Help Buying A New Bike

L1ght · 19 Jul 2011 at 21:49

Hey guys I need some help in choosing a new bike. I cycle mostly on the road but also go off road sometimes aswell, so would it be best to get a hybrid cycle?

I've chosen a few of these from halfords but have no idea if they'd be any good:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...uctId_786825_langId_-1_categoryId_165534#dtab

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_810623_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_777701_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

My budget would be about the £750 mark, I've read some reviews but if anyone could give me any advice it would be really appreciated. Cheers.

SickAsAParrot · 20 Jul 2011 at 16:36

Go for the Boardman if you can afford it, it is a country mile better than the others, which are way too heavy, and you'll probably regret front suspension if you're mostly on the road.

Alternatively don't go to Halfords, there are superb hybrids by the likes of Scott, Kona, Specialized, Giant etc all around the £500-600 mark, should be available in most decent bike shops.

Hamster · 20 Jul 2011 at 18:51

I had been looking at cyclocross bikes and hybrids and after a lot of test rides and time, the Boardman Hybrid Pro won my heart. After a change of grips to Ergon GC3 and some Michelin Krylion Carbon tyres I love it. I've tried the Boardman Team you linked to in your first post and which was a positive experience and it's a bike I wouldn't hesitate in recommending as long as that's the geometry and riding position for you. If you decide on the Boardman, keep a lookout for 10% discount codes which are nearly always available. Also I agree with the above, the other two bikes are a lot heavier and that's a bad feature of cheaper hybrids.

L1ght · 20 Jul 2011 at 20:26

Cool thanks for the feedback guys. Could you suggest any hybrids from the other makes you suggested?

I'll start looking around again as the Boardman is quite expensive but in the end I would buy it if the quality outweighs the other competition.

Hamster · 20 Jul 2011 at 21:28

Personally I wouldn't touch a Kona even though you can get big savings on them. I took a couple of their pricier Dew range of hybrids and they felt cheap in comparison to the Boardman. You'll also want to try a couple and get some idea of how long a top tube you want on the bike as this will determine your riding position. Some parts such as stem length and saddle can be adjusted/changed slightly but you can't change the top tube length! For me my knees felt uncomfortably close to the bars with the Kona bikes but the Boardman's top tube is far longer meaning it's a more agressive riding position comparatively.

Also do have a look at the other brands SickAsAParrot suggests as they are all reputable. As with anything, the more you pay the better the spec will be. If you want to test ride most other makes, Evans are a good bet as they can get any size of their bikes in for you for a small deposit which is fully refunded if you don't like the bike.

Jonny ///M · 20 Jul 2011 at 23:10

The boardman will have an aggressive geometry as it's essentially a flat bar road bike really. The saddle is pish, the wheels are so so and the brakes don't like the winter very much and need a good bleed every 6 months probably.

A similar bike to the boardman is the GT Tachyon range as these are basically flat bar racers but they have short Vbrakes rather than discs. I'd say these would be lighter than the boardman.

Gt also do a transeo(has front suspension and a semi knobbly tyre) and the traffic(is rigid and is aimed at commuters as it has internal cables to prevent rust build up on them).

Cannondale do the badboy which is a very well made bike and is available with hydraulic discs in the 700c version and it has MTB components so are bombproof. I love the stealth look of these and they aren't quite as aggressive as the boardman. They also do the Quick range with rigid and front suspension options. I'd go for something like the Quick 2 with rigid fork and tiagra road gearing. The quick range has a short top tube and long head tube so is more of a 'set up and beg' style of hybrid.

Lastly if it's only light off road and mainly on road I'd throw in the cross bike suggestion. Something like a cannondale caadx tiagra that retails at £900 but can be had for 15% if you ask nicely(aren't allowed to discount as it 'devalues the brand'). These are quite big made and even a 54cm felt big to me and I'm 5' 10" ish.

There is also the Kona Jake which is somewhat better gearing as it has a triple chainset rather than a cross double which means you get both an easier gear and a slightly harder hard gear with a gear inbetween too. Shame it has no eyelets for a rack or mudguards though...which the cannondale has.

L1ght · 25 Aug 2011 at 21:16

It's been a while and I think I've decided on getting the GT Tachyon 2.0 2011 Hybrid Bike. Does anyone else have this bike or any advice? Also would selecting a large frame be sufficient as I'm about 6ft-6.1ft.

Thanks for all the advice so far.