Which Hybrid for £1kish? (any help greatly received)

julesbristol
julesbristol Posts: 9
edited August 2009 in Commuting chat
Started a bike to work scheme at work. Got £1k ish to spend. £1,200 max. Wondered what the best hybrid commuter was? I live in Bristol and commute 6 miles a day on pretty poor roads.

I'm thinking along the lines of Cannondale Bad Boy 700 with hydraulic disc brakes. Really want disc brakes.

THanks in advance folks.

Jules
«13

Comments

  • gb155
    gb155 Posts: 2,048
    Started a bike to work scheme at work. Got £1k ish to spend. £1,200 max. Wondered what the best hybrid commuter was? I live in Bristol and commute 6 miles a day on pretty poor roads.

    I'm thinking along the lines of Cannondale Bad Boy 700 with hydraulic disc brakes. Really want disc brakes.

    THanks in advance folks.

    Jules

    Get a roadie (See even Im a convert now)
    On a Mission to lose 20 stone..Get My Life Back

    December 2007 - 39 Stone 05 Lbs

    July 2011 - 13 Stone 12 Lbs - Cycled 17851 Miles

    http://39stonecyclist.com
    Now the hard work starts.
  • russmcp
    russmcp Posts: 28
    Another one who says roadie, much better.

    6 miles will take no time what so ever
    This fitness lark is getting addictive
  • gb155
    gb155 Posts: 2,048
    russmcp wrote:
    Another one who says roadie, much better.

    6 miles will take no time what so ever

    I do 6.5 in a little over 20 mins with a PB of 18 mins (all lights were green, tail wind etc) @ 22 stone, ROADIE ROADIE ROADIE
    On a Mission to lose 20 stone..Get My Life Back

    December 2007 - 39 Stone 05 Lbs

    July 2011 - 13 Stone 12 Lbs - Cycled 17851 Miles

    http://39stonecyclist.com
    Now the hard work starts.
  • excuse my ignorance...what's a roadie? what make? thanks, J
  • gb155
    gb155 Posts: 2,048
    excuse my ignorance...what's a roadie? what make? thanks, J

    I would suggest either

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... e-ec019434

    Or

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bia ... e-ec016936

    If it were me.
    On a Mission to lose 20 stone..Get My Life Back

    December 2007 - 39 Stone 05 Lbs

    July 2011 - 13 Stone 12 Lbs - Cycled 17851 Miles

    http://39stonecyclist.com
    Now the hard work starts.
  • Thanks GB -- I'm with you now!
  • How highly are Cannondale rated in this company?
  • snig
    snig Posts: 428
    edited August 2009
    try and get disc brakes out of your mind,as they are not needed for the road, are heavier and in most cases no better than standard brkes,disc brakes come into their own when your riding offroad in mud,the discs help the brakes still work in the muddy conditions as they dont clog up as much,and also disc if they break can take alot of money/time to fix.
  • majormantra
    majormantra Posts: 2,094
    How highly are Cannondale rated in this company?

    Cannondale make great bikes, though so do lots of other manfacturers.

    I would agree with what's been said above about a)getting a road bike and b)not needing discs. Or you could get a tourer/audax type bike for slightly more practicality and ease of fitting mudguards and/or racks. The reasoning would be that you get drop bars which offer many more hand positions than straight bars and also road bikes are generally more exciting and a bit quicker with their more aggressive riding position.

    Matthew
  • How highly are Cannondale rated in this company?

    CAAD 9 review: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... t-09-33260

    I think the 2010 bikes have BB30 (& FSA Gossamer cranks).

    RBIT

    (C'dale fanboi)
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pin ... ?query=fp1

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/pin ... ?query=fp2

    fp1 is one of the lightest bikes ive ever felt at that price point, its about 2-3kg lighter than the uitegra speedster that GB posted. This is incredible considering the components are entry level and its costs £999.99 the frame is incredible. Absolutely incredible.
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    snig wrote:
    try and get disc brakes out of your mind,as they are not needed for the road, are heavier and in most cases no better than standard brkes,disc brakes come into their own when your riding offroad in mud,the discs help the brakes still work in the muddy conditions as they dont clog up as much,and also disc if they break can take alot of money/time to fix.
    Its not necessarily the point of discs for commuting.
    They are much better over the winter - for one they are more consistent when wet (altough you can easily manage with rim brakes) but I got them because your wheels last longer and you don't get that nasty aluminium paste build up on your rims all the time.
    So, for stopping power - not an issue, but for convenience, definitely better. The trade off is rotating weight.
  • thanks to everyone for the help, and interesting suggestions.

    How about this as a bit of a compromise?

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... ?query=s30
  • thanks to everyone for the help, and interesting suggestions.

    How about this as a bit of a compromise?

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... ?query=s30
  • thanks to everyone for the help, and interesting suggestions.

    How about this as a bit of a compromise?

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sco ... ?query=s30
  • russmcp
    russmcp Posts: 28
    Looks good, but as a bloke whose just returned to a roadie after years on a mountain bike, I can see the benefits of drop bars as it means I can get more comfy. I recommend drop bars
    This fitness lark is getting addictive
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Jules, I would agree with most of the comments on here.
    I have now been commuting off and on for nearly a year on a MTB with slick tyres, and disk breaks, but now want a new bike forr the commute, which generally will be on road but want the option of a little off road too, so am coming down on the side of a Cross bike with rim breaks, that will suit for commuting (it is about 7.5 miles each way) Advantage is drop bars for better hand positions, pretty fast, but just a smidgeon slower than a true road bike, loads of gears, but also has sturdier frame which would suit canal paths an other smoothish off road options for getting out of the traffic, and would be excellent for some touring as can handle rack and panniers.

    Try looking at Specialized Tricross, comes in about £780.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • AndyManc
    AndyManc Posts: 1,393
    DON'T get a road bike for 6 miles :twisted:

    I've got all types of bike and I use my hardtail mtb for my 6 mile commute, it's tough, great to ride, has 2 massive panniers that I often use to shuttle illegal immigrants in, I can jump kerbs when I feel there s*** ahead, it's the perfect utility vehicle.

    If your not planning one day excursions doing 30mile +, then stick to a practical do anything, tough, 12 month/ use every day bombproof bike.

    Your first choice was a good one.


    .
    Specialized Hardrock Pro/Trek FX 7.3 Hybrid/Specialized Enduro/Specialized Tri-Cross Sport
    URBAN_MANC.png
  • AndyManc
    AndyManc Posts: 1,393
    BTW , I will be getting this soon, would suit your needs very well and save you loads into the bargain.


    marinmuirwoods29er.jpg


    http://www.bicycledoctor.co.uk/p_marinmuirwoods29er.html


    .
    Specialized Hardrock Pro/Trek FX 7.3 Hybrid/Specialized Enduro/Specialized Tri-Cross Sport
    URBAN_MANC.png
  • The bike you need will depend upon what you need to do with it. For me, I'd suggest that rough roads and a six mile commute does not equal road-racing bike. You also need to consider if you will be carrying heavy things and thus want to use panniers, mudguards etc.

    Also, don't blow your entire budget on the bike. You'll want to get decent locks - about 10% of the value of the bike. You may also want to buy pannier bags / backpacks / courier bags, decent lights, possibly spd pedals etc.

    If you go to a good bike shop - one that has had good personal recommendations - then the staff will be able to advise you better than anyone on here.
    Pain is only weakness leaving the body
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Please don't get a thousand pound bike with Sora!!
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    biondino wrote:
    Please don't get a thousand pound bike with Sora!!
    i assume thats in reference to the pinarello i posted, trust me its lighter and a better frame than the bikes thats being looked at at the same price point. Get it now, abuse it through the winter and upgrade the components come next summer.
  • meanwhile
    meanwhile Posts: 392
    gb155 wrote:
    russmcp wrote:
    Another one who says roadie, much better.

    6 miles will take no time what so ever

    I do 6.5 in a little over 20 mins with a PB of 18 mins (all lights were green, tail wind etc) @ 22 stone, ROADIE ROADIE ROADIE

    What - and you think that's fast? No, it's not.

    And you think that the advantages that a road bike actually has - reasonable aero and excellent "twitch" turning for getting position in a pack - are relevant to achieving at that speed? No.

    A road bike is a great design for racing - it's *slightly* faster than a fast hybrid, at the cost of a lot of toughness, comfort, braking and turning ability.
  • blakef111
    blakef111 Posts: 374
    has anybody recomennded the cube hyde yet? its a horrendously gorgeus bike and the nexus internal gearing must be awesome for commuting, in the shop we weighed it in at 12kg as well so really light just my thought
  • sarajoy
    sarajoy Posts: 1,675
    To the OP - try out both a roadie and a fast hybrid from a shop - and get the one that feels best (though I gather taking time to get used to a road bike can be rewarding) :)

    I'm pleased with my Specialized Vita (like a Sirrus, but woman-specific) around Bristol :)
    4537512329_a78cc710e6_o.gif4537512331_ec1ef42fea_o.gif
  • meanwhile
    meanwhile Posts: 392
    russmcp wrote:
    Looks good, but as a bloke whose just returned to a roadie after years on a mountain bike, I can see the benefits of drop bars as it means I can get more comfy. I recommend drop bars

    I prefer drops too. But most people don't feel comfortable on them - especially in traffic and on rough roads - and the multiple positions are relevant to a 6 mile commute. Flats are newbie friendly - they give the best braking position and the best view of traffic.

    Anyway - Jules: there are lot of idiots on forums like this who simply want you to validate their lifestyle decision to buy a particular type of bike. The worse they ride it and the less they know and the more money they've spent, the keener they are to do this.

    My advice is try out several hybrids in your price range - and perhaps a cyclocross bike, as that is the most practical drop bar for the road - and buy the one you like most. Oh - and if a bike has an uncomfortable saddle but looks promising, get the store to put a different one on.

    Bikes I'd prefer to the Badboy (on paper at least) Cotic Roadrat (drop or flat bar), Kona Jake The Snake... Maybe a Specialized Tricross if you have the shop put better brakes in. Definitely look at a Trek or Marin that takes your fancy, especially if they shop selling them has a good reputation for its final assembly work.

    And discs are useful on the road - they give you superb wet weather braking. However, a lot of the "Buy what I bought!" crowd don't know how to use any sort of brake hard without going over the handlebars. (It's a sign of the poor quality of advice some people have given that they haven't even told you to get rim brakes as close as possible to the wet weather performance of discs - put Kool Stop "salmon" pads in them.)
  • meanwhile
    meanwhile Posts: 392
    And another point about drop handles - bike fit is harder to achieve and matters more. It's worth having a proper paid for fitting session. At the least you should make sure that bars on the bike you buy match your shoulder width. Stores virtually never do this, although it's easy to change bars. If it doesn't get done you can be very uncomfortable indeed.

    Anyone who tells you to buy a drop bar bike without mentioning details like this is *not* a useful person to take advice from!
  • meanwhile
    meanwhile Posts: 392
    The bike you need will depend upon what you need to do with it. For me, I'd suggest that rough roads and a six mile commute does not equal road-racing bike. You also need to consider if you will be carrying heavy things and thus want to use panniers, mudguards etc.

    Also, don't blow your entire budget on the bike. You'll want to get decent locks - about 10% of the value of the bike. You may also want to buy pannier bags / backpacks / courier bags, decent lights, possibly spd pedals etc.

    If you go to a good bike shop - one that has had good personal recommendations - then the staff will be able to advise you better than anyone on here.

    Excellent advice. But I'd that, even with good locks, if you don't have reasonably safe bike parking then you should get a £100 used bike as your commuter and then uglify it to make it less stealable. Or a folding biking that you can hide in a corner of the office.
  • O'Day
    O'Day Posts: 26
    You'll find some flat bar bikes - like the Scott you linked to - have the same frame and componentry as drop bar equivalents. I think those Scott Speedster's are a predominantly drop bar range - or are perhaps available with a choice of flats or drops.

    If you buy a bike like this, with a frame, fork, and componentry equal to a drop bar at the same price point, you can always swap out the flats for drops at a later date.

    That's the advantage of choosing a genuine flat bar road bike rather than a true hybrid (such as the Cannondale BadBoy that's been mentioned). Trek and Giant, among others, also do flat bar road versions of their own drop bar bikes.

    The Cotic that was mentioned could be built up with discs and the same frame/fork in either flats or drops (or again, flats and then drops). Nice bikes - set-up this way they'd do the job of a cross-type model (and look great).

    So drops/flatbar - I wouldn't say it's an entirely and mutually exclusive proposition. As I say, bets can be hedged by choosing a genuine flat bar road bike that will cost less to modify down the track then springing for a whole new bike.
  • amnezia
    amnezia Posts: 590
    russmcp wrote:

    A road bike is a great design for racing - it's *slightly* faster than a fast hybrid, at the cost of a lot of toughness, comfort, braking and turning ability.

    :roll:

    you're having a laugh.