carrera tdf??

[carrera25]

got the bike and just finished the test run.....took me 40 minutes on my MTB and 25 on the tdf. and that was with a lot of rough roadworks.....not pot holes but that surface they have before the final tarmac goes on........anyway! really bad ass little bike.....smooth ride with nice steering...though with my big gloves on I struggled to change the flappy gears! not too bumpy considering the road surface either.

only gripe if it is one is the gears are really tough!! didn't even get up to the 9-16 cog for the gears......goin to have to rethink some of my route tomorrow and build a good bit of speed up for some of the other hills!!! but really happy with the bike and was a steal at £150 !! got a 6 weeks free service too....wee computer and cat eye lights!!

thanks for the input guys!!!!

 

[cyberknight]

got the bike and just finished the test run.....took me 40 minutes on my MTB and 25 on the tdf. and that was with a lot of rough roadworks.....not pot holes but that surface they have before the final tarmac goes on........anyway! really bad ass little bike.....smooth ride with nice steering...though with my big gloves on I struggled to change the flappy gears! not too bumpy considering the road surface either.

only gripe if it is one is the gears are really tough!! didn't even get up to the 9-16 cog for the gears......goin to have to rethink some of my route tomorrow and build a good bit of speed up for some of the other hills!!! but really happy with the bike and was a steal at £150 !! got a 6 weeks free service too....wee computer and cat eye lights!!

thanks for the input guys!!!!

Great , like i said the TDF can be a bit overgeared , look to buy a bigger reange rear cassette and a new chain or get a bike shop to do if you not confident or have the tools.
on ebay i have seen and 11-28 which would give you a better gear but a higher top gear , i think the tdf have a 12- 26 as standard.
The more expensive option is to change the front chainrings to a compact but you would need a new bottom bracket , chain set etc

Or rule 5 is the cheap option
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
Bear in mind the above website is only for fun , i ride compacts

 

[DCLane]

If you've done the commute OK it'll get easier; mine's been done for a few months on a 52/42 setup rather than the 52/38 the Carrera TDF's got and it's a hilly commute. I used a Carrera Virtuoso with 52/38 for a year before that as well.

Enjoy ... you've got a decent budget road bike at a good price.

 

[carrera25]

Great , like i said the TDF can be a bit overgeared , look to buy a bigger reange rear cassette and a new chain or get a bike shop to do if you not confident or have the tools.
on ebay i have seen and 11-28 which would give you a better gear but a higher top gear , i think the tdf have a 12- 26 as standard.
The more expensive option is to change the front chainrings to a compact but you would need a new bottom bracket , chain set etc

Or rule 5 is the cheap option
http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/
Bear in mind the above website is only for fun , i ride compacts

lmao!! just kept reading the rules....got to like 20 before I stopped...good stuff!!

had no issues with any hills today so hope I won't need to change anything about the bike.....breezed through the commute...longer route as im used to bouncing through a tunnel and over some pavements but bike was a little rocket.....just need to remember to avoid the bumps on the road!! think I need to put the handle bars up a tiny bit though as I have slight lower back pain....nothing serious but think this will fix it!!

find im up and down the gears a lot more than my MTB and the gears are pretty tough but got it on the higher gear set this morning and got some decent pace.......cruised home today and enjoyed the sunshine though as it's been a long,wet,cold and windy winter!!!!

 

[carrera25]

If you've done the commute OK it'll get easier; mine's been done for a few months on a 52/42 setup rather than the 52/38 the Carrera TDF's got and it's a hilly commute. I used a Carrera Virtuoso with 52/38 for a year before that as well.

Enjoy ... you've got a decent budget road bike at a good price.

and as much as you guys understand these things completely......I don't!!!! a 52/38?? 52/42 ??? I know what a cassette is at least!!! but can u just buy one and the gears will work??? completely hopeless at all this stuff!!!
I just throw some grease/lube on it and get a regular service at my local bike shop that's usually only £15 for the gears and stuff!!

 

[DCLane]

and as much as you guys understand these things completely......I don't!!!! a 52/38?? 52/42 ??? I know what a cassette is at least!!! but can u just buy one and the gears will work??? completely hopeless at all this stuff!!!

The 52/50/42/39/38/34 relates to the number of rings on the front chainwheels: http://sheldonbrown.com/deakins/lowgears.html

The cassette will depend upon the make and the max number on the cassette; i.e. yours will be an 8-speed so an 8-speed cassette is needed but the range (low-high) may differ. I tend to use 12-25 or 12-26 rather than a 13-26 to slightly increase top speed.

 

[carrera25]

The 52/50/42/39/38/34 relates to the number of rings on the front chainwheels: http://sheldonbrown.com/deakins/lowgears.html

The cassette will depend upon the make and the max number on the cassette; i.e. yours will be an 8-speed so an 8-speed cassette is needed but the range (low-high) may differ. I tend to use 12-25 or 12-26 rather than a 13-26 to slightly increase top speed.

ah...so really quite simple when u think about it!!! I did have no problems getting up the hills today wether they were long and slow incline or quite steep so hoping that I don't need to change anything on the bike just yet!!

thanks for the education though DC......this is why I use this site.......and pay someone to fix my bike for me too

 

[Doyleyburger]

What group set have you got?
I was in halfords last week and the demo bike had what looked like 2300 group set which is a shame coz when I bought one last year it had a Claris set. The Claris set has the proper sti flight deck shifters. Rather that the little thumb switch thingys

 

[carrera25]

this has got the really cool shifters that operate when u toggle the brake....theres a paddle u push to the left to go up.....and if u push the brake lever left it go's down....took a little while to get used to and pain in the butt with gloves on but really cool!!

as for the groupset.......it's the Claris set! and shimano tourney shifter thing at the crank....this is the ltd. edition tdf I have mind you so might be a different model!

this one is the really nice yellow and black paintjob

 

[cyberknight]

The old 2300 shifters are fine unless you are riding on the drops, on the hoods where you spend most of the time its not an issue and if like me you wore a shifter out then you can get a replacement cheap from fleabay
The only thing i have against 2300 /shimano in general is the shifting can feel a bit vague compared to the positive click you get on sram /microshift systems

 

[carrera25]

I have sram on my MTB and really is smoother I noticed that myself when changing up and down. but love the little paddles now that I've had a day with them to see what they are like! with it being a Carrera bike parts are very easy to come buy ur right there! my big problem I had with the MTB is the crank...had 2 new ones last year which got under my skin. hopefully the tdf. will be a bit better and maybe I need to be a bit gentler too!