Can anybody advise me what budget hybrid please?

[Pieman68]

I am totally new to cycling and am looking at a hybrid to get fitter and possibly, in future, for commuting. I am working to a budget but am getting money for my 40th. Probable top end is about £300

I am 6'2" so also need advice on what frame size

The question is whether a lesser name is ok if spec is the same? My top end might just about stretch to a Trek 7.0 FX for example. Would you consider a better quality second hand rather than a new bike?

Mainly road with possible canal towpath use if this makes a difference

Any help gratefully received

[Magic919]

I've bought a few of the Trek FX range and I'm sure one of those will be fine. I'd be tempted to get a higher spec model by buying secondhand.

Some might suggest a trip to Decathlon, as they make some decent bikes for that kind of budget. Might be worth a search through some of the similar threads.

You should buy what fits best, but expect something like the 22.5 in an FX. Bike size and height is not an exact equation.

[Watchman]

Pieman68 said:

I am totally new to cycling and am looking at a hybrid to get fitter and possibly, in future, for commuting. I am working to a budget but am getting money for my 40th. Probable top end is about £300

I am 6'2" so also need advice on what frame size

The question is whether a lesser name is ok if spec is the same? My top end might just about stretch to a Trek 7.0 FX for example. Would you consider a better quality second hand rather than a new bike?

Mainly road with possible canal towpath use if this makes a difference

Any help gratefully received

There are hybrids and there are hybrids.

If you're on the roads mainly, try to get one with a rigid fork. You don't need the additional weight of a suspension fork for roads or towpaths.

Tyres will be a choice to consider. The towpaths are very muddy at the moment. You'll need some "spuddy" tyres for traction. If you end up on the roads entirely, consider more road-oriented tyres at higher pressures. The efficiency gains are well worth it.

Lastly, cheaper cycles have "triple" chainsets which are totally overkill. See if you can get a double or even a single (1x) set for simplicity/ease of maintenance.

£300 is definitely at the lower end for new bikes but ought to give you a good choice from Ebay.

[Watchman]

P.S. Ridgeback does a few nice-looking hybrids. If you're not bothered about disc brakes, you could probably get a new one for £300.

P.P.S. Boardman on Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mountain-bike-hybrid-Boa...

[Pieman68]

Thanks guys.

For clarification, I think it is more likely to be for roads so have discounted suspension as a necessity. Was looking at a Boardman Hybrid Sport but think it would be just out of reach on price.

If I was to look second user what would be good options? Boardman, Cannondale, Trek? Any others that are worth looking at?

[Sarkmeister]

I bought a Pinnacle Lithium last year from Evan's. Its based on a mountain bike frame (I think) so if at the tougher end of the hydrid spectrum. Mine's the bottom of the range one without disc brakes and was £240 I think. The higher spec ones have disc brakes etc.

Would definitely recommend it if you just fancy a "do-it-all" type of bike. Another option is the Carrera Subway from Halfords, it's a very similar bike.

[Magic919]

Any of the big name bikes would be worth considering. There are also brands like Genesis that are worth a look. There are plenty of bike shaped objects that try to sound like a decent make, so just do some Google searches in case. Or post up on here.

[Pieman68]

How about an ex display Ridgeback Speed? 21" frame - selling for £199.99. 2014 model

Some great options, many thanks guys

[Magic919]

That Ridegway will do the job and is fine for the money. If you can spend more of your budget you would get something a bit better. If you are not fussed by the bike weight or component quality at this stage, then don't worry.

[Watchman]

I like Whyte bikes. I have a Portobello which I would definitely recommend. Couple on Ebay here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Whyte-Portobello-Hybrid-...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Whyte-Portobello-Large-M...

[blugnu]

Watchman said:

Lastly, cheaper cycles have "triple" chainsets which are totally overkill. See if you can get a double or even a single (1x) set for simplicity/ease of maintenance.

I take it you haven't been through the pain that is 'I live somewhere hilly / I haven't ridden a bike for years'

Triples have their place - one of them is on my bike for reasons including living in a hilly area, being unfit, having knees that give me pain if I have to put too much pressure through them and occasionally using my bike to carry heavy things (in addition to me).

Triple does not equal rubbish. Most decent touring bikes have them. Mine, along with a wide range cassette, gives a gear range of over 500% meaning I can use the same bike for inching up steep hills with full panniers as well as careering down them. I've just had a quick google and I can't find an 11 speed cassette giving that sort of range (although I did find one giving 420% range for £230 - my cassette was £15) £230 is a lot for something that will wear out.

[TwistingMyMelon]

To be honest OP all the examples above are perfectly fine

I use a Kona Dew and its ace for me

If you think you will stick to just road I'd get a road bike, if you want roads light trails, minor off road then a hybrid with no suspension is great.

Triples have their place, I run one on my commuter as it came with it, I never use the Granny ring, but I like it as it gives me a 39/50 combination up front, the 39 ring being great for commuting on. I think the granny ring is 28, so pointless for me even on the 10% hill every morning. Gives you options though

[blugnu]

TwistingMyMelon said:

Triples have their place, I run one on my commuter as it came with it, I never use the Granny ring, but I like it as it gives me a 39/50 combination up front, the 39 ring being great for commuting on. I think the granny ring is 28, so pointless for me even on the 10% hill every morning. Gives you options though

Exactly - and a gear that you consider too low might be just the thing for someone who is

Pieman68 said:

totally new to cycling

A bike that is geared too high is a miserable thing to ride. I almost killed my knees trying to ride an old road bike to work a while back when I was returning to cycling because it had the high gearing typical of 80s road bikes (52/42 at the front and a five-speed at the back, possibly a 12-24) My current bike is much easier to ride on whatever I come across, although I admit that I've only used the bottom gear (18") once, and that was just to see what it was like. When (not if!) I go touring on it, I expect I might be glad of it.

[Watchman]

blugnu said:

Watchman said:

Lastly, cheaper cycles have "triple" chainsets which are totally overkill. See if you can get a double or even a single (1x) set for simplicity/ease of maintenance.

I take it you haven't been through the pain that is 'I live somewhere hilly / I haven't ridden a bike for years'

Triples have their place - one of them is on my bike for reasons including living in a hilly area, being unfit, having knees that give me pain if I have to put too much pressure through them and occasionally using my bike to carry heavy things (in addition to me).

Triple does not equal rubbish. Most decent touring bikes have them. Mine, along with a wide range cassette, gives a gear range of over 500% meaning I can use the same bike for inching up steep hills with full panniers as well as careering down them. I've just had a quick google and I can't find an 11 speed cassette giving that sort of range (although I did find one giving 420% range for £230 - my cassette was £15) £230 is a lot for something that will wear out.

Well, I hadn't ridden for years and hadn't maintained any level of fitness. My legs were like jelly but I only had one unassailable hill to climb in my area, so buying a compact double forced me to stand up and pump. Now I can manage the hills in my area relatively well.

I do accept that a triple is often a cheaper option in a positive sense but I think it's rare that you need the range you've stated if your legs are weak. Isn't it more likely that you'll need a very easy low gear leading to a middling top gear? I'm coming to the conclusion that I could manage a single chainwheel with a low enough hill-climber, and I will just accept that 30mph downhill (road) is as fast as I'll ever want to go (bloody terrifies me to be honest).

[Mr Gear]

I like the Pinnacle hybrids from Evans. Look at the Neon range for very road biased bikes, and the Lithium range for more rugged mountain-bike-based hybrids.

[TwistingMyMelon]

The downside of Triples is that I find the front mech can be a bit of a pita at times, as it serves more rings, the indexing can go a bit funny, never have that issue on my compact or double bikes

I also agree with the poster above, sometimes having a load of low gears means you see people just spinning and not really getting anywhere, sometimes you need to tough it out. Obviously I see the point regarding knee issues

Plus most people only need one or two low gears, which a compact offers!

Either way you cant really go wrong with most modern mainstream bikes and Triples are swings and roundabouts

I see lots of hybrids and city bikes are only offering a single ring up front! This would be great for urban riding.

[blugnu]

Watchman said:

Well, I hadn't ridden for years and hadn't maintained any level of fitness. My legs were like jelly but I only had one unassailable hill to climb in my area, so buying a compact double forced me to stand up and pump. Now I can manage the hills in my area relatively well.

I do accept that a triple is often a cheaper option in a positive sense but I think it's rare that you need the range you've stated if your legs are weak. Isn't it more likely that you'll need a very easy low gear leading to a middling top gear? I'm coming to the conclusion that I could manage a single chainwheel with a low enough hill-climber, and I will just accept that 30mph downhill (road) is as fast as I'll ever want to go (bloody terrifies me to be honest).

I don't use the smallest front ring day to day because I've been commuting long enough to be able to do all the hills I ride regularly without doing so (all of my commute is either uphill or downhill, pretty much) but when the weather gets nicer I'm going to start doing longer rides, and this being a hilly area, and me being only 'commuter' fit, I expect I will need it - the first ride I'm planning on doing is a 15 miles-each way there-and-back again ride which has almost 1,000ft of climb in one 6 mile section one way, and about 800ft in 4 miles on the way back. I am certain that I will be dropping gears all the way up and I will end up in the bottom one

No-one ever thinks 'I wonder how fast I'd have been on the descent if I wasn't carrying the weight of an extra chainring?' but plenty of people thing 'I wish I had lower gears' on the way up!

[PAUL RUN]

HI.
i own 2 TREK hybrid bikes...both bought secondhand. (7.1 and 7.5)
.
right..
TREK 7.1 bought for £150. is my daily bike
(when its snowing, or i'm not playing family man then i use the car..)
the daily bike is fitted with 2x front and rear lights, and full size mudguards..when you ride daily mud up your back and in your face is not cool....expecially this time of year when its salty mud...
milage...the 7.1fx (steel handlebars but ally everything else. covered 2000miles in 2013 with no costs apart from chain lube.
in 2014 i spent a total of £90 in repairs (tyres and rear mech, bottle bracket and brake pads) but covered 3500 miles....(yep more than my car did.)

The 7.1 is a solidbike quick enough for a work hack and does the job, i also changed the handlebar grips as the standard ones arn't very comfy...
.
right then...
my TREK 7.5 hybrid...had carbon front forks and a better gear set. its lighter but gives a more jaring ride with the very solid forks...i used this bike for the Oxford to Cambridge ride (90 miles British Heart Foundation) at the start of the year had never riden further than 18 miles in one hit....after some training did the 90 miles on this bike in 6hrs dead.
its faster and lighter than the trek 7.1...changed the handle grips on this one..
.
i did try a "road bike / racer as we used to call them in my youth!!!) but found the riding postion a little serious for my daily commute through the town centres..ie leaning for forward on the bars, yet looking over your shoulder etc was uncomfortable.
oh the TREK 7.5 cost me £250 (ebay) and new would have been about £700...
hmm might even sell the 7.5 as i've only covered a few hundred miles on it and my boys want me to take them mountain biking...which i don't want to do on my current bikes..
.
note, if your using the bike to keep fit a spread sheet showing the milage is great. you constantly boast about the amount you've saved in petrol, and never feel bad about grabbing an extra biscuit when you get home haha...(ok ok the petrol saving you might spend on another bike or some whizzy clothing....oh my clothing i get from aldi and lidl...its actually pretty good stuff...road the ox-cam ride with lidl shorts and shirt...and pain free...
;
paul.
(127 miles this year...haha)
oh the cycling also means i have a limited milage insurance policy for the car now, which saves me a few quid, i also have a insurance policy on the push bike if i'm involved in an accident with that..
.
even took the 7.5 along to a local bike club meet. i joined the 16mph group...everyone was on "roadies" and smiled at my hybrid...yeh yeh...grannie rings etc...but 30miles into the 56mile trip through the cotsworlds and the hills i was laughing...straight up the hills in 3rd..yet the roadies were weaving all over the road...haha....yep i was very smug...ok ok they had the legs/gearing on the straights..but the hills...

Edited by PAUL RUN on Monday 19th January 17:09

[Watchman]

blugnu said:

I don't use the smallest front ring day to day because I've been commuting long enough to be able to do all the hills I ride regularly without doing so (all of my commute is either uphill or downhill, pretty much) but when the weather gets nicer I'm going to start doing longer rides, and this being a hilly area, and me being only 'commuter' fit, I expect I will need it - the first ride I'm planning on doing is a 15 miles-each way there-and-back again ride which has almost 1,000ft of climb in one 6 mile section one way, and about 800ft in 4 miles on the way back. I am certain that I will be dropping gears all the way up and I will end up in the bottom one

No-one ever thinks 'I wonder how fast I'd have been on the descent if I wasn't carrying the weight of an extra chainring?' but plenty of people thing 'I wish I had lower gears' on the way up!

That is indeed very true.

I definitely don't have that sort of terrain to negotiate. I recall trying to go cycling in the lake district once. I managed to get to the top of the road out of the campsite and was virtually fit for nothing else. I'd managed only about half a mile.