Bike Choice (and everything that goes with it....)

[SoonToBeSkinny]

Hi everyone

I'm about to start hitting the roads to commute to and from work from next week. I have an ancient 18kg mountain bike and the moment and have done some short practice journeys. Its hard work at the moment but will hopefully get easier as I go.

I have ordered a Bike to Work voucher through work and unfortunately it is through Halfords which will be restrictive in terms of bike choice. I am also worried that they don't appear to get a good review in terms of expertise or customer service but needs must!!

I will be getting a £500 voucher, and was intending getting a Carerra Crossfire 3 at £399 but a friend suggested I go for the Boardman hybrid at £499.

If I go with the carrera I will have £100 for lights, mudguards etc, with Boardman I'll have nothing. That said, I want the best bike I can afford and can pay cash for lights etc, but probably will have to wait for the rest of the equipment.

I would appreciate any advice you can offer on this.

(I would also be keen to know what type of equipment I should be riding with as standard. Shorts, top, additional equipment spares etc. I should say that at the moment skin tight might not be the best look for me as I'm carrying some "Christmas" weight )

Thanks everyone.

 

[cyberknight]

I would avoid the cross fire as the front suspension just adds weight and for normal road riding the tyres will give you enough cushioning.
I Would suggest the carrera gryphon if you want a bike with road bike size wheels like the 2 you have mentioned, guy at work has been riding one for a few years and it is still going strong.
An alternative is the carrera subway which is based on a MTB frame and is more bombproof but a bit heavier, i used one of those for a few years for a 10 mile each way commute untill i decided to go for a road bike.
The Boardman is certainly a better bike and someone else i know has one , a white one and it looks very nice.I have a boardman road bike and its a brilliant ride.If you can afford to buy the lights etc seperatly i would go for the boardman but if not i would look at the gryphon personally.

You can get lights very cheaply and this time of year unless you work shifts and are going to be riding in the real dark a basic set will tide you over till the nights start drawing in later in the year so a good lock is a must.
Do you intend to use a backpack? i started out with one but as my commutes became more regular i opted for a rack and panniers to carry everything as you never know if you will get a flat .2 inner tubes, pump,tyre levers, tyre levers are a minimum to carry .
If you plan to commute all the time you are best to look at getting some mudgaurds as well , most of the water when it rains comes off the wheels and can leave you and your bike looking wose for wear.
Now get that bike and enjoy it

 

[SoonToBeSkinny]

I would avoid the cross fire as the front suspension just adds weight and for normal road riding the tyres will give you enough cushioning.
I Would suggest the carrera gryphon if you want a bike with road bike size wheels like the 2 you have mentioned, guy at work has been riding one for a few years and it is still going strong.
An alternative is the carrera subway which is based on a MTB frame and is more bombproof but a bit heavier, i used one of those for a few years for a 10 mile each way commute untill i decided to go for a road bike.
The Boardman is certainly a better bike and someone else i know has one , a white one and it looks very nice.I have a boardman road bike and its a brilliant ride.If you can afford to buy the lights etc seperatly i would go for the boardman but if not i would look at the gryphon personally.

You can get lights very cheaply and this time of year unless you work shifts and are going to be riding in the real dark a basic set will tide you over till the nights start drawing in later in the year so a good lock is a must.
Do you intend to use a backpack? i started out with one but as my commutes became more regular i opted for a rack and panniers to carry everything as you never know if you will get a flat .2 inner tubes, pump,tyre levers, tyre levers are a minimum to carry .
If you plan to commute all the time you are best to look at getting some mudgaurds as well , most of the water when it rains comes off the wheels and can leave you and your bike looking wose for wear.
Now get that bike and enjoy it

That Gryphon looks to be a nice bike

Not sure how I missed it. A couple of kilos lighter than the Crossfire too. Thanks.

 

[Johnym]

I had the same problem with my c2w being halfords restricted but after a bit of research I found you can use other suppliers with the voucher.

I got my bike from leisurelakebikes via halfords, a cube peloton.

Give lee Johnson a ring on:

tel:08450 20778850

He works at halfords c2w and will help you out if you want too shop further afield.

 

[Banjo]

Of the three I would pick the Boardman or the Gryphon without a second thought. Much better bikes than the Appollo for riding on the road.

Spend all your money on the best bike you can afford then pick up the other bits and bobs you need as you go along. Having said that a good lock is a wise investment.

 

[cyberknight]

I had the same problem with my c2w being halfords restricted but after a bit of research I found you can use other suppliers with the voucher.

I got my bike from leisurelakebikes via halfords, a cube peloton.

Give lee Johnson a ring on:

tel:08450 20778850

He works at halfords c2w and will help you out if you want too shop further afield.

Just be careful, i looked into this for my C2W and you can get bikes but its full rrp,whereas the carreras and boardmans in my case offered more spec for the same price.It all depends what you want.Guy at work had a bike for the full £1k and its lower spec than the boardman road comp i have.

 

[SoonToBeSkinny]

Thanks everyone