halfords carrera bike

Tony6R

Hello

Was in halfords earlier and noticed this bike is it any good for a beginner?
I realise it isnt going to be up with the specialized and the likes but would it be a decent base to start with?

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... =IOV4PLPZ1

Thanks in advance for any opinions given

Super Domestique

I got one of these for my father. Did a deal instore and got it for £255 so worth pushing for a deal if you are interested.

It is not as good as my Allez admittedly but an excellent starter road bike imho.

KevGuinness

I got one last year and not had a problem since, unless you are very fit then why bother spending a big wedge of money on it when the biggest difference will come from you in the first year?

Hals1967

I use one as my commuter.
Changed the tyres to something better (Vittoria Rubino Pro's) and fitted top mount brake levers to give me another position to brake from in heavy traffic etc.
No frills bike but no problems either, it does the job. I've also ridden a couple of sixty-milers on her too and found her comfortable. The ride is a little harsh not having carbon forks (but if you haven't had a carbon-forked bike you won't know the difference anyway !) but I've double wrapped my bar tape to compensate.
As others have said its a good starter bike for the money if you don't want to go second hand and are on a budget.
I think Kev has it spot on when he says the biggest improvement will be from you in the first year.
One thing I'd advise, make sure the fit is right and that you get it set up well, don't rely on Halfords to give you a good set up (although there are some good ones, the default seems pretty poor). Take some time to learn how to set it up yourself it'll pay dividends in the years to come.
My 2p worth anyway...

Rouge Penguin

Can you do C2W?

I bought a cheaper entry level and now finding i want to upgrade. The bikes stilla good ride, but its not worth investing in decent parts on it. i would try to spend the extra and get a decent ride straight off.

If you love it, you'll only find you'll want better in a years time.

tlw1

looks a good winter bike - was going to get a garmin 705, think the money would be better of spent on this!

Super Domestique

Good call on the bar tape Hal. Something I have recommended my father do or even replace with the type like I have.

The only thing he has also done was swap for a shorter stem as he found the 105mm one too long so he picked up an 80mm Prolight one on sale at CRC. That was a personaly choice of course though.

As a clips 'n' straps user he even likes the stock pedals.

Tony6R

So the general consensus seems to be positive with this bike, so thanks for that and I shall look to pick it up soon
In answer tothe question no I can't dothe c2w scheme, have asked but the boss isn't interested at all

Thanks people most appreciated

Super Domestique

Tony6R wrote:

So the general consensus seems to be positive with this bike, so thanks for that and I shall look to pick it up soon
In answer tothe question no I can't dothe c2w scheme, have asked but the boss isn't interested at all

Thanks people most appreciated

Nice one. The discounts have been on average 10% so a purchase price of £270. We did the deal on 15% as it was last one in stock. One guy on here beat that at £245 but it did have a chip on the frame, etc.

Keep us posted with how you get on.

Bar Shaker

Called in Halfords Romford tonight to pick up a cage for a mate.

Looked at the Fury again. What a stunning bike for the money! A real no-brainer.