when it comes to Carrera bikes, they are what they are, cheap, decent value for money. In the end however, It'll have cheap components and be made of cheap materials, which are heavier than more expensive ones. You could source lighter forks, lighter wheels, lighter tyres, carbon bits, but then you may as well have spent more in the first place.

Did you not look at the spec before buying, the details are on the website, they also have it I think on the labels on the bikes?

Did you visit other retailers too to see what they might have?


----------



## Hughes (8 Oct 2016)

vickster said:


> It is relatively light for £250. Why would they ask for more cash? Most entry level budget bikes have a steel fork. It's a cheap road bike, that's the reality, I'm neither pro nor con when it comes to Carrera bikes, they are what they are, cheap, decent value for money. In the end however, It'll have cheap components and be made of cheap materials, which are heavier than more expensive ones. You could source lighter forks, lighter wheels, lighter tyres, carbon bits, but then you may as well have spent more in the first place.
> 
> Did you not look at the spec before buying, the details are on the website, they also have it I think on the labels on the bikes?
> 
> Did you visit other retailers too to see what they might have?


No halfords was the first one .... I never got the chance to look around as Ive said I felt pushed into getting this bike as halfords head office will try and change it for right size will post update after I've been in to c them


----------



## Hughes (8 Oct 2016)

vickster said:


> It is relatively light for £250. Why would they ask for more cash? Most entry level budget bikes have a steel fork. It's a cheap road bike, that's the reality, I'm neither pro nor con when it comes to Carrera bikes, they are what they are, cheap, decent value for money. In the end however, It'll have cheap components and be made of cheap materials, which are heavier than more expensive ones. You could source lighter forks, lighter wheels, lighter tyres, carbon bits, but then you may as well have spent more in the first place.
> 
> Did you not look at the spec before buying, the details are on the website, they also have it I think on the labels on the bikes?
> 
> Did you visit other retailers too to see what they might have?


Sick of repeating myself getting bike changed tomorrow update all tomorrow


----------



## cyberknight (8 Oct 2016)

OK 
Lets start afresh, it seems you have issues related to fit , what size did you buy and how tall are you ?
This website has good advice on a basic fit ...
http://www.jimlangley.net/crank/bikefit.html.
I am going to leave your thoughts on what you expected for your money , how long ago did you buy your steel bike that weighed less ?, as late as 1993 migual indurain was winning the TDF on a bike about half a kilo lighter than the quoted weight for the zelos .


----------



## freiston (9 Oct 2016)

Hughes said:


> Hi I've got a carrera zelos personally its halfords sold me wrong size and its heavy not a smooth ride wish I'd never got it worst bike I've ever bought it about fast as a snail on steroids its rubbish and should b scrapped...
> 
> ...Told halfords i wanted something light ....Chain set is steel (crank)
> 
> ...The crank is steel and thats y its heavy and not aluminium or catbon n frame is 3cm smaller for my build and I only carry underseat bag light lights and light computer and two water bottles I've had steel road. That's been lighter than this one and when you pick it up you can feel the weight in crank


According to the Halfords website, the crankset/chainset is a PROWHEEL, A1-221C - which has forged aluminium cranks with steel rings and a steel spider (linky). I seriously doubt that any weight saved by replacing the steel components of the chainset with alloy would make any noticeable difference to cycling speeds - you could probably offset the extra weight by using lighter shoes! Someone else made this point earlier - the bike costs £250 - you're not going to get 'light' for that price - a good deal of people who want light would buy something like a Shimano 105 groupset - which costs half as much again as the whole Zelos bike costs (then they would spend a shed-load on the frame and wheels etc).

My bike is a weighty steel-framed and forked touring bike (probably about 13 or 14 kg) and I usually go out with a hefty chain bike-lock which weighs over 2kg, a tool kit that weighs a kilo and 1.5 litres of water (amongst other things). I can go at about 17 mph comfortably on the flat (I can do more but usually do less) and I often go over 30 mph down hill - if I go on to the drops, there are several places that I go down-hill at 25-30 mph with absolutely no pedalling. Uphill, I slow down to as low as 6 mph. I am not fit and I'm not a fast cyclist. My dynamo lights are always on.

What speeds are you cycling at and what speeds are you expecting?

I agree that a bad fit could make a drastic difference to pedalling efficiency but even with a frame 3cm smaller than the recommended size, I would expect to be able to get a reasonable fit.


----------



## cyberknight (9 Oct 2016)

freiston said:


> According to the Halfords website, the crankset/chainset is a PROWHEEL, A1-221C - which has forged aluminium cranks with steel rings and a steel spider (linky). I seriously doubt that any weight saved by replacing the steel components of the chainset with alloy would make any noticeable difference to cycling speeds - you could probably offset the extra weight by using lighter shoes! Someone else made this point earlier - the bike costs £250 - you're not going to get 'light' for that price - a good deal of people who want light would buy something like a Shimano 105 groupset - which costs half as much again as the whole Zelos bike costs (then they would spend a shed-load on the frame and wheels etc).
> 
> My bike is a weighty steel-framed and forked touring bike (probably about 13 or 14 kg) and I usually go out with a hefty chain bike-lock which weighs over 2kg, a tool kit that weighs a kilo and 1.5 litres of water (amongst other things). I can go at about 17 mph comfortably on the flat (I can do more but usually do less) and I often go over 30 mph down hill - if I go on to the drops, there are several places that I go down-hill at 25-30 mph with absolutely no pedalling. Uphill, I slow down to as low as 6 mph. I am not fit and I'm not a fast cyclist. My dynamo lights are always on.
> 
> ...


Yes , my self built vanquish is used as a commuter and im going around 21 mph on the flat .Thats a similar alloy frame , similar chainset , yea i know it has a carbon fork and lighter wheels but thats outweighed by rack,panniers, lights , sarnies , work clothes , waterproofs, tools, pump etc .


----------



## Cycleops (9 Oct 2016)

I think you might all be wasting your time. This guy is never going to be happy with the bike, or maybe any bike come to that.


----------



## Andrew1971 (9 Oct 2016)

Hi All
My other half has just got a carrera zelos and she like's it. Just got a shorter stem on it and tweaking to get 
it comfy. She chose to go for a man's bike because female one's are heavier. 
Andrew


----------



## phantasmagoriana (9 Oct 2016)

Andrew1971 said:


> She chose to go for a man's bike because female one's are heavier.
> Andrew



Where did she get that information from?


----------



## smutchin (9 Oct 2016)

phantasmagoriana said:


> Where did she get that information from?



Halfords, probably.


----------



## vickster (9 Oct 2016)

Well it might be true if comparing to a cheap heavy steel step through...but sounds like nonsense if talking about a women's roadbike equivalent to the Zelos!


----------



## Stevec047 (10 Oct 2016)

I have a Carrera virtuoso it's around 4 years old and to be honest yes it's a weighty bike but it's more than capable of doing a fine job.

Maintenance wise it's like any other bike. Keep it clean look after the chain etc and it will be fine. 

Over the past year I have upgraded (on a budget) a few bits such as new wheels, faster rolling tires, brake pads, cables and recently switched from an 11-28 to a 11-32 cassette, all of which has made the bike feel quicker and a lot smoother to ride. 

The front forks are heavy but I have taken these off to clean them up before and the weight of the frame and components on there own is surprisingly light. Loose the heavy seat post and look to replace the stem and bars with lighter options plus the addition of a alloy fork and I reckon you could be looking at a reasonably light bike.

Even though the components are from the bottom end of the range with carefull maintenence I find they shift smoothly and quickly. Brakes well texktro duel pivots are ok bit the 105 set ups do offer a better feel and grab when pelting down a steep hill with a 90 deg left at the end!!

You get what you pay for and at the lower end of the budget I do truly belive that the carrea range of bikes are great value and perfect for newcomers to the cycling world.


----------



## Cycleops (10 Oct 2016)

You are right, budget bikes can be great value and upgrading key components can pay dividends. Unfortunately I have to say there is only so much gilding you can do to a turd. I'd always advocate spending a bit more in the first place, nobody ever regretted buying quality and as you say having good brakes is one thing you do not want to compromise on.

We haven't heard back from our friend, I wonder how his shouting match with Halfords went.


----------



## Widge (10 Oct 2016)

Hughes said:


> Hi I've got a carrera zelos personally its halfords sold me wrong size and its heavy not a smooth ride wish I'd never got it worst bike I've ever bought it about fast as a snail on steroids its rubbish and should b scrapped


I'm having trouble with this comment - sorry...........

I cannot understand why the OP didn't do the most basic research into what size might suit him best? Google is your friend. Halfords are in the business of selling bikes but not really experts on what you SHOULD be buying.....the internet knoe this and can help sort it out. Secondly...all the 'Carrera' bikes I've seen and inspected have not been 'bad' bikes FOR THE MONEY! At £250-£300 pounds they are pretty much par for the course. I got a better bike for the same money by using google-fu. Everyone can do this. Also-people can ask advice here BEFORE purchase if they yearn for a 2nd opinion. Carreras can be upgraded if there is something you don't like. That's what we 'budget' buyers accept and do. They are cheap-not perfect. Even the next rung down (Think 'Viking') can be turned into jolly spanky bikes with a bit of nounce. You can't blame Halfords for selling you a cheap bike at a cheap price?

I just get the feeling that the buyer/op hoped for something better without putting in the effort...but don't want to sound too harsh. There is nothing wrong with yer average Carreara in the greater scheme of things...but you could always have done better?



w


----------



## DRM (11 Oct 2016)

I too have a Carrera Zelos which I bought as a "suck it & see" excersise to see how I got on with road riding, now as this thing cost me £260 new, I was a little unsure what to do with it when I got my carbon Giant Defy, there are some bad points with the Carrera, which I decided to tackle, the saddle was awful, the stem was a little too long, the tyres were uncomfortable, so all these parts were over time swapped with decent quality parts, when on clearance at Chain Reaction & Wiggle, so it now has Michelin Lithion 2 25mm tyres, Selle Italia Nekkar saddle, Deda Elementi 90mm stem & seatpost, Cinelli cork gel bar tape, mudguards, a Lezyne saddle bag & mini pump,so now it's my winter bike, yes it's heavy, but these mods have made a cheap bike more useable & comfortable, the 14 speed tourney groupset is a bit clunky compared to the Tiagra on my Giant, but works well & changes gear when you want it to, financially it's probably not worth updating, but I have enjoyed the fact that it's something that I have built up, and will replace other parts with better as they wear out.
I also fitted some Wellgo clipless pedals (Look Keo compatible) to match my current setup on the Giant.


----------

