Pendleton Somerby Hybrid Bike

Has anyone purchased the Pendleton Somerby Hybrid Bike from Halfords?
I'm looking to get back into, casually, cycling after not having owned a bike since I was a teenager around 15 years ago!

Any feedback on this model is greatly appreciated :)
FTB 2017 :D
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  • fred246
    fred246 Posts: 3,620
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    I actually think it looks good. Lightweight frame. No silly useless suspension. Powerful easy to maintain V brakes. 7 speed only I actually like. Lightweight. Easy to adjust the gears. You will find on a steep hill you probably have to stand up to pedal whereas with a 27 24 or 21 speed bike you would have a lower ratio available. Reasonable price.
  • Caraway90
    Caraway90 Posts: 134
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    fred246 wrote: »
    I actually think it looks good. Lightweight frame. No silly useless suspension. Powerful easy to maintain V brakes. 7 speed only I actually like. Lightweight. Easy to adjust the gears. You will find on a steep hill you probably have to stand up to pedal whereas with a 27 24 or 21 speed bike you would have a lower ratio available. Reasonable price.

    Thanks for your reply. I live in a very flat part of the country so won't have to worry about steep hills. Having not cycled for a while I don't think I would know what to do with more than 7 gears :rotfl:
    FTB 2017 :D
  • fred246
    fred246 Posts: 3,620
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    Looks like it's been reduced in price. Cheaper on the website now.
  • Manxman_in_exile
    Manxman_in_exile Posts: 8,380
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    Never underestimate the benefit of a light bike!


    I've got a (nearly) 30 year old Dawes hybrid with a steel frame but it is as light as a feather compared to my wife's newish Dawes Duchess* which weighs as much as a Panzer tank. Getting it in and out of our hallway is like a really intensive weight training session. Not as bad as her previous Marin Redwood which had front suspension and was even heavier.


    * Nice bike though.
  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 15,244
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    See this review from the Guardian: "cheap and poorly made"... "rubbish components", I don't think they liked it very much.
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/15/pendleton-somerby-hybrid-bike-review
  • fred246 wrote: »
    I actually think it looks good. Lightweight frame. No silly useless suspension. Powerful easy to maintain V brakes. 7 speed only I actually like. Lightweight. Easy to adjust the gears. You will find on a steep hill you probably have to stand up to pedal whereas with a 27 24 or 21 speed bike you would have a lower ratio available. Reasonable price.
    Lightweight ! do me a favour. .its approx 14.6 kg ! what a heavy lump that is..you must be used to one of these appalling mountain bikes made out of pig iron if you consider that thing light.
    knock 4 kilos off it and it would be an improvement and worth buying..Extra weight means extra energy needed to propel it.
  • fred246 wrote: »
    I actually think it looks good. Lightweight frame. No silly useless suspension. Powerful easy to maintain V brakes. 7 speed only I actually like. Lightweight. Easy to adjust the gears. You will find on a steep hill you probably have to stand up to pedal whereas with a 27 24 or 21 speed bike you would have a lower ratio available. Reasonable price.


    Lightweight? Its well over 14 kilograms! What do you consider a heavy frame? pig iron?

    And if you start going a bit further afield, 7 gears isnt ideal. The brakes are very basic as well.

    There are much better bikes out there for a similar price.
  • fred246
    fred246 Posts: 3,620
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    Most ladies bicycles of this sort are in the 17-20kg area. The lightest Pashley is 17kg. Part of it is the mudguards and rack. If you are happy to carry a bag on your back and arrive at your destination covered in mud you can get lighter bikes. Hub gears will give you a greater range but are heavy and a front derailleur also adds extra weight to a bicycle. That review in the Guardian is particularly poor journalism. There is only one bolt on a saddle and you would know if it fell off. Bolts don't just fall off even if they are cheap. The review was basically saying I prefer another brand which cost approx 3 times as much. V brakes are fine. Shimano gears are good. If you spend more you will get a better bike. I would buy mail order but some people like to have a Halfords they can go to. The reviews from the people actually buying the bicycle are good.
  • Brand_X
    Brand_X Posts: 57 Forumite
    I would avoid Halfords. The bike is probably fine, but Halfords bike mechanics are a very random mix of proper mechanics, and shaved monkeys. You never know who put your bike together, and it really does matter; you do not want to be fobbed-off with something that creaks and squeaks. Also, some of the components may be cheap and prone to rusting; do not go by what the bike looks like in the shop, I've seen many swish looking Halfords bikes turn into rusty junkers after a few months outside.



    Try to find a good independent bike shop in your area; you'll pay more for the bike, but it's less hassle in the long run. I'd expect a bike for you to cost around £300 - £350. There are often great bargains to be had in the sales but you have to weigh that against losing half a year of good riding weather.



    I am not a bike snob; the frames and forks on some really super-cheap bikes are absolutely fine, but the less obvious components like the gear set and crank can be really cheap and nasty, which is no problem for some people who strip the bike and put their own bits on it, but obviously what you want is an off the shelf bike, all sorted, no fussing. A £300 bike will do you fine I think.



    Don't go to Halfords, go to a proper bike shop, be honest about exactly how much you want to spend, and ask them to sort something out for you. You might end up with a quite different bike from what you originally planned, but the most important thing (apart from safety) is that the bike fits you comfortably.



    The only bikes I would advise against are anything with "drop handlebars" - racer type bikes. I don't care what anyone says, they are NEVER, EVER safe to ride for a beginner or someone who has not cycled for a long time.
  • Brand_X wrote: »
    The only bikes I would advise against are anything with "drop handlebars" - racer type bikes. I don't care what anyone says, they are NEVER, EVER safe to ride for a beginner or someone who has not cycled for a long time.

    While its probably easier to get back into cycling on a mountain bike or hybrid, road bikes are not "unsafe" for newbies or people getting back in after a break.

    You dont learn something by not doing it. All you need to do learn somewhere appropriate. Find an empty car park or quiet and well surfaced residential street and get on with it, which is exactly what I did a few years ago with my first road bike. At first I was a bit wobbly with the slim tyres and narrow hand position, but it gets familiar very quickly. Whatsmore you spend most of the time on the tops or hoods. I spend less than 5% of my time in the drops.

    Ok, if somebody is obese and has no coordination then obviously they would be well advised to avoid roadbikes, but those people are generally not going to be cycling anyway.
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