Is the Carrera Intercity Disc 9 a significantly better ride than the Disc 8?

[Mike160304]

Halfords' now has a temporary special price on the Disc 8, £350, with the Disc 9 still at £460, so the Disc 8 is temporarily £110 cheaper.

So, if I now buy the Disc 8 and not the Disc 9, do I Iose much ride quality?

Ignoring the components that are the same on both bikes, these seem to be the differences:

DIFFERENCES: Intercity Disc 8 vs Intercity Disc 9 respectively:

SPEEDS: 8; 9

FRONT BRAKE: Power BX-351 mechanical disc brake, 160mm rotor;
Tektro HD-M275, hydraulic disc brake, 160mm rotor

REAR BRAKE: Power BX-351 mechanical disc brake, 160mm rotor;
Tektro HD-M275, hydraulic disc brake, 160mm rotor.

TYRES : Kenda; Vee speedster.

CHAINSET: 52t alloy w/double guard; Alloy 2-piece hollotech crank 53T.

BOTTOM BRACKET: Sealed bearing 68x122.5mm; BSA BB.

So, any comments, please? E.g. Are the brakes by far the most important difference, does "hydraulic" improve ride quality a lot?

Mike

 

[Drago]

The 9 rolls slightly better by virtue of better tyres.

The 9 is fractionally lighter by virtue of a light geartrain, particularly the chainset.

The 9 has an extra gear and the change is a bit slicker.

The hydro brakes on the 9 are superb, possibly the best on any folder at any price.

The gains for the 9 over the 8 are small (apart from the brakes, which are much better) but are real. If you can stretch to it the 9 is worth the money and has the feel of a premium product. I don't regret choosing the 9, particularly as a Tern with a Comparable spec is almost twice as expensive.

But the 8 is a superb bike in its own right, and if you're only doing very short or infrequent journeys it's probably just the ticket and I doubt you'd be at all disappointed.

 

[Mike160304]

The 9 rolls slightly better by virtue of better tyres . . . . . .

Hey, one of the best replies I have ever had on any forum, ever. And I have found that used Grade A Disc 9s are neither all over the place nor cheap. And a Halfords Grade A is a steal at £272, and they come up rarely. So definitely cheaper in the long run.

Whereas the value of an Ecosmo drops from £300 to £50-£150 if you try to re-sell it immediately.

Might quickly get a cheap near-new Intercity Non-Disc Intercity or something from Halfords or Ebay (Pref Halfords cos they check it) to see whether I can balance on any bike again, and if so, lurk in the long grass for the right shot at that dream soul-brother Disc 9.

I know I sound like £460 for a Disc 9 is an expensive bike, but that's just me, I have a nice white near-new Skoda Estate to carry stuff and I order 6-packs of Jordan's Country Crisp Honey and Nut cereal from Amazon/Jordans cos that's £2 per box and it's like £3.65 in the supermarkets.

And I am slow to BUY !!!! anything, but I guess that research is a separate hobby.
Thanks again,
Mike

 

[Mike160304]

WHOOPS! I guess I could kind of borrow a Disc 9 from Halfords, kind of Sale or Return. I'll talk to them, if I can find a person. Showing my naivety here, more practical people would have thought of that first!!!

 

[All uphill]

Maybe just buy the disc 9 and drive less?

 

[Drago]

The disc 9 is expensive, but compared to a similarly equipped Tern it's actually tremendous value and has had some first class reviews, including the joint highest rating roadcc have ever given any folder. That's what swung it for me last year when I was looking,

 

[Mike160304]

Maybe just buy the disc 9 and drive less?

Thanks, yes, but I am 85 and the bike will just be, hopefully, my new toy, after a gap of around 17 years. My Skoda Fabia Estate is lovely in her own way but does around 2000 miles per year.

 

[Mike160304]

The disc 9 is expensive, but compared to a similarly equipped Tern it's actually tremendous value and has had some first class reviews, including the joint highest rating roadcc have ever given any folder. That's what swung it for me last year when I was looking,

The same review swung it for me.
Plus local service, low depreciation, cheaper than an Ecosmo in the long picture.
It is significant that there are very few Disc 9s on the used market and they are never cheap.
I HAVE ORDERED A NEW ONE for £460 from Halfords, I collect it 10 August, only 10 mikes away.
Thanks.

 

[Mike160304]

The disc 9 is expensive, but compared to a similarly equipped Tern it's actually tremendous value and has had some first class reviews, including the joint highest rating roadcc have ever given any folder. That's what swung it for me last year when I was looking,

And if I cannot balance on it, I shall return it for refund within about 20 days, I am allowed 30 days. Mileage will be about 2 miles I guess, on the car park with my bikey friendly neighbour.

 

[Drago]

You'll love it. Of all my bikes its probably my favourite.

 

[All uphill]

You'll love it. Of all my bikes its probably my favourite.

You've got me wanting one now!

 

[Drago]

If you like grinning inanely then it's the bike for you.

 

[bonzobanana]

Sometimes more expensive bikes have worse ride quality. Some cheaper folding bikes have steel front forks with tapered curved blades which give some suspension effect and then the upgraded model has less curve on the blades and is made of aluminium and the front feels harsh. Of course the cheaper bike is heavier by perhaps half a kilo but remains more comfortable. Some of the Dahon and Tern models are not great in ride comfort terms because they have focused more on bike weight rather than comfort. Dahon' s version of the Brompton with an aluminium frame is horrible to ride with an overbuilt aluminium frame and no suspension block at the rear. I don't think its any lighter either, just the completely wrong material for such a bike as its overbuilt at the hinge and other areas because of the softer aluminium and so the weight savings are gone. I think you have to scrutinise the spec to get an understanding of how it should ride. Lastly sometimes you get a reduced number of spokes on lighter folding bikes which is great for comfort and lightness as long as you don't hit a pothole and then you have to spend an age or money getting the wheel sorted for being out of true.

I think generally the Carrera folding bikes are unbeatable for spec vs price in the UK. It's a manufacturer to retailer direct business model and Halfords operate on a high turnover, low margin compared to most bike shops. I don't know about the current disc based model but the older rim brake model was from fuji-ta the world's biggest bike manufacturer by volume who are one the big companies for folding bikes, they have supplied; Halfords, Decathlon, Tern, Dahon and many other brands.

 

[Drago]

I did find out who made the ID8 and 9 frames, but being elderly and drunk most of the time have forgotten. They were Taiwanese, one of the OE manufacturers for Tern.

 

[Mike160304]

I did find out who made the ID8 and 9 frames, but being elderly and drunk most of the time have forgotten. They were Taiwanese, one of the OE manufacturers for Tern.

You said somewhere that you added a velcro strap to the Disc 9 because the "keep folded" magnets were too weak. Could you please show us details of the velcro strap and where and how you fit it and use it?
I read about this in a review also. Certainly an irritating minor fault which has run through several model updates, I guess.