New bike / Evans Cycles

Yarmy

Hi,

I've been thinking about getting a new hybrid bike and have had a look in Evans Cycles, as they're the nearest cycle shop to my workplace.

Any recommendations for a new cycle would be good. There have been 3 or 4 that I liked the look of in Evans and were within my budget - they were Pinnacle and Trek bikes.

Has anyone used Evans now that they are part of Frasers Group ? If so, what was the service like ?

Thanks for any help

Steve

Nasqueron

Pinnacle was an Evans own brand, so in theory you'd get more for your money as they cut out the middleman unlike selling a Trek, however, Trek is a bigger brand = more purchasing power for them 

Mike Ashley isn't known for being generous with spending, I suspect the service may be reduced - some of the shops didn't have the greatest reputation but were better than Halfords and I never had a problem but I haven't used them for years so cannot comment on that now. Is there not a bike shop closer to your home or within reasonable driving distance? A local shop might have a bit more initial cost but reduce the number of visits needed if they get stuff done properly.

Herzlos

I think the service will depend wildly on the store staff; some are great and knowledable and some aren't.

As to which bike; I'd recommend trying to at least sit on some and adjust them to get comfortable and see which one feels best. At a given price point most bikes will be pretty similar in terms of spec.

Another recommendation is to see if there's a bike charity near you that sells reconditioned bikes and see if there's anything there that suits. It'll be cheaper, the money will go to better use, and they'll have a much better range and expertise.

Yarmy

Thanks for your replies. I've found a 2nd hand store not too far from where I work, so may have a look at that, will probably go back to Evans to start with and try a couple of bikes for size, just to get a feel for things.

Lorian

It makes a difference if this is for leisure or for commuting, and what type of surfaces it will be used on.  Post the models you are looking at and someone will no doubt advise you the pros and cons of each. It's not just the size and the fit, it's the weight, the quality of the gears and the brakes.

Yarmy

Hi, thanks, I'll just be using on road surfaces - mainly to try and get a bit of exercise.

The ones that I can remember looking at were:

Trek Dual Sport 1 & 2

Pinnacle  Lithium 3

Pinnacle Neon 1 & 2

Herzlos

If it was my money I'd go for the Pinnacle Neon 1. Subject to sitting on one and seeing how it feels.

The Trek has better wheels/tyres but poorer everything else vs the Pinnacles, and it'll be easier to change wheels later if you feel the need to upgrade. You may not not be able to go as big on the Pinnacle but unless you're doing rougher off road stuff it's not going to be an issue.

The Neon 1 is only £20 more than the Lithium at the moment and gives you better running gear (Sora) and a thru-axle (which is more rigid than a quick release and a bit less hassle to use). The Neon 2 gives better running gear again (105*) but I'm not sure it's worth the £160 difference.

*Shimano 105 is regarded as the sweet spot between performance and price for serious cyclists. You can get better but the cost goes up pretty steeply for little gain.

Nasqueron

Herzlos said:

If it was my money I'd go for the Pinnacle Neon 1. Subject to sitting on one and seeing how it feels.

The Trek has better wheels/tyres but poorer everything else vs the Pinnacles, and it'll be easier to change wheels later if you feel the need to upgrade. You may not not be able to go as big on the Pinnacle but unless you're doing rougher off road stuff it's not going to be an issue.

The Neon 1 is only £20 more than the Lithium at the moment and gives you better running gear (Sora) and a thru-axle (which is more rigid than a quick release and a bit less hassle to use). The Neon 2 gives better running gear again (105*) but I'm not sure it's worth the £160 difference.

*Shimano 105 is regarded as the sweet spot between performance and price for serious cyclists. You can get better but the cost goes up pretty steeply for little gain.

Little gain except the snob factor of being able to lord it over the plebs with their 105 trying to pretend it's the same as Ultegra, just jealous of the logo

SpartanMissile

Does your employer offer the Cycle to Work scheme? That's a great way to get more bike for your buck although it may also narrow your options where you can buy from

sand_hun

Hybrids are OK. I started out on one but got bored of it quickly. Road bikes are a lot more fun to ride - more nimble, generally quicker, lighter, and easier on hills compared to hybrids.

Herzlos

Hybrids are great for what the OP is actually wanting to do, though.

Road bikes can be a bit severe for most uses, have a less relaxed riding position, and higher gearing which makes hills harder.