Starter Hybrid Bike for £300? £400?
Discussion
I've bought my kids bikes, suppose I ought to get myself one. We live on a single track road, so initially the bike for me is to ride out with them. Possibly I would then like to progress to riding to work. This is around 6.5miles, on country roads, quite hilly (2 valley sides and a mile or so in the middle). The bit at the bottom of the hills in the middle used to be NSL and is now 40mph, but nobody seems to pay attention to the new limit, so is dangerous. I could make the journey a little longer and only have to cross the road, rather than ride along it.
I'm thinking hybrid, need a big frame (22" ideally) but beyond that I don't really know. The ones in Halfords look like I'd break them in 5 minutes flat. Would prefer disc brakes, but only on a vanity thing.
Can I get a decent starter hybrid for under £400 or even under £300? I imagine riding it to work, watching the heavens open, getting a taxi home and the bike living its days in the shed - but you never know.
Any help appreciated.
I'm thinking hybrid, need a big frame (22" ideally) but beyond that I don't really know. The ones in Halfords look like I'd break them in 5 minutes flat. Would prefer disc brakes, but only on a vanity thing.
Can I get a decent starter hybrid for under £400 or even under £300? I imagine riding it to work, watching the heavens open, getting a taxi home and the bike living its days in the shed - but you never know.
Any help appreciated.
The boardman hybrids from Halfords are supposed to be very good, I got myself a Giant Roam for £400, but it doesn't have discs. As the previous poster suggested, lots of stuff on sale right now as the 2014 bikes start to appear, so it's a good time to buy.
As for riding it to work, give it a week or two and you'll probably be enjoying the commute so much that you'll start looking at what other bikes you might buy to stick alongside it in the garage. I'm just about to start my 3rd month of commuting on mine and it already has a new stablemate for longer weekend rides.
As for riding it to work, give it a week or two and you'll probably be enjoying the commute so much that you'll start looking at what other bikes you might buy to stick alongside it in the garage. I'm just about to start my 3rd month of commuting on mine and it already has a new stablemate for longer weekend rides.
I'm probably being distracted by the 'final clearance' price, but are these any good?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380668263495
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/380668263495
Never heard of those before.....
What are the roads like? Hybrids can be at a bit of a loss on both fronts, neither a MTB for rough tracks nor a road bike which is more efficient on smoother roads.
For the money youve got I'd not bother with front suspension. At that price it equals weight and although may do something, wont make a massive difference over rigid.
Second hand might be the way, even suggest a cyclocross bike?? stronger wheelset than a roadie but better than an mtb on road.
What are the roads like? Hybrids can be at a bit of a loss on both fronts, neither a MTB for rough tracks nor a road bike which is more efficient on smoother roads.
For the money youve got I'd not bother with front suspension. At that price it equals weight and although may do something, wont make a massive difference over rigid.
Second hand might be the way, even suggest a cyclocross bike?? stronger wheelset than a roadie but better than an mtb on road.
Thanks for all the comments. Maybe 2nd hand is the way to go. As a teen I used to love cycling (on a racer), a decade+ ago I had a Claud (sp?) Butler mountain bike which I used on the roads (lived in town, worked in town) and seemed ok. I'm a bit heavier/more unfit than those days, so thought a hybrid would suit. If I get hooked I'll buy something more fancy, but if it gets forgotten about quickly, it seemed a sensible budget to start.
Roads are bad enough that I would worry about hitting something on a racer style wheel, but thinking the mountain bike wheels would make the hill climbs harder (maybe incorrectly).
Roads are bad enough that I would worry about hitting something on a racer style wheel, but thinking the mountain bike wheels would make the hill climbs harder (maybe incorrectly).
Cyclocross bikes are pretty robust, stronger wheelsets than 700c, plus you have a bike that when youre commuting will go as fast as you push it, MTB's are usually much heavier and bigger tyres slow you down. Also the gearing is more suitable for the road. I have a Specialized hybrid at the workshop which I thought would be good to get to work on, but in reality the gearing was rubbish and is now resigned to pit transport!
I had a Sirrus Sport a few years ago. It was neither fish nor fowl really; sold as a hybrid but not really any more usable than a roadie because you couldn't put significantly wider tyres on it, but nowhere near as quick as a roadie due to the riding position, aero and gearing.
Now I have a Crosstrail Comp and a proper road bike (Triban 5A). The Crosstrail is as quick as the Sirrus was for me but more relaxed to ride and capable off road. I'd go for something like that over the Sirrus.
Now I have a Crosstrail Comp and a proper road bike (Triban 5A). The Crosstrail is as quick as the Sirrus was for me but more relaxed to ride and capable off road. I'd go for something like that over the Sirrus.
Thanks Jobbo. I'm trying to stick to my £400 budget, although the other night I was online and I kept justifying an extra £50 or £100 here & there and I was looking at £1000+ bikes before I knew it. With the best will in the world, I'm not someone who particularly looks after my belongings, so didn't want to go crazy to start with. Happy to spend more on bike #2 if I get the bug.
ETA: The crosstrail comes in other styles beyond the comp, any good?
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/cr...
ETA: The crosstrail comes in other styles beyond the comp, any good?
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/cr...
Ah, well I wouldn't necessarily recommend any Specialized bike at anything near RRP! I don't think they offer good value in terms of kit for the money, particularly compared to things like the BTwin bikes at Decathlon. I'd have had to spend twice as much as my Triban 5 cost to get a similarly specced Allez, for instance.
Not too much wrong with this at £300: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
Though to be honest I'd prefer lockout forks.
This is much preferable - rigid forks, 700c wheels, but 20" is the biggest frame: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
Some good discounts at Evans at the moment too.
Though to be honest I'd prefer lockout forks.
This is much preferable - rigid forks, 700c wheels, but 20" is the biggest frame: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
Some good discounts at Evans at the moment too.
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