Bike Advice Wanted Please

bara03

Hi,

I have just joined the cycle2work scheme at my work and for some reason they have an arrangement with Halfords to supply the bike.

Looking at Halfords website they only do the Carrera Subway, GT or Boardman range of hybrids and I don't know a lot about any of these bike models.

However I have found out that I can order any other type of make of bike through Halfords business services who run the Cycle2work scheme.

I probably want to get a Hybrid bike as the majority of my commuting is on roads but will also do some trails at weekends with my brother.

So I have been recommended to get a Specialized Sirrus but the one I liked Elite 2010 can't be ordered through Halfords as it's out of stock (I assume that is has something to do with the new 2011 range coming out).

So what else could you recommend for me, I have had a look at the Scott range (SUB and Sportster) and these look nice as well.

Cheers

Andy

PS - Sorry for the lenghty post.

Clever Pun

how much of the £1000 are you looking to spend?

biondino

You'd do trails on a hybrid?

bara03

Clever Pun wrote:

how much of the £1000 are you looking to spend?

Sorry I've got £800 allocated to the cycle2work scheme, couldn't afford anymore.

bara03

biondino wrote:

You'd do trails on a hybrid?

Maybe trails is the wrond word I used, my brother has a route which takes him from Bournemouth to Christchurch which is just a mixture of roads and off road bits, nothing major but I thought a hybrid would cope with this?? Maybe I'm wrong.

cougie

If you have decent wheels and tyres then you can do a lot 'offroad' without needing a mountain bike.

I can use my 23mm race bike off road - I'd not use it for bumping over gnarly tree root sections through a forest, but for the kind of off road paths that sustrans etc use - it easily copes.

The Boardman hybrids look very nice.

bara03

cougie wrote:

If you have decent wheels and tyres then you can do a lot 'offroad' without needing a mountain bike.

I can use my 23mm race bike off road - I'd not use it for bumping over gnarly tree root sections through a forest, but for the kind of off road paths that sustrans etc use - it easily copes.

The Boardman hybrids look very nice.

Sounds exactly what I will be doing.

I did take a look at the Boardman Team hybrid and it looks good value for money as it has carbon forks and hydralic breaks, but the guy who recommended me the Specialized Sirrus thinks they are not very good, I don't know why he says this but they look fine to me.

The other thing I was going to ask are hydralic brakes worth trying to get over the standard 'V' brake system as it looks to me that none of the Specialized Sirrus range have disc/hydralic brakes.

Cheers

Andy

biondino

The Boardman bikes have been universally praised so perhaps the Spesh guy was being snobby about either cachet or his profit margin!

I really enjoy riding on light offroad on my 23mm tyres, though there is a limit...

sc999cs

biondino wrote:

The Boardman bikes have been universally praised.

A colleague has the Team Comp Hybrid and highly recommends it.The only thing I don't like about his bike is that it has two chain rings, but a three chain ring shifter. That was last year's model so perhaps this year's is different.

Disk brakes may be overkill for commuting, but they'll sure stop you in an instance. If you don't mind the fact that they weigh more than V brakes then don't let anyone put you off.

However Halfords can obtain lots of different models, look at their cycle 2 work page at the bottom of the page to see the selection available. Also available are Giant and Tifosi (which aren't listed). Don't feel limited by what is in store. If you fancy a particular bike phone up the helpline (number on the leaflet available in store) and ask if they can get it.

bara03

biondino wrote:

The Boardman bikes have been universally praised so perhaps the Spesh guy was being snobby about either cachet or his profit margin!

I really enjoy riding on light offroad on my 23mm tyres, though there is a limit...

Yes the guy who recommended the Specialized works in an independant cycle shop, I don't know a lot about bikes so I took his recomendation.

g00se

Kona Dew range?

Whatever you do, have a play with the bike you want at another bike shop before ordering it via halfords.

bara03

g00se wrote:

Kona Dew range?

Whatever you do, have a play with the bike you want at another bike shop before ordering it via halfords.

I will take a look at them, cheers.

The Rookie

bara03 wrote:

biondino wrote:

The Boardman bikes have been universally praised so perhaps the Spesh guy was being snobby about either cachet or his profit margin!

I really enjoy riding on light offroad on my 23mm tyres, though there is a limit...

Yes the guy who recommended the Specialized works in an independant cycle shop,

You can only get Boardman's through Halford's (and not all Halfords) so he can't sell you one, he therefore has a vested interest in you not buying one so has a chance to sell you something he can sell you!

Simon

bara03

The Beginner wrote:

bara03 wrote:

biondino wrote:

The Boardman bikes have been universally praised so perhaps the Spesh guy was being snobby about either cachet or his profit margin!

I really enjoy riding on light offroad on my 23mm tyres, though there is a limit...

Yes the guy who recommended the Specialized works in an independant cycle shop,

You can only get Boardman's through Halford's (and not all Halfords) so he can't sell you one, he therefore has a vested interest in you not buying one so has a chance to sell you something he can sell you!

Simon

The boardman's look exceptional value for money for what you are getting, the only thing I don't like about them is the SRAM double thumb shifters, always had Shimano and I like the way you use your thumb and finger for changing gears, is this something you get used to, or is it possible to change the SRAM shifters for Shimano?

I have also found out from Halfords that the Borardman 2011 range of bikes should be released by the end of October/November, is it worth hanging on till then I wonder.