Which of these 2 bikes- opinions please

[suze1000]

Hi,

I'm looking for a bike for road use and bridal ways/canal paths/gravel park paths etc. I'm looking at these two which are both in stock- any options on which is best? (Or any other suggestions)? Don't really want to spend more than £350 or £400 kitted. Will mainly be used to ride to leisure centres/shops and around local parks for exercise. It would be nice to have option to fit baby bike seat on in future the but not essential.

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/hybr...d-bike-2020---grey---s-m-l-frames-346518.html

https://www.raleigh.co.uk/gb/en/pioneer/

Any opinions please?

Thanks in anticipation 😊

 

[Oldhippy]

Rayleigh not Halfords.

 

[suze1000]

Sorry should have said the Raleigh is in stock in my local bike shop. Is Raleigh good quality still these days?

 

[DCLane]

I'm biased through experience; the Raleigh. It'll be lighter and easier to use.

 

[Reynard]

I'd look for something without suspension forks - for the riding you plan on doing, you really don't need them.

At that price point, suspension forks are a hindrance rather than a help i.e. they add unnecessary weight and make cycling far harder than is truly necessary. The weight thing is even more important if you plan on sticking a kiddie seat on the back. Cheap forks will make the front end of a bike feel like blancmange. You will benefit far more from big squishy tyres to soak up any uneven terrain.

Something like a Hoprider from Decathlon will fit the bill - or any other reasonable 26" wheeled hybrid with rigid front forks, for that matter.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Nothing wrong with the Carrera, but the Pioneer, for the price, is a really good bike. Absolutely no need for suspension forks for roads/paths and cheap forks add a totally unnecessary extra weight to the bike.

 

[Cycleops]

As said the downside to the Carrera is the suspension fork, completely unnecessary and means you’ll struggle trying to lift the bike up steps. The Raleigh is a better bet although buying it directly from them rather than through a bike shop means you’re on your own if you have any problems and there is almost bound to be some. You could also try looking in Decathlon as they offer some of the best value bikes around. Bit over budget but has dynamo lights and 7 speed gears which are enclosed in the hub, this also means you can change gears while stationary, something not possible with derailleur gears.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/city-bike-elops-920-dark-grey/_/R-p-143430?mc=8353686&c=GREY They have many other models.
For your budget I’d also take a look at what is available secondhand on Gumtree if you can find something which has been little used.

 

[suze1000]

Hi, thanks all. The Raleigh is in stock in my local bike shop. I've looked at Decathlon but they have all been out of stock for a while near me. I want a new bike as I bought a second hand one previously and just seemed to keep spending on repairs so got rid of it. At least new I have a shop to go back to for any problems. It's more a question of get this one (the Raleigh seems better based on replies so far) or wait longer until more is in stock. However ideally I would like one now to use for exercise.

 

[Pale Rider]

As usual, the Halfords bike offers a lot of spec for the money.

It has disc brakes, which are nicer than the V brakes on the Raleigh.

It has eight speeds, which almost certainly means a freehub, compared to the Raleigh which has 21 speeds, which almost certainly means an inferior screw on freewheel.

For the benefit of the OP, the way the rear cogs are connected to the bike on the Carrera is more reliable than the connection on the Raleigh.

Seems to me the Raleigh should be 75 quid cheaper than the Carrera, not the other way around.

Agree about the Carrera fork, but it will do its main job of holding the front wheel in place.

On this occasion, I would go for the Carrera over the Raleigh.

 

[Vantage]

If in a hurry I'd go with the Raleigh.

V brakes are easy as pie to work on and in most cases, just as powerful as cable disc brakes. There's no info on who makes the Carrera's brakes so they might well be utter crap. No name on the Raleigh either though.
Freewheels have been perfectly reliable for donkeys years and unlikely to fail under most people's riding style. No info on either bike as to what hub style they use.
As pointed out already, a suspension fork on a bike that price means its heavy, poorly built and a pain in the backside generally.

To @suze1000 unless you're wearing a dress while cycling, there's no real benefit to a bike with a lady style frame with its dropped top tube.
I'd advise strongly to save your pennies a bit longer and head over to decathlon. Your typical hybrid will offer a much better frame (the heart of a bike), better parts and better build quality along with better after sales help. Most come with knobbly tyres which will come into their own in the coming months.
Personally I'm not a fan of child seats. I take the view that if I fell off then kiddie mcvantage would've gone with me. A trailer is a much safer option. Protection from the rain. Room for that all important favourite bear/action man/doll and a bit of extra room for any shopping you've picked up. Like sweets. And more sweets. Important stuff like that. I also found that drivers gave me and 2 girls looooooooads of room when passing and the trailer gave them and I a good 7/8 years of service till it died. Only cost about £100 when I bought it.
Happy memories 😊

They're not limited to roads either

 

[Cycleops]

@suze1000 the Raleigh should be fine. Just be aware that the OE tyres supplied with most new bikes will have poor puncture resistance so if it becomes a problem be prepared to fork out for some better ones like Schwalbe Marathons.
Enjoy your cycling

 

[Pale Rider]

Freewheels have been perfectly reliable for donkeys years and unlikely to fail under most people's riding style.

There may be something in that.

My local bike shop has had several freewheel Carreras in with snapped axles, so you can bet Halfords have had a lot more as warranty claims - hence the change to freehubs.

However, the common factor may be teenage riders who take their bikes on BMX parks, over jumps, and generally abuse them.

In this part of the world they are known as 'pit bikes' - a reference to riding over coalmine slag heaps.

 

[Mike Ayling]

Just give those brides plenty of space on the bridal paths and watch out for horses on the bridle paths.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'd buy the Raleigh without any hesitation, and I'd also avoid any bike with suspension forks like the plague.
It's interesting though, that the quoted weight of the current model alloy framed Pioneer, is actually heavier than my 25 year old Reynolds 501 steel framed Pioneer even fully equipped with rack, mudguards and heavy Schwalbe puncture resistant tyres. So much for "progress"!