Carrera Intercity Disc 9-Speed Folding Bike

Didn't think the bike market needed any more niches? Well you were wrong: welcome to the budget sports folding bike! The Carrera Intercity Disc 9-Speed might not boast the engineering genius of more famous folding rivals, but with very enthusiastic road manners, excellent specification including a Shimano Sora rear mech and Tektro hydraulic discs – and £50 left over from £500 – this is a folder with significant appeal beyond just the traditional commuter set.

Ride

The first thing you notice when hopping aboard the Intercity Disc 9 is that this is a very pleasurable bike to pedal and especially to get up to speed. I'll talk about the gearing in more detail later, but I don't think it's a coincidence that this enthusiasm is found on a folding bike with a 'proper' 1x9 setup. This thing just asks to be pedalled and I think virgin folding bike riders will be surprised by the ID9's brisk turn of pace and its ability to transfer power into forward motion.

One thing that heightens the sense of speed is the ID9's quick steering. Folding bikes often tend to feel a bit flighty at the front with their straight fork-cum-steerer-cum-stem, and this is no different: I almost wheelied away on my first go, the handlebar lifting in my hands like the reins of a bucking mustang.

To some extent, that's a sign of the bike's inherent eagerness and you quickly get used to the steering's nuances at slow speeds, while at high speeds it doesn't prove a problem at all. Incidentally, the ID9's head tube has a bracket for a carrier, should you want to put a bit more weight over the front.

With exciting handling and excellent power transfer, there's the distinct possibility that comfort could take a hit, but not so. Even with diddy 20in wheels – which for some reason really punch above their girth here – very little knocks the ID9 off its stride. I took it on some proper rough country roads, potholes 'n' all, and it breezed over most things.

This is a fantastically fun bike to ride – and all the more amazing when you remember it's a folder. Rather than it being just a basic A-to-B transport tool, you may well find yourself looking to detour to enjoy a longer session in the saddle. It's also quite nice that you can get your head down for super-stable high-speed cruising, but then sit up a bit for more reactive intra-city ducking and diving.

Frame

At its core, the ID9 is a fairly standard modern folding bike design, with a main locking hinge in the middle so that it can fold laterally in half along its length, and another hinge where the stem meets the head tube, so the front end can effectively fold in half vertically as well. Halfords says the time it takes from folded to unfolded, or vice versa, is 30 seconds but I think it's underselling the bike there – it can be pretty quick once you get the hang of it.

In unfolded form, there's a nice sporty-looking curve to the seatstay, and a curved mini-down tube to the bottom bracket. Both the frame and the fork are made from aluminium and the all-up weight of 12.5kg (Halfords again undersells the bike by listing it as 13kg) is fine at this point in the market, especially when you factor in the substantial clamps and quick releases for altering the seatpost height, stem height, and handlebar position. There's also a bottle cage mount on the top of the main tube, and mounts for mudguards and a rear rack.

Everything seems pretty much spot on, with one quirky exception: the quick release clamp for the handlebar is ever so slightly off centre, so it doesn't sit directly over the front wheel in your line of sight. It's not a big deal, but if you have a touch of the OCDs like me then it's just a little off-putting initially.

In terms of fit, as with most folders the ID9 is a bit short in length but it's no biggie and handlebar height is certainly not a problem because the stem has its own quick release with a good range of up and down adjustment. I left it quite low as I felt a more sporty position – relatively speaking – seemed to fit its character very nicely and also helped to rein in the quick steering.

In fact, the only significant negative I have for the ID9 is saddle height. On the Halfords website it says the ID9 is suitable for riders up to 6ft 3in. I would question that. I'm 6ft tall, and not a leggy 6ft at that, but I had to run the seatpost at the very limits of its available range and I still didn't have quite the leg extension I'd ideally like (I'm talking about only a few mm here, but still). If you're anywhere near 6ft, I'd suggest you test ride before you buy. (It's not me in the photos, by the way, that's Liam, who's about 5ft 9in.)

Gears and brakes

A good selection of gears is another detail that really fits the ID9's character. The 53-tooth chainring might look a bit awkward aesthetically but, in performance terms this, allied with the 9-speed 11-34 cassette, means you've got the option to venture way beyond benign city slopes and take on some proper hills.

The fact that the rear mech is Shimano Sora adds to the notion that this bike can do almost anything. It's not a speccing choice that's so precious it will baulk at the hard graft of daily commuting, but it offers more than enough slick shifting to feel super satisfying when you want to really enjoy the ride.

Almost equally satisfying is the Tektro M275 hydraulic brakeset. I've been a bit dismissive of Tektro hydraulic brakes in the past because, in my view, they don't quite match up to Shimano's entry-level options, but on the ID9 they felt fine. Certainly modulation or 'feel' is very decent and while all-out power might be lacking at the top end, perhaps the fact you're riding on small wheels lets you give it a bit of leeway.

In any case, they're brand-name hydraulic discs and whatever quibbles I might have about whether they're the absolute best, they're near the top and certainly better than mechanical discs or rim brakes, especially for wet weather riding.

Wheels and tyres

Talking of wet weather, I'm afraid I've only ridden the ID9 in the dry and in those conditions the Vee Speedster tyres have been very good. With their ability to accept 110psi, you can really reduce rolling resistance, although even firm tyres didn't have any knock-on effect in terms of comfort. Grip was good enough for dry days but I suspect you'd want to run them a bit softer in the wet.

The ID9's wheelset is also more than adequate. The aluminium double-wall Carrera-branded semi-deep-section rims actually look quite funky and aesthetically give the ID9 a hint of speed, while the quick-release hubs rolled perfectly fine.

With lots of use, I suspect these will be the scene of the first upgrade or replacement, but 'out of the box' they offer a very acceptable ride experience.

Other components

There are a few other speccing options to mention. For example, both pedals are of the folding variety. The handlebar grips are very comfy. And the Entity saddle is fab.

Unlike a lot of brands who go big on the utility angle of their folders, the ID9 doesn't come with mudguards or a rear rack – although all of that can be fitted. Personally, I think that omission is a good idea as the ID9 deserves to look a bit more exciting than just being seen as a daily workhorse. A kickstand is fitted as standard for extra convenience, though.

Value and conclusion

If possible, I like to hop aboard and test a bike before I've read its specs and especially before I've seen its price. That way, I can have as close as possible to an unprejudiced test ride. Of course, this isn't my first rodeo and hard-to-miss details like brakeset, gearset and brand name tend to lead you in one direction.

In this case, those influences were a bit mixed: yes, the ID9 is 'only' a Halfords own-brand Carrera folder, but then it has a Shimano Sora rear mech and Tektro disc brakes. In my mind, and in the saddle, I'd valued the bike somewhere around the £600-£700 mark. So to find it retailing at £450 is really something of a bargain. (If you want an even less expensive option, Halfords has the Carrera Intercity Disc 8-Speed with mechanical discs and Shimano Claris gears for £375.)

In terms of everybody's go-to folding brand, Brompton's range starts at £850 – almost double the price. However, perhaps Halfords' closest rival in high-street bike sales, Decathlon, has the B'Twin 900 Folding Bike for £499.99. Like the ID9 it features a smart aluminium frameset and even the same Shimano Sora rear mech. But it goes without disc brakes, opting instead to fit V-brakes. I also have to say, the B'Twin 900's brown colourway isn't very rock'n'roll.

> Buyer’s Guide: 6 of the best folding bikes

I hate giving a gushing review for two reasons: a, because it offers smart-Alecs in the comments section the chance to level accusations of reviewers being paid off (for the record, it's charmingly naïve to think there's enough money in the cycle industry for cash-inducements to be 'a thing', or even that our words carry enough weight for any bribe to be worth it); and b, because it causes road.cc's illustrious production editor Tass to grill me to check the product warrants its score. And she doesn't muck about.

So let me put this to rest right here and give the Carrera Intercity Disc 9-speed the highest recommendation possible: if I could have just an extra inch on saddle height, I'd buy it. If it had fitted me perfectly, I would have literally not returned this test bike and asked if I could pay to keep it instead, that's how much I like it – and I'm not even in the market for a folder.

If you think a folding bike might come in useful, you want a surprisingly rewarding ride with good quality components, you don't want to spend Brompton money – and you're definitely no taller than 6ft – this is way more fun than you'd probably ever expect.

Verdict

Fantastic fun and fast folding bike that will leave you questioning why you'd want to spend any more