£3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Electrically assisted bikes, trikes, etc. that are legal in the UK
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a06275
Posts: 16
Joined: 1 Aug 2019, 8:37am

£3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by a06275 »

Hi all. As per the topic, really. The way this stuff works, I get no change, and I cannot go over the max voucher value, and I already have almost all accessories I need (apart from possibly some new gloves and maybe a car bike rack), so I need to spend as close to £3.5k as possible.

Because of my weight (I'm a big guy) I'm looking for a good quality, strong bike with a decent amount of power (70Nm+) and a good-sized battery (500wh+). I also need it to be fairly easy to find in stock online, because my local bike shop is talking about to-order bikes being delivered 2022 to 2024!

The Giant AnyTour from Tredz.co.uk is looking really appealing right now, but I'd welcome other opinions?
ClappedOut
Posts: 585
Joined: 30 May 2020, 12:43am

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by ClappedOut »

I'm going to say a Brompton would be my choice, SJS building a rolhoff beauty when I collected my service stand and mud flap.
a06275
Posts: 16
Joined: 1 Aug 2019, 8:37am

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by a06275 »

Folding bikes out because of my weight unfortunately.
UpWrong
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Joined: 31 May 2009, 12:16pm
Location: Portsmouth, Hampshire

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by UpWrong »

Tern HSD or GSD cargo bike?
Bonzo Banana
Posts: 413
Joined: 5 Feb 2017, 11:58am

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by Bonzo Banana »

Giant Anytour looks fine and I guess is just about your only option based on wanting to get close to £3.5k and being a heavy rider. Annoying that its not discounted at all that is the full normal price. Looks like the next model up has an air fork where as this one is a more basic fork. I guess that is my main criticism of the bike the front fork. Personally I prefer either rigid forks or higher end forks that perform better. This is just a basic spring fork and is the main compromise of the bike I would say.

The motor is actually Yamaha based which I think are pretty decent. Mid-drive motors can give the best feel but they are quite complex often based on small motors using additional cogs and belts to make a high spinning small motor provide higher torque slower turning, they can fail and repairs can be expensive outside of the warranty. Also because both the riders own power and the motor power are delivered through the same chain, chains can wear out quickly especially with heavier riders. It really depends on how often you use the bike, if you use it everyday for commuting and there are a lot of hills I can see fairly regular maintenance being required. It also depends on how you ride it.

Generally though I would say its an excellent bike based on its specification and price. It would be nice to have a few more options to choose but this is definitely a good option even if the only option. I don't know what the stock level of this bike is but be aware that at least for cheaper models which have a higher turnover it can be a struggle to find stock sometimes. Maybe not such an issue for bikes of this price. The average price of a bike sold in the UK was only about £200 a few years ago and I think when ebikes came in it jumped to £300-350. There are probably 20 entry level ebikes sold for every ebike at this price point.
Cyril Haearn
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Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by Cyril Haearn »

May one spend it on several cycles? 3.5k for one machine seems a lot
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Jdsk
Posts: 24487
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by Jdsk »

Cyril Haearn wrote: 12 May 2021, 2:03pm May one spend it on several cycles? 3.5k for one machine seems a lot
https://www.halfords.com/cycling/expert ... 2work.html

"Can I get more than one bike?"
https://www.cycle2work.info/employees/faqs

Jonathan
Jdsk
Posts: 24487
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by Jdsk »

UpWrong wrote: 12 May 2021, 6:23am Tern HSD or GSD cargo bike?
As recently discussed here, with general approval:

viewtopic.php?p=1569492#p1569492

Jonathan
a06275
Posts: 16
Joined: 1 Aug 2019, 8:37am

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by a06275 »

Thanks for the HSD/GSD suggestions, but unfortunately the torque is too low, the battery too small and their max rider weight too low for me. They do look like lovely bikes though!

I've found a local dealer who might have the Specialized Turbo Vado 4.0 in stock, so that's another possibility. It seems I'm over the weight limit for all bikes I can find, but the Giant one above is closest to my weight, so it's still my leading contender.

Hoping to test ride the Vado this weekend and then make a decision about that one or the Giant.

Appreciate the advice, and any further suggestions still very much welcome!
a06275
Posts: 16
Joined: 1 Aug 2019, 8:37am

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by a06275 »

Bonzo Banana wrote: 12 May 2021, 7:46am Giant Anytour looks fine ...
Thanks for all of the above post. Some great points in there, and I hadn't noticed the coil shocks over air ones, but looking around it seems that's the standard for my budget, so not much choice there!!
Bonzo Banana
Posts: 413
Joined: 5 Feb 2017, 11:58am

Re: £3.5k Cycle2Work Halfords voucher to spend

Post by Bonzo Banana »

I don't know how heavy you are but mountain bikes used on the road are a good type of bike for heavier riders. They are stronger because of off-road use but you can use that strength for road use and not off-road.

I mean something like this is an option;

https://www.halfords.com/bikes/electric ... 81726.html

To get it up to £3,500 you might be able to buy a spare battery at the time of purchase that's if you can find stock of the bike in the first place. Voodoo in the UK is a Halford's brand and Halfords buy directly from the factory so these tend to be very good value for the spec.

The only issue with the bike is again it has both rear and front suspension so its a bit more complicated however at least the suspension should be much stronger than the basic spring fork on the Giant.

It's weird but you have quite a high budget but limited options because you have to spend your money via a Halfords company.

I sort of think a simpler ebike might be better.

My idea for a strong ebike for a heavy rider is;

26" wheels with double wall rims and 36 spokes
steel frame and rigid forks
front direct drive hub motor
Big oversized tyres (the biggest you can fit) to the wheels and frame/forks
Ideally disc brakes
strong freehub based rear wheel with a 1x setup perhaps a 7 speed cassette or more but wide ratio (11 to 34 or more)

Steel frame and forks will give ample warning before failing and be stronger too. 26" wheels are the strongest of the larger wheels. Direct drive hub motor are super strong and reliable as very simple and fine on the front with a heavy rider. Big oversized tyres to handle heavier loads better and give decent braking. Strong freehub based drivetrain again to cope with heavier loads.

A ebike configured to handle a heavy rider without issues.
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