Buying a new bike!

mickomack

Hi,

I'm considering buying a new bike as I am currently commuting a total of 20km a day.Not a lot I know but its just a pain on the bus.I am considering going for a hybrid as Dublin's roads are terrible with a lightweight aluminum frame and 21 speed gears.I am willing to spend €350 max so what would be people recommend?Any sugggestions would be a great help.

Thanks

Mick

I was thinking of going with the Giant CRS 4.0 2007 model

ruprect

Have a look at this crowd, I will straight off say there service is absolutely terrible. Make sure you ring them. I ordered off them 7 weeks ago and only about 2 weeks ago found out they could not get the bike I wanted. They are still very cheap. The bike was posted yesterday (I am told), it was in stock last tuesday but they did nothing, delay after delay. Like I said still cheaper by far.

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/index.html?pageTitle=Giant&pageDesc=&action=search&submit=go&maincatID=0&searchtype=catID&quicksearch=527

They have your giant for £199, +~£23 delivery. But they have a 2005 model with Giant CRS SE Bike (2005) with 55% off the retail. It has fancy wheels which will attract thieves

the Giant CRS Bike (2005) also has a good bit taken off.

I will hopefully get the bike on monday or tuesday, if dealing with them ring in advance. Maybe the first bike wasnt their fault, I wanted a giant cypress ex 2006, they told me 3 times it was delayed, the last time said 7 weeks. Then when I rang they said they just couldnt get it. I asked for another one (dawes discovery 601) and they rang dawes and confirmed they could get it.

blorg

Giant are good bikes and excellent value. That 2005 SE one with the 24-spoke wheels looks like a fantastic bargain, 24-speed and with generally decent components for €250. If you can live with the wheels I'd go for that one; apart from the thievery issue though you might want to consider wheel durability if you were planning on putting on a rack, etc.

kona

carrera subway1 E252.99 and e30 of free accessories in halfords http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10151&productId=201437&categoryId=60956

it has 14 gears but the ratios are very good, its a very good commuting bike.

Ghost Rider

Is that available in Halfords' Irish stores? The prices on that page seems to be in sterling.

kona wrote:

carrera subway1 E252.99 and e30 of free accessories in halfords http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10151&productId=201437&categoryId=60956

it has 14 gears but the ratios are very good, its a very good commuting bike.

Civilian_Target

Are you sure? Any Halfords bikes I've ever seen have had terrible build quality etc. but that said, none of them cost that much new!

Does this €350 include accessories (ie. helmet, lights, mudguards, reflective gear etc.) because that will set you back the kahunas of €100 to start with!

For €400 I picked up a two year old second-hand Orbit Orion but I'd be the first to say that something like that's a rare find. That said, you might well the worth your while checking out what your local bike dealer has for the money you're looking at. If it's light with semi-slick tyres, moves smoothly and they're willing to give you a warranty on it, what you're looking at's probably fine.

Either way, for commuting in Dublin I'd recommend a hybrid bike with puncture-resistant commuting tyres (City Contacts or Specialized Armadillos), good mudguards (and ideally a chainguard too) and hub-gears if you can get them at the price (less maintainance). At this time of year, lights and reflective gear are also a must if you're cycling in the dusk or dark. Anything more than 6 gears is usually redundant in the city.

[EDIT]Perhaps something like this is within your budget http://www.mcconveycycles.com/products.php?plid=m1b0s18p2101 [/EDIT]

Ghost Rider

What exactly are hub-gears?

Civilian_Target wrote:

Are you sure? Any Halfords bikes I've ever seen have had terrible build quality etc. but that said, none of them cost that much new!

Does this €350 include accessories (ie. helmet, lights, mudguards, reflective gear etc.) because that will set you back the kahunas of €100 to start with!

For €400 I picked up a two year old second-hand Orbit Orion but I'd be the first to say that something like that's a rare find. That said, you might well the worth your while checking out what your local bike dealer has for the money you're looking at. If it's light with semi-slick tyres, moves smoothly and they're willing to give you a warranty on it, what you're looking at's probably fine.

Either way, for commuting in Dublin I'd recommend a hybrid bike with puncture-resistant commuting tyres (City Contacts or Specialized Armadillos), good mudguards (and ideally a chainguard too) and hub-gears if you can get them at the price (less maintainance). At this time of year, lights and reflective gear are also a must if you're cycling in the dusk or dark.

rubadub

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hub_gears

internal gears, so no oiling for getting them bashed.

Civilian_Target

Exactly - sealed and internal. When they work they're a dream: extremely reliable, very little power loss, zero maintainance and smooth shifts, and you can change when you're not moving and pick up where you left off.

But if you buckle your back wheel or the gears get borked, things get expensive.

mickomack

Civilian_Target wrote:

Are you sure? Any Halfords bikes I've ever seen have had terrible build quality etc. but that said, none of them cost that much new!

Does this €350 include accessories (ie. helmet, lights, mudguards, reflective gear etc.) because that will set you back the kahunas of €100 to start with!

For €400 I picked up a two year old second-hand Orbit Orion but I'd be the first to say that something like that's a rare find. That said, you might well the worth your while checking out what your local bike dealer has for the money you're looking at. If it's light with semi-slick tyres, moves smoothly and they're willing to give you a warranty on it, what you're looking at's probably fine.

Either way, for commuting in Dublin I'd recommend a hybrid bike with puncture-resistant commuting tyres (City Contacts or Specialized Armadillos), good mudguards (and ideally a chainguard too) and hub-gears if you can get them at the price (less maintainance). At this time of year, lights and reflective gear are also a must if you're cycling in the dusk or dark. Anything more than 6 gears is usually redundant in the city.

[EDIT]Perhaps something like this is within your budget http://www.mcconveycycles.com/products.php?plid=m1b0s18p2101 [/EDIT]

€350 for the bike only not any other accessories I have all those already.I've decided to go with the GIANT crs 4.0.I know its a fairly basic bike but I'm looking for something thats both cheap and lightweight and I don't have an awful lot of time to be wasting waiting around for a second hand bike.Before I bought my last bike(which was stolen from me) I spent about a month and a half going around to all the bike shops I know looking for second hand bikes but I didn't see many within my price range.Also the dealers didn't seen keen on selling them

kona

dude...its e252 EURO in their irish stores, i know the prices online are sterling.
you get e30 of accessories free too, so you could get muguards and a helmet for that depending on they types you go for.
the sub1 doesnt have internal hubs, its regular cassette and derailleur.
the sub8 has internal gears, and lads they are fantastic........until you have to repair a puncture.

kona

Civilian_Target wrote:

Are you sure? Any Halfords bikes I've ever seen have had terrible build quality etc. but that said, none of them cost that much new!

]

your thinking of the apollos......yes compared to e500+ bikes they are ****e but hey all bikes that cost 100-150 euro are

Ghost Rider

Why would you say the Carrera Subway 1 is so cheap? Are the gears and brakes combined at the handlebars, for example? It's hard to make out much from that picture.

kona wrote:

dude...its e252 EURO in their irish stores, i know the prices online are sterling.
you get e30 of accessories free too, so you could get muguards and a helmet for that depending on they types you go for.
the sub1 doesnt have internal hubs, its regular cassette and derailleur.
the sub8 has internal gears, and lads they are fantastic........until you have to repair a puncture.

rubadub

good user reviews
http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/review/reviewProductReviews/mps/rpn/22149/prod/Carrera-Subway-1/rcn/35/rgn/7/v/2/sp/332216698760328712266#59442

kona

Ghost Rider wrote:

Why would you say the Carrera Subway 1 is so cheap? Are the gears and brakes combined at the handlebars, for example? It's hard to make out much from that picture.

it has 1/3 off at the moment, i think it was e370 or somthing around that mark.
it has
a 7006 aluminium double butted frame.
sram sx5 rear derailleur
sram front derailleur
suntour cranks
26"noname rims
kevlar threaded 26x1.5 slick tyres
sram grip shift
tek tro V-brakes
cassette(not freewheel)
enclosed bottom bracket
14 or 16 speed(not too sure)
quick release all round.
adjustable stem.
and comes in a 18 a 20 or a 22 inch frame.
thats all i can remember.
thats all i can remember.

Ghost Rider

That's some memory you've got there!

kona wrote:

it has 1/3 off at the moment, i think it was e370 or somthing around that mark.
it has
a 7006 aluminium double butted frame.
sram sx5 rear derailleur
sram front derailleur
suntour cranks
26"noname rims
kevlar threaded 26x1.5 slick tyres
sram grip shift
tek tro V-brakes
cassette(not freewheel)
enclosed bottom bracket
14 or 16 speed(not too sure)
quick release all round.
adjustable stem.
and comes in a 18 a 20 or a 22 inch frame.
thats all i can remember.
thats all i can remember.

DirkVoodoo

Sweet! Im headin to Halfords tmw...im guessing you arent going to get the same service you would in a local bike shop, like gettin them to swap tyres etc.?

blorg

I am pretty sure you will just be getting the stock bike in a box, very possibly you will even have to do the final assembly yourself (this will probably just involve attaching the pedals/rotating the handlebars and is not difficult.)

ruprect

ruprect wrote:

I will hopefully get the bike on monday or tuesday, if dealing with them ring in advance.

I got my bike on thursday and am pleased with it. Worked out at €600 delivered.
http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/index.html?pageTitle=Dawes_Discovery_601_Bike_2006&pageDesc=For_only_an_extra_100_on_the_RRP_the_601_takes_the_501_to_a_Whole_New_Level_Were_talking_Serious_Cyc&action=detail&maincatID=0&catID=&prodID=9033&brandID=


It came in a dawes box, i.e. it is the box the shop would have got unopened. Had to put on the handlebars, front brake cable, pedals, front wheel and its quick release axel. Had to adjust the v brakes myself, had to take the actual arm off one and change the sping connection.

The 601 goes like a rocket, I have been cycling work out bikes and there is a huge difference. I had a go on a decent light MTB a while back but am very glad I went for the hybrid. The saddle is amazing, like jelly, and the seatpost suspension works well. I always found the limiting factor to speed on roadbikes was the uncomfortableness. This bike seems very strong, handle grips are nice and soft too.

311

I never realized that the dawes discoveries had mountain bike chainsets.
I thought the chains on mountain bikes were wider than on chainsets like tiagras ??

Morgan

All 9-speed chains are the same width.

DirkVoodoo

Cool, went to Halfords, bought the bike and some accessories. The bike does indeed have 1/3 off the list price, comes to €252.99. The sales guy I was dealing with didnt have a clue about the 30 euro of accessories, but he was curious and after a bit of rummaging found the book of vouchers.

So, i'm heading back monday to pick it all up and embark on my new found mode of transport .

This was the Halfords in that new retail park on the way to stepaside.

I have to say, the carrera looked a lot nicer in the flesh, but I am a novices about bikes so I was just impressed by the colour. It had funny tyres, kind of half way between racer tyres and mountain bike tyres...would these be the semi-slicks I have heard of?

Anyway, mucho thanks to kona for the heads up, can't wait to start cycling in the mornings, although in the present weather I may quickly regret it:rolleyes:

kona

no problem man!!!

blorg

_Brian_ wrote:

I never realized that the dawes discoveries had mountain bike chainsets.

Up to the Discovery 601, but the 701 uses 105 IIRC.

tintar

> carrera subway1 E252.99 and e30 of free accessories in halfords

Planning to buy a bike for the wife, good thing I checked boards.ie first!

I don't see the 30 Euro of free accessories on their website, is this something the folks in the shop may know about? Also is the free accessories only for the carrera or the entire range?

Cheers.

Idleater

the post date: 25-09-2006, 10:13, might have something to do with it.

DirkVoodoo

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Cool, went to Halfords, bought the bike and some accessories. The bike does indeed have 1/3 off the list price, comes to €252.99. The sales guy I was dealing with didnt have a clue about the 30 euro of accessories, but he was curious and after a bit of rummaging found the book of vouchers.

So, i'm heading back monday to pick it all up and embark on my new found mode of transport .

This was the Halfords in that new retail park on the way to stepaside.

I have to say, the carrera looked a lot nicer in the flesh, but I am a novices about bikes so I was just impressed by the colour. It had funny tyres, kind of half way between racer tyres and mountain bike tyres...would these be the semi-slicks I have heard of?

Anyway, mucho thanks to kona for the heads up, can't wait to start cycling in the mornings, although in the present weather I may quickly regret it:rolleyes:

Ahhh, memories. I always liked that bike, wonder where it is now. My trepidation about bad weather cycling was there from the get go.

ednwireland

nereid wrote: »

the post date: 25-09-2006, 10:13, might have something to do with it.

weirdly, carrera subway is now €250 at halfords with disc brakes :eek:

deja vu ?

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_712155_langId_-1_categoryId_212377

still serious necro threading though

tintar

> the post date: 25-09-2006, 10:13, might have something to do with it.

lol i should have checked the date... the thread did lead me in the right direction though, Halfords has some good prices there :-)

DirkVoodoo, would you recommend the carrera bikes for city center commute / park weekends usage?

DirkVoodoo

tintar wrote: »

DirkVoodoo, would you recommend the carrera bikes for city center commute / park weekends usage?

Sorry, didn't see this till now.

Yes, great commuter. Very solid, well built and fantastically priced. Don't expect to do anything long distance (> 25km) or at a great pace, guys on road bikes will beat you hands down.

I'm not sure what you mean by parks? Trails? It's not a mountain bike, leave it to commuting.

sy

30-09-2006 hmmmm so now we know how long you have been cycling. I'm impressed with your progress
Also Ghost Rider appears on the scene!

DirkVoodoo

sy wrote: »

30-09-2006 hmmmm so now we know how long you have been cycling. I'm impressed with your progress
Also Ghost Rider appears on the scene!

Haha, yes my first foray into the world of 2 wheels. My first commute was hard and a little scary, I remember thinking of turning back after 2km saying "I've made a terrible mistake".

3 years on...picked up my brother from school today and God how i hate driving now. Saw a few guys cycling out of the place (no lights, not impressed) and saying to Pad "why can't you ride a bike, it's great!".

tintar

>I'm not sure what you mean by parks?

parks like Phoenix park :-) thanks for the reply, heading to Halfords this weekend

sharkman

ednwireland wrote: »

weirdly, carrera subway is now €250 at halfords with disc brakes :eek:

deja vu ?

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_11101_catalogId_15551_productId_712155_langId_-1_categoryId_212377

still serious necro threading though

I picked up the last Subway LTD from Halfords today €200 , Bargain !

ednwireland

sharkman wrote: »

I picked up the last Subway LTD from Halfords today €200 , Bargain !

yep when i saw that was tempted to buy one and set it up as a going to the shops bike (but i'd be killed by the OH 3+ bikes, apparently is enough)

enjoy