"Hybrid" Bike

[Doofus]

I'm considering one of these for urban and general use.

Let's take the Cannondale Qick as a frinstance. There's the rigid fork version and the Quick CXs have sus forks with lockout. I know the suspenson forks sacrifice weight, but when I go on canal paths, and light trails, would I regret getting a rigid fork?

I already have a road bike (Cube Streamer), which I'm keeping, and an MTB with front suspenson and semi-slicks, which I will probably get rid of. So I lean towards getting a 700c bike with front suspenson for the 20% of the time it's not on tarmac, because it gives me some versatility, and would help with poorly surfaced city streets.

I'm not an advanced or super-fit cyclist, by any means, but I want to get 3-4 miles across town easily and (hopefully) increasingly quickly.

Opinons and experiences welcomed.


ETA: Ingoring the inevitable budget-creep, I'm not planning to spend more than about £800, because I don't believe I need to.

Edited by Doofus on Saturday 3rd September 22:32

[nammynake]

For a 3-4 mile journey (15 minutes?) I'd just stick with the MTB to be honest. A hybrid won't be significantly faster over such a short distance.

[poing]

I have a hybrid and MTB, for short trips (less than 10 miles) I prefer the MTB still. It's more useful around town, more comfortable, better for taking sneaky shortcuts and no slower. I only use the hybrid on longer road trips, I should have bought a road bike instead as that's a better combo.

[Doofus]

But I want a new bike! Waaa!

[anonymous-user]

http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Giant-Escape-2-City-2016-H...
About to press the button on one of these, as a general all rounder ..

[technodup]

Hybrids are the worst of all worlds imo. Better with an MTB with two sets of wheels for road and off road.

[Doofus]

Oh. Ok. Bum. No new bike for me then...

I did think of a flat bar 'fitness' bike, but it's too close to my road bike, and won't give me the versatility.

Spose I could buy a new mtb though... [thinks]

[Doofus]

Any thoughts on a 650 or 700 wheeled hardtail mtb?

[Watchman]

If I were starting all over again, I'd build a carbon framed flat-bar gravel bike with CX tyres. I'm building something along those lines for my son based on a Planet-X London Road frame set. Although that's an ali frame (carbon fork), it's very light.

[eatontrifles]

I bought a hardly used Felt F65 from a colleague and converted it to flat bars and more durable tyres for towpath/track use;


I have a sunday best road bike and a front suspension MTB and the converted bike fits extremely nicely in between the two for general use/pottering about. Like you, I'm not a super advanced ultra fit cyclist but I do love getting out on the bike.

[Doofus]

This is the kind of directon I'm thinking of now. A flat bar road or 'fitness' bike with some 35 tyres.

[Usget]

Or a gravel bike? What about that new mental looking Cannondale thing with drop bars and a lefty?

[Doofus]

Usget said:

Or a gravel bike? What about that new mental looking Cannondale thing with drop bars and a lefty?

I'm looking for a flat bar; that much I do know. Aren't those Cannondale lefties supposed to be really stiff?

And what's the distinction between a gravel bike and a CX? Is 'gravel' just an attempt to get away from 'hybrid'?