Casual use bike - Riverside 920 or Carrera Subway

[Bloodrayne]

Hi all,

After spending a few days going around in circles on various bikes, and the array of reviews and opinions that are on the internet - I think I down to one of the above as my selection; it doesn't need to be fast, it just needs to get me from A to B without failing and without causing massive discomfort.

Routes are light trails and pot-holed back roads, journey times are probably a 30 minute cycle away tops. In addition to this I'd be cycling with my 9 year old son, so he's not super fast and the distances are punctuated by stops and breaks as we look at birds/bugs/wildlife - so it's not a hardcore cycling bike that I have to be on for hours at a time.

I've seen other more expensive bikes that would be much more preferable, but I need this first bike to be affordable and reliable in the first instance.

£700 is the absolute limit should there be any other recommendations.

Thanks!

 

[Invertigo]

Allow me to throw in a curveball at a much lower price point

Vitus Mach 1 Three (Nexus - 2022) | Chain Reaction

Buy your Vitus Mach 1 Three (Nexus - 2022) from our City Bikes range at CRC. £209.99. Free delivery available.

www.chainreactioncycles.com

It does exactly what you ask (it’s a casual bike, comfy riding position, 3 speed nexus hub gears aren’t fast but are very solid and easy maintenance, Shimano hydraulic disks are effective and simple) at £280 delivered. I actually have one myself as my town bike alongside significantly more expensive road and mountain bikes and I can’t fault it. As you mention wanting a nicer bike down the line, put the rest of the money aside and just have something functional?

You may want to adjust the gearing a bit depending on terrain etc. near you but as you’re saving £400 of your budget, you have that flexibility to make changes

 

[Bloodrayne]

Thanks! That's exactly the kind of curveball I like - looks good, is cheaper than either of my options and sounds like just what I need (I live in the flat lands of Lincolnshire, so there's not many hills in getting from A to B currently, just a bit of mud occasionally when it's easier to cut down a dirt track rather than face an A road)

 

[silvagti]

Another curveball towards the top of your budget! This is on sale just now at £650 and looks really nicely spec'd with modern componeents (wide ratio single chainring 10 speed, hydraulic disc brakes, 650b tyres, Thru-axle hubs, internal cable routing, lightweight alloy frame/fork <11Kg, etc).

Lots of local bike shops stock Whyte so you can probably find one locally to sit on for size before buying which is handy.

Portobello Commuter Bike

City Speed, Everywhere Freedom Our best urban and commuter bike, Portobello, is light, nimble, comfortable, and fast. Combining stylishly smooth riding with real-world capability and dependability, the Portobello is your perfect urban partner for daily ‘do everything’ duty or weekend leisure...

whytebikes.com

 

[Bloodrayne]

Another curveball towards the top of your budget! This is on sale just now at £650 and looks really nicely spec'd with modern componeents (wide ratio single chainring 10 speed, hydraulic disc brakes, 650b tyres, Thru-axle hubs, internal cable routing, lightweight alloy frame/fork <11Kg, etc).

Lots of local bike shops stock Whyte so you can probably find one locally to sit on for size before buying which is handy.

Portobello Commuter Bike

City Speed, Everywhere Freedom Our best urban and commuter bike, Portobello, is light, nimble, comfortable, and fast. Combining stylishly smooth riding with real-world capability and dependability, the Portobello is your perfect urban partner for daily ‘do everything’ duty or weekend leisure...

whytebikes.com

That also looks nice, but it looks like the kind of bike that would bring great shame on me when I wheel it out of the garage on occasion and it's covered in dust/spiders - but you see my issue with getting a bike is that the options are endless, you balance out reviews and think you've got it down to two options and then you ask for confirmation only to be confronted with more credible options!

I'll see if I can find a local stockist for the Portobello bike, as maybe seeing it in person will help make me commit.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

My Carrera Subway cost £270 back in 2011 and I really enjoyed that bike.
Speedwise my commute took 20 mins on a Forme Road bike and 2 minutes extra on the Carrera which I thought was reasonable on a bike I felt a lot safer on.

 

[silvagti]

Speedwise my commute took 20 mins on a Forme Road bike and 2 minutes extra on the Carrera which I thought was reasonable on a bike I felt a lot safer on.

That’s why I generally try and put people off buying drop bar Road bikes unless they really want the fastest bike possible to ride distance competitively. They see the professional cyclists on them and assume it’s the best type of cycle to go for.

Most of the time folk who just want to ride around for leisure or commute to work would be much more comfortable, and very nearly as quick, on a flat bar hybrid.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

That’s why I generally try and put people off buying drop bar Road bikes unless they really want the fastest bike possible to ride distance competitively. They see the professional cyclists on them and assume it’s the best type of cycle to go for.

Now here's an observation, back in 2010 when I realised I was on the wrong bike I started to watch some Tour de France videos and realised professionals very rarely go down into the drop bars until they get into the nitty gritty bit at the end.
I then watched fellow commuters who NEVER put their hands in the drop bars but always on top like a straight handlebar.
Since I was never going to race or get to the last 200 yards of a race it was pointless having drop bars.

 

[silvagti]

Now here's an observation, back in 2010 when I realised I was on the wrong bike I started to watch some Tour de France videos and realised professionals very rarely go down into the drop bars until they get into the nitty gritty bit at the end.
I then watched fellow commuters who NEVER put their hands in the drop bars but always on top like a straight handlebar.

I think the theory goes that you should spend nearly all the time riding on the hoods. In theory it’s more ergonomic than flats as it keeps wrists at a natural angle compared to flat bars. Then you can use the drops when descending at speed to reduce wind resistance. The hoods are generally used when climbing to vary the muscles used.

In practice though the speed gains aren’t noticeable unless timed against the clock. Or on a longer distance where the varied hand position is helpful for comfort.

Plus generally flat bars offer better control, a more upright position which is better in traffic and more comfortable for beginners. Likewise I find dropbar brakes/shifters difficult to operate in cold weather if you’re wearing thick gloves.

Not to mention many road bikes don’t have fittings for mud guards or a rack which limits their use for commuting. Likewise The skinny tyres aren’t ideal for bumpy streets or wet/frosty roads in winter/autumn.

So drop bars and road bikes have their place but aren’t something that would suit most cyclists IMO.

 

[Hedge]

Id go vitus for this

 

[Hagar]

My carrera subway cost me £70 from gumtree during lockdown one. It is the older rim brake one. I have it set up as a daily shopper with a wire basket over the rear wheel. It will take light trails but with no suspension it needs a good saddle and knobblier tyres really to do this. I have attached mudguards and a mirror.

Good bike for rides out with your son. Look for second hand, there is little to go wrong and mostly easily fixed.

 

[Bloodrayne]

Brilliant - thanks all!

 

[silvagti]

Brilliant - thanks all!

If you decide to buy a bike it’d be interesting to know which brand/model you went for

 

[Straz]

I'd get something from Vitus, they are reasonably priced and don't weigh as much as a small car.