Hybrid help needed!

stephiepea
stephiepea Posts: 3
edited May 2013 in Commuting general
Myself and my partner have decided its time to get fit and to reignite our childhood love of cycling. Whilst also making the commute to work more enjoyable! However, not having had a bike for going on 10 years now i'm struggling to know which ones are best and what all the difference specs mean. I think I've figured out I need a hybrid, so I can cycle to work during the week and then also take it out to the park at the weekends, and am looking in the region of £300-£400 though could potentially stretch that a bit if the bike was worth it. I'm predominantly looking at bikes from Evans because they have a cycle scheme affiliation with my work. Unfortunately, every time I think i've found the right bike they seem to go out of stock and discontinued, but I want to get one asap, so can't afford to wait for the new seasons range.

These are the bikes i'm currently interested in:

Specialized Vita 2013 - http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/vita-2013-womens-hybrid-bike-ec030756#features

Specialized Vita 2013 Step Through (not sure if i'd prefer step-through or not) - http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/crossroads-sport-step-through-2013-womens-hybrid-bike-ec042529#features

Specialized Crossroads Sport 2013 Step Through - http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/crossroads-sport-step-through-2013-womens-hybrid-bike-ec042529#features

Trek 7.2 FX WSD 2013 - http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/72-fx-wsd-2013-womens-hybrid-bike-ec040358#features

I was looking at the Pinnacle Lithium 3 (their own brand of bike) at the weekend, and was almost on the verge of purchasing it when I realised that too had gone out of stock... http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pinnacle/lithium-3-2013-womens-hybrid-bike-ec044197#features
..but would be interested to know how the spec compares to my suggestions above?

I know the best thing would be to try the bikes for size, but they rarely have the ones i'm looking at in stock in the shop, so sifting out the 'bad' ones now would lessen the confusion in the long run!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Comments

  • MichaelW
    MichaelW Posts: 2,164
    The style of bike you have chosen is good for everyday riding.
    Once you know the"size" that fits, you can pick the correct size of almost any model. With some brands you may find yourself inbetween sizes; consider another brand. Good bike shops will help with fitting but beware shops trying to sell you the wrong size just because it is in stock.
    Standover clearance is pretty generous so the critical dimension is "reach", from saddle to bars. This is a combination of top tube length measured horizontally (sometimes called virtual or effective top tube) + stem length + bar style. Most manufacturer websites have a geometry chart with this info but I would also take a tape measure with me to a shop to check the actual reach.
  • stephiepea
    stephiepea Posts: 3
    Thankyou, i've ordered a couple of bikes to test ride in store, so i'll be sure to check out what my comfortable reach length is. I'm hoping it will fall in line with the bikes specified for my height! Do you have any opinions on which of the bikes I've looked at are better than the other, like in high to low spec order?
  • Steve@Tern
    Steve@Tern Posts: 15
    If I can put my two-pennorth in - I think the list you've chosen covers quite a bit of the hybrid spectrum, from sporty (Vita and Trek) to more traditional look (Crossroads and Vita S/T). All of them are going to prefer the tarmac to the trail, which fits in with what you want I guess.
    I don't think there's much to choose between them, spec-wise, but that your choice is going to end up being pretty much down to personal preference once you see them in the flesh.

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