Expert advice needed on ~hybrid purchase

noobiecycler

Hi, I am on the market for a new cycle and need some expert advice. My current bike is some worn down mountain bike my family bought from toys-r-us back in 2000 for ~£70 - I'd take a picture for you but I don't want to be mocked. So any new cycle can only be an improvement.

I will be communting to work which is a ~2 mile journey, so I thought getting a hybrid with mudguards and rack would be the best overall option - considering the awful weather of late. It's either a hybrid or a road bike I want, but I keep flip flopping, though I'm leaning towards a hybrid again.

My budget is what I am willing to pay for a bike, around ~£300-400 but maybe abit more. I live in the Manchester area, so any shops I can pop into, touch the bike and haggle the price down would be a bonus.

Some hybrid cycles I have come across on the interweb or mentioned in similar threads:
1. http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/p ... s_id=13493
2. http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/p ... s_id=12681
3. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=67941
4. http://www.evanscycles.com/products/rid ... e-ec032052
5. http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tre ... e-ec001494

So, what bike would you get?

bluefinch

Have you tried the commute on your current bike? Even if it's not brilliant, so long as the tyres are inflated it should be fine for a 2 mile commute (and if it falls apart it's only half an hour to walk ) Doing the journey on a bike, any bike, will give you a good idea about road surfaces, infrastructure, comfort, how much you need to carry etc which will help you narrow down the choice. Any you might find the current bike, maybe with a full service from a local bike shop, is fine for the purpose (sorry if this doesn't help sell advertising space in Cycling Plus). Or it will mean you can wait for the sales at the end of summer and again in February when they'll be selling off 2012 bikes cheap.

I think the Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op have a branch in Manchester - like any chain the service is variable but their own label bikes are generally considered to be good value (I'm very happy with my £220 hybrid from them).

noobiecycler

oxoman, I'll take a look at the Specialized Sirrus, seems Evans sells them so I'll pop in and compare it with the Trek.

bluefinch, I've been riding my current bike for about 2 months now and I've now got into a routine, which is what I was hoping before I invested in another bike. The bike would be too costly to get repaired, the problems are:
1. Tire rubber has cracks and and deflates - needs replacing
2. Gears + chain are rusty - needs oiling or replacing
3. Gears don't shift properly - I've attempted to adjust it and I've just resorted to using three gears, which is fine for my journey.
4. Foot pedal arm fell off once - I've hammered it in, still carrying a wrench just incase. haha
5. Bike is made from steel and is very heavy - main problem with the bike
6. Has suspension like this bike: http://www.hiwtc.com/photo/products/39/00/25/2552.jpg
7. It is rusty all over and even has tape holding bits together. haha
8. 20" folding bike users seem to go faster than me and I've had to pretend I'm taking it easy.

However, my journey is only 2 miles and it gets me to work and home quicker than the local bus, so I've just put up with it. I'm being harrased lately to get a decent bike and save myself the agro when it fails and I have to carry it home. In all honesty I think I'm waiting for it to get stolen before I force myself to get a decent bike, but no one seems to want it - my lock is more likely to go missing than the tires.

Thanks for the input.

noobiecycler

Hi guys,

Went over to Evans and changed my mind about the trek t30, looks horrible. So, i've narrowed it down to:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec030741
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/tre ... e-ec031937

oxoman already suggested the sirrus, which was a brilliant suggestion so I'll be buying that unless someone has reservations and thinks the 7.1 would be better.

Anyway, I'm waiting for my credit card to clear, so thought I'd post the two options, and give people a chance to input some advice if there are specifics I'm missing being a newbie, otherwise I'll purchase the sirrus in 3 'working' days.

Ps. I'll be purchasing the mud guards, rack and a backpack for the bike (pannier) separately.

Thanks

supersonic

Anything but that Trek - screw on freewheels are pretty weak and limit gear range, has a nasty steel bar and looks pretty heavy too. The Sirrus is far better.

noobiecycler

I did end up buying the sirrus.

CitizenLee

Wow, that's quite the late thread follow up!

Did you buy it in 2012 or just recently? How's it working out for you?