Advice on a new Hybrid Bike Please: £500 - £700 Budget

[vickster]

Thanks so much for your input and advice regarding the bike, tools and mudguards etc. all things that I'm also taking into consideration and are equally as important as the bike. In all honesty, at the moment, I'm struggling to decide on which bike but your mention of the Boardman has really taken my fancy...

https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2181-hyb-8.6-grey.html

Are these good bikes then, how do you think it will hold out on my commute + weekend rides, would you rate it against the other bikes I referenced before?

I will be buying online hence why the decision is somewhat harder and we don't have any decent bike shops around here neither are they open due to Covid-19.

Thanks again

These bikes are all more than adequate for a commute (assuming good mudguards can be fitted) and for weekend all surface leisure rides (except maybe full on off-road, mud)

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Where’s your height? Legs or torso?
I’m a leggy just under 5’10 and the large R7 was fine for me. If your height is upper body, I reckon it’ll be fine. Why not ask the seller?

It's standover I lack, iyswim! But I like quite a compact bike so feel very happy on the Cambridge in M flavour

 

[vickster]

It's standover I lack, iyswim! But I like quite a compact bike so feel very happy on the Cambridge in M flavour

Never been an issue for me and the R7 frame has a slopey TT

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Never been an issue for me and the R7 frame has a slopey TT

Even with, I was just more comfortable on the M than the L. We are built in diametrically opposed ways!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

The way those materials tend to fail is probably best described as 'rarely'.

Correct, but you neglected to add the really important bit; "suddenly and with little warning"
Hence why you get all the postings on cycling forums along the lines of "I had an off/coming together with a motor vehicle/my carbon bike fell over and hit a piece of street furniture hard on the way down, is it still safe to ride?"
i recently acquired an old steel framed Raleigh that had been crashed into something as the fork had a bent blade and was also slightly twisted. I removed the fork from the frame, clamped it in a big bench vice, and persuaded it to go back to more or less the shape it is meant to be by using a length of scaffold tube and a long flat steel bar. You wouldn't be doing that with either a carbon fibre or aluminium fork!

 

[Grant Fondo]

Ohhh really! It says XL is for 5ft11" - 6ft4", that's thrown me off a little as I was planning to get this one!

I'm just over 6ft (184cm), do you think that will be way too big for me then?

Thanks

You should be fine then, difficult to make sure without a quick test ride, good luck

 

[faster]

The way those materials tend to fail is probably best described as 'rarely'.

Correct, but you neglected to add the really important bit; "suddenly and with little warning"

Soz - I'll fix it.

"The way those materials tend to fail suddenly and with little warning is best described as 'rarely'."

This is despite all of the urban myths about pretty much anything that isn't steel being prone to sudden failure...

Hence why you get all the postings on cycling forums along the lines of "I had an off/coming together with a motor vehicle/my carbon bike fell over and hit a piece of street furniture hard on the way down, is it still safe to ride?"

Correct, but you neglected to add the really important bit "... but you don't get many posts where carbon bikes actually have failed suddenly with little warning."

i recently acquired an old steel framed Raleigh that had been crashed into something as the fork had a bent blade and was also slightly twisted. I removed the fork from the frame, clamped it in a big bench vice, and persuaded it to go back to more or less the shape it is meant to be by using a length of scaffold tube and a long flat steel bar. You wouldn't be doing that with either a carbon fibre or aluminium fork!

No I wouldn't, but I wouldn't do it on a steel fork either. It'll probably be fine, but not something I'd risk.

 

[jowwy]

i have never once chosen a bike using 'failure mode' as one of the factors, god there is some utter nonsense spouted out when advising some one on what bike to buy.......and ive used many a chinese mass produced carbon frame or wheelset and not had a single failure on any of them.

And its not because i'm a lightweight guy

 

[mustang1]

Thanks so much for your input and advice regarding the bike, tools and mudguards etc. all things that I'm also taking into consideration and are equally as important as the bike. In all honesty, at the moment, I'm struggling to decide on which bike but your mention of the Boardman has really taken my fancy...

https://www.boardmanbikes.com/gb_en/products/2181-hyb-8.6-grey.html

Are these good bikes then, how do you think it will hold out on my commute + weekend rides, would you rate it against the other bikes I referenced before?

I will be buying online hence why the decision is somewhat harder and we don't have any decent bike shops around here neither are they open due to Covid-19.

Thanks again

My SO only uses the bike in fair weather occasional use but it's the kind of bike I'd be totally happy with as a commuter (if it took guards and panniers*) and weekend runabout or cruising around.
*wrt guards and panniers: I've checked the bike and it has holes to attach fenders and a rack but please double check with someone more qualified than me (everyone else on this forum I guess ) because I'd hate it if you bought the bike and you couldn't attach the rack and fenders based on what I said - I have never attached those items to a bike myself and have always got someone at an LBS to instead).

My only slight reservation was it has Tektro brakes. There is nothing wrong with those, but I just have a preference for Shimano. Also some people cringe that it's supplied from Halfords and the bike mechanics there could be dodgy. I have bought two bikes from Halfords and one of them had a headset that was adjusted too tightly (coz the the guy I was originally speaking to was off on the day I went to pick the bike up) but I just fixed that.

The bike is about 9 months old and in excellent condition but that's also due to very minimal use. She's not had the 6 week service (in fact, the last time I checked, Halfords no longer gave a free 6 week service). The brakes have recently started to squeek about one in ten times she uses them, and I had to oil the chain. I think the colour is lovely and it's a well proportioned, great looking bike at a not-too-bad price.

 

[Corsica_13]

Hello all,

Thanks again for your recent replies, it's been really helpful.

I've been watching so many videos and reading countless forum pages, not just on bikes but accessories and all the extras that come with riding!

During the time I've been researching and debating which bike to choose, the bikes from my original list have literally all sold out! All the bike shops I've called seem to be very busy, not sure if it's always the case in the bike scene or because of Covid-19.

Anyway, after trawling through hundreds of bikes, I've currently got my eyes set on the following (the Marin Fairfax 2 was also in my original list):

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/bikes/hybrid-city-bikes/marin-muirwoods-29er-2019-bike

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/bikes/hybrid-city-bikes/marin-fairfax-2-2019-bike

I've not heard of this next brand before, does anyone know if they're any good:

https://winstanleysbikes.co.uk/bikes/hybrid-city-bikes/orbea-vector-20-2020-bike

I would love to hear your thoughts on any experiences with these bikes?

Many thanks

 

[Cycleops]

They are all good with the better specced Orbea looking the best on paper with a carbon fork, but very dreary in all black. The Muirwoods has Schwalbe Citizen tyres which I was running recently until I had to junk them after getting two puncture in three days, but all bikes at this price point will be similarly poorly equipped rubber wise.
Over to you Mr Corsica.

 

[vickster]

@Corsica_13 Orbea is a large Spanish brand, as good as any

 

[vickster]

Have you considered the trek fx3 disc, carbon fork, hydraulic discs etc
https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/bikes/hybrid-bikes/fitness-bikes/fx/fx-3-disc/p/28474/
And it’s not black

 

[Ralphy9207]

I’d recommend a Calibre Stitch. I got mine for £300 and it’s as good as most hybrid bikeS around the £500-£600 range. The only issue is that they are sold out the moment they’re back in stock. They had a medium size in stock yesterday.

 

[Corsica_13]

Hello all,

Thanks again for everyone's recent input and advice.

I finally managed to order the bike I originally wanted after really struggling to make my mind up, I went for the Whyte Cambridge:

https://www.discountcyclesdirect.co...='Whyte Cambridge Urban Hybrid Commuter Bike'

I ordered from this Website which wasn't the best customer experience in all honesty, the whole ordering part of the transaction could only be handled online via email and the over the phone advice on the bike itself, I felt the guy just wanted to get me off the phone, didn't seem to care I was about to spend £600.

Despite the experience, this is the bike I really wanted and couldn't get it anywhere else so decided to go ahead with the order last week, anyway it arrived today and I was super excited.

However upon unwrapping it, I discovered the following on the frame...

A small dent - absolutely gutted to say the least! After months of research, reading and watching content, I finally made my purchase and I receive damaged goods, so typical!

It's strange how the dent could have appeared because there is no obvious damage on the box it came in and it had those polystyrene wraps and cardboard protecting it 🧐

The returns policy on the website says you have to pay and arrange for your own returns etc. all a massive headache, I didn't even get to build it and test it, so disappointed!

I've raised a returns request with them with all the images etc., let's see what they come back with tomorrow, if they even respond that quickly!

Has anyone else ever received a damaged bike, if so how was it handled and what outcome did you have?

Thanks,