Carrera Crossfire 2 or Subway 1?

GeorgiaD94

So I’m pretty new to this cycling business but I have decided to get myself a bike with the aim of losing a few pounds! I will mainly be riding around the city (Cambridge) and on cycle lanes etc.

Problem is, I have no idea where to start with buying a bike! I have decided to get a hybrid but I don’t know if I need disk breaks or front suspension.

The bikes I have been looking at are the Carrera Crossfire 2 or the Carrera Subway 1. Does anyone have experience with either of these?

Any advise on bikes or cycling for an overweight beginner in general would be much appreciated!

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Honestly, I would choose http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/h ... ybrid-bike over either of those two all day long.

The front suspension on both of those you mention are very basic for suspension forks, it's something you don't need if riding on the road or doing light off-road, plus they will add weight to the bike.

The Marasa is a relatively good spec and weight for £320 before Topcashback or 10% British Cycling membership discount, I believe it can accept anything up to ~2" wide tyres, plus the brakes are hydraulic. It's been one of the best bang for the buck hybrid bikes for several years.

cyberknight

subway 1 has a rigid fork

Frank Wilson

Disc brakes will work better than disc breaks.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

cyberknight wrote:

subway 1 has a rigid fork

And by default weighs ~2Kg more, plus it has mechanical disc brakes and 3x8 gearing (compared to hydraulic disc brakes and 3x9 gearing on the Marasa).

cyberknight

NitrousOxide wrote:

cyberknight wrote:

subway 1 has a rigid fork

And by default weighs ~2Kg more, plus it has mechanical disc brakes and 3x8 gearing (compared to hydraulic disc brakes and 3x9 gearing on the Marasa).

Ooh snippy
Still the point stands ....

Moonbiker

This is 2kg lighter than the voodooo:

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/h ... omens-bike

2kg weight saving is worth £80

slowmart

GeorgiaD94 wrote:

So I’m pretty new to this cycling business but I have decided to get myself a bike with the aim of losing a few pounds! I will mainly be riding around the city (Cambridge) and on cycle lanes etc.

Problem is, I have no idea where to start with buying a bike! I have decided to get a hybrid but I don’t know if I need disk breaks or front suspension.

The bikes I have been looking at are the Carrera Crossfire 2 or the Carrera Subway 1. Does anyone have experience with either of these?

Any advise on bikes or cycling for an overweight beginner in general would be much appreciated!

It's questionable if disc brakes or front suspension are needed with the riding you've described. As your aim seems recreational there's not need to complicate the simplicity of a bike and it might be worth a visit to your local bike shop rather than Halfords?

The Rookie

+1 for the Marasa, a great do it all bike that is readily configurable as a fast road hybrid or a rigid off road MTB.

Suspension is definitely not a good idea, its heavy, adds cost and doesn't work well at this price point.

Disc brakes are less clear cut, certainly not necessary for your usage but a nice to have none the less, no real benefit in the dry but does make braking more predictable in the wet, but decent ones only (avoid most cable brakes) and I wouldn't use it to force a compromise elsewhere on the bike.

cyberknight

Of course you could get a subway and go a bit nuts on conversion...