Help choosing a Hybrid Bicycle

chris1012

chris1012

chris1012

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Hi guys,

I do not know much about bicycles however I need a bicycle in a budget of £300-£400 to use mainly for leisure - local cycling on the roads, some off road (field with hills and some drops) and possible future commuting to work.

From my limited knowledge and a little research, it seems to me I need a hybrid bike.

The few I have had a look and are in budget are the following -

1. 2015 Giant Escape 3 Hybrid
2. Boardman Hybrid Comp
3. Carrera Crosspath Hybrid
4. Carrera Crossfire 2 Hybrid
5. Trek 8.2 DS Hybrid

The bike will be kept outdoors in a bike shed, so ideally I need a bike that can with stand all weather conditions (the bike hanger has a roof to protect from direct rain but the sides have air holes) and ideally less than 11kg in weight (the lighter the better).

I am not sure if there are any other better bikes in my price range and welcome any other suggestions.

Many Thanks
 
Okay well, lot of things to consider. Firstly, don't worry so much about weight, most reputable bikes in this budget will be more or less the same and there'll be more important factors to consider before that.

Hybrids are something of a controversial topic. They might be okay for just starting out but before long you will start to feel their limitations - mainly that they don't do anything particularly well, they're not suitable for real off road terrain and they're slower and less comfortable on roads than real road bikes. It's probably worth considering a cyclocross bike, which is the real "do it all" option. Can handle roads very well but also don't come up short on trails, grass, mud, gravel etc. They do start at around £400-500 new though, unfortunately, eg:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-substance-sora-2015/
 
Without getting into the 'what bike is best for you' debate, I'll just pick up on the question of wanting a bike that can withstand all weather conditions..

In this sense all bikes are pretty much equal, assuming it has an aluminium alloy frame, which it 99% will do, then frame rust isn't an issue, what could be an issue is the chain /gears etc falling foul to the weather if not kept in good order.. The only way around this is to keep it reasonably clean and lubed.
 
There is no £300-400 bike that will withstand all weather conditions. Something on there will eventually rust if left out in wet weather; the chain, stem bolts, any scratched spokes, headset nut, pedals, cassette, the list goes on.

Is there any way you can improve the bike shed, or is it a communal one?
 
everyone hates hybrids and they look stupid because of how tall they are.

you know on windy days when your walking and it feels like you are fighting the wind for every step.

thats what a hybrid feels like when theres a bit of wind
 
It is difficult as soon as someone mentions off road because it opens up a whole world of potential terrains that you might want to ride on.

Personally I don't take my one on anything rougher than a gravel path but I do also have a MTB to use. My biggest recommendation would be to make sure you get one with disc brakes as anything other than road use can get your rim brakes pretty cruddy.

arknor said:
everyone hates hybrids and they look stupid because of how tall they are.

you know on windy days when your walking and it feels like you are fighting the wind for every step.

thats what a hybrid feels like when theres a bit of wind
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Yup, everyone hates them. That is why they are the most popular type of bike in the UK. As for looking stupid, no more so than any other type of bike. Yes you are a bit more exposed to the wind and that is the main reason they aren't as quick as a drop bar bike but it takes more than a bit of wind before they become a real effort to ride.

Jono said:
This. Don't buy a hybrid; you're almost certain to regret it.
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I see a lot of people who 'regret' getting their (£200) hybrid when they replace it with their (£500+) road bike because it is "so much better". Well... yeah, I'd hope so for more than double the price. And why did they decide to shell out big money on the road bike? Normally because they got into cycling on the hybrid! I honestly don't understand the hate for them TBH and my one still gets used regularly despite me owning a road bike worth more than double the price I paid for the hybrid.
 
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As discussed they're a good 'starter' and due to everyone eventually replacing them you should be able to find a second hand one with a great setup loads cheaper than say a CX/Road bike.

Good points Rob.

For me a Hybrid is an 'easy' choice when you're 'seeing what this cycling lark is about' and have no idea about what surfaces you'll generally be riding. For that flexibility alone they will always have a market! I think for your first foray into cycling you should be looking at a £250-350 second hand price range hybrid, you wouldn't find a disc or any CX style bike in that price range. Because it is your 'starter bike' you will be replacing it in due time and that really is the time NOT to buy a new hybrid! :D
 
Spot on Roady. Going back to 2011 when I bought my hybrid I very occasionally rode a MTB and wanted something without knobbly tyres and suspension forks to get to work on. There is no way I'd have even considered a drop bar bike and there is no way I'd have broken the £200 barrier.

If I hadn't got that hybrid I wouldn't have (eventually) gone out on rides on the road other than to get somewhere and I wouldn't have (eventually) after over a year of 'should I or shouldn't I?' bought my road bike.

But now I have and has my initial £180 been wasted? Nope, not in my opinion. I've clocked up over a thousand miles on it and it still gets used when I don't want to ruin my more expensive bike.
 
lordrobs said:
I see a lot of people who 'regret' getting their (£200) hybrid when they replace it with their (£500+) road bike because it is "so much better". Well... yeah, I'd hope so for more than double the price. And why did they decide to shell out big money on the road bike? Normally because they got into cycling on the hybrid! I honestly don't understand the hate for them TBH and my one still gets used regularly despite me owning a road bike worth more than double the price I paid for the hybrid.
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I agree that them "looking stupid" is not a good reason for buying one.

Personally I had a ~£700 hybrid and though I liked it at first I realised over a few months that I really should've bought a road bike. "Luckily" my hybrid was stolen so I had the perfect excuse to upgrade :p :(

Hybrids tend to be more uncomfortable to ride (the hand position on them is unnatural compared to drop handlebars), heavier and lower spec for the equivalently priced road bike. On top of that, nearly everyone that buys a hybrid does so for the wrong reasons - assuming that somehow it will be good at riding on road and off ("hybrid"). It's actually not great at either and people often overemphasise the off-road requirements of their riding.

Given that so many people make the switch from hybrid to road bikes everyone chimes in because they don't want the person to make the same mistake they did and potentially waste a few hundred quid on a bike that will be quickly replaced. I know you still use yours but you have to admit that you're in the minority with that. I can see how it's frustrating to read endless comments talking about how cack hybrids are when you personally don't mind them of course.
 
Maybe I am in the minority owning a road bike and still using my hybrid on the road. TBH it will probably go eventually as I no longer ride to work and as I get a 'better' road bike my current one will be relegated to being the cheap bike and take over winter hack duties.

I don't mind if people don't like them and I only really get frustrated from the point that when people specifically ask for advice on a hybrid they get told not to buy one because they look stupid. Or to buy a hardtail MTB without knowing what sort of off road riding they will be doing or how much. If only 10% was off road and off road meant a slightly rough footpath I'd rather have a hybrid than a MTB!

I also think that the performance differences are over estimated. On a flat route when it isn't blowing a gale the average speed difference between my 30lb £180 hybrid and 20lb £455 road bike is 1 - 1.5mph over a 10 mile+ ride. Add hills and wind and that could become 1.5 - 2mph... maybe. Take similar cost bikes and you can reduce those differences I'd bet.

As for comfort, on my hybrid I get bum ache, on my road bike my shoulders start to feel cramped so I can't win on either :p

People who have been there like yourself and can say "Well, I bought one and I regret it because..." actually add something worth while and I think that is a good thing for the OP.
 
I actually have to bite my lip every time one of these threads come up as I really really get the urge to warn people away from hybrids. I've found it best to simply not comment for the most part.
 
lordrobs said:
It is difficult as soon as someone mentions off road because it opens up a whole world of potential terrains that you might want to ride on.

Personally I don't take my one on anything rougher than a gravel path but I do also have a MTB to use. My biggest recommendation would be to make sure you get one with disc brakes as anything other than road use can get your rim brakes pretty cruddy.


Yup, everyone hates them. That is why they are the most popular type of bike in the UK. As for looking stupid, no more so than any other type of bike. Yes you are a bit more exposed to the wind and that is the main reason they aren't as quick as a drop bar bike but it takes more than a bit of wind before they become a real effort to ride.



I see a lot of people who 'regret' getting their (£200) hybrid when they replace it with their (£500+) road bike because it is "so much better". Well... yeah, I'd hope so for more than double the price. And why did they decide to shell out big money on the road bike? Normally because they got into cycling on the hybrid! I honestly don't understand the hate for them TBH and my one still gets used regularly despite me owning a road bike worth more than double the price I paid for the hybrid.
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Hybrids are popular not because they are the right bike for people, but generally because people new to cycling don't know what they want. They don't have any experience to make a decision based on anything, so they plump for what appears to be the 'do it all', 'jack of all trades' type bike.

Then what happens is they ride for a bit and realise what they actually want to be doing - whether it's mountain biking, cross or road. And they ditch the hybrid and get a more appropriate bike.

It's not that hybrids don't have a place. People are really just trying to advise that if you can narrow down what you really want to do initially, you can go straight to the right type of bike and not spend the money on a hybrid first. And the advice comes because lots of us have been there (me included!). :)

If you genuinely don't know, i guess get a hybrid. And definitely don't buy new - there's loads of cheap hybrids second hand. But just be aware it's not really 'do it all', more 'do nothing very well but it beats walking'.
 
Hybrids get a lot of hate from the new generation of road cyclists, all of whom will insist at great length that you should buy a CX (cyclocross) bike instead. It's bizarre.

Hybrids are great bikes for normals who want to potter round their local area. They offer the sit-up position with a good view around that the casual cyclist craves, while being much less draggy than a mountain bike, and a lot of them are better offroad than a CX bike. Virtually all of my non-cycling (and by this I mean they don't consider a 60 mile club ride a "nice little potter") friends who ride have hybrids and they couldn't be happier.

Basically cyclists are rubbish at recommending bikes other than the type they understand. It's like asking your mate who's into 2 seater sports cars which MPV you should buy.
 
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