Choosing a Hybrid

j0nathon

Hi,

I want to get into cycling; I haven't ridden for years, so I have decided to buy a bike (for on the road). I am 6'3" and weigh 18 stone - which may be a factor.

I have been trying to choose for the last week a bike, and would appreciate any opinions:

I have been to a LBS who recommended the Specialized Sirrus base at £400.

I also have a LBS who deals in Giant and have seen the following on Giant's website but I haven't been in to talk to them:

Giant Escape 2 2014 at £399 (as below but with Giant ALUXX-Grade aluminium fork and - Shimano 8-speed drivetrain - is it worth the £100 extra)
Giant Escape 3 2014 at £299

Another LBS has Trek 7.1FX £375

Then at Halfords I have seen the following, all 10% off price quoted:

Boardman Hybrid Performance Race £429
Boardman Hybrid Performance Comp £449, previous model
Crossfire 3 £399
Crossfire 2 £449

My only concern with the first LBS was I thought perhaps I wasn't going to be sized up properly cos the one they had on display they wanted rid of and could just put the saddle up...

I can put all these bikes side by side, but I know nothing of what all the components are, so it's hard to say which is the best, and for every good review, I'll find a 1 star telling me it fell to bits after a week!

cookeeemonster

I had a great experience with my sirrus sport (one model up from the base) last year, and I know the boardmans are good though halfords are...how to put it...not too highly regarded in the putting them together/servicing front (some may be good, some not...may depend on if you get a 16 year old part timer putting it together or their 'proper' mechanic who wont be available to build them all the time).

my brother got the boardman hybrid...and while very good (more sporty than the sirrus) we both agreed the sirrus was more comfortable. You'll get other responses saying they're totally great etc etc.

Unfortunately halfords dont do test rides

Giant are a very good brand as are Trek...dont know anything about the other bikes you mentioned but specialized/trek/giant should all do good/comparible bikes at that price point. You might also want to try decathalon as they offer fantastic value usually.

Be careful of the lbs trying to sell you a bike thats not the right size...and ultimately, test ride as many as you can - theres no subsitute for this, though asking on these boards may narrow it down to 2 or 3.

Good luck!

j0nathon

Thanks for that.

I will have to admit the idea of test riding them bothers me a bit considering I haven't ridden a bike since early childhood! :oops:

markhewitt1978

Are you sure you want a hybrid? Consider a road or cyclocross bike.

Of those I would recommend the Trek 7.2 (note not 7.1)

j0nathon

The reason I say hybrid is because I haven't ridden since childhood, and never on a road.

I think the more upright seating of flat bars would suit me better on the beginning of this journey.

Ouija

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Are you sure you want a hybrid? Consider a road or cyclocross bike.

Of those I would recommend the Trek 7.2 (note not 7.1)

Lol. And the winner is markhewitt1978.....

Can always guarantee that within a few posts of a 'Hybrid' thread you'll have some roady recommending a drop bar road bike (but you never get Mountain bikers recomending a mountain bike in most CX threads for some strange reason).

Anyways. All the above are respectable entry level hybrids if you want a more comfortable sit up and beg style of ride and aren't obsessed with speed. Things to look out for are things like suspension forks as you don't need them on a road oriented bike. They just up the weight and price of the bike, often requiring the manufacturers to compensate for their cost by fitting cheaper components on the rest of the bike. Also pay attention to gearing. While it doesn't really matter if your going 7,8,9,10 speed on the back, having a triple crankset on the front can be more useful if your heavy, out of shape and need that extra help getting up the hills.

Lightweight tyres can also have a pofound affect on ease of pedalling, so it's sometimes worth it to look at the lighter more upmarket tyres rather than the bargain bin heavy ones that can have you struggling to spin the wheels up to speed.

Disk brakes are also nice but not essential on a bike that's going to see nothing but road use either.

markhewitt1978

Because many people who get hybrids end up getting a road bike. Might as well cut out the first step.

In any case I stand by my recommendation of the Trek 7.2. £50 extra for discs if you want them

Stevo_666

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Because many people who get hybrids end up getting a road bike. Might as well cut out the first step.

In any case I stand by my recommendation of the Trek 7.2. £50 extra for discs if you want them

Far from all. I haven't 'upgraded' from my hybrid bought 4 years ago because for me it's more suitable for commuting duty for several reasons.

Ouija

Stevo 666 wrote:

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Because many people who get hybrids end up getting a road bike. Might as well cut out the first step.

In any case I stand by my recommendation of the Trek 7.2. £50 extra for discs if you want them

Far from all. I haven't 'upgraded' from my hybrid bought 4 years ago because for me it's more suitable for commuting duty for several reasons.

Me neither. On my 5th Hybrid. Went back to them after owning a Giant Defy (seem to recall owning a Dawes road bike as a teenager). If comfort and control is more your focus than speed then hybrids tend to fit the bill over most road bikes.

apreading

+everything Ouija has said...

I love my Boardman hybrid and actually dont think I would be faster on a road bike. I certainly wouldnt be happier and if it died tomorrow, I would buy the same again in a heartbeat.

The Sirrus was great if you want relaxed cruising. If you want something to challenge you to ride faster/harder then the Boardmans are great and are better specced - Specialized have poor components for the money. If you are near a Decathlon then their hybrids are great too - kind of like a Boardman but without having to deal with Halfords - although my Halfords experiences have been great personally.

I thought the Giant were a bit heavy but that was a couple of years ago and I think they have changed the design since then.

If you want to go cheaper then the Carrera Gryphon is superb value for money - almost as good as the Boardman Comp but alot less money. I got the Boardman Team though, for the carbon forks as much as anything else - they make the ride much better.

leodis75

I had a Cannondale Bad Boy for a couple of years, fantastic until everything started to go at the same time, I replaced it with a drop bar steel framed bike and hate it, much prefer a hybrid for commuting and my carbon for weekend longer runs.

j0nathon

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Are you sure you want a hybrid? Consider a road or cyclocross bike.

Of those I would recommend the Trek 7.2 (note not 7.1)

Thanks for all your input; Is there any particular reason for the Trek 7.2 over say the Specialized Sirrus?

supersonic

For a more sporty flat bar bike, this is as good as it gets for the cash -

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-fit-5- ... 39798.html

apreading

supersonic wrote:

For a more sporty flat bar bike, this is as good as it gets for the cash -

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-fit-5- ... 39798.html

Wow - carbon forks for that price is remarkable! Mind you, you need to be very short or VERY tall to find one in your size...

supersonic

Lol, keep an eye on the web stock, changes frequently - and instore is often different.

10.2kg!

The Rookie

As SS says the fit5 is an amazing value proposition, a thoroughly good bike at less than half what the big brand names would charge for the same spec, the only reason I would not have one is if I wanted disc brakes - which personally I prefer on a commuter for the more instant breaking in wet conditions, idiots don't just pull out on you in the dry!

For a good budget disc hybrid, the Carrera Gryphon is good http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165534 (Disclaimer, I ride one although I built it up from a bare frame so the only thing Gryphon is the frame and headset!)

markhewitt1978

j0nathon wrote:

Thanks for all your input; Is there any particular reason for the Trek 7.2 over say the Specialized Sirrus?

I'm not familiar with the Sirrus; so no .

jagman.2003

I'm personally in the Sirrus camp. I've had my Sirrus sport for three years & am very happy with it's pace & weight. I agree the Sirrus wasn't overly blessed with high quality components. But the frame has made it for me. I have just been upgrading when components demise. Good luck with your choice.

The Rookie

So what makes the Merida made Sirrus frame any better than their own brand, or a Carrera or a Pinnacle or a Boardman that can all be had with the same components for a lot less money than the Sirrus? Their frames are just as good and the bike is cheaper, the Sirrus is OK, but it's overpriced and also over hyped.

apreading

I found the Sirrus better than some of the others at softening the ride and making it less harsh on lumpy roads, but at the expense of a less lively feel - both of which are probably due to absorbtion of vibration by the frame, thereby reducing feedback. Whether this is better or worse is for you to decide...

For me, the Boardman frame was a better compromise with less but still some reduction of vibration but retaining a more lively feel.

cookeeemonster

The Rookie wrote:

So what makes the Merida made Sirrus frame any better than their own brand, or a Carrera or a Pinnacle or a Boardman that can all be had with the same components for a lot less money than the Sirrus? Their frames are just as good and the bike is cheaper, the Sirrus is OK, but it's overpriced and also over hyped.

Ultimately I'd rather ride a bike that felt better or more comfortable than another one that didnt feel as good but was better specced...component spec doesn't mean as much in comparison unless it's a big jump we're talking about - when the more expensive components may last a lot longer.

And that's why I'd get a sirrus again over a boardman, becuase I tried both and the sirrus was far better (for me, if not others).

My point is you need to try a few - actiually ride them.

And regards to the components again - the boardman was far better specced - yet the sram shifting was cliunky and horrible compared to the lessed specced sirrus...even though it was a £600 boardman hybrid being compared to a £450 sirrus.

Disc brakes on the boardman are far better than rim brakes though (and the boardman was lighter and probably faster given the same rider and effort).

No way the Carrera would come close

Squawk

3 months ago I was in the same position as you, though I'm 5 11 , 13 stone, and already in good shape from running, squash and boxing.

I went for the Trek FX7.3 based on a chat with the LBS, discounted to £450 and am thoroughly happy with it. I will say though that the consumables on it were crap: I burned through both front and rear brake pads in a little over a month (24 quid to get cartridges and 4 sets of pads), and have replaced the pedals with mtb flats for the grip at £24. My commute is a 12 mile round trip through London.

Presuming the 7.1/2 are the same, maybe budget for that early upgrade/replacement.

And of course, remember all the add-ons. Lights, lock, pit-locks and mud guards are going to add over £100, maybe closer to £200.

antonyfromoz

I have a merida speedster from about 2007 and it is a nice ride - not really harsh over broken up road surfaces despite it having an alloy fork and not the slightest bit of carbon on it. I understand that some of the newer models have carbon forks and are available with disc brakes as an option now too. The other day i was in Evans and they had some pinnacle hybrids that also looked good (although i have no knowledge regarding how they ride). They have two ranges in their own brand, the Lithium seemed to be more of a robust design like a 29er and the Neon seemed to be more of a faster road-based hybrid. I haven't compared specs with other bikes as I am not looking for a bike another hybrid but at first glance they seemed to be well put together.

oneiroi

I'm the same height as you though a little lighter (16 1/2 stone). I got the base model Sirrus, and am quite happy with it. Given the frame similarities I figure I'll replace the components for better ones as they wear out and I learn enough to know what to replace them with. I'm maintaining a 15mph average on my (6-11 miles each way) commute on it, and the bike feels as though it'll more than be able to handle my fitness improving.

Seems as though you can't really go wrong whichever bike you choose, as long as it fits!