that the 'ultimate commuter' is back

[ikenbikeit]

I got a 20" Subway 8 yesterday with horizontal dropouts. I could not get the back wheel off or fit a rack. The brake caliper had obviously been fitted after the back wheel had been put on!! I was spitting feathers and fearing the worst.
I took it back this morning and they exchanged it for a vertical dropout one - no questions asked. If you cant take the back wheel off its not fit for purpose - unless you dont get flats or never ..wear your tyre out. If you have a look you might find the bolts on the eccentric bottom bracket are way too short and positively dangerous.

You must take it back if you have one of these.

[Father Jack]

Recommend you take BB out, my Carrera had NOTHING on the bb cups. Unless you want to throw the bike in the skip, whenever you need to take the BB a few years out from now. Also done up way too tight. If it's a chin haur BB I'd upgrade that too quite a few axles snap.

Talking of which, are anodized cups better for not seizing? If it's bare aluminium or steel there is direct contact between the two metals. But if the cup is anodized there is a barrier.

[limawhiskey]

Halfords sorted me out with a Subway 8 with the frame as shown in the photo on their site. Thanks for the help with that, escpecially rozzer1971 and Chris the Sheep

I also wanted a pannier rack, and got the Super Tourist DX for disc brakes, as recommended by them. Unfortunately it didn't quite fit out of the box as the receiving holes for the bolts are positioned too closely to the wheel nuts and the rack's mounts fall onto the non-turn washers:



So I set about looking for something the right thickness, found a spatula with a handle that was the perfect size. Time to get busy with a hacksaw and drill to make some spacers:





So they will have to do until I can find something more appropriate, preferably metal and finished black!

The finished article:

[limawhiskey]

If you've just bought a bike, recommend you take it apart and anti-seize everything.

Would you suggest any make in particular? I'm new to this but would like to keep this bike well maintained. Also you mentioned "nothing on the bb cups" - I take it that could do with anti-seize compound too?

[Father Jack]

Copper grease for bolt threads, not sure what I use for bottom bracket thread but its blue with metallic like finish to it. Replaced crappy Chin Haur bottom bracket as they're prone to axle failure with Shimano UN54.

There is probably a guide which bolts should have copper grease, but I do

seatpost bolt
saddle bolt
bottle cage
pannier & mudguard bolts
Stem
Handlebar
Bottom Bracket guide rail screw
Chainset crank bolt
pedal axles
chainring bolts
Front & rear derailler mounting bolts

Also use lithium grease on skewer axles and seatpost, put some around seatpost bolt and around base of seatpost where it goes into frame, frame cut out. anti-size compoound on handlebar where it meets stem, stem to fork steerer (and spacers, where steerer touches bearings) pedal axles. I know people don't recommend BB axle but I do it.

Never used thread lock on jockey wheel bolts, but next time I service and replace the derailelr screws do that. Thread lock on disc to frame, and also rotor to wheel (usually have pre-applied threadlock)

Double check all bolts are not over or under tightened.

[Chris the Sheep]

Quick update on mine - I've gone round greasing the threads, including the bottom bracket - which is indeed a Chin Haur but I've left it in there for now.
I noticed some bolt heads starting to corrode so I've gone round the bike with ACF50, will look at stainless eventually.

I found the gears needed adjusting every couple of days but they seem to have settled down now - glad I can do it myself, it's easy enough.

I've also changed the tyres to Continental Sport Contact 1.3s, which has had the added benefit of lowering the bike so that I could raise the saddle a touch to improve the fit. I've improved the fit further by adjusting the eccentric bottom bracket so that it's in the lower half of the shell instead of the top half (same chain tension, but drops the pedals slightly).

(The original Innova tyres weren't that bad but I like a firm ride, especially for the back wheel which has a heck of a lot of weight on it).

The one thing that continues to annoy me is the crappy Halfords mudguards, where the plastic clips on the rear keep coming apart, especially with the harder tyres. I've resorted to glueing them, which seems to work, but if the front starts doing the same I'll buy SKS as I want the 'quick release' safety feature.

All in all with the tyres and better saddle/pedal positioning the bike's now a flyer, I'm well pleased with it.

[niggle]

Quick update on mine - I've gone round greasing the threads, including the bottom bracket - which is indeed a Chin Haur but I've left it in there for now.
I noticed some bolt heads starting to corrode so I've gone round the bike with ACF50, will look at stainless eventually.

I found the gears needed adjusting every couple of days but they seem to have settled down now - glad I can do it myself, it's easy enough.

I've also changed the tyres to Continental Sport Contact 1.3s, which has had the added benefit of lowering the bike so that I could raise the saddle a touch to improve the fit. I've improved the fit further by adjusting the eccentric bottom bracket so that it's in the lower half of the shell instead of the top half (same chain tension, but drops the pedals slightly).

(The original Innova tyres weren't that bad but I like a firm ride, especially for the back wheel which has a heck of a lot of weight on it).

The one thing that continues to annoy me is the crappy Halfords mudguards, where the plastic clips on the rear keep coming apart, especially with the harder tyres. I've resorted to glueing them, which seems to work, but if the front starts doing the same I'll buy SKS as I want the 'quick release' safety feature.

All in all with the tyres and better saddle/pedal positioning the bike's now a flyer, I'm well pleased with it.

What did you do with the Innovas? I have a set of 1.3" Conti Sport Contacts, lightly used and complete with Presta valve inner tubes, which I am willing to trade for the Innovas if you still have them, I really think they are quite decent all-rounder tyres. On my current Subway 8 I have let the fasteners corrode, its all part of the anti-theft plan along with never washing the bike

As for the mudguards I have never had a problem and this is the second Subway 8 I have owned (first one died due to water getting in hub), so I used the ones off the old bike on a project for my daughter as they are really quite durable, also no need to buy complete mudguards to get the secu-clips, they are available separately: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=36788 My bottom brackets on both bikes have been fine with 2000 and 3000 miles respectively, I have kept the one out of the old bike as a spare as it was running fine.

[Chris the Sheep]

Nowt 'wrong' with the Innovas, just that I like the feel of the narrow Contis - whether it makes the bike 'better' in any way is a moot point, it's just how I prefer it!
I suspect that getting the saddle/pedal relationship just right has had a far bigger influence than the tyres, though it was the lower profile of the Contis that helped me do that. The bike does seem to roll more freely but there are lots of other variables such as brakes and hubs bedding in, change in the weather so there's not a perpetual headwind, and just getting used to the bike.

I don't really care, as long as I'm enjoying myself!

[jerrysimon]

Well I just caught up with this thread having seen one of these in my local Halfords.

I think it is one of the last ones. It has the vertical dropouts which I think you are all saying is the preferred model ?

I was told (I haven't picked it up yet), it also has slightly newer brake controls/fluid reservoir as the older ones have been discontinued.

I have reserved it as there is also a PAYLPAL further reduction of 10% on all Halford adult bikes. Not quite £320 it will cost me £359. That is still an amazing bargain for bike equipped with an Alfine 8 hub and hydrolic disk brakes back and front!

This will bring my bike count up to 4. I have a Brompton, and two Moultons so this will be my only larger wheeled bike.

Hmmm I have till tomorrow evening to decide whether I really want/need it lol

Regards

Jerry

[jerrysimon]

Well have to make my mind up today

Halfords are suppose to be bringing out a whole new range in the next couple of months. I wonder what the chances are of them bringing out a belt drive version of this bike

Regards

Jerry

[al_yrpal]

An 11 speed would be more useful than a belt drive, which means a split frame. Only 307% restricts the versatility of the bike. 11 speeds and 407% spread means it could also be used as a fully loaded tourer with 22" to 90" gearing.

Al

[jerrysimon]

Yes and 8 is more than I need in Cambridge

Decisions decisions.... nice that now I am older I can have the option

Regards

Jerry

[niggle]

An 11 speed would be more useful than a belt drive, which means a split frame. Only 307% restricts the versatility of the bike. 11 speeds and 407% spread means it could also be used as a fully loaded tourer with 22" to 90" gearing.

Al

I find the 307% perfectly adequate for commuting, utility riding and riding the local trails down here in Cornwall where it is a a bit lumpier than Cambridge. I might want more range for loaded touring, but then again how tall does your highest gear need to be for that kind of riding? My current set-up of 40T chainring and 19T dsprocket gives me 28"-85" but I hardly use the top ratio, only downhill TBH, so if I reduced the overall gearing so that top was similar to my current 7th gear, i.e. 74", that should be fine, I would just get a bit more rest coasting down the hills: I could for instance fit a 34T chainring and get 24"-72". I also suspect there would be a fair size price differential between a Subway 8 and a Subway 11 at the moment.

[Chris the Sheep]

Don't take too long over your decision - they're like hen's teeth at the moment, there have been none anywhere around here (Lancs) since the 20% off deal a few weeks back.
The only real improvements I would like to see this model come down to the Alfine hub itself - it's just too fiddly to remove the wheel.

Re the gearing, in VERY rare circumstances I can find myself with a headwind so severe that I run out of gears - bear in mind this is Blackpool, and if it gets that bad I'm not too proud to get the bus home as I've got secure storage at work. It'll do an easy 35mph downhill without spinning out and that's plenty for me.

[al_yrpal]

Well have to make my mind up today

Halfords are suppose to be bringing out a whole new range in the next couple of months. I wonder what the chances are of them bringing out a belt drive version of this bike

Regards

Jerry

As they have just updated the Subway 8 with hydraulic brakes do you think thats likely?

Although hydraulics is more techy I would prefer cable discs for their simplicity. I have a very expensive MTB with hydraulic brakes and my Subway 2 (and a Kraken in the past) with cable brakes. To me there is absolutely no difference except that the hydraulics could be more problem to fix if a fault occurred whilst on a tour.

Al