Bike advice

Sailorchick

Last March I got rid of my car and got myself a Carrera Subway on cycle2work scheme. The subway has been a good bike to get me started on for commuting and low cost in case I hated it but I'm looking to upgrade my bike now.
I can start another cycle2work in the next month or so and looking at spending £400-£500.

I'm looking at getting a Specialised Vita and wondered if anyone had any experience of the bike? Local bike shop have recommended this one as I want a bike that can take panniers, mudguards but is a lot faster than my carrera and something fun to go out on longer rides at weekends.
I'm going to go and have a good look at it in a couple of weeks when we go and collect husbands bike from them (he's just got a Dahon Expresso)

Any comments on whether the Vita would be a good choice would be really helpful, cheers.

jonginge

Sarajoy and cafewanda to thread!

sharm1969ca

Jon, The subway will take panniers. I have had my subway 2 since 2008 and have diskbrakes front and back wich made it difficult to get panniers for the front but i managed it. my old girl is well pimped up now hardly looks like a subway at all.

Cafewanda

Sailorchick, I have the Vita Elite and she's gorgeous. Absolutely fab and I'll be keeping her for a long time

I paid £650 for mine and weight was a factor as I have to carry her up 4 flights of stairs. She has a rack, mudguards, 3 rear and 1 front lights. Compared to my old bike, she is very responsive and I should treat her with more respect than I currently do :roll:

My test ride was about 10 mins during a lunch hour, but I was so excited to find a bike that suited my (lack of) height and one I controlled better than my previous bike that I didn't try out any other bikes.

Not done any long rides as yet. This summer, hopefully. The furthest I've ridden is 18 miles but that's with a 2 hour gap in the middle.

Take one for a ride and see how it handles. Don't be persuaded by the shops.

sarajoy

Sailorshick: I love mine, and get complimented on it, too

Since I got it (2009 Spesh Vita Sport - I went up one model to avoid grip-shift gears), I've changed/edited the following:
* handlebars - chopped an inch off either end, switched the grips and added bar ends (some would ask why not just go for drops, but I like this set up very much): http://www.theoldbicycleshowroom.co.uk/ ... 1853-p.asp and http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-SJSC ... -13134.htm
* saddle - the one that came as standard just didn't get on with my bum - I went for a less padded but smoother Charge Ladle (in the same brown leather colour as my grips)
* pedals - to Shimano bog-standard M520 SPD pedals
* and of course mudguards, rack, lights, the usual

From what I was used to (mountain bikes, shoppers, hybrids), it's a definitely more of an aggressive riding position that feels lower and faster - but it's obviously not roadie-low. When I get a nasty headwind sometimes I wish for drops, but that's the only time I've noticed.

I can't speak with real experience of bike-fit and geometry or anything else some of this lot know about - but I like it very much!

I'm afraid this is the only pic I have of it online at the moment (those reflective bits are black when the pic's taken sans-flash!):

Sailorchick

Thanks for the comments Sarajoy and Cafewanda. Sounds like you both love yours and glowing recommendations like that are great for helping choose a bike.

Guy in the bikeshop (Primera, Poole) was really helpful and gave lots of tips (we were there getting hubby's bike and didn't really have time for me to spend ages looking at bikes for me) but now can't wait to go back and have a proper look when we pick up hubbys bike. He did say about getting a test ride sorted and things.

Cafewanda

Yay!!


PS: Sarajoy, your pic has reminded me to get some of that reflective sticky for next winter

sarajoy

Cafewanda wrote:

PS: Sarajoy, your pic has reminded me to get some of that reflective sticky for next winter

I have a few inches of it left if you'd like it? Once you cut it into strips or chevrons like I did, it goes quite far

Cafewanda

PM on its way!

il_principe

Sailorchick wrote:

Last March I got rid of my car and got myself a Carrera Subway on cycle2work scheme. The subway has been a good bike to get me started on for commuting and low cost in case I hated it but I'm looking to upgrade my bike now.
I can start another cycle2work in the next month or so and looking at spending £400-£500.

I'm looking at getting a Specialised Vita and wondered if anyone had any experience of the bike? Local bike shop have recommended this one as I want a bike that can take panniers, mudguards but is a lot faster than my carrera and something fun to go out on longer rides at weekends.
I'm going to go and have a good look at it in a couple of weeks when we go and collect husbands bike from them (he's just got a Dahon Expresso)

Any comments on whether the Vita would be a good choice would be really helpful, cheers.

My missus has a Vita - she was dead set on flat bars rather than the specialized Ruby that I was trying to suggest. She's been very happy with hers and was commuting 20 miles a day from North London to the City... having not ridden a bike for years and never in London.

As far as I'm concerned - it's a decent, well made bike, nothing more than that, but for commuting purposes it's fine, the equipment is of reasonable quality (Shimano) and we've had no problems with hers - save p*nctures - do upgrade the tires to something more durable! My only issue with the bike is the weight, it is quite heavy and I wouldn't want to cycle it very far or up anything resembling a decent hill.

So yeah, it'll probably do you just fine, and Primera are well regarded.