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!

 

[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)

 

[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.

 

[Bloodrayne]

Brilliant - thanks all!