“It’s comfortable,” said Joe Davies, “but it looks so cheap.” The bike as a whole, according to Andrew Campbell, “looks like something that should be standard Boy Scout issue. Or maybe Cubs.” But he conceded that the price “makes it a good starter bike, if you can put up with the weight.” Mike Sherman found it “too gimmicky for its own good”, and Suzanne Jansen said it was “a comfortable ride, but maybe not for long distances.”***GT CIRQUEpounds 350GT’s bikes have a unique triple-triangle frame which is meant to add stiffness and strength to the bike’s back end, although the real effect of the design for the panel was that it attracted attention because it looked different. Andrew Campbell felt it was a “no-frills bike with a gimmicky frame”, and Emma Nash said, “It looks as though it is aimed at younger cyclists.” The panel unanimously agreed with Emma that “It is a fast mover, not least because it feels so light.” Meanwhile, Joe Davies thought the bike had a “stylish and professional look, and the handlebars are particularly comfortable”. Both Joe and Mike Sherman commented on the “enjoyably comfortable” riding position, while Suzanne Jansen said the handlebars were too straight to be easily managed. Overall the bike was well liked.****GARY FISHER NIRVANApounds 450The Nirvana is equipped with curved handlebars, as opposed to the straight bars favoured by MTBs and hybrids. These offer a more relaxed and easier position for the hands, and were praised by the panel. The compactness of the frame appealed to Joe Davies, but Mike Sherman thought, “It looks out of proportion – the wheels look too small.” The Nirvana does have smaller wheels (like an MTB) than the other bikes on test.

Andrew Campbell and Emma Nash both called the bike’s pale blue colour “wishy-washy”, but Emma also felt it looked “well-designed, like it’s for a serious cyclist”. “Mind you, it’s got a hard saddle,” she sighed, a complaint endorsed by Andrew and Joe. Despite being damned by Andrew as looking like “the sort of sensible bike bought by parents for sensible children”, it was felt by Suzanne to be “very responsive”, and was universally commended for its lightness and easy portability. Emma singled it out as being “definitely good value”.*PEUGEOT OUTDOOR 200pounds 375The Peugeot’s styling includes not the usual optional “bar-ends” – short, straight extensions which fit at 90 degrees to the ends of the handlebars to allow an alternative hand position for cycling uphill – but handlebars that curve up and back on themselves. Emma Nash described these as “ridiculous, and totally unnecessary”.

Mike Sherman thought they made the Peugeot “look like a racing bike They almost form a complete circle,” he complained. Suzanne Jansen thought this shape “very comfy, and good for easy grip adjustment”. Mike also thought the gear levers “seemed too close to the centre of the handlebars”, and that the black front forks on an otherwise chrome bike “seem out of place”. Joe Davies noted that the saddle labelled “Eversoft” was “as hard as a rock”, and this lack of comfort was also noted by Emma, Andrew Campbell and Suzanne.

Andrew considered the design “excellent for boys and teenagers into gadgets”, but, like Emma, disliked the weight – “It’s a lot heavier than it looks.”***REAL ECOpounds 399The Real Eco comes with mudguards and rack as standard – a bonus as you usually have to buy them separately. The testers were surprised that this bike is exclusive to Halfords, a store which has perhaps unfairly been branded as having an uncaring, pile-’em-high, sell-’em cheap philosophy. Joe Davies felt the Halfords connection explained why it was such good value. However, he was mystified by the presence of two water bottle holders: “Are they really necessary in town, and anyway, wouldn’t one be enough? This bike is schizophrenic.” Mike Sherman agreed the bike’s retro styling looked odd: “It’s a bit like someone found some old bits of bike lying around and cobbled them together.” Suzanne Jansen thought it looked ugly, and Emma Nash decided it was fussy The bike’s real champion was Andrew Campbell. He admired its looks – “not too flashy, not dull”, as well as its sprung saddle and its lightness, concluding: “It’s the perfect commuter cycle – I think I’m in love.”***RALEIGH PIONEER TRAIL 21 ALIVIOpounds 350Raleigh’s Pioneer range comes in models suited to all pockets and demands. The one tested is just above mid-range, and takes its name from the Shimano Alivio gears. Suzanne Jansen admired its “elegant” looks, but felt it was let down by “cheap bits, like the grip-shift gears” – these are gearshifts controlled by twisting a rubber grip on the handlebars rather than flicking levers.

Andrew Campbell, however, loved the “great throttle shifters”, as he called them, and thought the chrome frame with pastel yellow lettering “a great colour scheme – it’s very high tech and serious-looking”. Emma Nash praised the bike’s looks apart from the brake levers, which were “so shiny they look like cheap plastic”, while Joe Davies thought this was a case of “style over performance”. Mike Sherman concurred: “It’s a fantastic-looking bike, but I’m left with a faint feeling of mutton dressed as lamb.”*RALEIGH SELECT ELECTRICpounds 1,000This just-launched bike from Raleigh comes with its own built-in, battery- driven motor and has to be recharged from the mains. When cycling, the motor produces an amount of energy equal to what the cyclist puts in.