Which bike?

[Peculiar]

Hi,
New here and looking for a bit of advice.
I’m looking for a hybrid but on a bit of a tight budget so looking probably under £350.
I have been looking at Carerra mostly the subway and crossfire range. I was told they were better than the axle as they have disc brakes. I have also looked an pinnacle but they seem to have gone up in price since I started looking.
For context I’ll be using it for short road commutes and rides of up to 50 miles with my cycle club when that resumes after lockdown. Some hills and some light trails with tree roots etc. Also I’m female in my early 30s and am only about 4ft 11 which is causing problems in terms of getting a bike that will fit someone short like me.
thanks for any advice.

 

[vickster]

Don’t discount teen bikes like the Wiggo Chartres, good bang for buck used

this for example
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Boys-Gir...384871?hash=item2d06aacba7:g:WS8AAOSwFrtbR3tJ

I wouldn’t worry about disc brakes. Also the Subway is a big heavy bike, not sure I’d choose one for 50 mile rides

theres a similar discussion here
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/don’t-know-what-bike-to-buy-for-my-daughter’s-12th.259183/

What do you have currently?

 

[Grant Fondo]

Have a look at this, I bought one last year, really good and better than Carrera
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/marin-san-rafael-ds3-700c-2018-bike

 

[vickster]

Have a look at this, I bought one last year, really good and better than Carrera
https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/marin-san-rafael-ds3-700c-2018-bike
View attachment 513968

Bouncy for a 50 mile club ride?

 

[Grant Fondo]

Bouncy for a 50 mile club ride?

You can lock the forks off, but 50 miles might be a tad ambitious.
@Peculiar, have you considered a roadbike?

 

[Cycleops]

At that price you're going to get better VfM by going second hand. Have a look on eBay, Gumtree etc.
You don't say where you are but if in or near Hertfordshire this would be a great bike for £300:

Small size in Stevenage on Gumtree.

 

[vickster]

A small men’s bike is going to be too big for a 4’11 woman

i think @Reynard is this height

 

[Reynard]

A small men’s bike is going to be too big for a 4’11 woman

i think @Reynard is this height

Yep, small adult bike is going to be way too big... DAMHIKT!

@vickster is bang on, I'm 4ft 11

And I ride a Wiggins Chartres 26, but the original one, not the new one, which has a completely different spec. I'd also suggest going used if you can. Even so, the original Chartres is brilliant bang-for-buck, has good gearing for hills and it's a comfy ride too. I do metric halves on mine (50 km, which is around 35 miles) so you should be good for a 50 miler.

 

[Peculiar]

Thanks for all your help folks. I’ll definitely have a look into junior, the Chartres in particular.
Definitely worth a scout on gumtree and eBay then. There are a couple of places here that refurbish bikes too so I’ll check them out when possible.
Thanks again.

 

[Reynard]

Thanks for all your help folks. I’ll definitely have a look into junior, the Chartres in particular.
Definitely worth a scout on gumtree and eBay then. There are a couple of places here that refurbish bikes too so I’ll check them out when possible.
Thanks again.

YVW - there's no shame in looking at junior bikes. It's far more important to have a bike that fits right.

If you're ever in the market for a road bike, the Wiggins Rouen 650 is a very nice ride. I have one of those in my small fleet of three as well.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I would go for a secondhand decent quality 1990s rigid frame MTB with 26" wheels. Anything with larger wheels is going to have severely compromised geometry in a size small enough to fit someone under 5 ft tall. Something with a frame no larger than 18/19 inches. Disc brakes are a red herring. Rim brakes work fine if they are properly sorted, I've managed riding with them for 45 years so far.... 50 mile outings on knobbly tyres is going to be hard work though, so I would fit Schwalbe Marathon in 26" x 1.75" flavour as they are tough and roll relatively well. They are fine off road so long as you don't want to ride in soft mud, as they won't have very good traction in such conditions. For tarmac and hard packed dirt & gravel they are a difficult tyre to beat.

 

[Reynard]

I would go for a secondhand decent quality 1990s rigid frame MTB with 26" wheels. Anything with larger wheels is going to have severely compromised geometry in a size small enough to fit someone under 5 ft tall. Something with a frame no larger than 18/19 inches. Disc brakes are a red herring. Rim brakes work fine if they are properly sorted, I've managed riding with them for 45 years so far.... 50 mile outings on knobbly tyres is going to be hard work though, so I would fit Schwalbe Marathon in 26" x 1.75" flavour as they are tough and roll relatively well. They are fine off road so long as you don't want to ride in soft mud, as they won't have very good traction in such conditions. For tarmac and hard packed dirt & gravel they are a difficult tyre to beat.

That'll be far too big a bike, take my word for it.

If the OP, who is my height, is going to be looking at an old-style rigid MTB, they'll be wanting something with 24 inch wheels and a 13 or 14 inch frame. Bikes of that size and age are not easy to find - yes, I still have mine (Emmelle Leopard 10) - but any you'll find will be totally knackered, as they'll have been trashed by their teenaged owners.

In this case, the OP is far better off looking at a newer used bike like the Chartres.

 

[vickster]

I would go for a secondhand decent quality 1990s rigid frame MTB with 26" wheels. Anything with larger wheels is going to have severely compromised geometry in a size small enough to fit someone under 5 ft tall. Something with a frame no larger than 18/19 inches. Disc brakes are a red herring. Rim brakes work fine if they are properly sorted, I've managed riding with them for 45 years so far.... 50 mile outings on knobbly tyres is going to be hard work though, so I would fit Schwalbe Marathon in 26" x 1.75" flavour as they are tough and roll relatively well. They are fine off road so long as you don't want to ride in soft mud, as they won't have very good traction in such conditions. For tarmac and hard packed dirt & gravel they are a difficult tyre to beat.

The Chartres 26...has 26” wheels