Fast Flat Bar Hybrid / Fitness Bike

LloydyUK
LloydyUK Posts: 11
edited August 2017 in Road buying advice
I've decided that I no longer want to ride drop bar and I'm going to buy a fast flat bar hybrid. I don't want mountain bike style triple chainring and low gears, the ones I've been looking into have typically a 50/34 chainring and an 11-32 or 11-34 cassette. The lowest gear on my road bike is a 38-26 and that is not low enough for me on big hills.
These are the bikes I've been looking at, I'd like your thoughts and also any suggestions of a similar bike that I've missed. In no particular order:

Whyte Stirling rrp £1099 https://www.whyte.bike/stirling

Canyon Roadlite AL 8.0 rrp £1199 https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/fitness/roadlite/roadlite-al-8.html

Giant Fastroad SLR rrp £999 https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/bikes-fastroad-slr

Giant Rapid 0 rrp £999 https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/rapid-0


All input great fully received thanks.

Comments

  • N0bodyOfTheGoat
    N0bodyOfTheGoat Posts: 6,066
    Have you considered more sportive frames, such as my 58cm Cube? Its stack is a monstrous 610mm IIRC, making riding in the drops much more comfy, even with my back that's given me grief since 2008 (but much better in the last year). The tops on the Cube are higher than the bars on my 18" Wazoo!
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • LloydyUK
    LloydyUK Posts: 11
    I'm definitely going flat bar.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Just don't use the drops then - sorted !
  • LloydyUK
    LloydyUK Posts: 11
    The 2 Giant bikes are the same price, but different gear. Does anyone have knowledge of which has the better wheels etc?
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    The Whyte is great but I preferred the Boardman Hybrid Team for less money. Fantastic bike. The pro is more like the money you are looking at and has 1x11 drivetrain if that suits, whereas the Team is 2x10.
  • bmxboy10
    bmxboy10 Posts: 1,958
    The BMCs at Evans look pretty sorted
  • Cyclinguphills
    Cyclinguphills Posts: 15
    I had a Boardman hybrid when I came from mountains bike to road bike! excellent bike it climbed as good as some road bikers I came across! I was hitting 17mph average on it easy so when I started road biking I was already at a good standard for the beginners rides!
  • LloydyUK
    LloydyUK Posts: 11
    Anyone have any input on the bikes I listed?
  • LloydyUK
    LloydyUK Posts: 11
    Anyone?
  • mrfpb
    mrfpb Posts: 4,569
    It's hard to choose between the two Giants. The Rapid0 has 105 gearing, better than Tiagra on the FastRoad. The rear cassettes are easy to swap out fo a more suitable gear. The Whyte has wider tyres, so suggests better tyre clearance - yuou can swap down to 25mm or 23mm tyres on that bike. It's not clear if you could swap up to wider tyres on the Giants.

    Have you asked this question in Commuting Chat? There will more flat bar road bike users there than there are in the Road forums.
  • grumpygramps
    grumpygramps Posts: 10
    I quite like the Merida Speeder, used to have one a couple of years ago. Really lovely bike. Can't help with the others I'm afraid.

    https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Merida-Speeder ... _95936.htm

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