Any good

[Bowsa]

Carrera TDF Ltd Road Bike 2011 - Large is this bike any good and would I need to change the tyres?

is it better than the subway1

also I need to get a bike lock from halfords can anyone reccomenf a decent one?

thanks

Bowsa

 

[frank9755]

Carrera TDF Ltd Road Bike 2011 - Large is this bike any good and would I need to change the tyres?

is it better than the subway1

also I need to get a bike lock from halfords can anyone reccomenf a decent one?

thanks

Bowsa

It would be ok as an entry level bike for someone who is not a brand snob. Main thing I wouldn't like are the aluminium forks. Could be a bit harsh on the hands.

The Vanquish, for £150 more is a lot better - equivalent to a £750 Trek or Specialized and a decent quality frame that is worth upgrading (as long as you can live with the Halfords brand). I have one of those as my commuter and it is a decent bike.

 

[Alembicbassman]

Decathlon's Triban 3 is a better bet

Shimano 2300 shifters and mechs (same as Carrera)

Carbon fork (better than Carrera)

£279 (£60 cheaper)

 

[Bowsa]

I am looking for simply an entry level bike £350 -£400 is maximum i would like to spend and so not really looking to spend £500.......unless there is a massive difference. I am really using this initially for a 65k charity bike ride and then a short 5mile a day ride to and from work.

So it doesnt need to be the absolute nuts?

another thing that I have noticed is the handle bars on the carrera TDF and triban 3. This would be a completely new riding position and so i'm kind of looking for standard handle bars?

so maybe the subway would be best although I am open to other opinions?


thanks

Bowsa

 

[Bowsa]

any other advice on that basis?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Decathlon's Triban 3 is a better bet

Shimano 2300 shifters and mechs (same as Carrera)

Carbon fork (better than Carrera)

£279 (£60 cheaper)

That is truly a bargain. Pals have basic Decathlon road bikes and ride 100 milers as easily as the rest of us and they're really very good considering the cost.
Buy with confidence.

 

[frank9755]

That is truly a bargain. Pals have basic Decathlon road bikes and ride 100 milers as easily as the rest of us and they're really very good considering the cost.
Buy with confidence.

Agreed.

But if you don't want drops then not for you!
No personal experience of the Subway but people say it is a good value proper bike.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I am looking for simply an entry level bike £350 -£400 is maximum i would like to spend and so not really looking to spend £500.......unless there is a massive difference. I am really using this initially for a 65k charity bike ride and then a short 5mile a day ride to and from work.

So it doesnt need to be the absolute nuts?

another thing that I have noticed is the handle bars on the carrera TDF and triban 3. This would be a completely new riding position and so i'm kind of looking for standard handle bars?

so maybe the subway would be best although I am open to other opinions?


thanks

Bowsa

Hi Bowsa
£350 to £400 will buy a very good straight handle barred bike form a good bike shop and there's a lot of choice.
That said, The Carrera Subway1 is an excellent entry level bike and a very capable all-rounder.

Best to consider the use of the bike and what you need it to do really.

The Carrera Subway has MTB sized wheels and thinnish slick tyres that'll roll well over a multitude of surfaces from roads to rough tracks/towpaths/trails etc. Cope well with urban potholes etc. It has wide range of gearing suitable for anything up to and including mountain passes. There are no known reliability issues (apart from the usual Halfrauds caveats about checking how well it's been put together).
It'll take full mudguards and a rack and is a perfect short-distance (5 miles is short) commuter and general transport machine. It'll also comfortably cover 80 milers as another friend will testify. A reallygood lock is required because it is fairly desirable.

Spending more money just buys slightly lighter and better equipped machines. The Boardman Hybrids are on special offer at £400 in Halfr*uds and are pretty zippy hybrids.
You'll also get bikes with 700c or road-bike sized wheels and skinnier tyres, these bikes will be lighter and very slightly faster than say the Carerra, but is that really what you need? You'll still need to spend good money on a lock as part of your budget anyway.
Brands such as Specialized, Giant, Trek would be the ones to look for.
Avoid anything with suspension, you just do not need it, nor want it.

 

[frank9755]

Good advice from FF
Another one like the Subway that comes up often is the Ridgeback Velocity

 

[Fab Foodie]

Good advice from FF
Another one like the Subway that comes up often is the Ridgeback Velocity

Absolutely.
Chromo-forks make for a comfortable ride too.

 

[Bowsa]

Cheers all, think I'm gonna stick with the subway 1.......how do I know about what size to go for

 

[Fab Foodie]

Cheers all, think I'm gonna stick with the subway 1.......how do I know about what size to go for

Post as a seperate question in 'Know-how', you'll get a better response
How tall are you?
Inside leg measurement?

 

[Alembicbassman]

I have a Gryphon V from Halalfords in a large. I'm 6ft 1 and its plenty big enough

You should be able to try different sizes out in-store anyway.