Halfords £200 fixie coming soon

[Euan Uzami]

frame's not too bad though, is it? what's 520 - cheap?

[border-rider]

Bog standard 4130 CrMo,  the same stuff as the "DN6" that On-One use and a host of generic Far Eastern frames are made of. 

The On-One frames are butted; that Evans one doesn't say it is so I assume it's not. You can pick up butted CrMo frames for a song in sales so I'd not rate that one as anything to write home about.

I'd compare the spec to a Pompino - and it's inferior in many ways and better only in that it has a nice saddle. And several hundred pounds dearer.

[Exit Stage Left]

Here.

Whatdyathink?

I think that the distribution policy speaks volumes.

Viking Fixed Speed bikes are only available to Reserve and Collect from selected Halfords stores

London - Stoke Newington, Wimbledon, Kilburn, Putney, Twickenham, Wandsworth, New Malden, Tottenham, Mile End Road, Charlton, Balham, Ealing
Manchester - Manchester Fort, Manchester White City
Bristol - Brislington
Cambridge - Cambridge

[Biggsy]

Well, I don't expect someone in the Chilterns to want one. 

[Exit Stage Left]

I'd expect them to be able to supply from any of their stores. I suppose the outlets they've chosen cover a large % of the potential market. Perhaps they want to create some word of mouth for Halfords among trend-setters, and these are a bit of a loss-leader.

[Biggsy]

I am surprised by the weight.  I didn't even check the weight at the time of starting the thread because I expected it to be reasonable, since it's more than twice the price of a mountain-bike-shaped-object with many more components for the money to be divided between.

How much extra would it cost Halfords to have a reasonably light aluminium frame?  £35?  These bikes would sell quite well at £235.

[interzen]

I'd expect them to be able to supply from any of their stores. I suppose the outlets they've chosen cover a large % of the potential market. Perhaps they want to create some word of mouth for Halfords among trend-setters, and these are a bit of a loss-leader.

Hmm.
Given that it looks like I'll need to go and buy myself a new shredder I might have a peek in the big Halfords at Foss Islands and see what's in there - after all, York's flat, right?

If I was in the market for another fixed, I'd probably get myself another Genesis.

[Exit Stage Left]

All becomes clear, a Halfords banner ad and a scrolling side ad now appear on the Guardian page when I open it. So it is a word of mouth campaign aimed at an 'urban' audience, the bikes aren't intended to be widely available.

[welshwheels]

I bought one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VIKING-URBAN-FIXED-WHEEL-FIXIE-SINGLE-SPEED-CITY-BIKE-/250893851581?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&var=&hash=item801158f9f9#ht_2281wt_1195   last year as I wanted to try fixed riding I have home made bull horn barson mine (I have since found out i do not like it but i do like s s )on my commute the bike is the same spec apart from saddle as the one in halfords the chainline is cr#p as are the brakes I wish I had not bought it tbh getting bums on bikes is good but they wont stay if they have constant problems of crap heavy bikes

[hubner]

All becomes clear, a Halfords banner ad and a scrolling side ad now appear on the Guardian page when I open it. So it is a word of mouth campaign aimed at an 'urban' audience, the bikes aren't intended to be widely available.

I think that's down to tracking cookies (aka 3rd party cookie) and targeted advertising.

Visit Halfords website; Halfords puts one cookie on your computer, marketing company puts one cookie on your computer.

Visit Guardian website; the same marketing company reads their cookie already on your computer and finds out you earlier had looked at the Halfords website, then puts the Halfords advert on the Guardian web page you see, especially for you.

[AndyK]

I would consider the bike in the OP for a trainer. But I wouldn't buy it simply because it doesn't have enough stem. I hate not having any bar height adjustment, and riding with my chin almost level with the saddle.