Help choosing a Hybrid Bicycle

lordrobs · 5 Sep 2015 at 10:10

Saytan said:
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.

Exactly my thoughts on it. You can't take people on a cycling forum as being the norm when saying "everyone upgrades so it is a waste of money". You simply aren't going to get people who say "just thought I'd check in to a cycling enthusiasts forum to let you know that I'm perfectly happy with my hybrid that I use to do 15 miles once or twice a week in the summer" but these people exist in huge numbers!

I also think it is a bit dangerous saying to non cyclists about the off road abilities of cx bikes. Head down position and drop bars take more skill to handle off Road than flat bars with a sit up position.

Value for money at the bottom end gets you a less compromised hybrid compared to a road bike. A couple of hundred quid gets you a hybrid with proper group set (tourney is fine on an entry level hybrid) the same budget on a road bike gets you stem shifters!

FrenchTart · 5 Sep 2015 at 10:23

Saytan said:
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.

Did you even read any of the posts above before you went on this rant?

Saytan · 5 Sep 2015 at 10:35

FrenchTart said:
Did you even read any of the posts above before you went on this rant?

There's a lot of anti-hybrid puff from people whose use-cases are not the same as the OP.

I'm sure they all mean well, but they are applying their own values to the problem.

FrenchTart · 5 Sep 2015 at 10:55

Saytan said:
There's a lot of anti-hybrid puff from people whose use-cases are not the same as the OP.

I'm sure they all mean well, but they are applying their own values to the problem.

I agree with you for the most part. I guess my issue was that there are examples above of people talking about their experiences with hybrids so it's not quite as full of the usual stuff you see.

lordrobs · 5 Sep 2015 at 12:22

Yeah it was only really posts 7, 8 and 9 that caused me to reply

Still, could be worse. Have you ever seen someone ask for advice on people carriers in motors?

Saytan · 5 Sep 2015 at 12:57

lordrobs said:
Still, could be worse. Have you ever seen someone ask for advice on people carriers in motors?

Is "Mondeo ST220" still the answer to 90% of car requirements?

arknor · 5 Sep 2015 at 14:24

I also think it is a bit dangerous saying to non cyclists about the off road abilities of cx bikes. Head down position and drop bars take more skill to handle off Road than flat bars with a sit up position.

you can ride them exactly the same position as you would a hybrid apart from your leaning forward a bit more :S and slightly lower down because the crank won't have the same ground clearance

most cx even have 2 sets of brake levers so you can still use them in the upright position.

anyway did anyone actually say get a cx? he should go get a test ride on a couple of bikes at a lbs and decide which he likes best.

PermaBanned · 5 Sep 2015 at 16:11

My issue with hybrids isn't that "you will inevitably upgrade anyway", it's that there are usually much better options for the price or for a little more.

Anyway, i kind of feel like we scared the OP away

lordrobs · 5 Sep 2015 at 16:11

arknor said:
you can ride them exactly the same position as you would a hybrid apart from your leaning forward a bit more :S and slightly lower down because the crank won't have the same ground clearance

most cx even have 2 sets of brake levers so you can still use them in the upright position.

anyway did anyone actually say get a cx? he should go get a test ride on a couple of bikes at a lbs and decide which he likes best.

You really can't, unless you think riding with your hands on the top of the bars is the same as on the grips of a 600mm bar.

And yes, post number 2 for a start!

PermaBanned said:
My issue with hybrids isn't that "you will inevitably upgrade anyway", it's that there are usually much better options for the price or for a little more.

Anyway, i kind of feel like we scared the OP away

No one has been able to suggest an alternative in budget though.

TBH if I ask for opinions on something and the only responses are basically don't get one, keeping in mind that in the first post he said he'd done a bit of homework and decided that he wanted a hybrid then I wouldn't bother coming back either. If the OP does return then UTmaniac has found a decent suggestion in that Voodoo IMO.