Subway bike reviews?

Thomas Houseman

So anyone got a Subway bike delivered yet?

How are they?

Cheap and nasty or value for money?

Do they need assembling? Come with tools? What's required?

Cheers,

T.

BT Humble

Thomas Houseman wrote:
> So anyone got a Subway bike delivered yet?

Me.

> How are they?
> Cheap and nasty or value for money?

In my opinion, they're pretty much identical in specification to this
other bike of mine, so I'm expecting them to perform similarly over
the long-term:

http://www.smallsolar.org/BTH/budgetbike/

The main differences being that the Subway bike has alloy brake levers
(on plastic brackets) and pressed-steel brake V-brake calipers. Also,
it's very black:

http://www.smallsolar.org/BTH/budgetbike/BILDd023.htm

> Do they need assembling? Come with tools? What's required?

I needed to:
- remove it from the box;
- fit the front wheel;
- fit the saddle;
- adjust the brake pads;
- Adjust the front wheel bearings;
- true up the front wheel (it looked as though the box had been
squashed in transit);
- adjust the rear derailleur indexing;
- lube the chain and sidestand.

It didn't come with any useful tools. At a minimum you'll need a
shifter, a #2 Phillips screwdriver and a set of allen keys.


BTH

Dinsdale Pirana

On Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:34:53 +1100, "Thomas Houseman"
<thomashouseman@HomailHADTOPUTTHISHERETOSTOPTHESWENVIRUS.com> wrote in
aus.bicycle:

>So anyone got a Subway bike delivered yet?
>
>How are they?
>
>Cheap and nasty or value for money?
>
>Do they need assembling? Come with tools? What's required?


Have had mine for a while.

Yes they are cheap and nasty but ideal for travelling down to the
library or shops and at $50 + $10 postage were definitely value for
money.

From memory the assembly required was to put on the pedals, front
wheel and the handlebars. The latter also needed adjusting in the stem
as did the brakes and the gears.

The chainwheel gears are friction rather than SIS. One piece crank,
stupid 'ding' bell and a stand.

No tools provided but the usual booklet.

I think it is a one size fits all - I am 6ft and it was OK to adjust
for my height though I have a bad back so I prefer to sit more upright
than the average cyclist.

What can I say it? is not a patch on my 10 year old Shogun Metro SE or
my even older Shogun Samuri (that I can no longer ride because of my
back) but as value for money for quick trips to the shops etc it is
pretty good.


Regards
Harold

Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum - Lucretius

Graeme Dods

On Feb 26, 7:21 am, BT Humble <bt_hum...@bigpond.com> wrote:
> Thomas Houseman wrote:
> > Do they need assembling? Come with tools? What's required?
>
> I needed to:
> - remove it from the box;
> - fit the front wheel;
> - fit the saddle;
> - adjust the brake pads;
> - Adjust the front wheel bearings;
> - true up the front wheel (it looked as though the box had been
> squashed in transit);
> - adjust the rear derailleur indexing;
> - lube the chain and sidestand.
>
> It didn't come with any useful tools. At a minimum you'll need a
> shifter, a #2 Phillips screwdriver and a set of allen keys.

So we'll be seeing a load of them at the next council kerbside rubbish
collection then? How many people would do all that was required above
(or even be capable of doing)? I have a feeling that it might put a
lot of people off cycling - "This bike's useless, it's wobbly, the
brakes are bad and the gears don't change properly" which might
translate to "Bikes are useless, I'll stick to the car/bus/whatever."


Graeme

lemmiwinks.au@gmail.com

On Feb 26, 11:48 am, Graeme Dods <GraemeD...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Feb 26, 7:21 am, BT Humble <bt_hum...@bigpond.com> wrote:
> > I needed to:
> > - remove it from the box;
> > - fit the front wheel;
> > - fit the saddle;
> > - adjust the brake pads;
> > - Adjust the front wheel bearings;
> > - true up the front wheel (it looked as though the box had been
> > squashed in transit);
> > - adjust the rear derailleur indexing;
> > - lube the chain and sidestand.
>
> > It didn't come with any useful tools. At a minimum you'll need a
> > shifter, a #2 Phillips screwdriver and a set of allen keys.
>
> So we'll be seeing a load of them at the next council kerbside rubbish
> collection then?

Someone grab one for me in that case!

Graeme Dods

On Feb 26, 10:18 am, lemmiwinks...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Feb 26, 11:48 am, Graeme Dods <GraemeD...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > So we'll be seeing a load of them at the next council kerbside rubbish
> > collection then?
>
> Someone grab one for me in that case!

I think I'm getting too fussy with the kerbside bikes. The last one I
got is good, but a wee bit on the small side (fixed by a stupidly long
seat post). I'm 6'2" and I've decided that unless it's a decent size
it gets left for someone else. Unfortunately it only seems to be short-
arses who throw their bikes out :-(

Graeme

BT Humble

Graeme Dods wrote:
> I think I'm getting too fussy with the kerbside bikes. The last one I
> got is good, but a wee bit on the small side (fixed by a stupidly long
> seat post). I'm 6'2" and I've decided that unless it's a decent size
> it gets left for someone else. Unfortunately it only seems to be short-
> arses who throw their bikes out :-(
>
> Graeme

I've got a nice tall-person frame for 27" wheels that might suit you
then. I'm only 5'11" and it's a wee bit snug in the crotchal area
when I'm standing over the top tube. ;-)


BTH

BT Humble

Graeme Dods wrote:
> > I needed to:
> > - remove it from the box;
> > - fit the front wheel;
> > - fit the saddle;
> > - adjust the brake pads;
> > - Adjust the front wheel bearings;
> > - true up the front wheel (it looked as though the box had been
> > squashed in transit);
> > - adjust the rear derailleur indexing;
> > - lube the chain and sidestand.
>
> > It didn't come with any useful tools. At a minimum you'll need a
> > shifter, a #2 Phillips screwdriver and a set of allen keys.
>
> So we'll be seeing a load of them at the next council kerbside rubbish
> collection then? How many people would do all that was required above
> (or even be capable of doing)?

Probably not many. I thought I repeatedly made the point in my bloggy
thing that these type of bikes *can* be useful, reliable and above all
*cheap* bits of transportational equipment *IF* you're prepared to do
some learning and perform regular basic maintenance yourself.

> I have a feeling that it might put a
> lot of people off cycling - "This bike's useless, it's wobbly, the
> brakes are bad and the gears don't change properly" which might
> translate to "Bikes are useless, I'll stick to the car/bus/whatever."

Maybe. But certainly no more so than the department store 10-speeds
of yesteryear did (which cost a hell of a lot more, in inflation-
adjusted terms).


BTH

DaveB

Graeme Dods wrote:

> it gets left for someone else. Unfortunately it only seems to be short-
> arses who throw their bikes out :-(
>
> Graeme

Oh if only that was true.

Dave "shortarse" B

lemmiwinks.au@gmail.com

On Feb 26, 12:35 pm, Graeme Dods <GraemeD...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Feb 26, 10:18 am, lemmiwinks...@gmail.com wrote:
>
> > On Feb 26, 11:48 am, Graeme Dods <GraemeD...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > So we'll be seeing a load of them at the next council kerbside rubbish
> > > collection then?
>
> > Someone grab one for me in that case!
>
> I think I'm getting too fussy with the kerbside bikes. The last one I
> got is good, but a wee bit on the small side (fixed by a stupidly long
> seat post). I'm 6'2" and I've decided that unless it's a decent size
> it gets left for someone else. Unfortunately it only seems to be short-
> arses who throw their bikes out :-(
>
> Graeme

At least you get kerbside bikes, out here in regional Australia we
don't have hard rubbish day. Still I did get a nice 12 speed drop bar
roadie for $15 from the shop at the rubbish tip.

TimC

On 2008-02-26, lemmiwinks.au@gmail.com (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> At least you get kerbside bikes, out here in regional Australia we
> don't have hard rubbish day. Still I did get a nice 12 speed drop bar
> roadie for $15 from the shop at the rubbish tip.

Shop at the rubbish tip?

So you go in, scrounge around, and then they charge you for it? Gee,
I miss the good old days.

--
TimC
If my head were spinning at relativistic speeds,
it would appear to everyone else that my brane had slowed down.
-- Dan E. Macs on RHOD

Graeme Dods

On Feb 26, 3:52 pm, TimC <tconn...@no.spam.accepted.here-
astro.swin.edu.au> wrote:
> On 2008-02-26, lemmiwinks...@gmail.com (aka Bruce)
> was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>
> > At least you get kerbside bikes, out here in regional Australia we
> > don't have hard rubbish day. Still I did get a nice 12 speed drop bar
> > roadie for $15 from the shop at the rubbish tip.
>
> Shop at the rubbish tip?
>
> So you go in, scrounge around, and then they charge you for it? Gee,
> I miss the good old days.

They've got one at the Armadale tip (south of Perth) and it's not bad.
They do the scrounging around for the decentish stuff and you wander
around their yard and shed to see what they've got. I got a huge, used
once canvas tent there just before Christmas for a good price. But I
must admit, I do miss the days when you could clamber over the piles
of junk in the land fill.

Graeme

BT Humble

Graeme Dods wrote:
> ...I got a huge, used
> once canvas tent there just before Christmas for a good price.

Me too! I've cut it up to use for canvas, but interestingly the roof
of it fits quite neatly on top of my Hills Hoist.

> ...But I
> must admit, I do miss the days when you could clamber over the piles
> of junk in the land fill.

Not me! I prefer having tame dumpkeepers. ;-)


BTH

Graeme Dods

On Feb 26, 8:01 pm, BT Humble <bt_hum...@bigpond.com> wrote:
> Graeme Dods wrote:
> > ...I got a huge, used
> > once canvas tent there just before Christmas for a good price.
>
> Me too! I've cut it up to use for canvas, but interestingly the roof
> of it fits quite neatly on top of my Hills Hoist.

The one I got is too nice to cut up, when it cools down a little we're
off camping somewhere. It's already saved the day once -
http://gpdods.com/v-web/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=385

> Not me! I prefer having tame dumpkeepers. ;-)

That conjures up visions of some affable troll dressed in reclaimed
thongs and a holey t-shirt, but perhaps that's just me

Graeme