Hating the new format of Ciao. I enjoy running, cycling and am a proper gym bunny!
...
Hating the new format of Ciao. I enjoy running, cycling and am a proper gym bunny!
Member since:30.05.2007
Reviews:10
Members who trust:11
I have this bike; I bought it in a fit of recklessness following the theft of a beloved, far superior, previous bike. When the insurers gave the go ahead to purchase a replacement, between Christmas and New Year ‘08, I rashly ran to Halfords and bought this. In all honesty it’s been a good reliable bike for the money (£467). For that price you get a great specification, aluminum lightweight frame, fab front fork and reliable but why do I find fault with it ? I think perhaps because it looks a little boring and compared to my Marin it’s just a little heavier and cumbersome. Being a girl I like to be able to lift my bike about a bit without looking like a weakling, I cannot do this as I could with my Marin and the manufacturers rate the bike as ultra light! Granted this is a boys bike so for boys out there you will have no issues with this aspect.
So what do I like about the bike?I do, however, like the front Tora Rock Shox fork which work well on all surfaces. I like to have a little give on the suspension as opposed to full lockout; having a little damping effect mean the bike handles very well on road cycling and off road tracks equally. I need to swap between a nice flat tarmac track to gravel then full on bumpy farm track when commuting to work and the degrees of suspension on the Rock Shox give an enjoyable and comfortable performance. The Tektro Auriga hydraulic brakes have been spot on for me, almost on par with the Hope system I had on my Marin. The manufacturers class the brakes as 'powerful', which is a slight understatement; I had to really brake hard the other day in dry conditions (think: driving test emergency stop) and it stopped dead without me going over the handlebars.
British summer conditions are great for this bike but come winter it’s more of a struggle to control the bike under ice or wet leaves. I think it’s because the Continental Gravity tyres are not much cop and I had to change them after six months. Also the pedals are not the best design and the fitting has rust showing now - these are pretty minor flaws. The X5 gear shift system is very good and, easily, along with the front fork, the best part about the bike. The SRAM X7 derailleur works fine but shifting to the third ring can mean the chain ‘falling off’; I’m sure this is my fault by ‘over clicking’ the gears as a recent bike service flagged up no faults. I also changed the seat as it wasn't terribly comfortable for me but I always do that anyway.
I’m possibly finding that getting used to this bike has taken longer than I thought and I do find it a little heavy going, combined with the fact I have panniers fitted makes the thought of carrying any extra weight a little worrying. However, the test came during a 100 mile coast to coast where the Carrera was right up there and performed well against others despite my reservations. Have to say though, this bike gives you a good work out and after almost two years of daily commuting the bike and I have settled into a comfortable routine – Kinda like an agreeable but not terribly exciting marriage!
This bike would make an ideal starter bike as it has all you need to do some milage in a comfortable fashion but don't do what I done and go from a class bike to this; I was on the rebound and I had too high an expectation after owing my previous Marin, to which I still mourn the loss.
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