Carrera Virago TT, any good??

Bernarrrrd

Hi All,

Started my training ready for the new season, however, now having done one season have decided that I need a new bike, for not too much cash,

I have seen the Carrera Virago TT on the halfords website, it looks pretty well specced for the money.

In terms of bike setup and maintenance I am pretty handy so am not too fussed about aftersales, just want a bike that is a good starting point that can be got on and ridden.

I already have a botched together hybrid, with tri bars etc, that actually once set up made a pretty good bike. So that will be relegated to training.

Anyone else have any thoughts on the virago?

p.s. why would carrera name a bicycle after one of the worst motorbikes evermade??!! maybe its because triathlon is for the life crisis in all of us!

willieverfinish

it's crap apparantly - anyone who knows about bikes says so. Cheap but you have to ask yourself what the frame is like ?

This question keeps getting recycled over and over again - it's your money but I'd stay well clear.

ris

i think it is a bike that will suffer for it's connections with halfords in a major way. don't be blinded by the bling, in most cases they are there to stop you seeing how cheap the frame is.

if you can afford a better frame with less good kit on it then you can make the bike last a lot longer, especially if you are fairly handy with setup and maintenance. you can upgrade the wheelset, gears and brakes yourself as you want/need and get the most out of the frame.

if you start with the carrera then it doesn't matter whether you cover it in zipp 808 and shimano di/2, the frame will still be a dog.

GGB

Does anyone who replies actually know anything about the bike .... ????

I believe the frame is the same as this one http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... o-tt-28277 - Crap is it ?? I could be wrong but am pretty sure it is the same, or based on the same.

The components are very good for the price - overall an excellent bike for the money. The biggest downside is the standard wheels are not great and that it has an involvement with Halfords ... ohh hang on so does the Boardman - so does that mean the Boardman is crap too ???

Do I have one ?? No -
Would I get one?? Yes I would.
Do I know anything about bikes ?? - Not a lot, I admit - but for the money I don't think you could go far wrong.

There was a review of this bike in either Cycling plus or Triathlon plus a few months back and it got great reviews - excellent bang for your buck

ris

ggb, you are dead right, not ridden it so my post is probably fairly full of it

personally speaking the association with halfords does put me off boardman bikes. i can probably set one up fine and mop up any halfords-based screw ups but i would rather build a relationship with the place i bought the bike and halfords just isn't going to do that. the places i have bought my bikes have been brilliant for teaching me things, offering advice, and helping me learn.

ris

sorry, eager trigger finger. dubble post.

Zacnici

I do believe it is the same frame as the Dalkia; my understanding of the carbon bling industry that most is produced in Taiwan and the same moulds are used for a variety of makes with some differences in the layup and spec of the carbon. Different paint job, different labels - kerching more money please.

I did ask the question a while back if anyone has one, to date nobody has replied and it would be interesting to get someone's take on it.

I believe that this bike would qualify for the Cycle to Work scheme - with suitable pedals and wheel reflectors of course so that would bring the net price down to about £600 - correct me if I'm wrong.

Bernarrrrd

Thanks for all the advice,

You have unfortunately confused me even more!

Considering that my current bike is crap, and fairly flexible alu frame, how much time would you reasonably expect to gain over a sprint triathlon just by having a better bike.

It does seem that the whisper machine rules where carrera are concerned, i know that some of their carbon framed mountain bikes are very well received and have a good reputation these days.

Its really difficult, like mentioned above, the virago TT would be suitable for cycle to work scheme which would bring it down to around £550 for me, which in my terms makes it a very cheap bike.

Has anyone any good recommendations for any good 0% deals for the sake of comparisom?

Also I have to take into account WAT, as I am still paying off last years accrued WAT for getting a new motorbike. Not sure the WAT officer would rubber stamp a new bicycle as well. The cycle to work scheme is a good way of escaping WAT as it is a minimal amoun per month!

Help anyone!!

ris

is your bike to work scheme arranged with halfords?

antonyfromoz

I don't know anything about these bikes personally but i see that their road bikes were well received by Bikeradar - which is a site i tend to use for gear purchases - as well as by owners of the bike in the comments section underneath: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... rbon-32967. The review dates back to 2008 but they did not appear to have any issues with bike quality and their comments ended with:

"If you don’t mind a platform-based bike that blends in with the crowd, and you’re willing to ignore the fact that you’re buying a bicycle from an auto parts superstore, this is just the ticket.

With incredible performance based around a brilliant frame and fork, and reasonably sorted spec, it’s the best thing you could put in your shopping cart besides a can of STP oil treatment and spare wiper blades."

Just trying to help...

Bernarrrrd

It will hopefully be with whoever i choose, my boss is pretty good, and i will be the first in the company on the cycle to work.

Part of the reason i was looking at the virago was because of the £1000 limit on the cycle to work scheme, which is also backed up by the WAT limit.

antonyfromoz

I don't know anything about these bikes personally but i see that their road bikes were well received by Bikeradar - which is a site i tend to use for gear purchases - as well as by owners of the bike in the comments section underneath: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... rbon-32967. The review dates back to 2008 but they did not appear to have any issues with bike quality and their comments ended with:

"If you don’t mind a platform-based bike that blends in with the crowd, and you’re willing to ignore the fact that you’re buying a bicycle from an auto parts superstore, this is just the ticket.

With incredible performance based around a brilliant frame and fork, and reasonably sorted spec, it’s the best thing you could put in your shopping cart besides a can of STP oil treatment and spare wiper blades."

Just trying to help...

ps sorry if this double posts but I couldn't see it when I revisited the post

nivagh

I haven't ridden, or indeed seen one of these irl, but I get pretty fed up with reviews in bike magazines, which seem to be driven more by the amount of typescape available than any real concern for the content and value of what is written. 220 is a case in point, trying to find pros and cons of each bike or component reviewed and ending up talking about the quality of the pedals or tyres, or colour of the paint...
What I want to read is basically whether the bike will make me faster, be durable, whether it's suitable for sprints or IM distance, whether it's suited to hilly courses or flat. Irrelevant waffling about the length of the stem I can do without. Huh

I put more stock in talking to people and reading opinions on forums from people who have actually spent some time in the saddle and are not being paid to ride round the block on a display model.
ps/ I have just come back from holiday and am feeling therefore generally grumpy.

Bernarrrrd

I agree wholeheartedly,

unfortunately so much of what you read is subjective, i think triathlon plus magazine rated the virago as the best you could buy for the money.

like nivagh says, what i really want to know is how reliable the frame is and whether it will be fast and rigid!

antonyfromoz

But that is the problem, isn't it? How can anyone tell how reliable a frame is unless they have been using it for a long time in a variety of conditions? And just about everything you read will be subjective - your idea of a rigid fast frame might be someone elses idea of a bone shaking ride or another's noodle-like nightmare. In this case it was interesting to read the comments of owners of the Virago underneath the article on bikeradar as I have often found that they are not afraid to disagree with anything in the reviews that contradict their own experiences with the products tested - and in fact the bikeradar testers are often less than complementary about the products too, which differentiates this site from others that just appear to be about appeasing advertisers...

Zacnici

Antonyfromoz exactly why I asked in a previous unrelated thread if anyone had ridden one. As I pointed out in my post:

I do believe it is the same frame as the Dalkia

but then went on to say that:

my understanding of the carbon bling industry that most is produced in Taiwan and the same moulds are used for a variety of makes with some differences in the layup and spec of the carbon

I should have expanded on the effect of a different layup and spec of the carbon and as Conehead pointed out a:

different quality of carbon/manufacturing method even within the same factory will produce a very different bike

Nevertheless 'badge engineering' does go on and post abound on this forum of wheels etc with different stickers commanding different prices. Even if there is a different layup etc does that make a quantifiable difference to its target market, in other words stick me on a Virago and then on a Dalkia or even a P3C will I perform markedly better for the £3K difference? If you stripped off the lables etc would I tell the difference? Hopefully I would but would I find it £3k better?

I have no doubt that the pros who do these reviews would find lots of flex etc on a budget frame because of the power that they can pump out but I would suggest lesser mortals such as me are blissfully ignorant and the real question should be how does this bike stack up with bikes in the same price range and ridden by the rider at which the bike is targetted.

If the Virago can be had for a grand and possibly less if obtained through the Cycle to Work scheme and allows the rider to perform comparatively well at their level then surely it has got to be a good thing. I am more interested in reviews and opinions on bikes like these as apart from the passing interest factor really why should I give a toss at how good a P3C is- I'm not going to ride at that level or spend that sort of money.

soapysoutar

Hi,

I have just read some of the posts reference the Carrera TT bike, i must admit im a little disapointed with some of the comments from people that have never been on the bike and think becase it comes from Halfords then dont go near it. Well i have the Carrera TT and i love it, it's ALOT better than the one i had before and it's half the price. Yes the wheels let it down a wee bit but it's not the end of the world, is it? There is alot of fun and miles to be had on this HONEST bike, so the snobs that think just becase it comes from halfords, please go and stick your head back in the sand whilst i enjoy my bike.

LancsRider

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