What bike - hybrid for my wife - light frame - up to £600

[AC43]

Hi All,

My wife wants a new bike. (City) road use and canal paths. She'd like something as light as possible. Feels her current 2010 Trek 7.3 is a bit heavy. (It's also got a woman's frame and feels like it's hinged in the middle but that's more my complaint than hers).

I'm assuming no front sus. Not needed, too heavy esp at this price point.

V brakes fine. (I'm assuming the discs at this price point might be a bit rubbish?)

It's CTW so needs to be Evans.

Has anyone got the inside line on who does the lightest frame in the £500-£600 price range?

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks

[AC43]

TwistingMyMelon said:

Trouble with bikes (esp Hybrids) in that price range , is they are much of muchness, as you are spending as much as the bike originally cost then you will end up pretty much the same. Even if you could get something lighter for £500 it would only be by a couple of pounds. I'm assuming the Trek has no susp and an Alu frame?

Yes aluminium and rigid front

[AC43]

Watchman said:

I'd have said this one - I'm buying it for my wife. Thing is, it won't take spuddy cyclocross tyres if she thinks she needs them for the towpaths. The chainstays are simply too narrow. Well, it won't take the ones I bought (Continental 35mm). If you can get something no more than 30mm, you'd probably manage. The current tyres would be OK if it was dry packed dirt but not mud.

http://whyte.bike/gb/models/commuterroad/r7-fast-u...

But for every other consideration, it's light, has hydraulic discs, and is £550.

Aha! Whyte again. Love the idea of these.

(if Evans would do one...)

[AC43]

Magic919 said:

I bought my Whyte from Evans. Might be worth asking.

Excellent, ta.

Having done a bit of Googling there' s also the Hoy Shizuoka .002 which is a bike along the same lines (9 speed, carbon fork, light).

Also a Pinnacle or two along the same lines.

[AC43]

PAUL RUN said:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/si...
/
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/scott/metrix-3...
.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/74-fx-201...

.
Looking around at a new hybrid myself...i have an even heaver trek 7.1fx (12kg)
.
when you look around they seem to have 28-35c tyres....
the 3 bikes above use 28c and 32c tyres.

.
I cycled 70.3miles on mine yesterday...over took 3 guys (over the 4:45hrs) with punctures and damaged wheels on the road bikes (potholes and gravel punctures) offered to help them out best i could..
but even though i'd like a bike thats a couple of kgs lighter...i still enjoy the heavy old bike with 35c tyres i've got..oh...changing the handlebar grips make to huge difference to me...no aches or pains..worth £35....

Edited by PAUL RUN on Monday 23 June 10:41

Cheers PL.

Of those three the Trel looks good - like the carbon fork

Had a look at one of these today and the carbon for on the .003 made a big difference over the .002

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/hoy/shizuoka-0...

[AC43]

Kell said:

Have you thought about upgrading parts to make the current bike lighter?

A really good set of wheels will make a load of difference to the way a bike rides.

Hadn't thought of that. And too late TBH.

The logic was to flog the old one for £100-£150 and do CTW for £600 (therefore at a cost of £350-ish).

So get a £600 bike for £200 (man maths) or £250 (reality)

[AC43]

insurance_jon said:

my mrs fell in love with the specialized vita which is bang on 500 quid

Intersesting - the Elite with carbon fork is indeed £500

So we have the Hoy Shz-whatever at £750, the Trek 7.4 at £550 and the Specialized Vita Elite at £500.

All with carbon forks.

I have a shortlist.

Thanks

[AC43]

Watchman said:

I'd have said this one - I'm buying it for my wife. Thing is, it won't take spuddy cyclocross tyres if she thinks she needs them for the towpaths. The chainstays are simply too narrow. Well, it won't take the ones I bought (Continental 35mm). If you can get something no more than 30mm, you'd probably manage. The current tyres would be OK if it was dry packed dirt but not mud.

http://whyte.bike/gb/models/commuterroad/r7-fast-u...

But for every other consideration, it's light, has hydraulic discs, and is £550.

Aha. Just been to yet another Evans and they actually stock these.

In fact they also stock these

http://www.cyclesurgery.com/whyte%20shoreditch%202...

The wife's CTW voucher has become mine and I'm very tempted....

[AC43]

Update; finally got round to trying out a Trek 7.5 FX and Hoy Szhwhatsitcalled 002 today.

Preferred the Trek. It was very comfortable despite very narrow tyres (the isolator thing in the rear dropouts worked well) and the (v)brakes were much better (the discs on the Hoy don't get good press and I really didn't like them).

On top of that I preferred the riding position of the Trek. Higher, narrower bars worked for me.

Looks like it'll be the Trek then.

[AC43]

Magic919 said:

I like the Treks too. We've got the 7.6 which is WSD and a 7.7 men's version and they are both good machines.

I'm really trying hard not to look at 7.6's and 7.7's now.

Thanks!

:-)

[AC43]

In the end the OH went for a Jamis Allegro Comp Disk.

I'd never heard of Jamis bit someone on a thread here or on Bike Radar mentioned the Allegro ao I checked it out and saw it had been reduced from £670 to £535. It ticked a lot of the boxes; reasonably light, decent spec inc carbon forks. It came with decent grips so no need to shell out on new ones. Might swap over the saddle from her old bike or at least the post as it's suspended. The 17" was a perfect fit. Not so sure about the discs but at least it makes it easy to pop the front wheel off

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/allegro-...

Conclusion; the OH wanted something lighter and more fun than her 5 year old Trek 7.2 FX step thru and this fits the bill.

EDIT the Trek 7.5 she looked at at was the wrong size for her and she wanted to stick to the original budget. If I'm ever in the market I'd love a 7.5 (although I'd much prefer discs for the commute). And the Whyte wasn't available from Evans - that was just me having a senior moment after having visited too many bike shops on the same day.

Edited by AC43 on Monday 11th August 07:28

[AC43]

Gizmoish said:

Carbon forks >are< suspension. Find a quiet road with some choppy Tarmac and watch the front hub as you ride across it. You'll be able to see the deflection: just because there are no springs or rubber doesn't mean it's ultimately, completely rigid no matter what the provocation.

This is why carbon forks were on all the bikes I shortlisted.

[AC43]

Mr Scruff said:

Interested in this thread as Mrs. Scruff is bugging me to get her a new commuter bike.

Issue I have is that she's determined that she needs some degree of suspension, is there much around that will fill the 'light' brief but also have front suspension forks? She doesn't do long rides (work is about 9 miles) but she uses the bike pretty much every day and in all weathers. She's currently commuting on an old Rockhopper but franky she's worn it out over the last few years!

With MTB's the only way to get a reasonably light front suspension forks is to go for air and then you're in the £850+ price range.

I'd assume the same applies to hybrids (-ish?).

If she wants a really comfortable hybrid then tell her to try the Trek 7.5 FX with the rubber insert in the rear drop outs and carbon forks. Remarkably smooth. despite the narrower tyres getting very near the absorption of my Trek Cobia on 1.8 slicks. I thought it was uncanny.