Hybrid bikes for £400 budget- which one is best?

[Kingfisher101]

Its going to be really muddy in winter that is, if a lot of the paths will become very muddy I'd personally go for a Carrera mountain bike second-hand because the tyres will cope better than the hybrid tyres. When its very muddy hybrid tyres can tend to slip a lot. I personally wouldnt be locking up an expensive bike outside a college/Uni, I would get a secondhand one.

 

[rivers]

In terms of price there's not much in it, and given that, I would stump up the extra twenty quid over the Ridgeback in order to get a triple chainring as it massively improves your choice of gears when riding up gradients or into a headwind.
It comes down to availability and suitable frame geometry. None of them are bad bikes.
However, personally I would not even consider riding a brand new shiny bike to a university, or even to anywhere in a university town, because the places are magnets for bike thieves as criminals know they are full of students bikes and new term means more new bikes to steal. Myself, I would source a usable 90's vintage Raleigh Pioneer which at your height will be a 23 1/2" frame size just like I ride myself and put some distinctive reflective stripes on the frame or rat it with dull looking paint.

It depends on where the university is. I work in a university, and it's pretty rural (quite literally in the middle of farm), and cycle to work most days on not inexpensive bikes. I don't worry about them at work.

 

[uphillstruggler]

But fundamentally it's an Evans era bike, well-designed and great value - besides, there really in bludger all to go wrong. Downmarket bikes don't have frames of that quality, or Conti tyres and so on. I'm teetering on the edge of non-recommendation of a line of bikes that I've always held in high regard, but I think, at the price, it's a very good buy.

i would also read the small print, as there is usually something like 'image for illustration purpose's, actual specification may vary'. i would double check as its Sports direct too

 

[Cycleops]

i would also read the small print, as there is usually something like 'image for illustration purpose's, actual specification may vary'. i would double check as its Sports direct too

Exactly, the tyres in the illustration are Nutrack Speedsters, still decent but likely be ' subject to change'.

 

[sasquath]

If your budget is £400 you should buy £250 bike and 2x dlock + essentials for remaining £150.

 

[Danjb2]

Went for the Carrera subway 2 in the end, thanks for all the help/advice

 

[BoldonLad]

I have a Giant Escape. It is the second one I have owned. Very pleased with it. One word of caution, the most recent one came fitted with Giant Brand tubeless tyres. Not impressed with them. I changed them for Schwalbe Marathons.