Carrera bikes from Halfords for a n00b - opinions?
Discussion
Looking to buy a new bike. Something not expensive that I can use on trails/off road for family rides. Don't want to spend more than £350.
I currently have an old Apollo (Halfords) MTB given to me for free. It's only a 17 inch frame (which is too small - one of the reasons for wanting to upgrade) but it has been decent with no issues (I even put new Schwalbe tyres on it).
I've noticed the Carrera range in Halfords, they seem pretty decent. In actual fact, manage to nab a Carrera Vengence for my wife from Gumtree for £65. She's very pleased with it, disc brakes front and back.
Thinking of a new one for myself, don't really want to spend more than £350. Are they considered fairly decent? It seems they have front suspension and disc brakes front and rear. I'm not a bike enthusiast, I'm not a cyclist. Just want something reasonable to ride and definitely not be precious over.
Vengence £308: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/carr...
Valour £324: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/carr...
Code: £360: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/carr...
Should I perhaps be looking at a hybrid bike, something like the Crossfire 2?
Crossfire 2 £308: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/hybrid-bikes/carrer...
Should I be looking elsewhere at this price point? Are they only worth it if bought second hand (I'm happy to wait and keep an eye on Gumtree/eBay/FB Marketplace etc)?
It seems I can pick up a Crossfire or Vengence for about £150 locally on FB Marketplace.
What do you guys reckon? All opinions and advice welcome. TIA
I currently have an old Apollo (Halfords) MTB given to me for free. It's only a 17 inch frame (which is too small - one of the reasons for wanting to upgrade) but it has been decent with no issues (I even put new Schwalbe tyres on it).
I've noticed the Carrera range in Halfords, they seem pretty decent. In actual fact, manage to nab a Carrera Vengence for my wife from Gumtree for £65. She's very pleased with it, disc brakes front and back.
Thinking of a new one for myself, don't really want to spend more than £350. Are they considered fairly decent? It seems they have front suspension and disc brakes front and rear. I'm not a bike enthusiast, I'm not a cyclist. Just want something reasonable to ride and definitely not be precious over.
Vengence £308: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/carr...
Valour £324: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/carr...
Code: £360: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/carr...
Should I perhaps be looking at a hybrid bike, something like the Crossfire 2?
Crossfire 2 £308: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/hybrid-bikes/carrer...
Should I be looking elsewhere at this price point? Are they only worth it if bought second hand (I'm happy to wait and keep an eye on Gumtree/eBay/FB Marketplace etc)?
It seems I can pick up a Crossfire or Vengence for about £150 locally on FB Marketplace.
What do you guys reckon? All opinions and advice welcome. TIA
Edited by g3org3y on Tuesday 23 May 22:33
At that price point, I'd 100% be going second hand.
When the first half-decent budget forks come in at £450-500 (Bomber Z2s), less than that for a whole bike that includes front suspension isn't going to be great. Bikes with rigid forks may be a better bet, nice soft grips are cheap to add for some comfort, and at least there's some cash for the manufacturer to spend on the rest of the bike.
Either getting something that was the best part of a grand originally, has been looked after if ridden much at all, and now for sale at the top of your budget....
or
...buying a second hand Carrera or similar for maybe £100, budgeting an extra £50 for a new chain, possibly cables, brake blocks - saving a fair wodge of cash and ending up with something very much like a new one.
If you're lucky, a real bargain will appear - I picked up a late 90's Giant hybrid thing for £30 on Gumtree. Some chain lube (chain wasn't even rusty!), lube the cables and run through the gears a few times then tweak the derailleur, tweak the brakes (block position, adjust the cables), a new pair of tyres (the only necessary expense) and some new grips from my box of bits, and it's perfectly good for commuting, shopping, local errands etc. If I didn't have a road and mtb bikes already, it'd ride around the roads and along any normal sort of gravel/canal/shared-use path fine too.
A ten or twenty year old it-was-£350-new bike will likely be nicer than a modern one... money went a lot further in those days!
When the first half-decent budget forks come in at £450-500 (Bomber Z2s), less than that for a whole bike that includes front suspension isn't going to be great. Bikes with rigid forks may be a better bet, nice soft grips are cheap to add for some comfort, and at least there's some cash for the manufacturer to spend on the rest of the bike.
Either getting something that was the best part of a grand originally, has been looked after if ridden much at all, and now for sale at the top of your budget....
or
...buying a second hand Carrera or similar for maybe £100, budgeting an extra £50 for a new chain, possibly cables, brake blocks - saving a fair wodge of cash and ending up with something very much like a new one.
If you're lucky, a real bargain will appear - I picked up a late 90's Giant hybrid thing for £30 on Gumtree. Some chain lube (chain wasn't even rusty!), lube the cables and run through the gears a few times then tweak the derailleur, tweak the brakes (block position, adjust the cables), a new pair of tyres (the only necessary expense) and some new grips from my box of bits, and it's perfectly good for commuting, shopping, local errands etc. If I didn't have a road and mtb bikes already, it'd ride around the roads and along any normal sort of gravel/canal/shared-use path fine too.
A ten or twenty year old it-was-£350-new bike will likely be nicer than a modern one... money went a lot further in those days!
If you want new and value it's also worth looking at Decathlon and Go Outdoors.
This is in budget from Decathlon.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/27-5-inch-mountain-b...
At Go Outdoors there are several Calibre and Jamis branded hard tail bikes available for your budget.
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/cycling/bikes/mountai...
This is in budget from Decathlon.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/27-5-inch-mountain-b...
At Go Outdoors there are several Calibre and Jamis branded hard tail bikes available for your budget.
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/cycling/bikes/mountai...
It’s probably worth working out what your realistic usage is going to be. For gravel paths, canals, forest trails then a hybrid with reasonably chunky tires will be absolutely fine, and arguably better than a mountain bike. This should be easily found within your budget.
If you’re actually likely to be doing any mountain biking trails, forestry commission tracks, riding over hill and moorland then the Carrera bikes won’t really cut it. It’s more expensive but I’d recommend something like this. Yes it seems a lot, but it’s really the base level of where a proper mountain bike starts.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/vitus-sentie...
If you’re actually likely to be doing any mountain biking trails, forestry commission tracks, riding over hill and moorland then the Carrera bikes won’t really cut it. It’s more expensive but I’d recommend something like this. Yes it seems a lot, but it’s really the base level of where a proper mountain bike starts.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/vitus-sentie...
PH5121 said:
This is in budget from Decathlon.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/27-5-inch-mountain-b...
I don't know the 530, but I suspect it's just a light update of the old 520, which Ihttps://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/27-5-inch-mountain-b...
can strongly recommend.
Over 9,000 miles in four years on my 520. Except for consumables like inner tubes, brake pads
and tyres, I can only remember replacing a bottom bracket.
Decathlon use much the same parts as anyone else. One of the reasons
they are cheaper than most of the competition is that they are put together
in Portugal, where labour rates are a lot cheaper than Northern Europe.
TT1138 said:
It’s more expensive but I’d recommend something like this. Yes it seems a lot, but it’s really the base level of where a proper mountain bike starts.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/vitus-sentie...
Can I remind you of what the original poster said ?https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/p/vitus-sentie...
>Don't want to spend more than £350.
You've recommended a bike discounted to £680, so nearly twice as much as their limit, only
hundreds of £ over !
A bit of licence might have got them to £400, perhaps.
I have a pinnacle Lithium 2 hybrid bike - I used to ride hard tail mountain bikes but for most people who want to leisure ride they are complete overkill. I cycle on tow paths and bridleways without any issue. They are also lighter without forks and they are just easier to ride without the weight.
I went for the lithium 2 - found a practically new one on eBay for 180 though brand new they are only £365. Very light, big tyres and comfortable. At some point I will ditch the front deraulier as well as 8 - 10 gears on a hybrid with good range are all the majority needs.
https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/lithium...
there is also the lithium one which is a bit cheaper as well - https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/lithium...
I went for the lithium 2 - found a practically new one on eBay for 180 though brand new they are only £365. Very light, big tyres and comfortable. At some point I will ditch the front deraulier as well as 8 - 10 gears on a hybrid with good range are all the majority needs.
https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/lithium...
there is also the lithium one which is a bit cheaper as well - https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/lithium...
Just for a bit of balance to the usual anti- carrera rhetoric. I bought a Carrera subway hybrid about 15 years ago as a cheap way to get to work for about 300 quid. In the first few years I had it it did 12 miles a day in all weather. Few new chains and tyres along the way. I've had a decent road bike for years, but kept the carrera for family bike rides (towing trailers and tag alongs), pottering about to the shops or the 5 mile trip up the canal tow path to leave in town outside the pub without worrying. It's done hundreds of miles around a variety of family bike trails around various forests and taken some significant abuse along the way. Sure, it won't be great for being a downhill mountain bike and something pricier would be nicer to ride. For what I paid though and how well its lasted, I can't complain about vfm.
Thanks for the replies chaps.
I've noticed a lot of the second hand bikes online are Medium (18 inch frames). I'm 176cm, according to the measurement guides I should be looking at a Large (20 inch frame). Does that sound about right? I suppose the best option is go and sit on some bikes IRL to know for sure.
At least with buying new, I know what I'm getting into IYSWIM.
Any in particular I should look out for?
At the end of the day, I don't want anything precious or fancy. Just easy to ride.
I've noticed a lot of the second hand bikes online are Medium (18 inch frames). I'm 176cm, according to the measurement guides I should be looking at a Large (20 inch frame). Does that sound about right? I suppose the best option is go and sit on some bikes IRL to know for sure.
defblade said:
At that price point, I'd 100% be going second hand.
When the first half-decent budget forks come in at £450-500 (Bomber Z2s), less than that for a whole bike that includes front suspension isn't going to be great. Bikes with rigid forks may be a better bet, nice soft grips are cheap to add for some comfort, and at least there's some cash for the manufacturer to spend on the rest of the bike.
Either getting something that was the best part of a grand originally, has been looked after if ridden much at all, and now for sale at the top of your budget....
or
...buying a second hand Carrera or similar for maybe £100, budgeting an extra £50 for a new chain, possibly cables, brake blocks - saving a fair wodge of cash and ending up with something very much like a new one.
If you're lucky, a real bargain will appear - I picked up a late 90's Giant hybrid thing for £30 on Gumtree. Some chain lube (chain wasn't even rusty!), lube the cables and run through the gears a few times then tweak the derailleur, tweak the brakes (block position, adjust the cables), a new pair of tyres (the only necessary expense) and some new grips from my box of bits, and it's perfectly good for commuting, shopping, local errands etc. If I didn't have a road and mtb bikes already, it'd ride around the roads and along any normal sort of gravel/canal/shared-use path fine too.
A ten or twenty year old it-was-£350-new bike will likely be nicer than a modern one... money went a lot further in those days!
I think the latter option is my ideal. I don't know what I'm looking at when it comes to bikes, so trying to find a 'good' bike for £300 could be challenging.When the first half-decent budget forks come in at £450-500 (Bomber Z2s), less than that for a whole bike that includes front suspension isn't going to be great. Bikes with rigid forks may be a better bet, nice soft grips are cheap to add for some comfort, and at least there's some cash for the manufacturer to spend on the rest of the bike.
Either getting something that was the best part of a grand originally, has been looked after if ridden much at all, and now for sale at the top of your budget....
or
...buying a second hand Carrera or similar for maybe £100, budgeting an extra £50 for a new chain, possibly cables, brake blocks - saving a fair wodge of cash and ending up with something very much like a new one.
If you're lucky, a real bargain will appear - I picked up a late 90's Giant hybrid thing for £30 on Gumtree. Some chain lube (chain wasn't even rusty!), lube the cables and run through the gears a few times then tweak the derailleur, tweak the brakes (block position, adjust the cables), a new pair of tyres (the only necessary expense) and some new grips from my box of bits, and it's perfectly good for commuting, shopping, local errands etc. If I didn't have a road and mtb bikes already, it'd ride around the roads and along any normal sort of gravel/canal/shared-use path fine too.
A ten or twenty year old it-was-£350-new bike will likely be nicer than a modern one... money went a lot further in those days!
At least with buying new, I know what I'm getting into IYSWIM.
PH5121 said:
If you want new and value it's also worth looking at Decathlon and Go Outdoors.
This is in budget from Decathlon.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/27-5-inch-mountain-b...
At Go Outdoors there are several Calibre and Jamis branded hard tail bikes available for your budget.
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/cycling/bikes/mountai...
Are these considered better than the Carrera bikes? Is it to do with the quality of the components on the bike?This is in budget from Decathlon.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/27-5-inch-mountain-b...
At Go Outdoors there are several Calibre and Jamis branded hard tail bikes available for your budget.
https://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/cycling/bikes/mountai...
Any in particular I should look out for?
sugerbear said:
I have a pinnacle Lithium 2 hybrid bike - I used to ride hard tail mountain bikes but for most people who want to leisure ride they are complete overkill. I cycle on tow paths and bridleways without any issue. They are also lighter without forks and they are just easier to ride without the weight.
I went for the lithium 2 - found a practically new one on eBay for 180 though brand new they are only £365. Very light, big tyres and comfortable. At some point I will ditch the front deraulier as well as 8 - 10 gears on a hybrid with good range are all the majority needs.
https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/lithium...
there is also the lithium one which is a bit cheaper as well - https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/lithium...
Thanks for the link, will have a look. Does the absence of (front) suspension matter much on forest trails etc?I went for the lithium 2 - found a practically new one on eBay for 180 though brand new they are only £365. Very light, big tyres and comfortable. At some point I will ditch the front deraulier as well as 8 - 10 gears on a hybrid with good range are all the majority needs.
https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/lithium...
there is also the lithium one which is a bit cheaper as well - https://www.evanscycles.com/brand/pinnacle/lithium...
JOldcastle said:
Just for a bit of balance to the usual anti- carrera rhetoric. I bought a Carrera subway hybrid about 15 years ago as a cheap way to get to work for about 300 quid. In the first few years I had it it did 12 miles a day in all weather. Few new chains and tyres along the way. I've had a decent road bike for years, but kept the carrera for family bike rides (towing trailers and tag alongs), pottering about to the shops or the 5 mile trip up the canal tow path to leave in town outside the pub without worrying. It's done hundreds of miles around a variety of family bike trails around various forests and taken some significant abuse along the way. Sure, it won't be great for being a downhill mountain bike and something pricier would be nicer to ride. For what I paid though and how well its lasted, I can't complain about vfm.
Thanks for that feedback.At the end of the day, I don't want anything precious or fancy. Just easy to ride.
Either of those bikes suggest by PH5121 from Decathlon or Go Outdoors will be spot on. I recommended the Rockrider from Go Outdoors to a chap at work. He came in on it the other day, I gave it a spin for a couple miles and it was decent.
BTW Decathlon have fantastic customer service. I would pop into your local one for a look. They will advise on size and help you narrow down to a bike that works for you.
I spend small fortunes on push bikes as it my only hobby but for family / occasional rides etc you really don’t need too.
BTW Decathlon have fantastic customer service. I would pop into your local one for a look. They will advise on size and help you narrow down to a bike that works for you.
I spend small fortunes on push bikes as it my only hobby but for family / occasional rides etc you really don’t need too.
Norgles said:
Either of those bikes suggest by PH5121 from Decathlon or Go Outdoors will be spot on. I recommended the Rockrider from Go Outdoors to a chap at work. He came in on it the other day, I gave it a spin for a couple miles and it was decent.
BTW Decathlon have fantastic customer service. I would pop into your local one for a look. They will advise on size and help you narrow down to a bike that works for you.
I spend small fortunes on push bikes as it my only hobby but for family / occasional rides etc you really don’t need too.
Thank you for the reply. I think we have a Go Outdoors locally (I used to have a member card thing iirc, joined to buy cheap bits for a festival). Decathlon is a bit of a way away.BTW Decathlon have fantastic customer service. I would pop into your local one for a look. They will advise on size and help you narrow down to a bike that works for you.
I spend small fortunes on push bikes as it my only hobby but for family / occasional rides etc you really don’t need too.
For my understanding, what is it about the Rockrider that makes it better than the Carrera? Is it the components they use? Or more globally the frame and how it's expected to ride etc?
g3org3y said:
Thanks for the replies chaps.
I've noticed a lot of the second hand bikes online are Medium (18 inch frames). I'm 176cm, according to the measurement guides I should be looking at a Large (20 inch frame). Does that sound about right? I suppose the best option is go and sit on some bikes IRL to know for sure.
Evans, Tredz, and Bikeradar would put you on a medium; Rutland has you on the cusp between med/large.
On the whole, it's easier to size up a smaller bike by using a longer seatpost and longer stem (both of which may introduce a little more flex and so comfort) than it is to size down a bike that's too big.
But the whole thing is quite random once you throw in different geometries and different ideas of what sizes mean from various brands, but... medium will probably... go try some
It's not rocket science, to be honest. Have a look at the photos. Is it clean? Is it scratched/dented to hell? Is the chain rusty? Worse, are the cogs on the rear cassette rusty? Is the saddle scuffed/ripped to hell? Are the grips in decent condition? Are there enough decent quality pics of the bike from various angles for you to see any/all of this stuff? You can quickly get a sense of whether the current owner gives a monkeys from all of this and there's enough bikes out there in your range that you can easily afford to skip past anything that's not ticking pretty much all the boxes.
Once you go look at a bike, have a good and see if it's as tidy as the pics, check the brakes work (and aren't rubbing on the tyres if they're rim brakes), check you can adjust the saddle height (stuck seat posts are common and a PITA); take it for a ride and see if the gears work and listen for creaks, clunks, clicks etc and if it all seems ok, buy it.
A few from near me (I had trouble finding "bad" examples, to be honest. Seems to be a lot of tidy bikes out there now people who bought in lockdown are getting a bit pinched moneywise):
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/cannondale-push... Pics taken on a potato, but clearly basically brand new.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/gt-bike-/145856... One photo, scratched a lot, borderline chain. Cheap but avoid, on the whole.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/cube-large-fram... chain and cassette rusty AF. Pity, looks nice otherwise but if they've been missing that simple maintenance... avoid
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/carrera-crossfi... chain looks used but not rusty, overall could be on my shortlist, but too big for you probably
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/bike-cannondale... One crappy photo, from the non-drivechain side, so by my rules avoid, but I rather like the look. I might go see that one or message for more info (starting with "what size is it?" - loads of people leave that off....)
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/scott-mountain-... hundred quid, rusty pedals, rusty chain, avoid.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/carrera-gryphon...This one would be top of my list. Nice looking bike, some minor marks, mostly good photos of what we want to see (which means the owner has the first clue about bikes), rigid fork so no useless-and-massively-heavy suspension fork... the only thing I can pick it up on from those pics is missing bar-end plugs (you want those so the handlebars don't core your leg in the event of a crash) and it's far from the only one with that little issue.
At least with buying new, I know what I'm getting into IYSWIM.
Yeah, there's always that!
Does the absence of (front) suspension matter much on forest trails etc?
I'm going to say no, on the basis that I've from time to time forgotten to unlock my suspension going down green and blue (easy/lower intermediate) mtb tracks and I've not noticed for a good while
In fact, I think a lighter bike, doing without a great lump of there-for-show-not-actually-very-effective weight on the front will give a better ride. You'll likely see more benefit from running the widest tyres you can fit at fairly low pressures.
At the end of the day, I don't want anything precious or fancy. Just easy to ride.
You'll only be standing over it at the level crossing watching trains go by anyway, I guess it really doesn't matter
I've noticed a lot of the second hand bikes online are Medium (18 inch frames). I'm 176cm, according to the measurement guides I should be looking at a Large (20 inch frame). Does that sound about right? I suppose the best option is go and sit on some bikes IRL to know for sure.
Evans, Tredz, and Bikeradar would put you on a medium; Rutland has you on the cusp between med/large.
On the whole, it's easier to size up a smaller bike by using a longer seatpost and longer stem (both of which may introduce a little more flex and so comfort) than it is to size down a bike that's too big.
But the whole thing is quite random once you throw in different geometries and different ideas of what sizes mean from various brands, but... medium will probably... go try some
defblade said:
At that price point, I'd 100% be going second hand.
When the first half-decent budget forks come in at £450-500 (Bomber Z2s), less than that for a whole bike that includes front suspension isn't going to be great. Bikes with rigid forks may be a better bet, nice soft grips are cheap to add for some comfort, and at least there's some cash for the manufacturer to spend on the rest of the bike.
Either getting something that was the best part of a grand originally, has been looked after if ridden much at all, and now for sale at the top of your budget....
or
...buying a second hand Carrera or similar for maybe £100, budgeting an extra £50 for a new chain, possibly cables, brake blocks - saving a fair wodge of cash and ending up with something very much like a new one.
If you're lucky, a real bargain will appear - I picked up a late 90's Giant hybrid thing for £30 on Gumtree. Some chain lube (chain wasn't even rusty!), lube the cables and run through the gears a few times then tweak the derailleur, tweak the brakes (block position, adjust the cables), a new pair of tyres (the only necessary expense) and some new grips from my box of bits, and it's perfectly good for commuting, shopping, local errands etc. If I didn't have a road and mtb bikes already, it'd ride around the roads and along any normal sort of gravel/canal/shared-use path fine too.
A ten or twenty year old it-was-£350-new bike will likely be nicer than a modern one... money went a lot further in those days!
I think the latter option is my ideal. I don't know what I'm looking at when it comes to bikes, so trying to find a 'good' bike for £300 could be challenging.When the first half-decent budget forks come in at £450-500 (Bomber Z2s), less than that for a whole bike that includes front suspension isn't going to be great. Bikes with rigid forks may be a better bet, nice soft grips are cheap to add for some comfort, and at least there's some cash for the manufacturer to spend on the rest of the bike.
Either getting something that was the best part of a grand originally, has been looked after if ridden much at all, and now for sale at the top of your budget....
or
...buying a second hand Carrera or similar for maybe £100, budgeting an extra £50 for a new chain, possibly cables, brake blocks - saving a fair wodge of cash and ending up with something very much like a new one.
If you're lucky, a real bargain will appear - I picked up a late 90's Giant hybrid thing for £30 on Gumtree. Some chain lube (chain wasn't even rusty!), lube the cables and run through the gears a few times then tweak the derailleur, tweak the brakes (block position, adjust the cables), a new pair of tyres (the only necessary expense) and some new grips from my box of bits, and it's perfectly good for commuting, shopping, local errands etc. If I didn't have a road and mtb bikes already, it'd ride around the roads and along any normal sort of gravel/canal/shared-use path fine too.
A ten or twenty year old it-was-£350-new bike will likely be nicer than a modern one... money went a lot further in those days!
It's not rocket science, to be honest. Have a look at the photos. Is it clean? Is it scratched/dented to hell? Is the chain rusty? Worse, are the cogs on the rear cassette rusty? Is the saddle scuffed/ripped to hell? Are the grips in decent condition? Are there enough decent quality pics of the bike from various angles for you to see any/all of this stuff? You can quickly get a sense of whether the current owner gives a monkeys from all of this and there's enough bikes out there in your range that you can easily afford to skip past anything that's not ticking pretty much all the boxes.
Once you go look at a bike, have a good and see if it's as tidy as the pics, check the brakes work (and aren't rubbing on the tyres if they're rim brakes), check you can adjust the saddle height (stuck seat posts are common and a PITA); take it for a ride and see if the gears work and listen for creaks, clunks, clicks etc and if it all seems ok, buy it.
A few from near me (I had trouble finding "bad" examples, to be honest. Seems to be a lot of tidy bikes out there now people who bought in lockdown are getting a bit pinched moneywise):
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/cannondale-push... Pics taken on a potato, but clearly basically brand new.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/gt-bike-/145856... One photo, scratched a lot, borderline chain. Cheap but avoid, on the whole.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/cube-large-fram... chain and cassette rusty AF. Pity, looks nice otherwise but if they've been missing that simple maintenance... avoid
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/carrera-crossfi... chain looks used but not rusty, overall could be on my shortlist, but too big for you probably
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/bike-cannondale... One crappy photo, from the non-drivechain side, so by my rules avoid, but I rather like the look. I might go see that one or message for more info (starting with "what size is it?" - loads of people leave that off....)
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/scott-mountain-... hundred quid, rusty pedals, rusty chain, avoid.
https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/carrera-gryphon...This one would be top of my list. Nice looking bike, some minor marks, mostly good photos of what we want to see (which means the owner has the first clue about bikes), rigid fork so no useless-and-massively-heavy suspension fork... the only thing I can pick it up on from those pics is missing bar-end plugs (you want those so the handlebars don't core your leg in the event of a crash) and it's far from the only one with that little issue.
At least with buying new, I know what I'm getting into IYSWIM.
Yeah, there's always that!
Does the absence of (front) suspension matter much on forest trails etc?
I'm going to say no, on the basis that I've from time to time forgotten to unlock my suspension going down green and blue (easy/lower intermediate) mtb tracks and I've not noticed for a good while
In fact, I think a lighter bike, doing without a great lump of there-for-show-not-actually-very-effective weight on the front will give a better ride. You'll likely see more benefit from running the widest tyres you can fit at fairly low pressures.JOldcastle said:
Just for a bit of balance to the usual anti- carrera rhetoric. I bought a Carrera subway hybrid about 15 years ago as a cheap way to get to work for about 300 quid. In the first few years I had it it did 12 miles a day in all weather. Few new chains and tyres along the way. I've had a decent road bike for years, but kept the carrera for family bike rides (towing trailers and tag alongs), pottering about to the shops or the 5 mile trip up the canal tow path to leave in town outside the pub without worrying. It's done hundreds of miles around a variety of family bike trails around various forests and taken some significant abuse along the way. Sure, it won't be great for being a downhill mountain bike and something pricier would be nicer to ride. For what I paid though and how well its lasted, I can't complain about vfm.
I'm not anti-Carrera at all, I've had a couple... bought second hand and even cheaper than new At the end of the day, I don't want anything precious or fancy. Just easy to ride.
You'll only be standing over it at the level crossing watching trains go by anyway, I guess it really doesn't matter
Thanks to everyone for the advice. Decided to listen and go for something decent on the second hand market rather than a Carrera.
Today picked up a second hand Boardman MHT 8.6 for under budget via Gumtree. Really nicely looked after, very very good condition. Very happy with it.
The spec: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/boar...
Today picked up a second hand Boardman MHT 8.6 for under budget via Gumtree. Really nicely looked after, very very good condition. Very happy with it.
The spec: https://www.halfords.com/bikes/mountain-bikes/boar...
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