Another Newbie question - Halfords Carrera Gryphon V spec..?
JiveSinger
Posts: 9
... big mistake or wise buy?
I'm basically a newbie at all this. I used to cycle a fair bit at University, on an old Kalkhoff bike that had presumably been handed down from student to student for many years. It was ...um...sturdy - it felt like it had been made in the Communist bloc from melted-down Russian tanks or something. It weighed a ton, but I wasn't going to break it. In those days I seem to remember I could do a 9 mile loop (round the ring road) in about 40 minutes.
But that was ***** years ago and things have moved on somewhat.
The other bike from my youth was an old Olympic racing bike which I think was Halfords own brand at the time? I still have this (having recently rescued it from my Dad's garage), and (after getting local bike shop to service it and put new tyres on), have had a few short runs out on it. However the bearing where the pedals are (not sure of technical name) keeps coming loose (as it did when I was younger), despite being tightened when serviced.
So I'm looking for a new bike. Criteria are:
* something to get me back into cycling
* almost wholly road use - but probably with a high proportion on local country roads which don't have a great surface.
* would prefer to avoid drop handlebars - my previous bikes had them but I never found the position comfortable, and looking over your shoulder at traffic behind you never feels as easy
* looking at spending around £250
* work is about 12 miles away - one day it would be nice to commute there, but that might be too ambitious.
* I'm an impatient person so will want to get as much speed as possible, although I'm not particularly fit yet so that may not actually be a very high number.
So I've looked at what's on offer from the local bike shop. In hybrids they have
* a Claud Butler Urban 200 for £254 and
* (more than I really wanted to pay) something called a Halcyon Calgary which is £300 (reduced from £500, apparently). This has stuff like front suspension and a prop-stand which I imagine are bad from a weight point of view but I guess the suspension will make it more robust over bumps.
I then went to Halfords and they do have some more tempting prices (well they do when you leave the shop and look online at the same bikes, anyway).
* Carrera Gryphon v-spec at £240
* Carrera Subway Ltd Edition at £225
* Carrera Subway 2 at £290
The young chap there did say that the Gryphon may not be as sturdy as the Subways - he was saying that he'd buckled the wheel on his own Boardman on local potholes (so he must at least cycle and hence I think his advice is more credible than some Halfords folk might offer). Also the Halfords bikes did seem more keenly priced for what you get.
I'm very tempted by the Gryphon, because I like the flat bars but it also looks fast (OK to a newbie like me it looks fast anyway!), and the v-spec brakes, although not discs, will surely be better than the old centre-pull things on my old bike(?).
But will it last? My experience with the bearing on my old Olympic doesn't endear me to the Halfords own brand - and I assume this is what the Carrera is nowadays? And there does seem to be some negative feedback about people breaking the wheels on the Gryphon.
Or should I go for the cheaper Subway Ltd Edition (more sturdy but slower, I guess)? (Or spend a bit more on the Subway 2? Or something else?)
Most grateful for any advice!!
I'm basically a newbie at all this. I used to cycle a fair bit at University, on an old Kalkhoff bike that had presumably been handed down from student to student for many years. It was ...um...sturdy - it felt like it had been made in the Communist bloc from melted-down Russian tanks or something. It weighed a ton, but I wasn't going to break it. In those days I seem to remember I could do a 9 mile loop (round the ring road) in about 40 minutes.
But that was ***** years ago and things have moved on somewhat.
The other bike from my youth was an old Olympic racing bike which I think was Halfords own brand at the time? I still have this (having recently rescued it from my Dad's garage), and (after getting local bike shop to service it and put new tyres on), have had a few short runs out on it. However the bearing where the pedals are (not sure of technical name) keeps coming loose (as it did when I was younger), despite being tightened when serviced.
So I'm looking for a new bike. Criteria are:
* something to get me back into cycling
* almost wholly road use - but probably with a high proportion on local country roads which don't have a great surface.
* would prefer to avoid drop handlebars - my previous bikes had them but I never found the position comfortable, and looking over your shoulder at traffic behind you never feels as easy
* looking at spending around £250
* work is about 12 miles away - one day it would be nice to commute there, but that might be too ambitious.
* I'm an impatient person so will want to get as much speed as possible, although I'm not particularly fit yet so that may not actually be a very high number.
So I've looked at what's on offer from the local bike shop. In hybrids they have
* a Claud Butler Urban 200 for £254 and
* (more than I really wanted to pay) something called a Halcyon Calgary which is £300 (reduced from £500, apparently). This has stuff like front suspension and a prop-stand which I imagine are bad from a weight point of view but I guess the suspension will make it more robust over bumps.
I then went to Halfords and they do have some more tempting prices (well they do when you leave the shop and look online at the same bikes, anyway).
* Carrera Gryphon v-spec at £240
* Carrera Subway Ltd Edition at £225
* Carrera Subway 2 at £290
The young chap there did say that the Gryphon may not be as sturdy as the Subways - he was saying that he'd buckled the wheel on his own Boardman on local potholes (so he must at least cycle and hence I think his advice is more credible than some Halfords folk might offer). Also the Halfords bikes did seem more keenly priced for what you get.
I'm very tempted by the Gryphon, because I like the flat bars but it also looks fast (OK to a newbie like me it looks fast anyway!), and the v-spec brakes, although not discs, will surely be better than the old centre-pull things on my old bike(?).
But will it last? My experience with the bearing on my old Olympic doesn't endear me to the Halfords own brand - and I assume this is what the Carrera is nowadays? And there does seem to be some negative feedback about people breaking the wheels on the Gryphon.
Or should I go for the cheaper Subway Ltd Edition (more sturdy but slower, I guess)? (Or spend a bit more on the Subway 2? Or something else?)
Most grateful for any advice!!
0
Comments
-
Carrera bikes are the better of the two main Halford ranges. Avoid the Apollo range.Steve C0
-
The Gryphon is a reasonable bike, the basic frame is the same as the virtuoso road bike I believe.
My Commuter is based on a Gryphon frame, although that is the only original Carrera part.
The Subway is not a bad bike, but on road or sealed tracks the Gryphon is a lot better and like most Carrera's great value for money.
SimonCurrently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.0 -
I have a Subway LTD, which I've been riding on my 40 mile roundtrip commute for the past 9 months,have done best part 6,500 miles in that time, and it hasn't let me down yet. It's far from a sexy looking bike, and I've put mudguards, lights, and a Brookes saddle on it, but it's comfortable and gets the job done.k.curtis0
-
The subway is just a Carrera Vulcan with slick tyres and ridged forks, so it's just a converted mountain bike, meaning you still pretty much have mountain bike gearing and will be much slower than teh Gryphon. Whereas the Gryphon is a proper hybrid using road bike gearing on the front and mountain bike gearing on the back giving a wide ratio of gears, it also has 700c wheels (like a road bike). The Gryphon is the best option for you I think..."If we all had hardtails we'd all go down the hill, just slower"
Nick Larsen
Voodoo D-Jab Ti
Boardman Road Team 09
Boardman Urban Team 08
Falcon 3 Speed0 -
...I recently bought the Carerra Gryphon V-Spec through the Cycle to Work Scheme. I got the bike and a bunch of kit for £480.
I have to say I'm delighted with it. I do 13 miles every day and have done so since early June now. No problems with the bike, nice and quick, feels solid and safe and manouverable in traffic. Have no probs keeping up with the Lycra louts when the going speeds up a bit.
The only issue that I have seen reported is with slightly weak/poor wheels but this seems to be with the heavier among us. I am just under 11 stone and have had no problems.
Would recommend as a first bike 8)0
