Carrera Gryphon

Carrera's Gryphon is the kind of bike that sells in big numbers in the UK, and for good reason. It's a well-balanced urban machine that's sensibly built and very well specced for the price. £370 isn't pocket money but it's very affordable. This bike would cost you around £20 a month on a Cycle to Work scheme and it's built to last, so if you're looking for an urban workhorse it's definitely one to consider.

Halfords sell a lot of bikes so they have buying power, and the fact that Carrera is their own brand saves them some margin. That's reflected in the spec of the Gryphon, which is definitely a step above most of the competing bikes at this price. You get an alloy frame and fork, Shimano 16-speed drivetrain with decent thumbshifters and an FSA crankset, Tektro Lyra disc brakes, well-built wheels and solid finishing kit. That's a spec you'd expect to cost probably a hundred quid more than the asking price of the Gryphon. So what's the catch?

Well, there isn't one. Not that I've found, anyway. This Carrera is a likeable bike. Okay it's not super quick but it's well put together and the ride is stable and fairly comfortable. For the money, it's a very good machine. I get the feeling I'll be saying "for the money" a lot...

First impressions are of a bike that's slap bang in the middle of the hybrid spectrum. Less hunkered down than a Specialized Sirrus or a Boardman, not quite as upright as a Trek FX, this is a bike that's most at home hopping from the house to the office or running errands around town, but it's not so heavy or sluggish that it can't handle a longer excursion.

Pulling away for the first time, the weight in the wheels is noticeable: bikes at this kind of price don't tend to skimp on the metal or rubber there. The upside is that the Gryphon's wheels are sturdy and well built, and the Kenda tyres are grippy and big enough to add some comfort to the ride.

The 16-speed transmission features a Shimano 2300 rear mech and RD440 shifters, along with an FSA Tempo chainset. That's all dependable stuff, and the performance of the drivetrain was pretty much faultless throughout. The shifters have a heavier and slightly more vague feel than the more expensive units but they're much better than you normally get at this price. 

The Gryphon has ideas slightly quicker than its station in speccing an 11-25 cassette though; I'd rather have a long cage mech and a bigger spread of gears to get those heavy wheels turning on the steep slopes of Bath. Assuming you live somewhere topographically challenged, or you fit yourself a rack and tolug the shopping home on this bike, you'll probably be wanting them too.

Tektro's Lyra mechanical discs take care of stopping. For the money they are excellent spec. Okay, they're a bit of a faff to set up and they need dialling in every once in a while, but they do offer dependable all-weather stopping with minimal fuss. You need to haul on them hard to stop yourself in a hurry though, so they're not the best option if you lack an iron grip.

The Gryphon is at its best when it's hacking through town or along the towpath. It's not the quickest bike or the most agile, but it's plenty capable of dealing with urban conditions and the tyre and wheel combo is quite happy to venture onto unsurfaced stuff. After 10 miles or so you'll start wishing the wheels were a bit lighter, and after 20 it'll start to feel less like fun and more like a chore, but it's not really a bike designed for long distances. If your commute is a handful of miles and you'd like to give it a go on a bike, you could spend a lot more than this and get a bike that's only marginally better... or maybe one that's not as good.

It's not perfect, of course, but you wouldn't expect a £370 bike to be. The grips might as well be made of marble for all the cushioning they provide, and coupled with an all alloy front end and cockpit, you're relying on the tyres to take the sting out of the road. Those grips would be my first upgrade, followed by some lighter rubber to speed things up a bit. Once I'd worn through the first cassette I'd look at getting a wider range of gears on board too. But that's all pretty minor stuff. For the money the Gryphon is a pretty sorted urban bike. You could get a helmet, mudguards, a rack, lights and some waterproofs and still have change from £500. If you're ditching the car for the commute, it wouldn't take you long to claw that back in saved fuel costs.

Verdict

Very well specced for the money, with a decent ride to boot; a good budget urban machine.