Have heard a rumour that Carrera frames made by Kona – any one know anything about it? Truth or Lies?

Kona don’t have their own frame building factory.

I do know who makes Carrera frames

nope basic catalogue frames, see the same drop outs on loads of cheap frames, ribble are doing a cheap MTB frame that looks like a Carrera one

They’re not off the shelf catalogue frames

ok so who does make the Carrera frames then?

I like them

http://www.carrera-podium.it/bikes/erakle

A big Taiwanese factory who also make frames for quite a few other brands. Sorry that’s all i can say

jumpupanddown – Member

the same drop outs on loads of cheap frames

The dropout’s a mass produced seperate part, doesn’t tell you anything about the frame (same part appears on some Genesis frames frinstance, such as the Abyss) I doubt they’re catalogue frames.

Carrera frames used to be made by Merida, not sure if that’s still the case though.

@Houns – take it you are “on the inside” and you would have to kill me if you told me 😉

houns means Specialized

merida

Lets just say i saw the tech drawings for the current range sometime last year 😉

Ribble frame

Halfords one

Cheap nasty junk any way

the jackson 5

houns is referring to ryan giggs, he’s just too scared to name him cos of that super injunction thingy.

jumpupanddown – Member

Cheap nasty junk any way

Cobblers.

Merida make* the Carrera Frames, aswell as many others.

*Owns the factory,

jumpupanddown – Member

Cheap nasty junk any way

Mince.

Mince as in mince meat….or as in mince pies?

Most bikes you see are made either by Merida or Giant. I think Merida still supply Carerra.

flash is correct…………..again 🙄 😀

It’s not THAT rare, big man! 😆

ok so how do you add photos to this thread?

Without the spaces.

Cheers C’pn – cannot get it to work though 🙁

Merida definitely used to make them, I heard a whisper that the arrangement broke down a while back – could be a Chinese whisper though..

I love my Carrera Vanquish.

Bar the paint job exactly the same as one of the Merida road bikes

The Winter Hack

The Commuter

They aren’t made by Merida anymore

A shop I was in during the summer told me that Merida make Specialized frames. Not sure if thats true or not and to be honest, I couldn’t care less.

I knock them up in my shed
Its a slightly bigger shed than Brants

I had an 09 fury, it was ace. It wasn’t a flyweight but I didn’t expect it to be, it was a very capable all rounder and the adjustable fork was a real boon. £400 WIN

Brant saw it at a HtN and said ‘is that one of the original scandals?’ 😀

Sorry that’s all i can say

Pft. It’s not that big a secret. You make it sound like it’s some sort of hush-hush covert operation, probbly to make yourself feel more important. 🙄

Carrera is just a braynd name coming out of some enormous factory complex in Taiwan somewhere. As are most bikes. Merida is the parent company. They just get stickered up into different brands, and sold at various price points and in various markets. Carrera is a brand sold in the UK by Halfords, but the very same bikes, albeit in different colour schemes and branding, are sold all over the World. Often in the equivalent of Halfords type shops. In Spain they are branded as Merida. I know this as I have seen identical frames in the two brands.

Carrera are loads better value for money than a lot of other brands; just as good quality (built in the same factories ffs!), but because they’re not a trendy ‘niche’ brand, they don’t command rip-off prices. The fact that Halfords’ bike building and ‘servicing’ is very hit and miss will put off a lot of people, but if you know what you’re doing with tools, then they can be utter bargains. Every bit as good as stuff costing twice as much.

PaulD off here rides an old Carrera, and believe me, he will rip most of your legs off on it. 😀

The Boardman bike range is an ‘upmarket’ Merida brand. Merida also own a chunk of Specialized.

Cheap nasty junk any way

You know absolutely bugger all, don’t you? Bless.

Here is a lady who would rip your legs off on a bike ride:

Shush now Elfinsafety….that kind of talk upsets people around here who like to believe their mega expensive frame came from a super exclusive factory that isnt the same factory putting out bargain Carrerras!

Heh! I know it does. 😀

Truth is, the big companies like Spesh, Trek, Giant, Merida etc are churning out some of the best bikes you can buy. They have huge R+D budgets, sponsor pro race teams worldwide, and have a wealth of experience of designing and building bikes that some of the more ‘niche’ brands can only dream of.

A V – Brake Vulcan changed my life.

First bike.

Last May.

Thankyou Halfords.

One day when i’m mechanically gifted I’ll do something daft with the frame.

Now I have sexy Inbred because I killed Spock.

Merida is the parent company.

Wrong, used to be, isn’t now.