Hybrid Recommendations around £200 /£250?

massivebigtoe

Hello.

I want to start commuting to work again and have decided to buy my first ‘proper’ bike. All my life I have been riding shoddy generic mountain bikes and have had enough! I’ve decided I’m going to get a hybrid for commuting and long rides at weekends and sometime in the future a mountain bike for trails etc.

I have quite a low budget, around the £200 / £250 mark, unfortunately my employers don’t have a buyback scheme (well they do, but I’m agency, so I’m not allowed). Can anyone recommend a bike for long rides at weekends & the daily (9 mile round trip) commute on quite bumpy roads?

Also is buying a bike of the internet (Evans, Chain Reaction Etc…) a bad idea? There is a distinct lack of bike shops where I live (Near Birmingham).

I had been looking at: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=19760 just because it fits my criteria.

TheBoyBilly

Evans are selling last year's Specialized Globe hybrids for £229 which will be a revelation after the BSOs you've been used to. Or maybe you will find something online here:

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLqrymode.a4p

Good luck

Bill

andy83

where abouts in birmingham are you, i know of quite a few really good bike shops in birmingham

massivebigtoe

I'm in Dudley so around 10 miles from Birmingham....anywhere around Birmingham/Wolverhampton is easy for me to get to any suggestions? The bike shops I've been to seem to have a lack of......bikes.

Jamey

I got my Specialized Crossroads for £200 from Evans in one of their sales (reduced down from £250 I think) and it's lasted me very well.

Just remember to keep it looked after - up to you whether you want to do this yourself or pay to get it serviced like I did when I started. Evans will do the first service free of charge (within a month of purchase) for any bikes sold by them.

cakewalk

massivebigtoe wrote:

Hello.

I want to start commuting to work again and have decided to buy my first ‘proper’ bike. All my life I have been riding shoddy generic mountain bikes and have had enough! I’ve decided I’m going to get a hybrid for commuting and long rides at weekends and sometime in the future a mountain bike for trails etc.

I have quite a low budget, around the £200 / £250 mark, unfortunately my employers don’t have a buyback scheme (well they do, but I’m agency, so I’m not allowed). Can anyone recommend a bike for long rides at weekends & the daily (9 mile round trip) commute on quite bumpy roads?

Also is buying a bike of the internet (Evans, Chain Reaction Etc…) a bad idea? There is a distinct lack of bike shops where I live (Near Birmingham).

I had been looking at: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=19760 just because it fits my criteria.

I would avoid the net - you are very likely to have the odd niggle with a bike so very useful to have shop to pop back to - you should also get at least one service for free.

For great service and a stock of cheap, good value bikes try Scott Cycles in Hall Green. Same family for over 100 years. Got my wife a cheap 3 speed commuter for £170. They are great on repairs.

A bit more money to spend? Birmingham City Cycles (Bristol Street). Just brought a Trek Madone from them - they stock a nice range of Trek commuter bikes also.

simon_e

Buying over t'internet is OK if you know what you want. For a new bike it's always worth trying some out - most people find one model naturally feels right while another equally capable bike doesn't light their fire.

If you can pop to Wolverhampton try http://www.fredwilliamscycles.co.uk (Snow Hill) or Leisure Lakes.

andy83

Birmingham city cycles i can recomend

also two smaller ones i like to use are northfield cycles and bike pro in kings heath, bike pro have some great bikes there

richk

cakewalk wrote:

massivebigtoe wrote:

...

For great service and a stock of cheap, good value bikes try Scott Cycles in Hall Green. Same family for over 100 years. Got my wife a cheap 3 speed commuter for £170. They are great on repairs.

...

They also have a shop in Rubery which is just a bit nearer to you.