Some advice on getting a first Hybrid - Opinions Please

The_didge

Right,

Ive been looking around for a decent used hybrid.
My budget is around the £200 mark hence why im looking for something used.
Ideally i would like the bike to have Disk Brakes and also a sequential gear system(not sure what theyre called as i come from a high performance car background)

I will be doing 30 miles per day in London as well as the occasional ride to a coast or something so the bike needs to be fairly comfortable.

So far i have had a look at the following but would like peoples opinions as im an absolute numpty when it comes to bikes:)

Gary Fisher Kaitai 2009 Hybrid Bike

Giant Escape M1

Trek 7.3 FX

Ive seen these bikes on Gumtree as im not sure where else to be looking.

I was told to go to Brick Lane but after reading about all the stolen bikes ive decided not to.

Any input on the bikes above would be appreciated, also any other good bikes within that range that you can recomend would be helpful.

Greg T

The_didge wrote:

I will be doing 30 miles per day in London as well as the occasional ride to a coast or something so the bike needs to be fairly comfortable.

Are you dead set on a hybrid?

30 miles a day is a lot and trips to the coast will be a ton easy, so - and there's plenty who will disagree with this - I'd suggest a road bike.

What are your reasons for wanting a hybrid?

The_didge

I would rather have a more upright position, also wider tires are on wish list. Ive been on a road bike and it just seemed too serious for me.
My kids live down in kent and thers a load of good roads down there that would kill a road bike but a mountain bike is a bit overkill - hence the hybrid.

Can you recomend a good road bike that would do/cope with what i need?

biondino

Greg T wrote:

The_didge wrote:

I will be doing 30 miles per day in London as well as the occasional ride to a coast or something so the bike needs to be fairly comfortable.

Are you dead set on a hybrid?

30 miles a day is a lot and trips to the coast will be a ton easy, so - and there's plenty who will disagree with this - I'd suggest a road bike.

What are your reasons for wanting a hybrid?

Strange sense of deja vu...

blu3cat

I agree with Greg T and a road bike would make the commute easier. I did my 17 mile round trip on a Marin Muirwoods hybrid for a year and loved it, steel, heavy, but soooooooo comfortable.

If your heart is set on hybrid I would offer the following bits of advice.

Don't get suspension forks, if you are going to be purely on roads, you are unlikely to need them and they will increase the cost of the bike.

Same for disc brakes, v brakes should be good enough for commuting.

You may want to try looking at a flat bar road bike there's a couple of models, they are more roadlike frames with hybrid handlebars and gear changers / brakes etc.

Jay dubbleU

I would go for the Giant - I've had mine for nearly a year and its done the daily commute, forestry trails in Scotland, weekend road runs, pretty much anything really.

Tip - change the tyres - the Maxxis it comes with are rubbish off road - I swapped mine for Schwalbe marathons and I've only had one puncture on and off road in the last 6 months

Hey Jax

DON'T!
dive in the deep end and get a roadie... you'll end up with one eventually anyway

The_didge

I see that alot of people prefer a roadie to a hybrid...

I will eventually get two bikes, i know that but i cant justify getting a bike that will only do one thing for now.

What does a roadie offer more than a hybrid?

Im not looking for a hardcore bike that will allow me to do 200mph and fly.... Yet!
I just want something to get back into cycling

Kieran_Burns

No. Don't get a roadie, get a Cyclocross bike. You get the option of the more comfortable ride (greater tolerances for the wider tyres) and a stronger frame, giving you the ability to mix road and off road with a single bike.

CX - it's the dark side, you get a free cape.

oscarbudgie

If you can stretch to £250 - £270 you should be able to get a s/h Boardman Comp hybrid on ebay. Nearer to a flat bar road bike than a hybrid I'd say (runs on 28c's) so quite fast, well regarded and has all the kit you've asked for

biondino

On a long ride, the hybrid's extra weight and poor aerodynamics will mean you're putting in a real and considerable amount more effort to travel more slowly. On a commute, this might be fine - beneficial, even, as it won't make a huge difference on a short journey and will be better "training". But for longer rides it becomes a serious handicap.

As Oscarbudgie says, the grey area between road bike and hybrid (which I guess must be a hybrid hybrid of sorts!) may be right for you - a light road frame, relatively narrow and light slickish wheels, and a flat bar (if you fancy) for a more upright position.

CXers are just weird.

The_didge

Any examples of a hybrid hybrid

Or what exactly should i be looking for?

A road bike , then convert the diffrent bits i want? Do most parts just swap over?

Thanks

biondino

The Specialized Sirrus is the archetype (the cheapest is £290 ish so it'd have to be secondhand):



Parts don't swap over easily in many cases - for example, it's usually not actually cost-effective to go from drops to flats or vice versa - so I wouldn't take that avenue. Really, you just have to test ride the various kinds - a full on road bike, a Sirrus type, a trad hybrid, even a slicked hardtail mountain bike if you like. And see how they all feel.

jimmypippa

Kieran_Burns

I am seriously considering a CX for my next bike. It will probably be next April (C2W).

But anyway, what have you liked and disliked about your CX bike (and what is it)?

I really want panniers and mudguards.

I think a CX is justified, given some of the extensions to my commute:
Lighten the tone, why do you commute by bike?

alfablue

No, don't convert a road bike, this will put the costs up unnecessarily.

By a "hybrid hybrid" this probably means what some would call a flat barred road bike - it is pretty much as per a road bike apart from the flat bars, for example Genesis Day, Carrera Gryphon, Giant FCR etc. These will have 700c (road bike) wheels, but will most likely have clearance for larger tyres and mudguards.

The other sort of hybrid is more like a mountain bike, heavier frame, V brakes, 26 inch mtb wheels.

Kieran_Burns

jimmypippa wrote:

Kieran_Burns

I am seriously considering a CX for my next bike. It will probably be next April (C2W).

But anyway, what have you liked and disliked about your CX bike (and what is it)?

I really want panniers and mudguards.

I think a CX is justified, given some of the extensions to my commute:
Lighten the tone, why do you commute by bike?

Specialized Tricross Sport.

Dislikes? The tyres I guess, they just aren't suitable for the road. The extra brakes on the flat section of the bars restricts the room for comp / light / bell (essential for my commute), so you **need** an extender

Likes: everything else. It is a FINE bike, perfectly suited for a commute over country road / bridleway / urban roads. Soaks up the bumps and is almost as quick as a roadie. Gearing is spot on - goes from 30/34 to 50/11. The clearances allow for 32c tyres with mudguards, you have great brakes, mount points for the panniers and it is surprisingly light.

The Dark Side is calling..... Darth Jimmy

Kieran_Burns

alfablue wrote:

No, don't convert a road bike, this will put the costs up unnecessarily.

By a "hybrid hybrid" this probably means what some would call a flat barred road bike - it is pretty much as per a road bike apart from the flat bars, for example Genesis Day, Carrera Gryphon, Giant FCR etc. These will have 700c (road bike) wheels, but will most likely have clearance for larger tyres and mudguards.

The other sort of hybrid is more like a mountain bike, heavier frame, V brakes, 26 inch mtb wheels.

My other bike - fine for roads, but I had issues with the rougher sections, the biggest tyres you can sensibly fit are 28c and it is quite heavy. Brakes are a bit poor as well

The_didge

Doubt i would find a Specialized Tricross Sport for less than £300 so it might be something to lookinto in the future.

Unless you wanna sell yours :P

Kieran_Burns

The_didge wrote:

Doubt i would find a Specialized Tricross Sport for less than £300 so it might be something to lookinto in the future.

Unless you wanna sell yours :P

*cough*bollocks*cough*

R_T_A

The_didge wrote:

Any examples of a hybrid hybrid

Or what exactly should i be looking for?

Hi Didge,

I've got what is classified as a "fast hybrid" (Giant Escape R1) - looks like a MTB but with skinnier road (700c) wheels. They're not really thin though (32mm).

I use it on my 20 mile round trip every day on country roads (pot holes included).

Pros
- It's a lot quicker than my MTB, and I'm enjoying it.
- It's more upright than a roadie, so it's comfy and I feel safe in traffic (my view - I'm sure you are on a roadie with drop bars too).
- It takes all the abuse I've thrown at it, including pretty harsh canal towpaths/bridleways.

Cons
- It's a "Jack of all trades; Master of none". That's why most people are negative on hybrids: it's a stepping stone to what they were really after in the first place.
- It's certainly not the lightest bike, so if you're looking for all out speed then it's not your thing. Now I'm doing my commute every day, I want to go quicker and beat my PB
- You probably don't need disc brakes (I've got hydraulic ones and not sure if they're really justified - but I wanted them and they work well even in the wet ).
- I bought it with the intention of doing the off road stuff a bit more. I don't, as it's not as good as the MTB.

It's certainly been a good purchase for me, and I don't regret it.

In hindsight, would I buy an all out roadie now? Probably.

Hope that helps.

sarajoy

I have a Specialized Vita (very like a Sirrus).

700C, 28mm tyres, slicks, and it's pretty light when I remove all my crap off it (panniers etc - I find the addition of the lock on its own is pretty noticeable when carrying it)!!

I took it down a "bike trail" a couple of times - gravelly, the odd wooded/muddy bit, the bike was at the limit of what it could do, the slicks struggled going uphill in the wooded/muddy/gravelly areas - I could do it if I pumped hard at the bottom and prayed for momentum to get me most of the way up!

28mm feel nice on the road - not very skinny but still just-about sleek-looking! I toy with swapping to 25mms occasionally but the tyres seem incredibly solid so far and it'd be a shame to swap them before they're worn. They do pump up to 100+ psi so I guess the rolling resistance is lower than MTB/slower hybrid tyres.

Very pleased with it overall

meanwhile

The_didge wrote:

I see that alot of people prefer a roadie to a hybrid...

People who spend big bucks on bicycles need a lot of validation.

I will eventually get two bikes, i know that but i cant justify getting a bike that will only do one thing for now.

What does a roadie offer more than a hybrid?

It goes marginally faster under conditions of very high effort by a very fit rider. At least if the hybrid is a decent one. The costs are a poorer braking position, poor visibility, less comfort, second rate braking (although damn few people who ride racers know how to use the brakes properly anyway) etc.

And anyone who tells you to get a road racer without asking how much you weigh - they are skinny-boy bikes - is just extra silly.

Im not looking for a hardcore bike that will allow me to do 200mph and fly.... Yet!
I just want something to get back into cycling

Find a bike you like that fits you and put good tyres on it. Don't buy anything with suspension, don't buy tyres with much of a tread pattern. Do find out about the Bike To Work scheme or whatever it is called - you could get a big discount on a new bike.

meanwhile

biondino wrote:

On a long ride, the hybrid's extra weight and poor aerodynamics will mean you're putting in a real and considerable amount more effort to travel more slowly.

A fast hybrid design will only be less aerodynamic than a racer if you're in the racer's drops, and even then this will only matter at sweat busting speeds. Not relevant to commuting in traffic, I'd suggest.

And a hybrid isn't heavier or lighter than a racer - expensive bikes weigh less than cheap ones and that's it!

To give an idea how silly Bio's weight claim is, my 93-ish Kona Lava Dome hardtail MTB weighs 21lb wearing offroad tyres and rims and a triple chainset. That's 5lb less Edinburugh Bike's entry level cyclocross bike, and 2 or 3 less than their entry level racer! And I could probably lose 1lb or 2lb setting the bike up as a road-only machine.

Oh - and some very high-bred (haha) racers sacrifice longevity for lightness, but thinking about buying one of those for commuting on a £200 budget would be REALLY idiotic.

The other thing that is idiotic is concentrating on weight in the first place! This is a commute not a race, and weight reductions on the bike have a tiny effect - because what matters is bike weight plus rider weight.

For commuting in traffic, a flat bar is a good choice - I saw someone damn near die because he was riding a droppie in traffic and couldn't brake from the position he was in. And for £200, forget bollocks about weight saving. Look for alloy rims (steel ones don't brake in the wet) and a bike that fits you that's in good condition.

Underscore

I will eventually get two bikes, i know that but i cant justify getting a bike that will only do one thing for now.

What does a roadie offer more than a hybrid?

It goes marginally faster under conditions of very high effort by a very fit rider. At least if the hybrid is a decent one. The costs are a poorer braking position, poor visibility, less comfort, second rate braking (although damn few people who ride racers know how to use the brakes properly anyway) etc.

And anyone who tells you to get a road racer without asking how much you weigh - they are skinny-boy bikes - is just extra silly.

Boy, that's the biggest load of twaddle that I've read on here in a while. I have a 700c Hybrid (Spesh Sirrus) and a road bike (Giant Defy), both of which get used for commuting and longer runs on the way home when the weather is good. I weigh in at a little under 14 stone, so I'm neither that fit nor that skinny, but the road bike is able to cope with me just fine. I would also estimate that, for a given level of effort, the road bike will go about 10% quicker - not just when I'm trying hard.

I would also say that there is minimal difference in braking performance between the v-brakes on my hybrid and the dual-pivots on my road bike. Provided properly adjusted, either give a perfectly adequate amount of braking.

A fast hybrid design will only be less aerodynamic than a racer if you're in the racer's drops, and even then this will only matter at sweat busting speeds. Not relevant to commuting in traffic, I'd suggest.

That's such a sweeping generalisation as to be a worthless comment. Some hybrids are very much sit-up-and-beg (and as aerodynamic as a portaloo), some road bikes require your ar$e to be higher than your head. However, my Sirrus, with its stem flipped, is reasonably aerodynamic (ignoring the issue of the infeasibly wide bars) and the Defy - being a sportive-style bike - has a pretty relaxed riding position. It's a continuum, not a black and white situation.

I certainly get the appeal of both hybrid and road bikes. Despite what some say, I would rather ride my hybrid in busy traffic and rather ride my road bike over longer distances. However, I have ridden my roadie in towns and I've done a 76 mile day on my hybrid in the past. Figure out what you're going to be using it for and pick the appropriate bike for that. You're the one who'll be riding it so, while it's worth listening to advice, don't be pressured into getting something that you don't want by people here, or in the bike shop.

HTH,

_

amnezia

meanwhile wrote:

It goes marginally faster under conditions of very high effort by a very fit rider. At least if the hybrid is a decent one. The costs are a poorer braking position, poor visibility, less comfort, second rate braking (although damn few people who ride racers know how to use the brakes properly anyway) etc.

And anyone who tells you to get a road racer without asking how much you weigh - they are skinny-boy bikes - is just extra silly.

Wow that is the most uninformed load of rubbish i've seen in a while.

skinny-boy bikes :roll:

Greg T

OK then.

These are the FACTS

A Road bike is faster than a Hybrid - if ridden by the same rider in the same conditions.
A Road bike is less work than a Hybrid - for the same rider riding the same speed.
A road bike goes through the same gap as a Hybrid
A road bike stops as well as a hybrid (if they both have the same ish brakes (pads vs discs)
A road bike ridden by a knob will crash just as easily as a hybrid.
Flat bars offer no advantages over drops.
You don't have to use the drops (I never need to)
You can buy a comfy road bike with relaxed geometry that will not have your arse higher than your head.
You don't have to be a serious racer to have a Road bike - just someone who rides on roads.
Road bikes are not fragile. I've ridden a road bike 150 miles a week most weeks for seven years across central Lahndon and have never had a major component failure. Sure you'll go through a set of wheels every three years or so but what do you expect?

As for Road bikes not being for big boys - ballacks - have you seen the size of Chris Hoy? What do you think he rides?

I spent a year wondering why I was so much slower on the Raleigh than all the guys on Road bikes who were doing me ragged.

I worried about the skinny tyres, the sharp saddle, the drops the lot.

I took the plunge and suddenly I got it. The body position is better, you can get the work on more efficiently and you are quicker. You don't have to be - but you can be.

Now there are lots of guys who like their hybrids but there are lots of guys who when they've made the change have a revelation.

Road bike.

lost_in_thought

+1 to Greg!

The_didge

OOOOKKKKK.....

I think i may have started something here that i wish i didnt.

I will start off with a Hybrid, as it seems a bit more relaxed, in a few months ill borrow a friends roadie and compare how it all goes.

If i feel more comfortable on the roadie i will simply sell my hybrid and get one. if i dont then ill just keep the hybrid.... as Alexander from compare the meerkats.com says "Simplez"

NOW.... Back to the original post.

What should i look out for on a hybrid? What brands to avoid? What are gearsetgearset/ratlondon london riding? and Whats the fastest color? :P

il_principe

The_didge wrote:

OOOOKKKKK.....

I think i may have started something here that i wish i didnt.

I will start off with a Hybrid, as it seems a bit more relaxed, in a few months ill borrow a friends roadie and compare how it all goes.

If i feel more comfortable on the roadie i will simply sell my hybrid and get one. if i dont then ill just keep the hybrid.... as Alexander from compare the meerkats.com says "Simplez"

NOW.... Back to the original post.

What should i look out for on a hybrid? What brands to avoid? What are gearsetgearset/ratlondon london riding? and Whats the fastest color? :P

Why not test ride a couple of Roadies and Hybrids (yes yes I know you ain't buying new, but'll it'll give you an idea as to the differences).

The_didge

Ive been on a Roadie and didnt really feel confident on it....

Does anyone have any views on the Trek SOHO-1? Seen a decent looking one on the bay but cant find any reviews...

biondino

Have you ever seen anyone with a more transparent agenda than meanwhile? Come on fella, are you being contrary for a bet? Hahaha etc., now, really, take your soapbox home, your mum's calling you for dinner.

My Trek 1200 is a decent road bike, if on the heavy side at 24lbs with all the bits attached. My Focus is slicker and lighter (18lbs) and goes approx 1mph faster at crusing speed with the same effort. That's about a 5% improvement, which is partly the weight differential and partly, I imagine, better tyres, stiffer frame and slicker components.

The weight differential, btw, between the Trek with me on it and the Focus with me on it is about 3%. Which even on its own would give a noticeable speed difference.

I've ridden my gf's thick-tubed, cheap sit up and beg hybrid a few times. It weighs over 30lbs, and is terrible aerodynamically, with thick tyres and clunky gears. My cruising speed is TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT slower than on the Focus, although the fully loaded weight differential is less than 10%.