seriously, don't buy a Halfords bike

[Simon Brooke]

in message <[email protected]>,
MartinM ('[email protected]') wrote:

> Yes many of my bikes (OK not bought for me by my parents they were too
> catalogue orientated and I got mostly rubbish bikes from those as well)
> are from Halfords; I would probably never buy a complete bike again
> unless it was 100% built with one groupset as my experience of many
> bikes is that unless you fit an entire groupset you end up replacing
> half the bike.

H'mmmm... My 'good' road bike has a virtually complete Campag Centaur
groupset (Cane Creek integrated headset, Mavic hubs). It's that way
because I built it and I wanted a Campag groupset. And of course the
control levers more or less dictate the derailleurs...

But my Cannondale came with XT shifters and mechs, Hayes brakes,
Truvative crankset, and own-brand hubs; and now has SRAM X-9 shifters
and rear mech, Hope front brake, Hayes rear brake... and is considerably
improved.

A complete groupset looks nice and is nice. But is it /necessary/?

--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Sending your money to someone just because they've erected
;; a barrier of obscurity and secrets around the tools you
;; need to use your data does not help the economy or spur
;; innovation. - Waffle Iron Slashdot, June 16th, 2002

 

[MartinM]

Simon Brooke wrote:

> A complete groupset looks nice and is nice. But is it /necessary/?

no I'm sure it's not, for some parts of the groupset non-Shim/Campag
stuff is probably fine or even better. When I upgraded to triple
chainset I looked at the Sora one; steel rings, heavier, and an Ofmega;
cheaper, all alloy, nicer sizes for Audax, so no contest. But for me
the obvious bits like brake calipers just glare at you until you
eventually replace them with the real McCoy (usually from Halfords
bargain display cabinet).

 

[MSeries]

Simon Brooke wrote:

>
> A complete groupset looks nice and is nice. But is it /necessary/?
>


No of course not. My tourer is 19 years old, the only original
components are the mudguards and seat pin. The components you may find
in a groupset are XT (rear mech, hubs), 105 (front mech, front
changer), Dura Ace (rear changer), Accor (front brake caliper), Alhonga
(rear brake caliper), Exage (brake levers). Schmidt front hub
sometimes. XT headset. Original, that is 110/74mm BCD, Deore chainset.
All works well together.

#2RI: is mostly 105 but from three different model years ranging from
'blue' anodised 1989 to a 2003 rear mech., with 2002 yellow logod brake
calipers. Chainset is Coda wth an FSA ring. Headset is XT.

#1RI is mostly Ultegra but with Dura Ace front mech. This is likely to
change again if I upgrade to Dura Ace downtube levers this year.

Back in the day before STi/Ergo it was not uncommon for complete bikes
to be sold with a mix of parts. My tourer came with Suntour mechs and
shifters, Sugino chainset, Weinman brakes and levers. The cynic in me
says that STi was developed to create vendor lock in, Ergo because STi
existed.

 

[Dave Larrington]

In article <[email protected]>,
MartinM ([email protected]) wrote:

> I was specifically talking about bike builders like Ribble;
> manufacturers are often as bad as Halfords when it comes to mingling
> proper groupsets with Cheddar. The Dawes Audax has IIRC 105 shifters
> and Tektro brakes.

TWFKAML's Ridgeback Genesis has Tektro rim-polishers. Borrowing it to
get to the Nut Mines on July 8th last year was this: terrifying. You
can *see* the caliper flexing.

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Like Kant, it is my wish to create my own individual epistemology. But I
also wish to find out what is for pudding.

 

[Peter B]

"MartinM" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> When I upgraded to triple
> chainset I looked at the Sora one; steel rings, heavier, and an Ofmega;
> cheaper, all alloy, nicer sizes for Audax, so no contest. But for me
> the obvious bits like brake calipers just glare at you until you
> eventually replace them with the real McCoy (usually from Halfords
> bargain display cabinet).

Make up your mind, first you try to disuade us from shopping at H*lfords now
you seem to br giving them your blessing ;-)


--
Pete
http://uk.geocities.com/[email protected]/Stuff

 

[Peter B]

"MartinM" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I love building bikes, have built my last two; although they were new
> frames built up with mostly old bits. It seems such a tall order to buy
> the bits from scratch at a price anywhere near what the bike builders
> (or the French hypermarket where I bought one) can do so I've never
> tried.

Hehe, I built my first bike in the mid 1960's almost entirely from
hand-me-down bits. The only new parts being the Weimann alloy high pressure
rims which were built onto Bayliss-Wiley (sp?) hubs. Chainset was by Chater
Lea, bars by Cinelli. Being fixed wheel a single Mafac centre pull brake
was fitted to the front.
Some things don't change, the Marin mtb I bought new at the end of '99 has
only the frame, seatpost, stem and rear shifter remaining as OE.
The thing is that you end up with a bike that you can afford in the first
place and a bike specced to your choice within your budget in the latter.
The 'dale was an emergency purchase (not that I'm displeased with it) made
after my LBS dicked me about when discussing building a bike *exactly* to my
spec(Colnago/Campag).
--
Pete
http://uk.geocities.com/[email protected]/Stuff

 

[Alan Braggins]

In article <[email protected]>, Bill wrote:
>"Peter Clinch" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> Bill wrote:
>>
>>> My thoughts exactly, and it's been more than adequate for the use I
>>> wanted it for. I appreciate that on this group anything that doesn't
>>> burn a hole in a years salary is automatically classed as ****
>>
>> I take it you haven't noticed posts from all the people happily riding off
>> from Lidl having spent as much as several whole pounds on all sorts of
>> cycling goodies?
>
>I have, and have joined them, well from Aldi, as we don't have a Lidl near.
>However, I was talking bikes not clothing and accessories.

My folding bike cost three pounds. I did immediately spend more than that
on some inner tubes for it though. (And more later - another bike to
provide a seattube extension, alloy rims which meant new tyres, V-brakes,
new chainring with shorter cranks. It's easily paid for itself in reduced
fuel being able to use our smaller car to commute to the Park and Ride
though.)

On the other hand the Birdy and the lightweight Brompton and the
Dahon Speed Pro in LBS window are all looking very attractive.
As are the new Trices (not in LBS).