Carrera Luna

oneimaginaryboy

Just ordered a Carrera Luna from Halfords for a 9 yr old girl (after multiple visits to numerous local bike shops). I was initially reluctant to buy from Halfords. However as the mission progressed, various other bikes being rejected on the basis of their flowery decal, being too boyish or just looking 'weird',I was relieved to finally conclude the enterprise.

Just wondering whether anyone has any experience/knowledge of the bike in question and also whether there are any giveaways when I go to pick it up that they may have botched the build/set-up?

Any replies gratefully received.

t4tomo

If I'm right the Luna is the girls coloured version of the Blast which my son has in 24" mode.

It needed the brakes (cheap but adequate cable disc jobs) adjusting properly _ I did it myself as the chap in the store was already making a pigs ear of mending some poor ladies puncture. The gears were index correctly out of the box so that was OK.

Decent little bike for the money.

Mike Healey

We've had a couple of kids with Blasts in our club and they seemed reasonably ok. Weight is fair for the price.

If the Luna's the same I'd say go for it - if an Islabike is out of reach at the moment, of course.

passout

My 7 yr old got a Luna last week & loves it - got 20% in a sale so it was just under £170 or so. It is perhaps a little weighty - but reasonable for the price. Everything else looks really rather good to me. The SRAM X3 kit is good. I would recommend very highly at this price point.

Size wise she is average height for her age (7) & is fine with the seat at its lowest - should last her two years I reckon. Recommended age is spot on at 7-9yrs.

Halfords were OK.

Ferenc

Hi, I have been keeping a eye on this bike for months now. At one point I would have been able to buy it for £170 but it has now gone up to an incredible £209.99!! My daughter is going on 10yrs old and would love to train with her so that she could ride in the forests with me. I therefore need a fairly light bike which this Carrera is. It states 'Suitable for ages 8-10'. With a very limited budget, summer around the corner and very few (none actually) second hand bikes with a light aluminium frame..... Any advice pls? Do I buy a 26inch wheel instead? I have looked and will look again on this forum but it appears that this is a pretty good bike with Suntour shocks and S-Ram bits....

simon_e

Ferenc wrote:

Hi, I have been keeping a eye on this bike for months now. At one point I would have been able to buy it for £170 but it has now gone up to an incredible £209.99!! My daughter is going on 10yrs old and would love to train with her so that she could ride in the forests with me. I therefore need a fairly light bike which this Carrera is. It states 'Suitable for ages 8-10'. With a very limited budget, summer around the corner and very few (none actually) second hand bikes with a light aluminium frame..... Any advice pls? Do I buy a 26inch wheel instead? I have looked and will look again on this forum but it appears that this is a pretty good bike with Suntour shocks and S-Ram bits....

I'd not call 13.5 kg light for a bike for a 10 year old to ride offroad, and at £220 it isn't a bargain .

Kids come in all sizes so "Suitable for ages 8-10" means nothing, you need a bike that fits correctly.

The Ridgeback MX24 isn't much more new. I'd expect that to be a better buy and you may find a decent preloved bike if you search around - my LBS had a clean Specialized Hotrock s/h for £125 recently. Quite a few Blast and Lunas on ebay. Some 24" wheeled bikes discussed here:
viewtopic.php?f=40032&t=12841192

Ferenc

Thank you Simon. I managed to get Halfords vouchers and they have 4% off at the mo so I am getting the bike for around £160. I have only reserved it to be picked up Tuesday..

Anonymous

13.5kg!!! Thats 50% heavier than an islabike (not that I am the biggest islabike fan lol).

It does look quite nice (the 24" one) but I would look at something a bit lighter personally.

How about a Kona if you want disc brakes and suspension.

bugster88

Actually, with the exception of expensive specialist bikes, you will find that 13.5kg for a 20 inch bike upwards is very light. Most other bikes this size are heavier (including some quite expensive models). I have actually lifted the bike and it is one of the lightest around, which is surprising with it having the front suspension. It also has power adjuster brakes and shorter reach brake levers

mec287

I bought my daughter a Carerra Luna 20 inch after trying it against lots of other bikes that size (specialized, Giant, Trek etc). It compared very well in terms of weight and components, and she's loved riding it. Nothing wrong with Carerra as a brand, but do check over the bike yourself. I had to adjust gears and brake blocks from new, but nothing major.

My younger lad has an Islabike Beinn 20, so I have been able to compare the two. Components (gears and brakes principally) are about the same. The Islabike is undoubtedly lighter, but daughter didn't like the look of it, and to an 8yr old that's the most important thing!!