Need Hybrid help!!

RP3

As the subject says, i need some help to buy a half decent hybrid bike. I've never bought one before but i've set myself a budget of £500 to get a bike and get fit!! I will be purchasing this through Cyclescheme so guess i am limited by participating retailers but have found these two for starters which i liked the look of at Evans Cycles:

- Scott Sub 30 2011 Hybrid
- GT Tachyon 3.0 2011 Hybrid

Not really sure how they compare spec wise and whether or not they are good buys so any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers.

roger_merriman

The GT is has more roadie gearing, higher gearing for fast roads, while the Scott has MTB gearing (ish) so lower, get you over the hills.

this said if i was going to use Evans for a hybrid i'd think about this.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/scott/sub-45-2011-hybrid-bike-ec025450#features

if for nothing else that for wet winter weather rim brakes are woeful.

but does rather depend on what you going to be doing.

EKE_38BPM

Welcome RP3.

Roger is right when he asks what you will be using the bike for.
If all of your riding will be on tarmac, I would suggest getting a road bike rather than a hybrid. If its mainly off road, I'd suggest getting a mountain bike, but, lots of people (newbies on here, friends in the real world and customers in the LBS) ask the same thing:
"I'm thinking about riding to work to help me get fit. Most of the riding is on the road, but I want a bike that I can ride along canal tow-paths and through the park at weekends with the wife/girlfriend and/or kids."
This very minor off-roading leads them to think that they need a bike with at least front suspension or full suspension bikes. In my opinion, unless you are planning on getting busy "on some gnarly single-track, dude" or doing proper downhill rides, you probably don't need any suspension. Suspension reduces your efficiency, saps your energy and slows you down (because of all that bouncing around and extra weight).
I'm very glad to see that you haven't fallen into that trap with the bikes you listed. Kudos.

Roger is right about the gearing on those two bikes you listed and the Scott he linked to is a good one, but as he said, choosing the right bike does depend on how you will be using it. Generally, if you are mainly riding on road, I would suggest going for a road bike (also known as a 'racer'). If its mainly to be used off-road, go for a mountain bike with lower gearing.

I guess that the general concensus on here will be that a hybrid is too slow on road and not capable enough off road so the various camps will try to drag you to their point of view.

Many on here will sing the praises of Cyclo Cross (CX) bikes. These look pretty much like road bikes but are stronger and more rugged than a standard road bike and will (usually) have the eyelets and clearances for mud-guards, wider tyres and panniers (that a road bike probably won't) and are faster than a mountain bike. Best of both worlds for commuting and a bit of light off-roading? If you get one, Kieran_Burns will give you a cape, welcome you to the Dark Side, call you a pervert (with a nudge and a wink) and you will become strangely attracted to your sister (even though you don't know she is your sister at the moment).
The MTBers will say that road bikes are too fragile.
The roadies will say that MTBs are too heavy.
The fixie riders will say that you don't need gears and point you towards a tree to hug and shops which sell skinny jeans.

Try a few bikes before you take the plunge, but ideally, ride whatever you have at the moment for a while and then when you are used to the ride you will be doing, you'll know the short-comings of your current steed so you will know what to look for in your new bike.

DrLex

EKE,
Nice summary; you win one interweb today.

BigBlackShed

EKE_38BPM wrote:

The MTBers will say that road bikes are too fragile.
The roadies will say that MTBs are too heavy.
The fixie riders will say that you don't need gears and point you towards a tree to hug and shops which sell skinny jeans.

That is so true. Except you have to hug the tree ironically whilst drinking a bucket of coffee.

Also true is what you plan to use it for. To add another into the mix, there are some "fast hybrids" (flat bar road bikes) They tend to be a bit higher in price mind.

Get to a decent shop and try some out.

rick_chasey

I always thought asking for hybrid help is like asking for heroin help. I.e. you've finally decided you want to get off it forever, and sharpish.

What reasons do you have for wanting a hybrid?

MonkeyMonster

Rick Chasey wrote:

I always thought asking for hybrid help is like asking for heroin help. I.e. you've finally decided you want to get off it forever, and sharpish.

What reasons do you have for wanting a hybrid?

that sir is a troll question, i thought you better than that.

notsoblue

Well said EKE, that post should be stickied!

fenboy369

There is one reason to get a hybrid. So that you have a frame to build a fixie/town bike around in a couple of years time when you have seen the light. I had a hybrid for 3 or 4 years and rode into work all that time not really knowing how much happier I could have been!

RP3

Cheers for the responses, especially EKE's which tickled me.

I went for a hybrid as i assumed that it ticked both boxes of 'mainly road biking to keep fit' and some 'light off-roading'.

Like the look of the Scott you linked Roger, with looks being all i've got to go on at the moment as my knowledge of bikes is pretty limited to say the least.

Jay dubbleU

Don't let this lot hassle you - if you want a hybrid go ahead and buy one - course you'll have no friends, your sperm count will drop and people will point at you in the street - stil.........

sketchley

I've been hearing good thing about Whyte hybrid's (http://www.whytebikes.com/2012/bike_typ ... =ModelName) you would have to push the budget up a bit, but there maybe deals on 2011 models around, plus the extra £200 notes is only a few extra quid a month on cycle to work. Bike Radar's review on the Whyte Portobello is here http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... -11-42608/

However, I used to have a Hybrid and while it really helped me get back into cycling after a 20 year lay off, it only took about 18 months for me to want a road bike. What I don't know is if I had got a road bike on day one if I would have ridden it as much as I did the Hybrid or got as much confidence as I have commuting... Make of that was you will.

Greg T

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Try a few bikes before you take the plunge, but ideally, ride whatever you have at the moment for a while and then when you are used to the ride you will be doing, you'll know the short-comings of your current steed so you will know what to look for in your new bike.

Which will be a road bike

London_Falcon

I bought a 2011 Specialised Cirrus Sport in August for £350. This year's version is £450. It's a hybrid with relatively skinny wheels (28) so I guess its nearer the road bike end of the spectrum that the MTB end. I'm very pleased with it and really like the riding position for my commute through central London.

BUT if I am 100% honest with myself I can't help thinking that I should have bought a road bike. Maybe that's the N+1.

My advice would be to borrow a road bike and see how you get on, before deciding whether to go for a hybrid or not.

SimonAH

Now this is where the community excommunicate me - I don't think that there is anything wrong with a hybrid at all.

They are over-pushed by bike shops without a doubt as they are an easy sell to the uninitiated, but especially when you look at the more flat-barred-roadbike end of the spectrum they are plenty fast and light enough,. The riding position will be far less intimidating than going straight into drops from a cycling lay-off or an MTB background. In fact I am converting one of my bikes from drops to flats as we speak as a fast pub bike.

The only downsides of a flat barred road bike are a) Fewer available hand positions (well, you're not going to be putting so much strain on your hands so that isn't so important, and anyway you can always fit some bar ends) and b) Harder to get down out of a headwind (meh, you can always fit some bullhorns later on).

If you get something reasonably fast and light it will be absolutely fine. When / if you get bitten and start riding for fun rather than just transport then it's N+1 time, if you don't get bitten then you'll have a comfortable and user friendly steed for getting to the office and shooting to the shops - it's a win win really.

Just DON'T go for something heavy or with suspension if most of your riding will be on blacktop as you'll really find it so much less fun and it will probably end up as a climbing frame for spiders in the back of the shed.

MonkeyMonster

so i've had a slicked mtb with modified gears for over 6 years. there are rumblings in me for both a fixed gear and a roadie but not yet. quite honestly if you don't do *that* much riding a hybrid will allow you get used to cycling before you start enjoying it. just because you might end up wanting a road bike in 18+ months doesn't mean you should start with one. Might be overall cheaper but with the posture, steering and gears to get used along with actually taking up cycling i'd say if your first instinct was to get a hybrid to allow a bit of light offroading then go for it.

veronese68

Also if you buy a decent hybrid on the ride to work scheme you could sell it in 12 months if you decide you want a change to something more specific and probably not lose much money on the deal. Although n+1 is of course preferable.

rick_chasey

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

I always thought asking for hybrid help is like asking for heroin help. I.e. you've finally decided you want to get off it forever, and sharpish.

What reasons do you have for wanting a hybrid?

that sir is a troll question, i thought you better than that.

W1

SimonAH wrote:

Now this is where the community excommunicate me - I don't think that there is anything wrong with a hybrid at all.

They are over-pushed by bike shops without a doubt as they are an easy sell to the uninitiated, but especially when you look at the more flat-barred-roadbike end of the spectrum they are plenty fast and light enough,. The riding position will be far less intimidating than going straight into drops from a cycling lay-off or an MTB background. In fact I am converting one of my bikes from drops to flats as we speak as a fast pub bike.

The only downsides of a flat barred road bike are a) Fewer available hand positions (well, you're not going to be putting so much strain on your hands so that isn't so important, and anyway you can always fit some bar ends) and b) Harder to get down out of a headwind (meh, you can always fit some bullhorns later on).

If you get something reasonably fast and light it will be absolutely fine. When / if you get bitten and start riding for fun rather than just transport then it's N+1 time, if you don't get bitten then you'll have a comfortable and user friendly steed for getting to the office and shooting to the shops - it's a win win really.

Just DON'T go for something heavy or with suspension if most of your riding will be on blacktop as you'll really find it so much less fun and it will probably end up as a climbing frame for spiders in the back of the shed.

This is a sensible answer.

There is a place in this world for hybrids. If that is what suits your requirements then go for it.

A further consideration is where you will leave the bike. Do you have secure storage at home or at work? What if you want to go to the pub/shops on your way home? A £500 road bike is much more of a target for thieves than a crappy looking £500 hybrid.

All the roadie tarts on here will shout you down if you get a hybrid. It makes scalping them all the more satisfying.

Greg T

W1 wrote:

A further consideration is where you will leave the bike.

Around the corner would seem sensible, you know, so no-one needs to see you getting off it...

Hybrids are like fat burds, you think they will do and they'll be nice and comfy and sure enough they are easy to get on with. However, all your mates laugh at you and when you are out and about with it/her you can't halp feeling that you could have done better.....

W1

Greg T wrote:

W1 wrote:

A further consideration is where you will leave the bike.

Around the corner would seem sensible, you know, so no-one needs to see you getting off it...

Hybrids are like fat burds, you think they will do and they'll be nice and comfy and sure enough they are easy to get on with. However, all your mates laugh at you and when you are out and about with it/her you can't halp feeling that you could have done better.....

In the same way that road bikes are like trophy burds - attached to vain, short, fat men with small love wands but who like showing off their cash because there is nothing else to like about them? And someone with better tools will nick them eventually.

Greg T

W1 wrote:

I got caught with a fat burd

Yes you did - you are obvioulsy brazening it out so I suggest just ploughing on and say you are happy with her, or you just may like them big and heavy . .

W1

Greg T wrote:

My gold digging ex has taken all the money I had for clothes. Now I only have this guitar...

Well quite.

daviesee

Greg T wrote:

Hybrids are like fat burds, you think they will do and they'll be nice and comfy and sure enough they are easy to get on with. However, all your mates laugh at you and when you are out and about with it/her you can't halp feeling that you could have done better.....

LOL! :P :P :P

And true.

Cafewanda

@ Greg T and W1

You two are just not right

t4tomo

W1 wrote:

In the same way that road bikes are like trophy burds - attached to vain, short, fat men with small love wands but who like showing off their cash because there is nothing else to like about them? And someone with better tools will nick them eventually.

to continue the anology for the sake of it....

......but only after you've spent £££'s cosmetically enhancing it for no improvement in performance?

I do like the Hybrids are like fat birds argument though

EKE_38BPM

t4tomo wrote:

I do like the Hybrids are like fat birds argument.

I first heard it WRT mopeds:
Fat burds are like mopeds. Fun to ride but you don't your mates to see you with one.

veronese68

EKE_38BPM wrote:

t4tomo wrote:

I do like the Hybrids are like fat birds argument.

I first heard it WRT mopeds:
Fat burds are like mopeds. Fun to ride but you don't your mates to see you with one.

Don't know about fat birds but mopeds are most definitely not fun. Awful things, shouldn't be allowed. Mind you having said that I did once have a moped race down an Italian mountain with the engines off. Braking had to be avoided at all costs. Even as a teenager I realised halfway down that it was a bit silly and death could come knocking very soon. I lost the race.

clarkey cat

buy a hybrid.

look like this.

W1

clarkey cat wrote:

buy a hybrid.

look like this.

Matching kit and bike? Must be notsoblue.

Torvid

W1 wrote:

clarkey cat wrote:

buy a hybrid.

look like this.

Matching kit and bike? Must be notsoblue.

and a pair of Mavic Zxellium Road Bike Cycling Shoes, she must be on screwing with her FCN.