C2W/Fuji bikes... Crikey, I've bought a bike!!!!

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AuroraSaab

Veteran
Hi all. I'm new to the forum. I haven't ridden a bike in years but I'm thinking of buying a road bike for leisure riding.

I can see the attraction of buying under the Cycle to Work scheme - it gives an up to 42% discount on the Evans website calculator. I understand you get a voucher and pay it off over a year.

If I get a cheapish bike (say £350 rrp) and decide after a year I want a better bike, can I get another C2W scheme bike? It would seem a bit of a scam if you can tbh, because people would constantly get new bikes and sell them on, wouldn't they?

This brings me to my next question. Any comments on Fuji bikes? They don't seem to have many reviews but I have seen a couple of cheap ones for sale on Gumtree over the last few months and wondered if they would be a good starter road bike. I could then use the C2W scheme if I decided to upgrade.

I am not actually planning to cycle to work initially as I am almost certain to be hit by a car within a week. I assume this isn't a problem on the C2W scheme.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have. I did a forum search on the scheme and Fuji bikes, but didn't find much info.
 

DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
Welcome to the forum.

The timescale depends on your workplace and the agreement; normally it's 12 months but some can be 18 months before you can get another.

Fuji are fine as bikes go. What matters more is whether the bike fits you more than the make.

And whilst you're supposed to use the bike for riding to work, you aren't forced to do so.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Fuji bikes are a respected brand but as above you need to buy the correct size for you. What is your inside leg measurement, crotch to floor?
Is it an old steel framed Fuji bike you've seen?
Or one of the more modern ones?
 
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AuroraSaab

Veteran
Sorry, Cycleops, I read your post and meant to reply, then forgot. I was looking at modern Fuji's, used, around 2014 onwards; just on the basis of a couple of good reviews and the fact that they seem a little cheaper than some of the other bigger brands for similar spec.

Having read a bit more and looked at a lot of bikes online I think I need to visit a few more shops and try a few more bikes to get a feel for what I really want.

I went to Evan's near the Trafford Centre on Friday. The staff could not have been less interested in serving me; really apathetic, which is poor considering all their road bikes are £360 plus.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
No probs. As I said Fuji are a reasonable make. There are less differences between brands now as most are all made by a few factories in the far east so best to look at specs and deals that are going. Shop around as you say.
Shame about Evans, maybe it's because they've been taken over by Mike Ashley! Another store you might try is Decathlon. They are the largest cycle retailer world wide so can buy in bulk passing on savings to customers. They also offer a lifetime frame warranty and one year on components. Their Triban range get good press on here.
Good luck and keep us up to date with your progress.
 
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AuroraSaab

Veteran
I am planning a trip to Decathlon and probably Go Outdoors. I hadn't realised Evan's were owned by Ashley now - he will flood the shops with cheap, crappy bikes I expect. I will let you know how I get on but I think I'll do a lot more reading online before I comit, unless I see a really good used bargain.
 

LeetleGreyCells

Un rouleur infatigable
I ride a 2017 Fuji Tread 1.5 gravel bike and absolutely love it. As has been mentioned above, it’s all about the geometry and bike fit. Mine fits me like a glove which is probably why I love riding it so much.
 
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AuroraSaab

Veteran
There are a few independents in Greater Manchester but they don't seem to stock a big range. Will be checking out a few shops in the coming weeks. I was really looking for a used bike initially and feel a bit bad sitting on £400 bikes in small bike shops that I am probably never going to buy, whereas I don't in Evans' and Decathlon. I need to do a lot more research basically.
 
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AuroraSaab

Veteran
No, I just posted about the Bianchi because it came up as near me in an eBay search today and I thought it was a very unusual looking bike but I couldn't find any info about it (the ad doesn't give any info, not even the model name or date).

I am looking for a road bike for general riding on urban roads, but with a view to building up to longer trips. Years ago I had a Raleigh Pursuit so I guess I was looking for a better, modern equivalent.

The Raleigh is a bit rusty but I have started cleaning it up this weekend, so I might even get that operational to get me back on a bike til I find something.

I am now thinking of buying second hand rather than a cheap new bike. Under £200 probably.
 
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kalniel

Well-Known Member
Location
Herts
Hi,

I ride a 2015 Fuji Tread 1.3. I absolutely love it. I can't understand how it was so cheap, though I noticed the next model year version had quite a lot better components, but I've been more than happy on Sora and even the mechanical disc brakes I've been thrilled with. It's possibly a little on the heavy side (11kgs) but it feels super strong and just seems to go anywhere. At some point I will upgrade the wheels, but the current ones have plenty of life yet. The best thing about the bike for me is the comfort - I occasionally ride other bikes, and have a hardtail MTB as well, but coming back to the Fuji is like pulling on a favourite pair of gloves.
 

KneesUp

Guru
Fuji are quite nice - much more common in the US I believe. Evans had the distribution rights in the UK for a while. I always rather liked the look of their tourer.
 
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