First Bike

[fidel260759]

Hi,

I am about to buy my first new bike in years!!

Unfortunately I am limited to Halfords as it will be via the cycle2work scheme.

I have been looking to get a bike which I can use both on and off road.

a couple of guys in the office have Carrera's and recommended this brand to me. I have seen the following bike:-

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_518245_langId_-1_categoryId_165499

I know from reading some reviews that a few of the components such as the saddle and pedals are not the greatest but generally speaking would this be a useful first bike?

I will probably do about 50miles per week as I was a keen runner until I developed shin splints!!

Cheers

 

[HLaB]

How much off-roading are you planning to do, unless its serious stuff; Id ditch the idea of suspensions fork you really need to be spending 1k plus on the forks alone before suspension is any advantage at that it'll just be a dead weight on road. Knobbly tyres aren't the best for road but you can always swap them for something thinner and smoother. The ultimate test is to try the bike and see if you feel comfortable with it but on the whole though depending on what offroading you are doing I'd look at something else more suitable for on road and reasonable off road; perhaps a hybrid.

 

[fidel260759]

Will probably be on road for the bulk of the time but will be off road on some basic mountain bike tracks in local parks in addition to canal paths etc.

I had looked at hybrid but just thought I would need something which would be able to handle the off road aspects as well.


Any suggestions on decent bikes from Halfords?

 

[HLaB]

Will probably be on road for the bulk of the time but will be off road on some basic mountain bike tracks in local parks in addition to canal paths etc.

I had looked at hybrid but just thought I would need something which would be able to handle the off road aspects as well.


Any suggestions on decent bikes from Halfords?

A mtb orientated Hybrid will handle that fine, a road bike orientated hybrid wont well; its a big spectrum.

I've never really looked at a hybrid before in Halfords but Ive heard positive things about the Carrera Subway. Just looking I see Halfords have also started doing Kona Dews, folk say that's a good bike

 

[fidel260759]

A mtb orientated Hybrid will handle that fine, a road bike orientated hybrid wont well; its a big spectrum.

I've never really looked at a hybrid before in Halfords but Ive heard positive things about the Carrera Subway. Just looking I see Halfords have also started doing Kona Dews, folk say that's a good bike

Yeah, a MTB orientated Hybrid is probably waht I am after.

I will check out the Carrera Subway - Thanks

 

[accountantpete]

Just got a new Carrera (road) frame off eBay and the build quality is quite impressive. The paintwork looks great but you only have to look at it for chips of paint to flake off. Hope the off-road finish is a bit more durable.

 

[smithyandco]

The Fury is an upgraded version of my Vengeance Race.

They share the same frame (different paint job and stickers), same brakes (but Fury has better rotors) and same saddle.

The frame, itself is very, very light for a metal frame.

The forks on mine are the DART 1 Rock Shox (the bottom line, budget Rock Shox) and although they are not light, they are not too heavy for commuting. I remember the Fury's Suntours being about the same weight wise, but they did have a lock-out which will prevent bounce from wasting energy while your cycling.

Everything else is very smooth, as smooth as you'd expect from a much more expensive bike.

I'd recommend it if you live on a route with little in the way of hills

And I'd only recommend it if your wanting an all-in-one, all terrain bike... ie: going to work Mon-Fri then hitting muddy woods on the weekend.
(otherwide look at the Carrera Subway if your route includes pot holes which rival cobbled streets for comfort or a road bike if it's a smooth run)

And if your commuting, look at some road friendly tyres.

 

[Cubist]

That Fury is a great bike if you want a proper off roader on weekends. It'll commute well enough, they are a good lightweight option annd well enough specc'd for the price range. If you get one, do yourself a favour and be adventurous on it. It's too good for parks and so on, it's a real bridleway basher, and will eat trail centre stuff for breakfast.
By the way, unless you are over 6'2 or so, don't go for a 20. They are a slack angled bike and there's loads of room on them.

 

[chewy]

I have been using a subway 2 as a commuter and a few miles elsewhere and have been very pleased, alot of bike for the money.

Idealily sat between a road based bike and mountain bike.