# Halfords new crossers



## GaryA (25 Nov 2014)

Ok its they are cheapie's buy hey some of us are on a budget

Opinions?

Shame its 54cm max
I'm 6ft 2" and dont think it will fit properly....


http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/carrera-crixus-limited-edition-cyclocross-bike-2015
Also upmarket one for next year

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/13-innate-alpha-cyclocross-bike-2015


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## DCLane (25 Nov 2014)

I've had a look at them and they seem good for the price; they're not really cross bikes but for most riders they're fine.

Personally, if I had the cash and needed a spare (I've 6 bikes atm) I'd be buying one.


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## Crankarm (25 Nov 2014)

I wouldn't.


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## Justinslow (25 Nov 2014)

That second bike is listed at a whopping 12.2 kg, a bit heavy?


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## dan_bo (25 Nov 2014)

You're buying a bike from the man?


Hang your head.


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## AndyRM (26 Nov 2014)

GaryA said:


> Shame its 54cm max
> I'm 6ft 2" and dont think it will fit properly....



IME, Halfords measure their bikes strangely. A guy at work's got a Carrerra TdF which he bought as a 52cm frame - it fits him absolutely fine and he's just under 6". I rode it home for him once and it felt fine, and I've a couple of inches on him.


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## e-rider (26 Nov 2014)

the first one looks terrible but it is only £329 - at that price you don't have many alternatives. 

The second one looks slightly better but at £499 I'm sure you could do a lot better for that money.


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## GaryA (27 Nov 2014)

The black/green one does look better in real life but lifting up the bars its no lightweight
The claris 8 speed is a rare feature at that price you have got to admit
and on a budget all rounder I'd prefer 8 speed toughness over 9 speed anyway....


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## John the Monkey (27 Nov 2014)

e-rider said:


> the first one looks terrible but it is only £329 - at that price you don't have many alternatives.
> 
> The second one looks slightly better but at £499 I'm sure you could do a lot better for that money.


I think that's around the price of the Boardman offering, isn't it?


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## oldroadman (27 Nov 2014)

Why buy rubbish from H's when you can buy it from a proper LBS?


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## talisman50082 (27 Nov 2014)

Hs Trowbridge branch is fine ? The guys i have dealt with in bike hut are all into cycling. I bought a Crixus and for my purposes it is spot on. Real value for money as it only cost 249.00. There are good and bad LBS .


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## david k (22 Dec 2014)

oldroadman said:


> Why buy rubbish from H's when you can buy it from a proper LBS?


why is it rubbish just because its from halfords?


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## young Ed (22 Dec 2014)

david k said:


> why is it rubbish just because its from halfords?


i believe there carrera bikes are OK but MOST of the mechanics there are pretty naff, people have ended up with bearings lacking grease or the bars falling off on the way home or completely useless brakes so if i were buying a bike from halfords i would specifically request to have the bike as it is delivered to the store in the bike box and collect it in a car to assemble my self at home

OP, what do you plan to use the bike for? real CX as in fast in mud and over obstacles etc or will it end up being all on roads and toe paths etc? thing is if it will never leave roads and toe paths etc than i think i would look at a road bike such as the B'Twin triban 3 or 5
either that or go second hand, a wee while ago i bought a 2009 scott speedster for £200, i very nice bike with full shimano 105 groupset
Cheers Ed


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## david k (22 Dec 2014)

young Ed said:


> i believe there carrera bikes are OK but MOST of the mechanics there are pretty naff, people have ended up with bearings lacking grease or the bars falling off on the way home or completely useless brakes so if i were buying a bike from halfords i would specifically request to have the bike as it is delivered to the store in the bike box and collect it in a car to assemble my self at home
> 
> OP, what do you plan to use the bike for? real CX as in fast in mud and over obstacles etc or will it end up being all on roads and toe paths etc? thing is if it will never leave roads and toe paths etc than i think i would look at a road bike such as the B'Twin triban 3 or 5
> either that or go second hand, a wee while ago i bought a 2009 scott speedster for £200, i very nice bike with full shimano 105 groupset
> Cheers Ed



I have bought two bikes from halfords and the build has been fantastic, contrast that to a local bike shops which is suppose to be very good and when i went in for a service they said everything needs changing after looking at it for about 30 seconds and quoted me £170!! I lost all faith in them, i guess it depends which halfords, mine has been very very good, each service has been cheaper and better than the lbs

cannot class all halfords as bad just as we cannot class all lbs as good


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## Kumquat (4 Feb 2015)

Hi there, I'm thinking of getting the new carrera cyclocross bike, can anyone give me some advice (I cycle, but I'm not a "proper" cyclist)

At the moment I have 2 cheap mountain bikes (I have dual nationality and split my time between both countries, needed a bike at each place). I'm now at university, and using one of the bikes (the least attractive to thieves) to commute.

I had been toying with the idea of getting a 2nd hand road bike because despite being short the commute on my clunky old bike is slow and a lot of effort. Everyone with a road bike sails effortlessly past me lol. I now think cyclocross bike might be better because although I'm mainly on the road, the commute has a lot of potholes/gravel occasional broken glass etc and I want something hardy. It's also steep in places and I think (correct me if I'm wrong) that cyclocross bikes are better for hills? Also, if I had a cyclocross I could get rid of the mountain bike in this country (3 bikes is excessive for someone like me) whereas if I bought a road bike instead I would have to keep the mtb for the odd occasion that I go off-road. I have looked for 2nd hand cyclocross bikes, but found none within my budget that are close to me (I don't have a car)

Do you think the cheap halfords cyclocross sounds like a good idea for someone like me (ie doesn't need the top of the range stuff and small budget) or should I get a roadbike instead? I'm leaning towards the cyclocross, but I'm also concerned that a new bike may be a target for thieves.


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## young Ed (4 Feb 2015)

/\
thread merge by a mod?
Cheers Ed


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## 13 rider (4 Feb 2015)

Kumquat said:


> Hi there, I'm thinking of getting the new carrera cyclocross bike, can anyone give me some advice (I cycle, but I'm not a "proper" cyclist)
> 
> At the moment I have 2 cheap mountain bikes (I have dual nationality and split my time between both countries, needed a bike at each place). I'm now at university, and using one of the bikes (the least attractive to thieves) to commute.
> 
> ...


My mate recently purchased a carrea cirrus at something like 280 ,think there online at the moment for 250 I think. This is a excellent bike for the money and will do off road no problems just depends on what riding you do .my Leicester branch of halfords has an in store on a carrea road bike for 180 which is brilliant value perhaps worth a visit to your branch to check out any offers. You will find changing from a mountain bike you will notice riding is easier


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## Kumquat (4 Feb 2015)

young Ed said:


> /\
> thread merge by a mod?
> Cheers Ed



No, I posted on this thread because I thought it made sense...
Sorry if it wasn't the right thing to do (I notice that the thread is a bit old) I'm new here :/


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## AndyRM (4 Feb 2015)

Kumquat said:


> No, I posted on this thread because I thought it made sense...
> Sorry if it wasn't the right thing to do (I notice that the thread is a bit old) I'm new here :/



Don't worry about it, posting in this thread totally makes sense, even if it has been a little neglected.

I'm sure that someone on here has one of the Halford's crossers and rates it highly. Can't remember who right now but hopefully it'll come back to me and I can link you to their thoughts.

As for your thoughts about a bike, I think you're going in the right direction. A CX bike will give you pretty much the best of all worlds! Halford's do offer decent value for money on many of their bikes, the problem lies with some staff not having a clue which gives them a fairly negative rep on here.


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## AndyRM (4 Feb 2015)

Hadn't noticed @13 rider's post. Here's the thread I was thinking about which is similarly positive: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/collected-my-carrera-crixus-ll.169721/#post-3397375


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## shadow master (4 Feb 2015)

If people stop buying bikes from halfords...what are we going to put in all the landfill sites,what will eBay and the car boots do with out any stock!and on a more serious note the independent bike shops will be hit really hard as repairing halfords bikes is very nice business,bikes shops would never survive relying on repairing the products they sell themselves.


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## Kumquat (4 Feb 2015)

AndyRM said:


> Hadn't noticed @13 rider's post. Here's the thread I was thinking about which is similarly positive: https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/collected-my-carrera-crixus-ll.169721/#post-3397375



Thanks, that thread was useful and makes me even more tempted now! 
I cycle past a halfords on my commute, might drop in tomorrow and try and see one in the flesh.


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## Justinslow (5 Feb 2015)

Apparently there's a further 10 % off today between 12.00 and 14.00!


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## Kumquat (5 Feb 2015)

So, popped into my local halfords today to have a peak. Really liked it, but am both excited and slightly terrified about dropped handles/gear shifting/more aggressive riding position- do people usually pick it up quickly?

Reassuringly I was directed to "the bike expert" who seemed to have decent knowledge

Pretty sure I'm going to get it know, but any opinions on which colour?


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## AndyRM (5 Feb 2015)

Kumquat said:


> So, popped into my local halfords today to have a peak. Really liked it, but am both excited and slightly terrified about dropped handles/gear shifting/more aggressive riding position- do people usually pick it up quickly?
> 
> Reassuringly I was directed to "the bike expert" who seemed to have decent knowledge
> 
> ...



You'll find it feels a bit 'twitchy' after a mountain bike, but you'll get used to it soon. Same with gear shifting to be honest, a couple of rides and it'll be second nature. Don't worry about the drops too much - they're there as an option, you don't have to use them. I rarely do when I commute on my road bike. 

Personally I prefer the green colour-scheme, but I guess it's whatever Halfords have available in your size. If it's an older model, you could ask for a discount.


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## Justinslow (5 Feb 2015)

Kumquat said:


> So, popped into my local halfords today to have a peak. Really liked it, but am both excited and slightly terrified about dropped handles/gear shifting/more aggressive riding position- do people usually pick it up quickly?
> 
> Reassuringly I was directed to "the bike expert" who seemed to have decent knowledge
> 
> ...


 The black one for me.
I got my roadie back in August, first time on a "racer" in nearly thirty years. Yes it was different to start with but soon got into the swing of things. Remember there are lots if different places for your hands to go on drop bars so you can keep moving about which you can't do on a straight bar bike. Gear shifting is super easy aswell, do it.


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## 13 rider (5 Feb 2015)

My mates is green and I quite like it but its what you like that matters


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## Kumquat (5 Feb 2015)

13 rider said:


> My mates is green and I quite like it but its what you like that matters



I like both about the same, that's the difficulty! I'll let you know when I finally buy one


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## Kumquat (6 Feb 2015)

Hi everyone, I've bought the bike, went for the black in the end. I had a slight preference for the green, but my local halfords just sold their last one and its not available to order in, or anywhere within a 15 mile radius (I don't have a car)

I'll collect it on Sunday. Any tips for what to check for to see if it's been set up properly?? Remember I know nothing about bikes.


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## AndyRM (6 Feb 2015)

Kumquat said:


> Hi everyone, I've bought the bike, went for the black in the end. I had a slight preference for the green, but my local halfords just sold their last one and its not available to order in, or anywhere within a 15 mile radius (I don't have a car)
> 
> I'll collect it on Sunday. Any tips for what to check for to see if it's been set up properly?? Remember I know nothing about bikes.



Give the brakes a squeeze to check they align properly and don't stick.
Check the bars are on correctly - they shouldn't move in the stem (bit which holds them onto the frame).
Give it a spin round the shop/car park and have a flick through the gears to see if they shift properly.
If you're riding it home, it's probably worth asking them to adjust the saddle to your height - again make sure it's tightened up properly.

Can't really think of anything else.


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## 13 rider (6 Feb 2015)

As above. enjoy your new bike .


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## Swill (10 Feb 2015)

Hi. I bought the Green one as well, it looks classier in the flesh than the photo.
First thing I'd check is that the brakes were set up properly. They're Cantillevers and not everyone (me included) has previous experience of them - so they might not be quite right. It took me longer to sort the brakes than build the rest of the bike. I did some googling and managed to find some pointers. They work OK now. 
It's also be worth rechecking the Hi and Lo settings on the gears (again you'll find instructions online - google derailleur adjustment). I'll post some links later. 
And check that the axle skewers on the wheels are tight enough (they dont need to be too tight though, enough to hold the wheel - not enough to bend the frame!).
Apart from theat give it the once over, check that all the bolts are secure, remember that it's mainly alloy and not too tighten things with too heavy a hand.

The bolts will need checking more often when the bike is new as the parts are settling down.

BTW: The other day I noticed that my front wheel is not as free to spin as I'd like. I'll be stripping it down and regreasing it in the not too distant. I learnt how to do this kind of thing from Richards Bicycle Book ages ago - you might want to get a copy of a similar book to learn maintenance. Or it might be worth taking it to a local bike shop for a thorough service after a little while. It'll save you ££££'s in the long run. 

Good luck.


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## Swill (10 Feb 2015)

I forgot to mention: On cantillever brakes there is a link wire connecting the two sides. These go through a kind of bridge which is connected to the main brake cable. If the nut and bolt on the bridge come loose, or if the brake cable snaps the link wire can go on to the tyre and will bring on the brakes pretty sharpish. On the front of the Crixus you can install the reflector braket below the link cable so no problem there. But on the back there doesnt appear to be room for this (plus you only get a seat post mounted reflector - not one on a braket). Until I think of a better solution (such as a Raleigh Cantillever seat clamp mounted stop @ £1.99 or a Tektro Brake booster @ £4.99 from SJS cycles etc) I've looped a cable tie from under the link cable and up to the frame where the plastic covered part of the brake cable stops. You dont want to tighten the cable tie up tight - leave slack in it (or you'll prevent the brakes from springing back into the off position properly) , you just want to loop the cable tie around the two parts to prevent the link cable falling if the main cable snaps etc. Or course having mudguards also prevents the wire falling on the tyre.
Sheldon Brown has written some good articles on bicycle mainenance generally - but there's also a section specifficaly on cantillever bakes which I had to refer to in order to set mine up properly.


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## david k (15 Mar 2015)

shadow master said:


> If people stop buying bikes from halfords...what are we going to put in all the landfill sites,what will eBay and the car boots do with out any stock!and on a more serious note the independent bike shops will be hit really hard as repairing halfords bikes is very nice business,bikes shops would never survive relying on repairing the products they sell themselves.


Locally this couldn't be more wrong. The local bike shop is a complete rip off, only out to make money every time I go I get the hard sell, they tell me I need repairs I don't really need. There are others that are ok at best, I find them arrogant know it alls who scoff at you for not knowing as much as them

Halfords have been great, very helpful, cheaper and do a great job on the bikes, they have a large range of bikes also


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## Tojo (23 May 2015)

Locally this couldn't be more wrong. The local bike shop is a complete rip off, only out to make money every time I go I get the hard sell, they tell me I need repairs I don't really need. There are others that are ok at best, I find them arrogant know it alls who scoff at you for not knowing as much as them.

Tell me about it I'm a qualified bike mechanic myself and phoned up the local to try and get a shimano freehub for a campag rear wheel quickly for a mate, and he started trying to baffle me with bullshit, so I let him continue, as he started to say are you sure you mean freehub and not a freewheel, he waffled on until I stopped him and said I know you stock campag gear and I just need to know have you got a shimano compatable freehub to fit a zonda rear hub, he then said that the zondas only come with a campag freewheel hub, needles to say when I pass his shop its empty........


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## Justinslow (23 May 2015)

One of our lbs did a service on a mates road bike and didn't re thread the gear cables through the guides under the BB! They all make mistakes.


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## Tojo (1 Jun 2015)

Justinslow said:


> One of our lbs did a service on a mates road bike and didn't re thread the gear cables through the guides under the BB! They all make mistakes.



Oh, well we can't all be bright, I love thick and in-component people, it makes my life much easier......


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## User16625 (21 Oct 2015)

david k said:


> why is it rubbish just because its from halfords?




IME thats a bit like asking "Why is it shoot just because it came out of my arse?"

A large proportion of the stuff I have had from Halfords have been in someway defective or just poor quality. Ok for inner tubes but even these I will buy elsewhere nowadays. I simply wont go to Halfords for anything.


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## david k (21 Oct 2015)

RideLikeTheStig said:


> IME thats a bit like asking "Why is it shoot just because it came out of my arse?"
> 
> A large proportion of the stuff I have had from Halfords have been in someway defective or just poor quality. Ok for inner tubes but even these I will buy elsewhere nowadays. I simply wont go to Halfords for anything.


My experience has been the opposite, great value also compared with lbs


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