Best bike choice - Commute with minor off-road.

zebede

Hello,

I am just about to buy a bike through my cycle to work scheme (which limits me to Halfords only!) and am having a headache picking the right one. I will mostly be using the road to get to work, but I do want to be able to take a farm track to cut out a load of the journey and make it a more pleasent ride. It may be a bit bumpy, and occasionally muddy, but I never intend to go properly off-roading, i.e. over mountains and through streams!!

Do I need to get a mountain bike or will a good Hybrid do me? My issue being that all the mountain bikes have the smaller tyres that apprently make it more effort?

My present options (in the hybrid stakes) are...

Boardman MX Sport 2014
Carrera Crossfire 3

Any advice welcome

slowbike

Hybrid/CX will do just fine - a tourer would probably work too ...

I've ridden farm lanes and similar surfaces with 23mm slicks on a road bike, but it's not comfortable and it was hard baked dry - it is possible to ride muddy surfaces with road slicks, but not as comfortable - 32mm slicks makes it easier, but when it's sticky it can still be tricky.

I'm guessing the track you want to take is more than just a short dash across a yard - and you'll want to commute when it could be muddy too - so you need the option of knobblies ...

Kieran_Burns

So the Boardman CX not in contention then?

drlodge

Kieran_Burns wrote:

So the Boardman CX not in contention then?

I was going to recommend a CX bike, and have just picked up a second hand Boardman CX Pro so I can do just this - ride it on the road and down tracks, canal paths, disused railway lines etc. Its currently fitted with Gatorskins for road use and was used as a commuter bike, but I think a CX is the perfect solution to this.

I'll put some 32c Vittoria Randonneurs on it and hey presto! Its the true "do it all" bike.

mrfpb

I suppose the OP needs to ask himself what will he do with the bike when not riding to work . Lots of road riding/touring would suggest a tourer or CX bike with drop bars, but he may want a more upright bike for getting around locally, in which case flat bar 700c wheel hybrid might do the trick. Hybrids would be the cheaper option, and give more choice.

Kieran_Burns

Not sure how a flat bar hybrid gives more 'choice' than a drop bar CX bike....

Initialised

@KB you get more choice of braking systems on a flat bar as Hydros are already established.

I had a look at a Giant AnyRoad today at http://www.bikerepairman.co.uk/ it looks like a great bike for general mixed use.

Ngalbrai

Is the cycle to work scheme limited to Halfords? I remember this being raised ages (years) ago and that it was possible to go with other dealers..?

drlodge

There are plenty of dealers who do the cycle to work scheme, but your employer may restrict who you can use.

cyberknight

Ngalbrai wrote:

Is the cycle to work scheme limited to Halfords? I remember this being raised ages (years) ago and that it was possible to go with other dealers..?

And you can get non halfords brands if you ring up the C2W numberr on the halfords website, nearly had a cannondale a few years ago but i went for a baordman in the end.