Bike without an engine

[sinto]

I know some of you guys may have a push bike, so I'm looking for some advice on my future purchase through the cycle to work scheme.

I've narrowed it down to 2 or 3 bikes for my needs....

They are....

Giant revolt 3 or 2
Giant defy 2 or 3
Trek Domane 2

My needs are to some road riding with my son but also to use it on canal tracks etc, so I am leaning more to the giant revolt 3 if I'm honest. But, if any of you guys has any experience, good or bad, please let me know.
Cheers

[darrsi]

Sounds like the menu down my local kebab shop. 

[sinto]

Sounds like the menu down my local kebab shop. 

Foc coming to yours for dinner then

[YamFazFan]

Sounds like the menu down my local kebab shop. 

 

[mickvp]

All look like good bikes Colin although I don't know a great deal about them. I know that for the type of riding you want to do you want to avoid overly wide tyres and you want to avoid suspension, but all 3 of the bikes look fairly similar in both fronts.

My mate in work who is big into his bikes has said to always buy the best frame you can, you can always upgrade all the other hardware later if you want to. Hope that helps somewhat

[sinto]

Yeah Mick it does help, cheers, if you get the chance to ask him about these that would be superb

Totally with what your mate says about buying the best frame etc

I will, at most use this with my son, so calculations are once a week if weather is good and during winter probably not at all, so it'll probably see the road/country track about 15/20 times a year. Hence the reason I'm leaning towards the revolt, it comes with I think, 35mm tyres, might see if I can get decent 30mm tyres so I can keep up with my boy!

You'll know the roads around here we've got to go on

[JoeRock]

Having worked at a bicycle shop that specialised in Giants (although admittedly a few years back)


Revolt is the way forward for you - don't get the Defy. It's a cracking bike, but is a thoroughly road going/racing bicycle and is not suited for anything off that.


Also agree with the frame comments - but Giant's tend to use the same frame for multiple levels, and just kit their bikes out with different components up the price chain! They also tend to have very good frames - where they're such a large company they actually own large parts of their supply chains so can afford to put very good frames even on entrance quality bikes

[sinto]

Cheers JoeRock,
I've had a defy before and my son still has his defy.
And as you say there outright road bikes with no movement
I'm leaning more to the revolt as I've read more into it.
Can I ask your thoughts on changing the 35mm tyres on the revolt to smaller size, not full on road but somewhere inbetween I was thinking. Would let me keep up with my son given the revolt is a bit heavier and thinner tyres would help
Thanks in advance.

[celticdog]

Hi Colin,
Revolt 2 all the way!
With the cycle 2 work scheme buy the most expensive bike you can, that way your tax refund is greater.

Word of wisdom- Buy from a main Dealer e.g. Evans, and make sure you get a delivery date.
Don't buy from a small independent retailer, I had to wait over 2 months for delivery of my bike.
It's a scam, they receive the money for the goods then wait until the trade price of the bike drops to
maximise their profit- cnuts!  They'll also most likely try to add overpriced accessories to what is
in essence a HP agreement between you and the c2work scheme.

Am I still bitter and twisted about it? You foccin' bet I am! 

[sinto]

Am I still bitter and twisted about it? You foccin' bet I am! 

Doesn't come across that you are

But yes, I'm leaning towards the revolt
Think I'll go for the 3 over the 2 though as for £150 more, the difference in parts I don't think it's worth it.
I could spend £1k on the c2w scheme but I just want to get a suitable bike, not that bothered about spending more to save more, I'll save the same percentage tbh, I've got all the accessories I need but could get some and flights them for quick cash
I'll get it from dales in Glasgow, dealt with then many a time before, even through the c2w scheme, and they've never let me down so far and keep me upto date, they even have one of these in stock in the right size atm so don't see me having to wait long and i've got my certificate already

[celticdog]

Yes, Dales of dobbies loan if my memory's correct they're a decent bunch, bought a specialized off them in the late 90's.

I definitely had a bad experience with c2w scheme, bought a £800 bike had to wait over 2 months to receive it, couldn't go
elsewhere as the certificate was signed and sealed. Finally got the bike and within another month the bike was widely available
online at £600. Meanwhile c2w made 2 salary deductions with me not having a bike! needless to say I'm no longer a fan of c2w,
it is still in essence a convoluted HP scheme. I generally buy a new bike that's last year's model and can be discounted up to 50% for cash sale.

If the Gov wants to subsidise bikes, they'd be better with a fixed price voucher or a reduced VAT rate. Simple, easy to account for and not subject to the lottery of employers not taking part. It's not even very 'green' to assume that high end bikes are replaced every 12 months as with proper repair and maintenance they should last much longer. Anyway, rant over    Good luck with the new bike . . . the forth & clyde canal out to the Falkirk wheel is a cracking day out Colin 

[Andy FZS]

I also looked at the c2work scheme but decided I could buy the same bike online cheaper than the adjusted price from a local shop, the only benefit would be paying monthly so for now I've brought nothing. Started to ride my grandfather's 1950's Raleigh roadster supreme,  it's mostly stainless steel and weights a ton but it's nice to ride on smooth roads with the tick tick tick of the old sturmy archer 4 speed hub.

[celticdog]

it's mostly stainless steel and weights a ton but it's nice to ride on smooth roads with the tick tick tick of the old sturmy archer 4 speed hub.

sturmy archer  that takes me back . . . I used to absolutely love my Raleigh Grifter! Great for wheelies

[sinto]

it's mostly stainless steel and weights a ton but it's nice to ride on smooth roads with the tick tick tick of the old sturmy archer 4 speed hub.

sturmy archer  that takes me back . . . I used to absolutely love my Raleigh Grifter! Great for wheelies

Raleigh Chopper for me, Grifters were for the  posh boys

[Pickle]

it's mostly stainless steel and weights a ton but it's nice to ride on smooth roads with the tick tick tick of the old sturmy archer 4 speed hub.

sturmy archer  that takes me back . . . I used to absolutely love my Raleigh Grifter! Great for wheelies

Raleigh Chopper for me, Grifters were for the  posh boys

Raleigh Bomber for me. If I had a quid for every time I clattered my plums on the stem going from 2nd to 3rd

[alan sherman]

He saw the truck turning in.  He stopped and left loads of space for the truck to take his lane for the turn and get back into the correct lane.  For some reason the truck seems to decide to stay in the wrong lane.  Maybe trying to park on the right side of the road?

The only thing he could have done was to pull away to the right of the truck, BUT if the truck had turned sharply (as you'd expect) he would be in the danger zone.  I'd say well done for deciding to abandon bike.  100% truck drivers fault.  He even swung in very quickly.

[Grahamm]

He saw the truck turning in.

Err, I think you've posted this in the wrong thread... :-/

[sinto]

He saw the truck turning in.

Err, I think you've posted this in the wrong thread... :-/

Probably caused by taking his eye off the job in hand, a bit like the truck driver he's talking about

[darrsi]

it's mostly stainless steel and weights a ton but it's nice to ride on smooth roads with the tick tick tick of the old sturmy archer 4 speed hub.

sturmy archer  that takes me back . . . I used to absolutely love my Raleigh Grifter! Great for wheelies

Raleigh Chopper for me, Grifters were for the  posh boys

Raleigh Bomber for me. If I had a quid for every time I clattered my plums on the stem going from 2nd to 3rd

My first ever real decent bike, and some bastard nicked it, i was heartbroken.