I collect my new Carrea Crossfuse from Halfords this Thursday. Perhaps my journey into which to buy and why I decided on this bike may be of interest to some?
I am recently retired although still in my fifties, tall, slightly overweight (but medically ok) and have had pins holding my lower back together for over 35 years, so spent from my teens till about five years ago without touching a bike.
With cars, I found "sit up and beg" sitting position that you get with vans and 4x4 cars better, and drive a people carrier these days. In 2012, I decided to buy an e-bike and with sit up and beg in mind, bought a Claude Butler Glide 2, as it was a dutch bike step through design and I thought it was what I needed. After a short while, I decided that biking was out for me `s it still hurt and it has sat in the garage ever since, almost like new. I charged the battery from time to time to keep it ok, and never got around to selling it.
My wife is a keen cyclist, using her Orange MTB for a 35 mike round trip most days and wanted me to join her on a shortish bike ride, so I used her old bike, (both. non electric) and found the position very comfy, less stress on my back. I borrowed my friend's e-bike (Wisper hybrid) for a while and started enjoying bikes again. My sit up and beg idea doesn't work with bikes!
So.... decided to buy one.
I looked at all the popular makes and a couple I had never heard of and at least found that with Shimano and Bosch parts, I could begin to compare in terms of value. I soon narrowed it down to a Kross (with battery at the back like my Glide 2 and Shimano motor) a Scott e-sub with Bosch and the Carrera Crossfuse. The Kross had higher spec chain, brakes etc, the Scott slightly cheaper but 500ah and still high spec and the Crossfuse much cheaper and still decent equipment, although the other two came with mudguards, lights, rack etc that I would have to buy.
I had decided each bike represented reasonable value so price wasn't my driver here.
It was purely comfort and ease of riding. I would have liked to buy from an independent shop rather than a national chain but only if everything else was equal in the choice.
On ride alone, the Crossfuse got it. Ok, I paid £1,599 and I have since read about joining clubs for discounts, but I still reckon I have a bargain. I bought the mudguards, rack etc and they are going to fit them. I did get a discount on a one year service package. Whilst it is in warranty, this makes sense. However, with time on my hands, I'll take that over in future, as I look after my wife's bikes.
Looking forward to picking it up! (Must get around to selling the excellent (but not for my back...) Glide 2 some time.)
I am recently retired although still in my fifties, tall, slightly overweight (but medically ok) and have had pins holding my lower back together for over 35 years, so spent from my teens till about five years ago without touching a bike.
With cars, I found "sit up and beg" sitting position that you get with vans and 4x4 cars better, and drive a people carrier these days. In 2012, I decided to buy an e-bike and with sit up and beg in mind, bought a Claude Butler Glide 2, as it was a dutch bike step through design and I thought it was what I needed. After a short while, I decided that biking was out for me `s it still hurt and it has sat in the garage ever since, almost like new. I charged the battery from time to time to keep it ok, and never got around to selling it.
My wife is a keen cyclist, using her Orange MTB for a 35 mike round trip most days and wanted me to join her on a shortish bike ride, so I used her old bike, (both. non electric) and found the position very comfy, less stress on my back. I borrowed my friend's e-bike (Wisper hybrid) for a while and started enjoying bikes again. My sit up and beg idea doesn't work with bikes!
So.... decided to buy one.
I looked at all the popular makes and a couple I had never heard of and at least found that with Shimano and Bosch parts, I could begin to compare in terms of value. I soon narrowed it down to a Kross (with battery at the back like my Glide 2 and Shimano motor) a Scott e-sub with Bosch and the Carrera Crossfuse. The Kross had higher spec chain, brakes etc, the Scott slightly cheaper but 500ah and still high spec and the Crossfuse much cheaper and still decent equipment, although the other two came with mudguards, lights, rack etc that I would have to buy.
I had decided each bike represented reasonable value so price wasn't my driver here.
It was purely comfort and ease of riding. I would have liked to buy from an independent shop rather than a national chain but only if everything else was equal in the choice.
On ride alone, the Crossfuse got it. Ok, I paid £1,599 and I have since read about joining clubs for discounts, but I still reckon I have a bargain. I bought the mudguards, rack etc and they are going to fit them. I did get a discount on a one year service package. Whilst it is in warranty, this makes sense. However, with time on my hands, I'll take that over in future, as I look after my wife's bikes.
Looking forward to picking it up! (Must get around to selling the excellent (but not for my back...) Glide 2 some time.)
