Under £500 is pretty much entry level from an independent bike shop and I'm not even sure there is a model equivilant to the Subway available from them with a big brand. Halfords buy their own bikes direct from the factory and retail themselves and have a huge marketshare in the UK. The staff may not always be great but some of the bikes are absolutely brilliant for the money and honestly as good as bikes twice as expensive from many independent bike shops. At under £500 the choice may only be halfords or secondhand. The Subway 1 is only £300 but has an excellent strong frame with reinforcing, same as the Carrera mountain bikes. There is a more expensive Subway with hydraulic disc brakes for £50 more but personally for a road bike I'd go with the simplicity and reliability of the standard mechanical disc brakes. There aren't many bikes so perfectly setup for a heavy rider with the exception of the saddle.



Carrera Subway 1 Mens Hybrid Bike