Not as expected

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Carrera Crossfire
★★★★☆
3.6
77.0% of users recommend this

DailyCyclist's review of Carrera Crossfire

“Not as expected”

★☆☆☆☆

written by DailyCyclist on 03/08/2012

The Carrera Crossfire 3 (2012) first seemed a really good bike well built at a good price, however, the build quality has left a lot to be desired.

I bought this bike for my daily commute to/from work on a daily basis, which consists of 50% flat gravel cycle track, 45% cycle path and 5% road.
Firstly the wheels are of a very poor quality, I am not an overly heavy guy (6'3" and 15 1/2 st) but I had to break very hard when a kid walked out in front of me causing the bike to go up onto the front wheel where it collapsed leaving me in a heap on the ground.

The rear wheel has also buckled due to a broken spoke!!!

The brakes are very ineffective especially on loose surfaces.

I initially liked these tyres as they were wide and had plenty of grip on the sides for loose surfaces, however the tread has worn down extremely quickly and the grip on the sides does not help cornering on gravel.

I have also found 2 spots on the frame where the paint has started to bubble.

So after 3 months I will have replaced front and rear wheels, tyres and brake pads.

  • Value For Money

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Gtavalanche1.0's Response to DailyCyclist's Review

Written on: 26/04/2013

1) you expect to corner well on loose gravel... Are you mentally challenged?

2) you expect to brake well on loose gravel... Were you born a bell end?

3) Tread is affected by weight, usage, and tire pressure so id suggest maintaining Air Pressure in the tires to a reasonable 60-65 PSI depending on your style of riding and weight.

4) i think you would be better suited to a trike :)

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Rupertrogue's Response to DailyCyclist's Review

Written on: 18/06/2013

Ironically I think you'd be better off with a Crossfire 1! With respect, you are quite a bit heavier than most bikes really cater for, and it seems to me that the Crossfire 3 is designed to save weight, possibly at the expense of ultimate strength

Take. for example, the wheels which are different and lighter than those fitted to Crossfire 1 & 2. I have both a Crossfire 1 and 2 'in the family'. Caliper brakes will be affected by any imperfection in the wheel rim, but when all is well they are more effective than the discs: this should be obvious, since discs have to overcome the inertia of the spinning wheel around them (think of an old fashioned kiddies spinning top). When they do work well they put strain on the wheel structure and its that effect that caused your wheel to collapse.

I think one star is a distinctly harsh, given these are really quite cheap for relatively sophisticated alloy framed bikes.. A daily commute involving a long stint on a gravel track will test any bike over time and you really need a machine that puts robustness above all other considerations. I have no complaints about by two Crossfires- except for a twisted chain on one of them which nobody can explain.

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Shashankrrathi's reply to Rupertrogue's Comment

Written on: 24/11/2019

Hi

I'm getting Cross Fire 1 for £224 in black Friday sale. Will you still recommend it in 2019?

I need it for commute which is just a mile of cobbled path and tarmac road.

Thanks
SR

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