What Bike

dean0c

Hi All,

I am looking to buy a couple of bikes and pretty settled on the MTB (Rockrider 560), however I am looking at moving jobs, the locations where I'm looking will enable me to cycle to work. I don't really want to use the MTB especially as the commute can either be all road or at least 60 road 40 canal paths etc (so rules out road bike...I like the scenic route) therefore looking at the voodoo marasa, is it any good, any better bikes for the price?

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes-and-classic-bikes/voodoo-marasa-hybrid-bike

Or am I better saving a bit more cash and going for this (which would be the very top of my budget)

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes-and-classic-bikes/boardman-hybrid-comp-bike

Thanks

The Rookie

The Marasa is a very good value for money bike, the tyres are a bit heavy though so worth changing, with a few changes it can be anything between a fast road hybrid and a rigid 29er MTB.

The Boardman is a good buy, but the tyres are road bike tyres so no better on a canal path than a road bike, you can fit a bit wider though, upto about a 32mm.

Personally I'd go with the Marasa and fit a compromise tyre in a CX width (something like http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/schwalbe-sammy-slick-cyclocross-tyre/rp-prod48565) with a small amount of tread and tweak the geometry to speed it up a bit (lower the bars).

johnpercival80

I've had a boardman hybrid for 2 years, i took it on a canal path though and i struggled to be honest, just in the process of upgrading, have you checked out the boardman MX range in halfords, look a bit better than the hybrid for what you need, I'm going for the silver one,

N0bodyOfTheGoat

It is only singlespeed, which can be great fun (loved my Tricross until my RTA Dec 2014 despite having to tackle a ~6% ~0.5 mile climb on the way home, now needs at least new front wheel; stem; brake outers), but this looks a stonking hybrid deal to me...
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-transmission-cb22-singlespeed-2015/

Or they do a Tiagra version with a carbon bladed fork...
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/verenti-division-cb20-tiagra-2015/