New Hybrid for 200-300 range

damoske

Hi folks,

I'm just getting into biking, and have yet another new bike recommendation request. From my local dealers (Halfords and Comptons), I've narrowed my choice to:

Ridgeback Rapide Speed : £229
Carrera Subway 2 : £259 inc £50 accessories
Carrera Crossfire 2 : £259 inc £50 accessories

I'm in London Zone 2 and work from home, so I'd mostly use it for nipping to the shops or into central London, along with some occasional bike one-day ride outs (say 40-60 miles).

I like the included guards and rack on the Ridgeback (style isn't a priority), plus the idea of an LBS. The Subway's a bit less tame, but has disc brakes and seat suspension, and generally very good write-ups.

And the Crossfire 2.... it seems more suited to civilsed travelling/touring than the Subway, an I like the bigger seat (not sure about the suspension forks) but I can't find any write-ups anywhere on it. Do they exist in the wild?!?

I'm keen to buy from my LBS, but the £50 accessories (and discs and suspension into the bargain) are so tempting... :-(


D

acorn_user

Do not know too much about the bikes in question, but front suspension is a big no-no on the road. It slows you down, and feels really unwieldy. I would recommend a bike with a rigid fork. Also, it is nice to have factory guards and racks, because they are the right kind, fitted correctly (one store persistently fitted my mudguards incorrectly, luckily I learnt my lesson and fit them myself now.)

feel

subway 2 looks a reasonable bike for the price - tyres look a little wide for road use but would offer a little more comfort or off road use. It also has plenty of clearance for mudguards. I wouldn't bother with the suspension seat post. TBH i wouldn't bother with the crossfire for a roadbike. As acorn says you don't want suspension on a road bike and at that price you will probably just bounce down the road when you pedal hard - wasted energy and extra weight too.

damoske

feel wrote:

subway 2 looks a reasonable bike for the price - tyres look a little wide for road use but would offer a little more comfort or off road use.

Thanks! I had to make a decision on Saturday, so I chose to support my LBS and buy a Rideback Speed - simple bike, but probably more practical for UK Weather and London, and apparently the chrome guards and non-MTB looks should make it less likely to be nicked! It rained on the ride home, so I was grateful for the guards straight away.

The frame's light enough to carry up 8 flights of stairs (at Greenwich Foot Tunnel) without much effort, and I'm not missing the suspension yet despite hitting a few potholes.

Admittedly it doesn't feel too sporty - I deliberately chose a slightly small frame (21" for me at 6'5") because I wanted the option of putting my feet flat on the floor when carrying shopping, in London traffic - the 23" was too big - but the posture's more upright than I'm used to. I might raise the seat a bit once I'm more used to riding (after 12 years away).

Looking at the Subway 2 before I made my final decision, it did have better looks, a few nice extras, and be built for a more dedicated ride; I partly regret not getting it, and 'sensibly' opting for mudguards instead.

The gears are clunking around a fair bit; I'm not used to having a working 21-speed, so it might be used to my inexperience in selecting the right combination; or the LBS could have set them up wrongly. The chain's come off once already, though.


D