Hybrid - Specialized, Whyte or Boarman?

apreading

I have been really into XC cycling for the last few years and done some longish, multiple day excursions, but due to work and life commitments my cycling was sporadic. I have a reasonably good MTB (Felt Q820 with Rebas etc).

I have been more consistently doing a fair bit of road training on my MTB for the last 2 months - ever since I found my Cholesterol was 6.3... I have a local loop which has some 'cheeky climbs' and descents on it - I can do an hour, 1.5 hour or 2 hour loop which I am really enjoying.

However I am finding that in parts (and increasingly) I am running out of gears on my MTB, and I havent even bothered to fit the slick tyres that I have in the garage which might be more appropriate but I thought it no bad thing to have to work a bit harder with slightly nobbly tyres.

I also want to start commuting to work, and have got to the point where it only takes me 10 minutes longer by bike, but I want to get that time down.

So I find myself looking at bigger wheels and longer gears.

I dont want drop bars, so have been looking at Hybrids.

Nearly bought a really cheap Felt QX85 from Rutland but they sold out of my size before I could check the size. However I would prefer something a bit lighter.

Have looked at Giant Rapid but this is too much of a 'race bike with flat bars' for me - I want something with more of an in between geometry rather than too much MTB or too muc Racer. The Giant Escape was massively heavy and seemed alot of money for poor components.

Looked all around the web and seen a few other things.

Currently have it narrowed down to:

Specialized Sirrus Comp £629 (Carbon forks, quite light, looks like it will be good geometry)

Whyte Portobello £629 (Alu forks but still really light - felt like a quality item too but is it a bit too relaxed or a bit too harsh on the road?)

Boardman Hybrid Team or Comp (Not sure they come in a large enough size for me but obviously well regarded)

Am trying the Spesh and Whyte next week but interested in others opinions.

Want to fit a rack for commuting and full mudguards.

Will any of these take 32 or 35 wheels as opposed to 28? the 28s look really skinny to me and I wonder if sometihing bigger would smooth out the bumps.

I have lost nearly a stone in the last 2 months but still weigh 16Stone so the bumps will be felt hard for me.

I also notice that the Whyte has 28 spoke front wheel rather than 32 - will this be up to my weight?

Sorry for the long post - any thoughts or advice appreciated.

DrLex

Have you tried drops? I had had similar thoughts to you; had a decade-old hard-tail MTB that I'd started to use for commuting, wanted better gearing and tried a Sirrus. Shop suggested trying drops; ended up with a Roubaix! Although I had bar ends on the MTB, the extra positions on the road 'bars are welcome.

Keith1983

I wouldn't worry about tyres, anything bigger than 28 and you might as well just stick slicks on your mtb. 28's will be fine, you may even wat to go skinnier. I am in the middle of resurrecting a carrera Gryphon for my commute and I'm going for 23mm tyres purely for the speed. As DrLex says maybe take a test ride on something with drop bars, who knows you might like it!

bails87

1. Road oriented bikes aren't fragile, you just shouldn't go smashing through stuff like you could on an MTB.

2. Are you sure you don't want drops? I went from only ever having ridden an MTB to riding a road bike with drops, and they're not a problem at all, and are good for longer distances.

3. Go and sit on them and make sure they all fit ok.

4. I would have thought they should all be able to take wider tyres, but check the frame clearances. Although, at 100PSI you don't get much 'give' from the tyres, especially if you're used to 2.1" MTB tyres.

andyg1966

I've just bought a 2011 Whyte Stirling and think its very good, and the MTB derived geometry works for me.

If you're interested I'm selling my old "hybrid" which is a Specialized Stumjumper, Mavic Speedcity 700c Wheels and Pace RC31 carbon forks. Also XT disc groupset with 48/36/26 chainrings.

Great condition and ready to ride.

Offers based on £475

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apreading

Nooooo dont want drops.

I had drops when I was much younger but far prefer being sat more upright and able to look around better - easier to observe traffic and/or enjoy the countryside you are cycling through that way.

Also find drop bikes come with bars too narrow for me - I have quite broad shoulders. This also means that if riding on the flat part it is REALLY too narrow. Riding on the hoods is not as comfortable as the bar ends I have now. And I dont find it comfortable at my current size getting down low to be in the drops.

I also hate the gears and brakes only really being usable in the drops - which is the least liked of the hand positions for me. Would mean I would be annoyed every time I wanted to change gear or brake.

Really, I am happy with my riding position on my MTB and just want bigger wheels and longer gears - but also want to try and get something light and reasonably fast too.

Also started this by wanting to keep below £500 as it will be kept outside work when I commute and already had 1 bike stolen from there (albeit with a crappy lock), but budget is getting stretched unless I find one second hand because all the bikes in initial budget are very heavy.

Thats also something I am not keen on with the Specialized - its a bit blingy compared to the others and could be more of a target... Having said that I recking it will be one of the most comfortable of the choices on rough roads.

Rothsay

Why not look at Merida? http://www.merida-bikes.com/en_gb/bike/ ... +TFS+300-D

theblender

Go for the Whyte. The unique geometry combined with it's low weight and practical features sounds like it could be the ideal bike for you. It's mudguard and rack compatible and the hydraulic disc brakes will eliminate rim wear and provide consistently good stopping power through the coming winter. You may want to fit wider bars as they're pretty narrow on this bike, and it maybe worth fitting Schwalbe Marathon tyres as the stock ones are a bit puncture prone.
Boardman are good value on paper, but they only have a 1 year frame warranty, and I've seen a few cracked headtubes on Boardman hybrids this summer. Whyte and Specialized have much longer warranties and look after their customers better than the big H.

apreading

Merida looks a bit heavy and low spec...

Boardman is mainly in the running if I can get a second hand TEAM version of last years bike for a good price. would have much of the same kit on it as my MTB which would be very useful for keeping spare parts etc.

Will see what the Sirrus and Portobello are like to ride - my head tells me the Sirrus will be a better fit for what I want but my heart facnies the Whyte... Am still a little concerned about 28 spoke wheels though, and would prefer if the rims were a more discreet black colour.

gs3

From experience - SIRRUS!!!

apreading

Hmmmm - the plot thickens...

Boardman Hybrid Team now 10% off, £675

Giant Escape 0 40% off £597 with LX Shifters, derailleur, V brakes, Carbon forks - cant find any writeups of it though apart from a mention on Tredz blog saying it was very light. The wheels get a good writeup but are only 24 spokes which might be a concern?

apreading

Had a sit on the boardman this morning on the way into work - it was soo light, reach was good but they dont do an XL. The Large would probably be OK though. Clearances were fantastic - could put bigger tyres and mudguards on I think if the 28s are to skinny for me.

Going to test ride the Sirrus and Portobello at lunchtime hopefully.

I cant find out anything about the Giant Escape so I am going to give that a miss although it looks a bargain...

SaintMark

Really, I am happy with my riding position on my MTB and just want bigger wheels and longer gears - but also want to try and get something light and reasonably fast too.

I bought a Sirrus Elite earlier in the year for almost exactly the same reasons as yours and I have found I really like it. The cockpit is comfortable and good for crossing over from MTB yet still fast. I do 20-30 mile road rides now as well as regular commuting.

Don't worry about the tyres, 28 are plenty wide enough just don't expect to go off road. In fact, after a few months getting used to it I have changed the stock 28s for Schwalbe 23c road tyres and it's still not too bumpy. The carbon forks really do work like suspension.

I am running it with full SKS mudguards and a tourtec rack, no problems with either so far, can still get a good turn of speed with the rack on.

My only criticisms of the Sirrus Elite are some component compromises like the shoddy cheap chainset which I felt compelled to upgrade but you are going for the Comp which has a better spec anyway. it is a bit flashy so get a good lock, I use two.

apreading

Thanks Mark, interesting feedback. I too will have full mudguards and rack. did the rack fit easily? It looks like the V-brakes may get in the way?

Test rode the Sirrus and Portobello at lunch time.

Whyte Portobello first - was really glad that I went up the steepest hill on my commute and easily managed without even going into the lowest gears - was in the small rung on the front though. I did remember that I normally have rack & pannier with my stuff and locks etc normally but it would still be OK.

The geometry, fit and finish of the Whyte was superb and it felt really good in the shop. When I went out, I though this isnt too bad - the ride was a bit harsh but I was coping happily - except for a constant rattle from the left brake lever which was too loose and which the shop told me cannot be tightened. The ride was really fun and lively but going over cobbles rattles your teeth out and any bumps are harsh. So I was thinking whether I would be able to get 32c tyres if I went with that.

When I got on The Spesh Sirrus, it was totally different - much higher more compact frame. As soon as I set off outside the shop I hated it, however returned and dropped the bars by 7% and it was transformed.

The Sirrus was a really smooth, comfortable ride (relatively speaking) and so much nicer than the Whyte, but not as involving and exciting... Made me realise just how harsh the Whyte was though and why I cant consider it despite lusting after it. the Sirrus could also easily take bigger tyres I think although that may be a squeeze with the mudguard too.

I could live with the Sirrus quite happily, but you are right - the component set even on the Comp feels cheap - the gear shifters in particular.

So it is now between the Sirrus and the Boardman - and that gives me a dilemma because I dont think Halfrauds do test rides.

The Boardman could be the perfect compromise - looks more racy than the Sirrus, but with a carbon fork it may be equally as smooth. I dont think it was just the fork in the Sirrus though - the whole frame seemed to absorb the bumps and clatter although it is possibly that this deadened the ride slightly and is why it felt less involving.

So can anyone compare Boardman Team with Sirrus Comp?

thanks

SaintMark

did the rack fit easily? It looks like the V-brakes may get in the way?

No problems with my rack, it's a Tortec Supertour which fits fine over the mudguard and shares a bolt at the chainstay end. Doesn't foul the brakes at all. I got the shop to fit it although I've taken it off/on a few times since to shed weight for weekend road rides and it's a doddle.

So can anyone compare Boardman Team with Sirrus Comp?

Have you read the reviews on this site? Cycling Plus reviewed both the bikes you're looking at in th same test earlier this year and they went for the Boardman as the overall winner.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... p-11-44555

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... m-11-44565

The Rookie

Don't rule out the Carrera Gryphon, its a lot cheaper, and while it's a little heavier than the Boardman its about the weight of the Sirrus and they are tough as old boots.

Simon

HamishD

apreading wrote:

So can anyone compare Boardman Team with Sirrus Comp?

thanks

My missus has the Boardman Hybrid Team and I used to have a Sirrus Expert before I saw the light....

Both good bikes, the boardman is better in every respect except the handlebar grips and bar ends which are a bit crappy (but you can get some Ergons or equivalent for not a lot of cash). And you might want to change the saddle. Pedals are awful but then you would get clipless, no?

It has a better road position, it's less sit up and beg, hydraulic discs too which if like me last night your stopping distance was about 200m are a godsend.

Handlebars are far too wide on both but then if you're used to MTB that won't worry you . . .

apreading

Tried the Boardman Team today (just around the car park but enough to assess the general ride quality). I think this is very much the best of both worlds:

Not quite as smooth as the Sirrus, but nowhere near as harsh as the Portobello
Nearly but not quite as lively and involving as the Portobello, but more involving than the Sirrus
Riding position better than the Sirrus, less sit up and beg
Better components than the poor kit on the Sirrus
Amazingly light - even after trying the other 2 bikes

Felt like you would be inspired to push it fast and not so uncomfortable that you would have to constantly threat your way through the poor roads around here.

The Gryphon looks good actually, and if I had looked at that first I would not have started looking at bikes for nearly £700 but its too late - I have and now I want one... Gryphon would make more sense as a commuter as I wouldnt worry about theft so much but I am not now willing to compromise.

Think I have found a winner.

Only slight niggle is that I was looking at XL sizes for the others, although the XL in the Sirrus was bordering on to high but the Portobello was just right. Whereas the Boardman only goes up to Large - Another inch of height would make me happier but if felt OK and I dont think it will be a problem.

thanks all for the advice and comments