Advice on spec......

[DDYB]

Folks,

Through the Cycle2Work scheme with Halfords I am looking to purchase one of the two bikes above. There is only about £20 difference between them through Halfords but other than tyre width what are the main differences between the two?

I am still quite new to all of this so if anyone could have a look at the two links below and highlight the main differences that would be greatly appreciated. I can obv see the slight variations in the spec but not overly sure which is better.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products...oogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle


http://www.evanscycles.com/products...oogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle


I think both of these would be suitable for my needs (50% road & 50% cycle path) but as a newbie I'm not sure which of these would be most suitable. I am leaning towards the Voyage as I feel starting on a slightly wider tyre would be benificial but am open to thoughts/suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

 

[HLaB]

I'd lean towards the horizon it'd got higher and more gears and narrower tires that will roll faster, sounds lighter too (carbon forks) but I lean towards speed/ roads more than comfort. The voyage has lower gears more suitable for hills and as you point out wider tyres (more comfortable) and it leans more towards rough stuff. So it depends what you want to use the bike for, is the bike path surfaced?

 

[DDYB]

Yeah the path is mostly surfaced however there are sections of gravel/whindust footpath.
If I were to put the same 25mm slicks on the voyage would there be a huge difference in speed?

The way I'm looking at it (feel free to correct me here) is:
Voyage has wider tyres so will be more suitable and comfortable for cycle path & gravel/whindust.
Horizon is faster but if I changed the tyres on the Voyage then they would be almost as fast as each other?

I am doing London - Paris later this year so would be looking to use 25mm slicks then but I would also like the option of a wider tyre for days when comfort is more important that speed.

Hence I am leading towards the Voyage.............. As I say thou feel free to correct me if i have over simplified it.

Thanks.

 

[HLaB]

Yeah the path is mostly surfaced however there are sections of gravel/whindust footpath.
If I were to put the same 25mm slicks on the voyage would there be a huge difference in speed?

The way I'm looking at it (feel free to correct me here) is:
Voyage has wider tyres so will be more suitable and comfortable for cycle path & gravel/whindust.
Horizon is faster but if I changed the tyres on the Voyage then they would be almost as fast as each other?

I am doing London - Paris later this year so would be looking to use 25mm slicks then but I would also like the option of a wider tyre for days when comfort is more important that speed.

Hence I am leading towards the Voyage.............. As I say thou feel free to correct me if i have over simplified it.

Thanks.

Almost as fast but not quite, the voyage will probably be heavier (the Horizon has Carbon Forks), the horizon also has higher gearing (a larger 50T Chainring) more suited to speed. However you'll know you're path better than me and as you say you prefer comfort to speed and the lower gear voyage will also be more comfortable on the hills.

 

[Randochap]

If I were to put the same 25mm slicks on the voyage would there be a huge difference in speed?

The way I'm looking at it (feel free to correct me here) is:
Voyage has wider tyres so will be more suitable and comfortable for cycle path & gravel/whindust.

You won't get this from conventional belief, but I'm here to tell you that you will get a more comfortable and faster ride over uneven surfaces (including chip seal and uneven tarmac) with wider, lower-pressure tyres.

It's now a well-recognized fact amongst all but the fanatical adherants of high-pressure-in-all-conditions. We don't ride on steel rollers; most of us ride in the real world of bumpy macadam and gravel trails.

"Wider tires roll easier, yield higher mileage and offer more comfort and grip." ~Continental Tyres

Here's a bike for all seasons & surfaces. It rolls just as fast as my other bikes; faster over bumps.

 

[ufkacbln]

Have you ridden either bike?

The comfort and /or ridng position may be a better indicator than the specs.

The same applies to the tyres - providing there is frame clearance bith bikes will tae the tyres you are after.