Is a hybrid a good starter bike?

[Bimble]

Hello,

I want to take up cycling for general fitness and have been advised by a work colleague that a hybrid might be the best choice to start with, rather than a mountain bike, as it will be lighter and better / smoother to ride.

My budget is around £300 for the bike and I've allowed around £100 for accessories lights etc.

Do you have any recommendations? Either on type of bike, or specific models?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Mark_Robson]

A hybrid would be ideal for general use and an ideal first bike would be something like this. The only drawback with buying a bike from Halfords is that the standard of the initial setting up can be hit or miss depending on the expertise and general enthusiasm of the person who builds the bike up for you.

 

[Kingwill]

Bimble

Yes I'd recommend a hybrid rather than a mountain bike. If nothing else the chunky tyres on a mountain bike will give much more resistance than those you will get on a hybrid. While the chunky tyres on a MTB will be good for getting you fit, once you pass a level of fitness and you want a bit more speed they really are a drag (pun intended).

On your budget I agree with the suggestion from Mark but I'd have a good look around as you can sometimes get good deals when stockists are trying to sell off last years models.

Also consider what your long-term requirement might be. Are you going to be mainly using roads or do you feel you might off road?

I started out on just a fitness kick and got a hybrid but as soon as the bug bit I started to enviously eye the sleek road bikes. I'm not saying that you should go straight to one but I know that I regret spending money on the hybrid and wish I'd saved a bit more for a road bike (which I've now done and am looking to get in the spring).

 

[SquareDaff]

The main use of my bike is commutting so I plumped for a hybrid! A road bike may have been the better option but I can use the hybrid to do light offroading, which I wouldn't dare do on a roadster!!

Depending on your level of your mechanical ability I'd try and avoid disc brakes. No need for them on your average hybrid and they take a lot of maintenance - especially at the price level you mention.

Light wise - get at least 1 Smart 1/2 watt for the rear and a rechargeable for the front. I always carry a cheapo "get me home" front light too - just in case I overestimate the charge left.

 

[accountantpete]

I'd only say that that the forum gets a few questions about converting flat bars to drops as some people find them more comfortable - try and get a ride on both as it is a bit expensive to do this.

 

[aberal]

Ultimately it'll depend on what kind of cycling you find yourself doing most. Hybrids are a bit of a compromise kind of bike which a lot of beginners gravitate to because they reckon that it will take them out on the road and along farm tracks and canal paths etc when needs be. Which of course they will and nothing wrong with that. My own personal experience with hybrids is that they can be a bit boring to ride - they tend to be neither one thing nor the other - slow on the road and not much fun off road. So if general fitness is your goal, I'd suggest a road bike would be a better bet. They will take you mile upon mile around the highways and byways to places you didn't know existed.

 

[Bimble]

Thank you for the advice.

I'm not sure about a drop bar bike (road bike?) - I imagine they are more of a racing bike - can they be used for commuting too? What sort of budget would I need for one of those?

I imagine they are quite a bit more expensive.

 

[I like Skol]

Lots of advice above and quite a few suggestions that you may find yourself wanting a 'proper' road bike in the not to distant future. Of course, you could equally go the other way and decide that mountain biking is your bag, so unless you have any roadie or MTB tendancies emerging now the hybrid is possibly the best choice as it is neither one nor the other.

I have been an out and out MTB'r since my late teens (now late 30's) and just bought a hybrid because I am commuting and the more robust bike suits my riding style. A ride around city centre Manchester on Sunday morning confirmed my choice with lots of hopping up and down kerbs, riding down flights of steps (obviously more carefully than on the old MTB) and cobbled streets proving the hybrid is a tough cookie for the city streets where a road bike just wouldn't take the abuse. Consider why the crossover SUV car market is so popular?

£300 should get you a good starter bike, particularly with 2010 models being discounted now although I would avoid Halfords unless you are confident to check over your own bike prior to use. Internet suppliers have some great deals and you might be able to get your local bike shop to check a bike-in-a-box over for you, especially if you buy a stack of accessories at the same time, after all they want to build a relationship with you in the long term.

For £300 you could get something like this - 2010 GT Traffic 3.0 or a Kona Dew 2010 can be found starting at only £270 depending on what frame size you require. I have dealt with activesport.co.uk to buy my sons GT Stomper 20 a couple of years ago and because I am happy to set up a bike from scratch it went very smoothly.

Hope this helps.

 

[scouserinlondon]

My two cents worth;

About 18 months ago I got the crazy notion that I'd like to cycle to work. I duly borrowed my wife's £350 Cararra Subway and used it on the days she didn't fancy cycling (which is about monday to thursday as it turned out). I loved it, fell in love with the freedom, the independence, and the occasional heart pounding adrenaline.

Then, in hindisght, I made an error. Being a boy with a slight new-kit fetish and with only three months cycling experience under my belt, I rushed to evens and tried out half a dozen hybrids. I settled on one (a trek valencia) which is an excellent bike which I have very much enjoyed riding. Now 18 months on I wish I'd have tried a roadbike or a cross bike, stuck with my wife's bike for a bit longer and bought an XC bike when I was that bit more experienced and knowledgable. Now I'm making the best of having the hybrid for a while longer as I now don't have funds or a new bike or any desire to get stuck in the tricky new cyclescheme rules.

My advice to you mate, is get something like a carerra subway on fleabay for a hundred notes, ride the arse off of it, make your mistakes, learn winter bike maintainance, shred it on sheffield stands, save up, and if by May next year you're still cycling then you've got the bug. You can then spend a couple of weeks test riding bikes with a good baseline from your new found experience, and you can choose what's right for you buying a decent bike safe in the knoweledge it'll meet your needs. Wish I'd done it.

 

[aberal]

Thank you for the advice.

I'm not sure about a drop bar bike (road bike?) - I imagine they are more of a racing bike - can they be used for commuting too? What sort of budget would I need for one of those?

I imagine they are quite a bit more expensive.

A road bike isn't necessarily any more expensive than a hybird - shop around and try both and see what suits. For commuting a hybrid is probably better, but for fitness then a road bike is best. You get fitter by putting in more miles and you will do that better with a road bike. The suggestion for a cyclo-cross bike like this one here for example, is a good one. They'll take you safely and comfortable down tracks and trails but come the spring, if you like, put on some skinny road tyres and you have a road bike.

 

[cyberknight]

You can pick up a entry road bike for around £300
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_787367_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/sport-1-54-57-69567468/

I have a hybrid and a road bike , both of that sort of price range and i prefer the road bike as i have more hand positions and its faster .

The revolution cross that some oen suggested is also a good idea .

these are my bikes...

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_272635_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_551203_langId_-1_categoryId_165534


A carrera virtuoso and a carerrea subway 1

The virtuoso is a decent entry level road bike and i find the subway 1 fairly bombproof so i use it as my winter commuter.

 

[jack the lad]

Often the advice (including here) is to start with a hybrid and then move on to a proper road bike (by which they mean a skinny tyred, drop bar racing style bike). Alternatively start with a hybrid and then move on to a better hybrid!

There is often a lot of nonsense talked. You can get equally fit on either, you can ride huge distances on either, you can go up Tour de France style mountain climbs on either (I know- I was passed by several!). You can ride a hybrid on bridlepaths, cycle paths, farm tracks and roads. You can ride a road bike on roads. You might go slightly faster on a road bike (only on roads!), but you can't carry your shopping or overnight bag.

A hybrid is a compromise, but that doesn't mean it's neither one thing nor the other, it means it is a really useful all-rounder, go anywhere, do anything bike.

Drop bars might be more comfortable for some (not my experience though) - but you will see most people on drop-bar bikes spending most of their time riding with their hands on the flat bit anyway. If you think drop bars are for you try a cyclocross or touring bike, which have fatter tyres than race style road bikes and so have pretty much the same go anywhere ability as hybrids, but you will be very lucky to find anything in your price range.

 

[barongreenback]

I love my hybrid but I really, really want a road bike now!

 

[rusky]

I love my hybrid but I really, really want a road bike now!

I know exactly what you mean!

I've done 2 FNRttC rides on mine, on both I cycled up Ditchling Beacon.

 

[P.H]

  There has been a lot of rubbish produced under the heading of Hybrid, it may influence some peoples opinions of them, it shouldn't there's also been a lot of good stuff.   It's such a generalised term it's best forgotten, and just think bike.  Looking through the Evans bike lists there are so many categories and sub categories and so few real thoroughbreds I'd suggest most bikes a hybrid of some sort, look at these so called cyclo cross bikes, obviously they aren't, you'll never see anyone racing with a rack and mudguards or 35mm tyres  

So, a bike is a bike.  Put together a list of what you want it to do, what stuff you need, what you don't want and go a bike shop that stocks a big range and find something that matches.  Stuff I'd put on the don't want list at that price point is any form of suspension and disk brakes.  Stuff I wouldn't be without is fittings for mudguards and a rack.  

My first decent bike was a Cannondale H400 hybrid, I commuted 60 miles a week, regularly did CTC rides, a few 100 & 200km Audaxes, a couple of Sustrans long distance routes and generally thoroughly enjoyed it.  When six years ago I decided I wanted something better I realised no one bike could cover the range, so I've ended up with three    Jack of all trades hybrids may be, they can still be a lot of fun.

And fit,  a bike of any sort that fits you well will be better than any that doesn't, find a decent bike shop or experienced cyclist to help with this.

Good luck and enjoy.

EDIT - I wasn't going to make any specific recommendation, but after looking again at the range from Evans the Ridgebacks just appeal to me as decent quality practical bikes.  A British company (Though manufactured elsewhere) they seem to have a better understanding than most of what's required for the local conditions.