A new bike for my dad, hybrid for a 57yr old (ish)

[cramman]

Hi.

I have finally persuaded me dad to buy a new bike, he’s retired and is using my old, old bike a fair bit.
He’s a fit 57 yr old, ie, bikes, dives, skis, walking, shooting, swimming etc so he’s not looking for anything with a basket on the front just yet.

I am going to try and get him on my cross bit but he doesn’t believe me when I say it can handle trails etc, he see the road bars and that’s enough for him.
So, he doesn’t ride on mountains so I’m thinking a commuter/hybrid is a good choice.
Any thoughts/recommendations, price up to around 500 pound, new or nearly new is fine. I’m currently thinking boardman, http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/... but I’m more into my road bikes than the others.

Also, size, he's around 6'2", no idea on these frames, sorry.

[Roman]

That's fine but best to fit 32-35mm cyclocross or trekking tyres with more grip if he's riding on towpaths & bridleways etc. Look at the Specialized Sirrus also. Hybrids like these with 700c wheels & rigid carbon forks are lighter & faster than 26" hybrids with cheap suspension forks.

[cramman]

Aye, I was thinking of avoiding the suspension bikes, although this one does look nice.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Focus_Lost_Lagoo...

I will have a look the sirus, and also the giant recomended by bike radar.

[snotrag]

The Specialized Cross trail range is really nice too - burlier than the Sirrus (I wouldnt take a sirrus off tarmac personally, and their not warrantied for it) but still with a 700C wheel nice geometry to pile some miles in on the road.

[Roman]

snotrag said:

The Specialized Cross trail range is really nice too - burlier than the Sirrus (I wouldnt take a sirrus off tarmac personally, and their not warrantied for it) but still with a 700C wheel nice geometry to pile some miles in on the road.

I've ridden hundreds of miles on loose surfaced routes on a secondhand Sirrus with no problems - mostly bridleways & forest trails but even some mtb routes too. I'm 95kg and don't ride slow either. The crosstrail just felt heavy & sluggish when I rode one (slower than the Sirrus everywhere & no faster on road than my hardtail with light trekking tyres).

[cramman]

Thanks for the replies, any other ideas out there?

[Mars]

Roman said:

snotrag said:

The Specialized Cross trail range is really nice too - burlier than the Sirrus (I wouldnt take a sirrus off tarmac personally, and their not warrantied for it) but still with a 700C wheel nice geometry to pile some miles in on the road.

I've ridden hundreds of miles on loose surfaced routes on a secondhand Sirrus with no problems - mostly bridleways & forest trails but even some mtb routes too. I'm 95kg and don't ride slow either. The crosstrail just felt heavy & sluggish when I rode one (slower than the Sirrus everywhere & no faster on road than my hardtail with light trekking tyres).

Ah you've sewn the first seed of doubt in my mind.

I have an old rigid hybrid (Specialized Crossroads) from around 1995 I think. I like it but now I'm back into cycling I thought I'd try something else. I want something for riding on the road and towpaths. Nothing rougher than that.

I thought maybe something a little lighter with relatively thin 700c wheels (my current Crossroads has 700x25 and they roll sooooo well), nearly-slick tyres (I don't ride off roads in mud), flat bars and front sus because I'm heavy and my wrists are suffering these days. A little compliance sounds good.

However, everywhere I read I get the impression that bikes are so capable these days that lugging around a front sus is a complete waste. I **thought** the Crosstrail looked the right bike for me (and I have tried one - it's a nice geometry for me) but now I'm wondering whether I'm barking up the wrong tree, and a Sirrus might be better.

The Sirrus doesn't have the sus fork I thought I needed but reading a few comments here suggests perhaps a CF fork would take enough of the harshness out to give my wrists a break (not literally).

I'm not a bike commuter (work is too far) although that is an ambition. I use it for fitness and fun. Guess I need to try a Sirrus.

[Mars]

I think I'll go and try one of these too:

http://www.boardmanbikes.com/hybrid/hybrid_pro.htm...