Advice please

yorkshiref

Hi all,
I am new to the site and new to cycling (after 30 years). The children have grown up now and the wife and I want to get bikes for weekend activity. As I haven't got a clue and just starting off can the wisdom of the masses give me advice. I have narrowed it down to
Halfords Carrera Gryphon Hybrid Bike - Medium 19" £349, but I can get it for £297 or
Evens Trek 8.2 19" DS 2014 Hybrid Bike £320, but £290 with trade in.

Which one if any...

Thanks

andrewc3142

Tricky one.

Depends on a lot of things, not least what you plan to do short term, what you'd like to do longer term, how fit you are, how fit you plan to be. How much you can afford.

You could get a couple of cheap hybrids and have many days of perfectly happy riding. I know people who have a wonderful time doing just that, either alone or as a couple, but I have to say it's not for me and my wife. If you do go down that route, the best deals aren't the current year's models but what's left over from last year (or even the year before). They won't be much different apart from colour.

Equally, you find you love it and want to do more and a couple of road bikes is what you really want, in which case you may have wasted your money on hybrids better spent on getting decent road bikes (about £1,000 a piece upwards for something you'd want to keep longer term). Ditto re this year's models.

But let me throw in a curve ball. Let's assume you are both reasonably fit, get on well together, want to go out on trips together, maybe a weekend away, take in some hills, do some reasonable distances without feeling like you've just done an etap, but that you'd ride at different speeds. If so, quite seriously worth considering a tandem. One that is quick enough on the road, but can take panniers (and preferably has S&S couplings so you can take it on a train).

Could be it's used once and then gathers dust. But could be it's the start of something really special for the two of you.

Just my 2 cents and hope I haven't muddied the waters too much

PS If I gather from your screen name that you live in God's own county, then JD Tandems is probably not far away in Gargrave.

yorkshiref

Thanks for the reply andrew, yes I do live in gods country, from over the hill originally, but met a yorkshire pudding, my wife has been given a bike, and I only want to spend £300, to start me off, don't want to buy second hand as I would come back with magic beens, wouldn't have a clue what I was buying, thats why I suggested the 2 above, still confused...!

andrewc3142

I lived just outside Skipton for a few years. Lovely part of the world.

Either would get you going. I would think the Trek has the edge, though, and with all due respect to Halfords the back-up at Evans would probably be better if you need it.

Second hand can be a bit of a minefield, but you can get something really quite nice for that money. I recently bought a 1995 Peugeot Competition 500 for my son. A thorough clean and new headset, BB, chain, cassette, cables, downtube shifters and brake levers, plus wheels/tyres and a saddle I had spare and it's come up really nicely. Exc wheels and saddle total sub £350.

Other than the headset, all jobs that are easier than you might think if you put aside a couple of days, make lots of tea and have a radio.

Main thing, though, is just to ride and have fun.

sabretalon

Have you tried them?

Bike specs are one thing but you really do need to at least sit on them to try for fit.

What bike does your wife have? This may also impact on what to buy.

£300 is a reasonable rate but you do have to factor in for things like helmet, lighting, emergency kit (spare tubes, puncture repair, multi tool etc...), pump etc... If you do not already have or is that a separate budget?

I would advise going to several bike shops and trying out some bikes first.

Would it be worth looking at bike hire to see if it is something you will do?

Where are you likely to be riding? On road, cycle paths, trails or cross country? That would narrow down the type of bikes to be looking at. We could assume that by looking at a hybrid, you intend some road use as well as local trails but you could be using it mainly for the road?

I wanted a hybrid but after trying out a few I decided against it. I only do a little bit on the road, around a mile to where nearest trail is for me. I liked the bigger wheels though and therefore went for 29er mountain bike.