review

2024 Carrera Vanquish - riding 1.jpg (credit: road.cc)

Carrera Vanquish

by Simon Withers

Sun, Apr 06, 2025 15:45

£485.00

VERDICT:

Great value and with a good drivetrain and brakes – but a firm ride, and crying out for better tyres and a wider cassette

Good drivetrain and braking

Mudguard and rear rack fittings

Good handling

Great price

Full-carbon fork

Lifetime frame guarantee

Narrow tyres

Very firm ride

Overgeared

Deep, oddly shaped handlebar

Three sizes only

Weight:

10,430g

Contact:

www.halfords.com

How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

Exceptional
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Quite good
Average
Not so good
Poor
Bad
Appalling

The Carrera Vanquish is one of the least expensive bikes you can buy. But it's vastly better than the notorious bike-shaped object, as it comes with disc brakes, Shimano Claris gearing and fittings for a rear rack and front and rear mudguards – and loads of tyre clearance too. And while it offers you a firm if rewarding ride on smooth surfaces, the narrow tyres and a bottom gear that's way too high stop it from fulfilling its full potential. This is a shame, as there's a very good bike indeed waiting to be released from its shackles.

Check out more options in our guide to the best road bikes for under £1,000.

Carrera Vanquish: Ride

While the Vanquish is one of the least expensive bikes we've tested, the good news is that it still rides like a 'proper' bike, none of the unwanted flex and sloppiness of the notorious 'bike-shaped object'.

I think the geometry is pretty well chosen to balance liveliness and stability, with a classic racy 73.5-degree seat angle paired with a slacker 71.5-degree head angle.

One area where the Vanquish – or perhaps more accurately the rider – struggles is when you hit the hills. It's not that the Vanquish is heavy, though at north of 10kg it is a pretty weighty beast. Nope, it's the gearing.

I'm used to spinning up hills in a 34x34 bottom gear, or lower still on a laden touring bike, but that option isn't open to you here. There's no getting away from the fact that the Vanquish's 28x34 bottom gear is far too high for an entry-level bike.

If you're a novice rider, or perhaps returning to riding and looking for a budget road bike option, you could well find climbing an issue – and the Vanquish won't help you.

The result is that my usual sedate spin is replaced by harder, out-of-saddle, gut-busting efforts.

On the flat on smooth surfaces the Vanquish is much more at home, with the front-end handling reassuring. And when you do put the hammer down (well, as much as I can), while the acceleration may not be electric, there's no unwanted flex from the semi-compact frame.

This bike was perfectly at home on my former commute, the very flat and generally well-surfaced Bristol-Bath bike path, and it could even manage the very light grit of the Sustrans Two Tunnels route. The canal towpath? Not so much, but that was never going to be its area of expertise.

The saddle's comfy and the bar tape okay, but as with the cassette, the tyres are another major area that affects the bike's handling – and not in a good way.

The Kenda tyres are nominally 28mm but get the vernier calliper out and you'll see they're a mere 26mm, and that's an opportunity missed as there's bags of clearance both ends for much wider tyres.

The result is that on rough, rutted and pothole-strewn surfaces you will feel every bump through your backside, wrists and shoulders.

For my final outings I swapped the front tyre for a wheel with a 32mm tyre and it improved comfort hugely. I didn't have a compatible rear wheel but I've no doubt that would also have boosted back-end comfort just as much – and that was with a tough rather than supple touring tyre.

I'm pretty sure swapping to a pair of supple and grippy 32mm tyres would transform the Vanquish's ride entirely – and in a good way. And this would only cost £40 or so, still leaving the Vanquish as a stone-cold bargain.

The Vanquish descended pretty well, with the brakes stopping you safely and convincingly, even if they require more effort on your part than hydraulics. I didn't tackle any high-speed descents with hairpin bends and the like, as the tyres didn't feel that grippy, but unless you're planning to hammer down hills like Tom Pidcock, I don't envisage any problems.

As it stands, the Vanquish's ride is definitely on the firm side, but it's not so harsh as to be unpleasant, and I'm convinced that harshness is a result of the tyres rather than the aluminium frame and carbon fork.

Carrera Vanquish: Frame & fork

The Vanquish frameset has had a bit of a makeover since I last rode one, and it has changed generally over the last few years. And all in a good way. Back in the day – a decade or so ago – its aluminium frame was paired with an aluminium fork and it came with rim brakes. Back around 2017 the Vanquish gained disc brakes, cable actuated of course given the price, though the fork was still an alloy affair.

The model you can buy today is a more modern-looking affair, with a sloping top tube and de rigueur dropped seatstays, and it's gained a carbon fork too.

Okay, the cabling is external, but I've no problem with that – having lived with external cables for decades, it's not a problem. Aesthetically it's not as neat as having the cable routed though the frame, but it means there are no convoluted cable routings and it's easier for the home mechanic to fettle, even the more sausage-fingered grease-monkey like me.

It's old-school dropouts rather than up-to-date thru-axles for both the frame and fork, which is forgivable at this sort of price, and the resulting braking was consistent and controlled.

One thing I'm always pleased to see is a commensurate number of fixtures and fittings, and the Vanquish ticks all the relevant boxes. In addition to the usual two pairs of bottle bosses, the frame has fittings for a rear rack (in spite of what the Halfords website says!) and mudguards, the fork also being threaded for a mudguard. There's bags of clearance both ends too.

With its 28mm stock tyres there's massive clearance, but you could go with much wider rubber and still safely fit fenders. For a bike likely to be used for commuting, general usage and year-round training rather than competitive riding, I think this is a very good call.

One final positive is that the Vanquish comes with a replaceable mech hanger, which, while probably more crucial on a super-expensive bike, is still good to see.

Carrera Vanquish: Groupset

The Carrera's componentry is based around Shimano's 8-speed Claris groupset – and that's a good thing. My experience of the Japanese giant's entry-level kit is that it works, and works well. And that was the case here.

Initially the chain rubbed the front derailleur but a bit of deft work – for me anyway – with the barrel shifter, and that minor annoyance was sorted.

After that it was accurate shifting and a very quiet drivetrain. Even when freewheeling the freehub is very quiet, and when you're pedalling you'd be hard pressed to hear anything.

The STI shifting action is exactly the same as with Shimano's higher-end groupsets, with a brake-cum-gear lever and an inner paddle for shifting. It's simple, it's familiar, it's intuitive, it works.

But, and unfortunately it's a very big but, Carrera hasn't got everything right. While the choice of Claris is a good one, I'm not sure the 11-28 lives up to the 'large-range' description Carrera gives it.

Okay, the gearing is better than on my 1984 Raleigh Clubman (50/36, 13-24 for a 40-104in range) but that was my first bike in the last millennium. The Claris rear mech could cope with an 11-34 cassette, which is what Carrera really, really should have specced in 2025.

I live in the hilly city of Bath and I swapped the cassette on each of my own much lighter road bikes – a Boardman SLR 8.9 and Giant TCR – for the 11-34 version. My life was made much easier as a result.

The heavier Vanquish has a 32-121in gear range; with the wider 11-34 you'd get 27-121in. That may not sound like much, but in reality that's a bottom gear around 16% lower. And believe me, when you're puffing and grunting up a steep hill, thighs straining, knees aching, this is a difference you can really feel.

On the near-pancake-flat Bristol-Bath bike path, which constituted most of my old commute, this is neither here nor there, but if your riding takes in any amount of climbing, and especially on steep inclines, you might find yourself struggling.

It's a real shame. That said, an 11-34 Claris cassette is yours for under £20 if you look around – and would be money very well spent.

Braking is courtesy of a quite modest pair of Tektro cable-actuated disc brakes. These are very much an entry-level pair with single-piston callipers, but they were actually very effective. They're not up there with hydraulic discs, of course, but they're reasonably powerful and consistent in all weathers.

Crucially, and one of the quality of disc brakes that's often ignored, is that you'll get much more longevity out of your rims.

Carrera Vanquish: Finishing kit

There's little to report on the finishing kit – the usual aluminium options that you'd expect at this price.

The seatpost and stem are all fine and dandy, though I'd prefer the bar to maintain its larger diameter further either side of the stem clamp than it does. It also has a somewhat oddly shaped profile; it's deeper than most, with a flat 'pistol-grip' drop and short flat section at the bottom. I tend to ride mostly on the hoods and tops, but if I rode more on the drops I'd certainly prefer a shallower and more familiar curved shape.

The Velo Cork tape is decent, though I'd still be tempted to add a layer on the tops where I do most of my riding, to add a bit more plushness to the ride.

The saddle? I got on with that very well, which considering the firmness of the ride, is just as well. It's a Carrera Memory Foam saddle, and while it has a little more squish than I'm used to, it's firmer than you'll find on some entry-level bikes and I found it comfortable. Your mileage may vary, of course...

Carrera Vanquish: Wheels & tyres

At this sort of price you're going to get pretty basic wheels and tyres, but with disc brakes, the rims aren't being ground down on a daily basis so they should still last you a good while.

The shallow-by-today's-standards rims have an external width of 24mm, which equates to an internal width of around 20mm, which should allow you to fit tyres well over 30mm wide, which is just as well.

The wheels rolled smoothly and were stiff enough for my – admittedly quite puny – attempts at sprinting. Mark Cavendish, I am not.

The tyres are 28mm Kenda Kriteriums with Puncture Protect, and they seem durable enough, surviving without any obvious nicks or damage. But they don't offer that much cushioning and I wasn't convinced they were the most grippy tyres available, so I wasn't going to throw myself into sharp bends on high-speed descents.

But perhaps the tyres' most disappointing aspect is their width. While nominally 28mm, they measured just 26mm mounted on the rims, which is narrow these days, and on a budget aluminium road bike, the more rubber between you and the road, the better.

I'm loath to recommend buying a bike and then immediately upgrading components, normally recommending sticking with the original tyres until they're done and dusted. But with the Vanquish, something like a pair of Goodyear Eagle Sport tyres in a 32mm width are available for less than 20 quid each. Spend a little more and you've got the likes of the Michelin Lithion 4, which Michelin claims has better rolling resistance than the Lithion 3 tyre that Stu liked. And unlike the Lithion 3, the 4 is available in a 32mm width.

A tyre with an actual width of 32mm would have more than 50% greater volume of air than one measuring 26mm. And yes, this is a difference you really can feel.

I wasn't able to swap the rear wheel, but I did swap in a front wheel with a 32mm tyre and the difference was noticeable, and that was with a slightly unyielding Vittoria touring tyre. The ride would be better still with a pair of the other tyres mentioned.

Carrera Vanquish: Value

First off, the Carrera Vanquish is vastly better value than the Aston Martin Vanquish, which apparently starts at around £330,000. I might need a pay rise for that...

More realistically, the Triban RC 500 Disc was a similar price to the Vanquish at £529 when we rated it very highly back in 2020, but it's now a somewhat saltier £699, which shows just how much value the Carrera offers.

Another one from the Halfords empire is the Boardman SLR 8.6 that I tested last year, which costs £650. It offers a very good ride, and wider, more knee-friendly gearing (see, Halfords, it can be done), though the rim brakes aren't as good as the Carrera's discs.

If you want to get a little more adventurous you've got the likes of the Voodoo Limba, also from Halfords. This budget gravel-ish bike is closer in price but still £535. It has the same 11-28 cassette, but pairs it with a sub-compact 46/30 chainset for a near 1:1 ratio bottom gear.

Compared with entry-level road bikes from the biggest names in cycling it's even better value – the Trek Domane AL 2, for example, with Claris gearing (wider range) and rim brakes, is £750 (though currently discounted).

For the same price as the Vanquish, the flat-bar Carrera Subway All Weather Edition, an ideal commuter or day-to-day hybrid, is a quite hefty 14.5kg but it comes with wide gearing, mudguards, lights and very good hydraulic disc brakes – something you won't find on any road bike at this price.

Conclusion

The term 'curate's egg' is beloved by crossword setters (and pretty much nobody else) and means something that's good in parts – and this sums up the Carrera Vanquish perfectly. With a couple of reasonably inexpensive and straightforward component swaps you'd have a very good bike indeed. Wider rubber and a wider cassette (and perhaps a more traditionally shaped bar) would transform the Vanquish from a good-but-flawed road bike that's fine for smooth roads and flattish terrain into a much more comfortable all-rounder for big days out.

As it is, the Vanquish is a still very good value entry-level bike with a firm ride and generally well-chosen kit, but genuine excellence eludes it.

Verdict

Great value and with a good drivetrain and brakes – but a firm ride, and crying out for better tyres and a wider cassette

road.cc test report

Make and model: Carrera Vanquish

Size tested: Medium, 560mm

About the bike

List the components used to build up the bike.

Frame: Triple-butted Alloy, tapered headtube

Fork: Full carbon, tapered

Headset: Semi-integrated 1 1/8in

Stem: Carrera alloy, 7 degree, 31.8mm clamp, 90mm

Grips: Velo Cork tape

Seatpost: Carrera Alloy, 27.2 x 300mm, 31.8mm clamp

Saddle: Carrera Memory Foam, Road

Brakes: Mechanical discs, Tektro MD-C511 Flat Mount, 160mm front and rear rotors

Shifters: Shimano ST-R2000, integrated

Front derailleur: Shimano FD-R200, 31.8mm clamp

Rear derailleur: Shimano RD-R2000, 8-Speed

Chain: KMC Z8 8-speed

Chainset: Prowheel, 50/34T, square taper, 170mm

Cassette: Shimano CS-HG50 8 Speed, 11-28T

Bottom bracket: Sealed bearing

Rims: 700c Double walled alloy

Tyres: 700c x 28 Kenda Kriterium with Puncture Protect

Front hub: Black, alloy, Quick release 100mm

Rear hub: Black, alloy, Quick release 135mm

Tell us what the bike is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

Halfords says: "Carrera bikes are for everyday riders and weekend adventurers who are looking for a real step up in their cycling.

Performance, speed and comfort are perfectly combined in the Carrera Vanquish Disc which sits at the top of this exciting range. The fantastic spec offered by the Carrera Vanquish truly allows you to tackle the straights or the hills with ease on this top-tier road bike.

Additionally, we've upgraded the tyres on all Carrera road bikes to a wider 28c width which not only gives extra grip but will run at lower pressures and give a smoother overall ride.

Thanks to the lightweight, triple-butted aluminium frame, you've a bike that excels on hills and the carbon fork with tapered steerer dampens any vibration and gives you precise steering control.

This road bike can fly and you'll be glad of the flat mount road brakes which do their job whilst reducing weight further."

I'd agree about the good control from the frame and fork, though I'm not sure the tyres live up to the claims, which isn't helped by the fact the nominally 28mm tyres only measure 26mm on the rims. This is a theme I'll return to in the review...

Even as it comes, it's simply a vastly better machine than the bike-shaped objects that form some of its competition and which should be avoided at all costs.

Where does this model sit in the range? Tell us briefly about the cheaper options and the more expensive options

In spite of its modest price the Vanquish sits at the top of the three-bike Carrera range. There's an entry-level Zelos at just £375 and the £435 Virtuoso, both of which have similar-looking frames with lower-level kit. As with the Vanquish they're only available in three sizes, though they both have men's and women's versions; the Vanquish comes in a men's model only.

Once you go above the Vanquish you're starting to look at the Boardman range, now also owned by Halfords, which starts at £650 for the triple-butted aluminium SLR 8.6 with Shimano Claris and rim brakes, topping out at £5,500 for the SLR 9.8 carbon.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork

8/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

All looks good with the usual chunky welds. I really like the deep red (russet?) colour with bright orange logos and small (teeny-tiny) light blue detailing.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

No surprises here – the 6061 triple-butted aluminium frame, with the usual chunky fish-scale welds, is paired with a full-carbon fork with a tapered steerer. It has quick-release axles rather than the thru-axles you'll find on higher-end disc-equipped bikes.

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

Pretty standard for a medium size (54cm-ish) road bike, with a steep 73.5° head tube paired with a slacker 71.5° seat angle. The top tube measures 560mm and the head tube 510mm.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

The 395mm reach and 560mm stack are pretty typical for a bike of this size, within a few millimetres of the Boardman SLR 8.6, for example, another entry-level road bike. The reach is a little longer than that of the Triban RC500 Disc, though that has more of a comfort brief than the Vanquish.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

The ride is at the firm end of the spectrum, and on smooth surfaces it was fine, but the narrow tyres, even when at less than their maximum pressure, meant that you could feel it when you hit bumps, ruts and potholes. My suspicion that most of this was down to the tyres rather than the frame was confirmed when I swapped to a wider front tyre, which I was also able to run at a lower pressure.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

No issues with the stiffness. A compact or semi-compact aluminium frame and carbon fork is always likely to offer sufficient stiffness – and this proved the case with the Vanquish. Even out-of-saddle efforts, which were necessary on hills, proved to be well within the Vanquish's abilities.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

Pretty decent power transfer – no complaints.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so was it a problem?

No.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively neutral or unresponsive? The slightly shallow head angle delivers pretty neutral steering.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

No complaints. I wasn't keen on the shape or the deep drop of the bar but the handling was free of any issues.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

Saddle and bar were good.

A common theme, and one that you'll get tired of hearing, is that swapping the tyres would make a world of difference to the bike's comfort. Those fitted do nothing to soften the bike's ride, and swapping for wider, more supple tyres would make the world of difference.

A bar with a shallower, more traditionally shaped drop would also improve things, though it's the tyres first and foremost.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

As with changing the tyres, I'd very strongly suggest speccing a wider 11-34 cassette than the 11-28 fitted, which would make climbing a much more enjoyable and less gruelling experience. It's an inexpensive and quick change but would make a world of difference. The price to pay – bigger jumps between gears – is one well worth paying, especially if your riding takes in any amount of hills.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:

7/10

Rate the bike for acceleration:

6/10

It's 10kg of bike, and goodness knows how many kilos of riders, so the acceleration isn't blistering, but the compact frame is stiff enough.

Rate the bike for sprinting:

5/10

Rate the bike for high speed stability:

6/10

Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:

8/10

Rate the bike for low speed stability:

8/10

Rate the bike for flat cornering:

6/10

Rate the bike for cornering on descents:

5/10

I wasn't prepared to corner as enthusiastically as I might on descents as I wasn't convinced of the grip levels of the tyres.

Rate the bike for climbing:

5/10

The issue isn't that the bike is heavy – it is, though I'm used to climbing hills on heavier bikes than this, but they all have the luxury of much lower bottom gears. There are almost certainly going to be out-of-saddle efforts.

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:

7/10

Smooth and virtually silent when you're pedalling, very little noise when you're freewheeling and good shifting. All fine!

Rate the drivetrain for durability:

8/10

My experience is that even Shimano's budget drivetrains are durable. I don't envisage the need to change anything anytime soon. I'd have liked a Shimano chainset rather than the ProWheel, but this worked well enough.

Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn't like? Any components which didn't work well together?

The cassette! I'd change the cassette straightaway for a much wider 11-34, which would be a cheap and easy way to greatly improve the bike's climbing abilities.

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels for performance:

7/10

Rate the wheels for durability:

6/10

Rate the wheels for comfort:

5/10

I suspect it's the tyres rather than the wheels, but the Vanquish's ride is very firm.

Tell us some more about the wheels.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels? If so what for?

While I think the Vanquish's ride is very firm, I feel most of that is down to the slim, high-pressure tyres. I'd keep the wheels.

Rate the tyres for performance:

4/10

They're too narrow – 2mm narrower than their nominal 28mm – and while tough thanks to their puncture protection, I'd like more grip and suppleness as the Vanquish's ride is firm.

Rate the tyres for durability:

8/10

They seemed to stand up to poor roads and even light grip and gravel without nicks and look like they'd last for ages. I'd still swap them, though.

Rate the tyres for comfort:

4/10

They're too narrow. Going wider and reducing the pressure would massively improve comfort, and it wouldn't cost a fortune either.

Rate the tyres for value:

5/10

Tell us some more about the tyres. Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the tyres? If so what for?

They worked well enough on smooth surfaces, though I wasn't prepared to tackle high-speed downhill manoeuvres on such skinny high-pressure tyres. Changing to budget Michelin or Goodyear tyres, mentioned in the main review, would improve things immeasurably and is a change I'd recommend making sooner rather than later. You won't regret it.

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:

8/10

Hey, it's Shimano (with Tektro brakes). They work, the single-piston brakes in particular being better than I expected.

Rate the controls for durability:

7/10

Rate the controls for comfort:

7/10

Much the same as higher-end Shimano STI levers, though made with less expensive materials.

Rate the controls for value:

6/10

Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?

The controls are all good – Shimano STI is simple, intuitive and it works.

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes – with some reservations.

Would you consider buying the bike? Yes – though I'd change the tyres and cassette tout suite.

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes – though I'd recommend changing the tyres and cassette tout suite.

How does the price compare to that of similar bikes in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The £485 RRP makes the Vanquish one of the least expensive bikes we've tested. These days only Decathlon's Triban brand offers bikes at anything like this price, but the Triban RC 500 Disc that we liked when it cost £529 is now £629. The cheapest Tribans are only available in limited sizes, if at all, and while we really liked the Vitus Razor when we tested it, none of the budget Vitus bikes are available at Wiggle, Evans or Chain Reaction even though they're listed on the Vitus website. Shame.

The cheapest you'll get from one of the big names is around £750 for the rim-braked Trek Domane AL 2.

Some of the best value opposition also comes from Halfords – the Voodoo Limba looks a good gravel-ish bike at a bargain price, and the Carrera Subway All Weather is a fully specced commuter bike with a price of just £485, and that includes lights, mudguards and even very good hydraulic discs.

Rate the bike overall for performance:

6/10

Rate the bike overall for value:

9/10

Use this box to explain your overall score

I've found this more difficult to score than any bike I've tested in the last few years. It is excellent value however you dress it, but rarely has a bike been so close to excellence overall while missing the goal badly in a couple of areas.

I rarely suggest immediate upgrades – after all, if you buy a bike you want to be able to ride your nice shiny purchase out of the shop as is. But, if you were to spend around £60 on a wider cassette and a pair of 32mm tyres you'll improve the riding experience immeasurably – and would have still have only spent £550 or so.

As specced you've still got a good bike for training, commuting and more but one that suffers on hills and is unforgiving over poor surfaces – hence it's a good six out of 10. Depending on where you live it might even hit the spot for you exactly as it comes.

But if it had come with those two suggested upgrades, it would be suitable for a great range of road surfaces and topography, and would easily be an eight or even a nine.

Overall rating: 6/10

About the tester

Age: 57 Height: Weight:

I usually ride: 2018 Giant TCR Advanced 2 with Halo Carbaura disc wheels My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding,

Carrera Vanquish 2025

Carrera Vanquish

Carrera 2025

Carrera

Commuting

commuting week

Add new comment

11 comments

Simon Withers | 7 hours ago

2 likes

This was a very hard bike to review, as while I did like the bike overall - which I hope does come across - I feel that Carrera was so close to creating a very, very good bike indeed. As it is, with some reservations/kit changes, I was happy to recommend the bike and would happily own one.

Yes, if you live somewhere that's predominantly flat, the cassette will be absolutely fine, but in 2025 a 32 or 34T sprocket is pretty much the go-to. I realise that with only eight ratios there will be some large jumps between gears, but for me personally (your mileage may vary, of course) that's a price worth paying every time. But then my ride home from town has 100 metres of climbing in just a few kilometres, and it was a struggle on this. I avoided the route with a short 11% section...

The tyre choice was another disappointment. As bikes are generally moving to wider tyres, which I think is a great move, as they're undoubtedly more comfortable, supple 28mm tyres might well have done the job. But these came up narrow and felt unyielding, and as there's loads of clearance for going wider (another welcome development over the last few years), swapping these would be a real benefit to nearly all riders, and with the tyres I suggested it wouldn't be an expensive swap.

This is a bike that I think is likely to be bought by somebody new to cycling, or perhaps an older rider returning to cycling. And I feel in both cases, a wider cassette and wider tyres would improve the riding experience immensely.

The handlebar is an odd shape, but as I do a lot of my riding on the tops and hoods, this was less of an issue.

The bonuses are fittings for mudguards and rear rack, which would help make this a great year-round commuter/day-to-day bike. I also think it looks good for a budget bike.

And the brakes were a surprise too. Budget single-piston discs don't promise much, but if you were brought up on centre-pull (or was it side-pull?) Weinmanns, these are vastly better. I do still look forward to the day when a drop-bar bike around this price gets hydraulics, but I can't see it happening...!

Happy cycling!!

(I've tested bikes since the mid-1990s having ridden 'seriously' since the early 1980s. I spent my second year's university bus pass money on a second-hand 5-speed Raleigh Arena with 'new' brown-ish paintwork - forty quid if memory serves - and I've never looked back.

Over the last few years I've tested a lot of entry-level bikes from the likes of Decathlon/Vitus/Pinnacle, so I've a lot to compare this with. And with different tyres and cassette - for me anyway - this would be an absolute winner.)

levestane replied to Simon Withers | 6 hours ago

2 likes

11-34 MS cassette (spacing 11-13-15-18-21-24-28-34) with a 46-30 would work well on this bike.

Simon Withers replied to levestane | 5 hours ago

1 like

Absolutely - I'm a big fan of sub-compact chainsets, which can help you get a low gear even without a very large sprocket. Your 46/30, 11-34 combo would give a very low bottom gear - and I reckon you can never have a bottom gear that's too low...

wtjs | 9 hours ago

4 likes

Over 10 years ago my daughter bought a Carrera alloy road bike when she went to Uni. It served her very well. Several years later, while renovating it for her sister, I rode it myself around the hills and rough roads of N. Lancashire. I found it to be perfectly acceptable and that the cheap alloy frame coped with the roads pretty much the same as my custom Reynolds steel frame. I immediately abandoned the 'received wisdom' that alloy frames are harsh, and I would now be happy to buy an alloy bike- my 'do it all' gravel bike from 2019 happens to be made of un-named steel tubing because that was what was 'on offer' for £650- if it had been alu I would also have bought it. My (even more) elderly friend's Boardman was well set up by Halfords, Lancaster.

However, as has been detailed on here, my Carrera folder, while admirable in all other respects, was equipped with tyres which rapidly fell apart and the unusual rim size was such that you can't get decent tyres for it. I won't make the mistake of failing to check the exact rim specification again! Many rubbish websites, including Halfords, don't even list that information- only the useless 20" x 1 3/8. Halfords Blackpool didn't even understand the distinction and provided the wrong tyres as a 'replacement'.

Dnnnnnn | 19 hours ago

1 like

Good to see a road.cc review of what must be one of the UK's best-selling 'proper' road bikes.

6/10 feels a little harsh: the tyres could be better and the 'bars shallower (though Halfords' website seems to show two different kinds in different photos!) but the cassette isn't necessary bad. It depends where you ride - Bath has unusually tough climbs. With only 8 sprockets, there's a clear trade-off between helpfully-close ratios and steep climbing ability. It would be good if customers could specify according to their requirements - but that's not likely at this end of the market (although you should be able to get the labour cost of the swap included, maybe tyres too).

Still, at least anyone reading this (rare) review, and who mightn't be as clued-up as many road.cc readers, should learn much for from this article.

cyclisto replied to Dnnnnnn | 10 hours ago

1 like

Agree, this bike is what 95% need to commute, with few if any compromises at a very reasonable price. Everything is relative after all, it is high spec compared to my trusty ride. We need more such bikes to flood the roads.

But as the author implies, this bicycle has a unique feature, you can calmly say to the hot girl at the first date, "When the weather is nice, I enjoy taking my Vanquish to go to work, it is one of the few pleasures, my busy schedule allows". Gentlemen, play your cards right .

quiff replied to cyclisto | 7 hours ago

2 likes

cyclisto wrote:

"When the weather is nice, I enjoy taking my Vanquish to go to work, it is one of the few pleasures, my busy schedule allows".

Carrera works too, depending on the exact effect you're after.

cyclisto replied to quiff | 4 hours ago

0 likes

This is true too! Maybe I had got used to Carrera brand name as a bicycle brand, forgetting the fancy 4 wheeler with the same name.

Surreyrider replied to cyclisto | 5 hours ago

1 like

I'd say it's an overly harsh review for a bike costing £485. The things he is moaning about could be bought pretty cheaply and still make this an amazingly good value bike. And anyway, some/many may be happy with the current configuration.

Simon Withers replied to Surreyrider | 2 hours ago

1 like

I'd say I was 'criticising' rather than 'moaning'! (But I would say that...)

And I did make the point that it is great value as it stands - giving it 9/10, which is probably the highest mark I've ever awarded.

And yes, you are right, some may like it exactly as it is; with smooth roads and little in the way of hills it would be spot on. And I also made the point that my recommended changes are pretty inexpensive. But I do believe that with wider gearing and wider tyres it would have immediate widespread appeal to more riders.

There really, really is a very good bike in there, and as even as specced it so very nearly is.

Secret_squirrel replied to Surreyrider | 2 hours ago

0 likes

You're missing the point. The cassette is unforgiveable when aimed at this market and the width of the tyres not much better. You shouldnt have to fork out another £100 just because some Product Wonk at Halfords doesnt know how to spec a bike properly.

Carrera Vanquish

VERDICT:

Carrera Vanquish: Ride

Carrera Vanquish: Frame & fork

Carrera Vanquish: Groupset

Carrera Vanquish: Finishing kit

Carrera Vanquish: Wheels & tyres

Carrera Vanquish: Value

Conclusion

Verdict

Help us to fund our site

Help us to bring you the best cycling content

Add new comment

11 comments

Latest Comments

Kinesis 4S Tiagra

Pearson Shift Dura Ace

J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc Classic

Look 785 Huez 105 Di2

Support road.cc

Carrera Vanquish

VERDICT:

Carrera Vanquish: Ride

Carrera Vanquish: Frame & fork

Carrera Vanquish: Groupset

Carrera Vanquish: Finishing kit

Carrera Vanquish: Wheels & tyres

Carrera Vanquish: Value

Conclusion

Verdict

Help us to fund our site

Help us to bring you the best cycling content

Add new comment

11 comments

Latest Comments

Related Reviews

Kinesis 4S Tiagra

Pearson Shift Dura Ace

J.Laverack R J.ACK Disc Classic

Look 785 Huez 105 Di2