written by Cruzxs309 on 17/02/2015
I am the second owner of a crossfire1, the first owner didnt use the bike too much. The bike reached its lifetime at 4000km - i've tracked all of my journeys, all of the bearings worned out in the last couple of houndred kms. I couldnt help for the rear wheel, i've needed to buy a new one.
written by on 03/05/2012
Got my crossfire 1000 about 7 years ago. while the frame is reasonably light I have found on my daily 8 mile return commute a number of difficulties over the years. Bear in mind there have been good length s of time where the bike has not been used a lot. Good points ; it rides well, is reasonably sturdy and access via all the quick release bolts to wheels and stem is good. Suspension has packed in over the years and while the forks have proved sturdy the suspension has never impressed me. Gears are twistgrip- these were poor and vague. Numerous service appointments did nothing to improve them. I am now on flick switch type gear shift which is better. Gears do go out of synch with very regular monotony. Brakes are adequate only. Crank bearings have worn out once.Both wheel bearings done once. I have had 4 wheels on the bike due to pot hole encounters.Rear cog and chain needed replacement once, tyres are next to useless in town get the puncture resistant and save the agg. I find it was a little undergeared on down hills so if you need to be travelling at a pace consider a different ratio rear cog.It has lasted well in all weathers frame wise and still looks really well. I paid close on £300 for mine and looking back in those days I think it was dear. Best bit? sturdy on the whole in all weathers reliable. Worst? those gear shifters- never really had a decent gear change regardless of tinkerings in all the years I had it.
written by on 27/10/2009
I will start by saying that this is a good bike for the price you will pay for it and is a good "re-introduction" to cycling if you have been out of the saddle for a while. It's certainly a vast improvement on the bottom of the range £100 bracket Halfords bikes. The riding position is comfortable thanks to adjustable stem. The mega-range gears have an extra-high top cog to help you up hills when you run out of puff. Would recommend for short, occasional commutes, rides out on cycletracks, tow paths etc.
It's no offroader and if you use it a lot or on longer rides, you will find that it begins to feel cumbersome, heavy and sluggish to ride (and you get awfully sore from vibration through the rigid frame) - it is no lightweight and the rims are cheap and heavy leading to slow acceleration and a tiring ride if you are stop/start commuting. As you get fit, the megarange gear becomes surplus to requirements (and downright annoying when you slip into it by mistake) and it lacks speed at the bottom end of the gear range. The tyres are cheap, easy to puncture and hard to remove and replace.
After 6 months at 10-12 miles every day commuting I had to replace the stem (it creaked and the locking piece was plastic which gave too much flex), the brake blocks (the supplied ones bite too much and were scoring the rim), had demolished the cheap plastic headset and the fork interior had worn out and needed replaced (with a rigid one, as the supplied one offers no merits and a replacement would cost the good part of the bike cost).
By the time I had replaced the saddle, tyres and pedals, added mudguards and a pannier rack and the necessary survival kit of saddleback, frame pump and bottle cage I had almost double what I had payed for the bike.
If you want an every day commuting hack and intend to keep it up, spend a few hundred pounds more and you won't regret it. For other, more leisurely purposes, this is a good buy.
written by on 22/05/2008
Have seen better looking bikes could make the welding look better
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