Falcon Traffic Mens' Bike

SummaryThis is a sturdy bike, but many of the components are have worn out in a very short period of time.Pros:- Lightweight and fast for the price range- Easy Assembly- No significant issues after 2 days of usage.Cons:- Many parts feel cheap, especially handlebars, pedals and wheels- Frame's shape makes it difficult to install frame holders for pump or locks.- Wheels are extremely fragile.- freewheel hub very cheap, damaged beyond repair after only 2 months usage.Full Review:First of all, no complaints about assembly, only needed to fit the front wheel, handlebars pedals and saddle. This was all very easy and it's great to see all the required tools are included in the box. The bike frame also looks very attractive, I do have to wonder whose bright idea it was to call a bike "traffic" but that doesn't take away from the fact that the bike looks good in the bright yellow.So, without question, this is quite a fast and nimble bike., performing reasonably well on both tarmac and gravel surfaces. I was able to keep pace with many "proper" road bike users in the Oxford area for a significant distance.However, I am terrified of any bumps on this bike. The low-quality spokes on the wheels are very likely to take damage if you contact a hard edge at any reasonable speed. So avoid those curbs and manhole covers!It is nice to have disc brakes on a bike at this price range but I did have to replace the brake pads to make them safe as the brakes were not gripping well enough with the pads supplied. This is a big problem.The front wheel has a quick release, which is great, but it is a shame that the rear wheel has standard nuts... I kind of wish that Falcon had spent that extra 50p on another quick release as without the quick release it necessitates another tool in your kit if you want to be able to repair a puncture. (although they do supply a compact spanner with the bike so this does help.)The saddle, however, is great! Feels comfortable and looks good. It would have been nice to have a quick release for it but you can't have everything.My attempts to affix accessories like D-Lock holder and hand pump holder were unsuccessful due to the bike's odd frame tube shape. This is not uncommon, but still irritating.Where the bike completely falls down is actually...the handlebars and everything on them. It seems like the cheapest handlebar they could find and feels very low quality. The grips are also unlikely to survive more than a few months. The gear shifts are also very, very cheap. And don't even bother wasting your time fitting the "bell" which is utterly useless!Conclusion:At the end of the day, it is the price tag that holds this bike's rating back and what stops me from being able to recommend it.Falcon "Traffic" feels more like a £130-150 bike than a £230-280 bike as it is being listed at.I'd recommend the Carrera Axle (Decathlon ownbrand) or the BTWIN Riverside 500 or, frankly, get something secondhand! I will update this review after the bike has had some more wear and tear, but I suspect that more components will have failed.Updates (2 months in): as suspected the bike has now worn out in a number of key areas. The ratchets on the drive train have completely broken and the cassette fell off while riding so the freewheel hub will need to be replaced.The rear tread has also completely worn through.The failure of the freewheel hub decreases my rating from 2 star to 1. This is a component that should not have to be replaced after only 2 months use.

I've owned this bike for four years now, so can give a pretty informed appraisal.I chose it because it was the only one I could find with disc brakes AND twist shifters, which I prefer.The bike as supplied went together easily, but I chose to fit some mudguards as I use it to get to and from work and don't want muddy spray up my back. Fitting them was relatively easy but as with all decent mudguards the wires needed to be cut to the correct length.The supplied saddle is awful and I swapped it for the one on my previous bike. Also, I found that with the saddle at the correct height I was having to bend more than was comfortable, so I fitted a stem extender, which meant I also had to fit a longer front brake cable. It's a shame they don't offer this bike with a larger frame.Anyway, all was fine for just over a year, but then within a couple of weeks of each other, two rear spokes snapped. After the second one went I came to the conclusion that the wheels were pretty rubbish and bought a pair of replacements - the rear one pre-fitted with the correct cassette. When I received them it was obvious why the original wheels fail - the spokes are half the diameter of "regular" ones. After swapping out the disc rotors it was an easy replacement job but of course I'd had to spend another £88... I would recommend doing this though, as the replacements are very light and have been going strong for nearly two years without problems. I will add that although there was nothing wrong with the tyres, I swapped them for the Schwalbe Marathon+ ones from my old bike (can't praise these enough, absolutely brilliant).So after all the tinkering I've got the bike in a reliable state and enjoy it. The frame is very light and in fact the bike weighs less than my wife's much much more expensive Trek.I will probably replace the chain after the winter as it's getting noisy, but that's just reasonable wear and tear.Do I regret buying it? No, but I wish I'd known in advance that I'd need to upgrade parts to make it comfortable and reliable, not find out the hard way.

I love my New Falcon bike Great for cycling along Southend sea front on a hot summers day. Goes faster than my old Mountain bike so all in all very happy and not seen another yellow bike yet either...

For the price this is a great bike to start you on the road to fitness, Ive been riding half way to work for 4 weeks now (18 miles a day) and am really pleased overall, the gears are fairly smooth and have a good range although I have not needed the lowest of the front cogs yet even though I do have quite a steep climb at the start of my journey. The seats quite uncomfortable and I had to buy a gel cover to ease the ache but I believe thats an issue for most bike seats over the first few weeks of riding. Only gripe is the front disc brake lost stopping power after 3 weeks and Ive had to replace the pads so soon.

this bike has been let down by the spokes.both wheels have broked after 2 months.a shame because the rest of the bike is ok. if you can afford to replace both wheels do it straight away

Bought this exact bike off very. Got someone to assemble it, used it for 6 weeks and going up a small curb the front wheel feel off. Took it to a bike shop where the guy put it back on for me (which he said was now fine) a few days later cycling down a country road I pulled the breaks quick and the wheel fell off again. Obviously faulty, wouldn’t buy.

Good bike but rubbish tyres only lasted a couple of weeks and had to replace

I purchased this bike as it looked great. Good spec and fair price. Very lightweight. On the first ride, after about 1/2 a mile, the rear wheel collapsed (spokes coming away from the wheel). The bike was not under any particular demand as I was just getting used to it on level ground. It was returned under warranty and I am still awaiting a refund. I am 5'10'' so the bike was the correct size etc. Not impressed with Falcon. Would not recommend based on my experience.