Customer Reviews for Carrera Subway 2 Mens 18" Town & Trail Bike
Overall Rating
5
out of 5
Great Bike,
May 27, 2009
By MrBeensfrom Cambridge
Quality
5
out of 5
Value
4
out of 5
Performance
5
out of 5
"Nice and light, but comfortable to ride. Handles well both on and off road."
Age Group:
35 - 44
Gender:
Male
Share this Review:
Review 2 for Carrera Subway 2 Mens 18" Town & Trail Bike
Overall Rating
4
out of 5
Road - yes, trail - hmmmmmmmm,
May 22, 2009
By Stexxenfrom Swanley, England
Quality
4
out of 5
Value
5
out of 5
Performance
4
out of 5
Pros: looks and rides great, high spec parts, good bike for the cash Cons: some road users may miss higher gears, fair-weather trails only
"I got this bike while it was on offfer for £239, hence my value 5stars. Very nice looking frame in matt grey/blue although I had to double check on the differences between the womens and mens version. the difference in geometry is only very slight.
So, to the ride, absolutely great on roads of all types, little tyre noise. The only negative I can think of is that on long flat roads you start to feel as if you want a higher gear, I'm thinking about putting a different chainring with more teeth.
Trail, this I think is a bit of an overstatement, as the tyres have only light treads and theres no 3rd chainring for the steepest of slopes its really only for fair weather off-roading, and if theres any mud; forget it.
But if you understand this when you buy it then you've got a great bike.
I would advise to check the halfords build quality as soon as they pick it up. And make sure to loosen the quick release wheels, jiggle them and re-tighten, then check the brake calipers and disks are still aligned. The chap who assembled mine aligned the brakes while the front axle wasn't slightly square, requiring me to break out the tools the first time I removed and re-attached the front wheel."
Age Group:
25 - 34
Gender:
Male
Share this Review:
Review 3 for Carrera Subway 2 Mens 18" Town & Trail Bike
Overall Rating
4
out of 5
Man-about-town,
March 16, 2009
By MaximusVelocityfrom Nottingham England
Quality
4
out of 5
Value
5
out of 5
Performance
4
out of 5
Pros: disc brakes, shimano gears, suspension saddle post Cons: no front suspension
"I was looking for a mid-range bike to travel to work and back on, that had some style, a reliable name brand, and wouldn't look out of place when parked in the racking at work. As the review topic suggests, I went for the Carrera Subway 2 18" Gents bike.
Being only 5'6" I tend to go for a frame that is on the smaller side to what the charts recommend so I initially went for the 16" Ladies version, but due to the different geometry of the frame I felt too cramped, so went for the 18" Mens instead (no 16" Mens option). I've riden a lot of bikes, so after just a quick two minute jaunt around the shop floor I knew I'd be happy with this bike, after setting the saddle height etc.
I've just got back from my first trip to work on my Subway 2, and I've gotta say that my initial impression was well judged: the steering is responsive, the brakes more than adequate, and the gears smooth and well ratioed. My only quibble is that the front shifter is for a 3 Speed set-up, and since the Subway 2 only has two gears on the crank it makes the thing feel a little cheap (but I guess it helps to keep the price down by using the 'standard' components). With Shimano gears, and disc brakes front-and-rear, you can't complain too much at this.
After riding a Marin B17 for the past 18 months it was quite a culture shock. The B17 is a relaxed geometry trail bike, with 140mm suspension travel on the forks, and more gears than you can shake a stick at. The Subway 2 is a town bike with NO SUSPENSION at all on the forks, fewer gears, and an altogether more serious feel to it. I'd forgotten just how rough the roads are, and with the front-end telling me exactly what it was going through I soon remembered. Fortunately the saddle post has built-in suspension (which I didn't know about until I was installing the rear light), so atleast my rear-end had some protection from the punishing my shoulders were getting. The adjustable stem makes for a greater degree of riding comfort, as you can raise the bars to your liking (mine is on 30 degrees), to match the saddle height (my saddle is set so my leg is just bent at the bottom of a crank stroke). It'll take me a couple of weeks to get used to this riding position again, but the Subway 2 is comfortable enough to make it endurable.
In summary, if you're looking for a town bike (it is advertised as Town & Trail, but with the skinny road tires, and lack of suspenion, I think trail riding is really not a serious option on this bike) then I'd heartily recommend the Carrera Subway 2. Shimano gears, disc brakes front-and-rear, light aluminium frame, and suspension saddle all go to make this bike excellent value for money."
