What Bikes? Budget £600

kingston

Hi there,

I wonder if anyone can help me choose the right bike for my budget and needs.I am buying two bikes - one for me and one for my girlfriend.

We intend to use the bikes for weekend cycling - mostly on roads, towpaths, and perhaps the occasional woodland path (no severe terrain). I am not mechanically minded so maintenace, upgrades, etc need to be kept to a minimum. Ideally I'd also like to buy two bikes from the same manufacturer so we can share equipment, etc.

I am leaning towards a Hybrid bike and have a budget of £300 for each bike. So far I am considering the Specialized Globe Carmel 1 (£265 - Evans, womans version available), the Giant M2 (£300), or the Revolution Courier Race (£300)....

Could I get an expert opinion? Any other suggestions?

Thank you![/b]

maddog 2

Evans have the Sirrus discounted at £293, which is a good price for a well balanced bike, spec-wise

see http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... ery=sirrus

If you're unfortunate enough to live in the big city then you could nip down to one of their shops and have a ride on one.

tyax

Can't give you an expert opinion, but I looked at the Courier Race last year and found it (IMHO) underspec'd for the money, specifically around the gearing - 8 speeds only. Single chainring on the front just doesn't seem right on a £300 bike, but as I said I'm no expert Looked the part in the flesh tho...

I ended up going for a Focus Blue Ridge from Wiggle for £240 in the January sales as it had full Deore 27-speed gears and brakes, but it's not being sold any more and the current Focus hybrids are all significantly higher priced I also looked at the Sirrus, and it does look like a great bike, but I never managed to get to an Evans to look at one.