Is Hybrid right for me?

[Hiimspiderman]

Hi folks.
I'm just getting back in to casual cycling after an on/off break of about 5/6 years. I've never had a decent bike, always making do with the cheapest of the cheap.
Now I'm a bit older and less bouncy (Bones click when I move...make gasping noises when I sit down ) I'm wanting to get something a little better. Budget is tight at around £200 but there's some decent sales on.
I ride 70% country Road and 30% rough path so I'm thinking of going down the route of a Hybrid. I'm wanting to eventually get up to doing some decent mileage on it too when I'm back in the swing of things.
I've been looking at the Carrera Parva on the Halfords website which seems ideal and a definite upgrade from my £89 Apollo .
Any thoughts/suggestions on this would be greatfully received as I'm basically a total nooby.

Thanks.

 

[vickster]

If getting with suspension, make sure it has a lock out for roads. Problem with suspension on cheaper bikes is it's basic and heavy. Something like a Carrera Subway with its chunkier wheels but rigid fork might be more appropriate given road use.

If you join British Cycling, you get IMO indispensible benefits (legal and 3rd party cover notably) and 10% off everything off Halfords. Around £35 a year

 

[mjr]

Do you mean http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes/carrera-parva-mens-hybrid-bike ?

It'd probably do it OK, but my concerns are:

• It's half-odds - search the forum for old threads about them
• Aluminium forks ("for comfort"? ) which I usually find less comfortable but they vary so you'd have to test-ride it
• 27.5" (650B/584) wheel size will restrict tyre choice and availability - 622/700c/28" may make more sense
• I don't much like EZ-Fire shifters (I often forget which gear I'm in and sometimes which lever does what), but see what you think

Joining British Cycling would get you 10% off but supports BC's forcing of helmets onto charity bike rides and you may have legal and 3rd party cover with your household insurance anyway.

 

[MichaelW2]

"thanks to its larger 27.5" wheels"
Note that 27.5" wheels (or 650B) are smaller, not larger than the traditional hybrid wheel size of 700c.
Also ask in Halfords if you can buy, off the shelf, a regular, medium-sized commuting tyre with good puncture protection, such as Schwalbe Marathon, for this wheel size.

"Forks: Aluminium blades for comfort"
Aluminium forks are known for their unyielding stiffness which can give a harsh ride. This is offset by wider tyres so is not a problem but the description is not accurate,.

 

[mjr]

Oh and as an older rider, mixed surfaces, more comfort, the traditional answer would have been a roadster/town-bike (Raleigh Chiltern, Pashley Sovereign or similar) but for under £200, you'd be digging around the second-hands and that's a bit of a lottery - some gems, some lemons. And again, you'd probably be facing a less-common-now tyre size (650A/590/26x1⅜") although makers like Bobbin still sell new bikes with that size, so they are available in some places.

 

[T4tomo]

Have a look at decathlon, they take some beating at your budget.

The styling on the 500 is a bit marmite but the on sale for 150 is a bargain.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-376962-hybrid-and-touring-bikes#product_8245553

 

[Hiimspiderman]

Thanks for your replies, great advice that I'll definitely Bare in mind when I go bike shopping this weekend!

 

[youngoldbloke]

Oh and as an older rider, mixed surfaces, more comfort, the traditional answer would have been a roadster/town-bike ..........

Am I the only 'older rider' that finds this statement extremely condescending?

 

[cyberknight]

The carrera parva looks basically a bit like the old subway , nowt wrong with it .I found the stock tyres a bit knobbly and changed mine to slicks as they roll a lot better on the road and can cope with rough paths etc like around hicks lodge / tissington trail .
As far as drops/ flat bars go its whatever you feel comfy with , i never really got on with flat bars personally but if you put some bar ends on it can give you extra hand position

I ended up doing a drop bar conversion on mine ....
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/mtb-drop-bar-conversion.197717/

 

[cyberknight]

Have a look at decathlon, they take some beating at your budget.

The styling on the 500 is a bit marmite but the on sale for 150 is a bargain.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-376962-hybrid-and-touring-bikes#product_8245553

I like the look of this .....
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-flat-bar-road-bike-black-id_8322664.html

 

[mjr]

Am I the only 'older rider' that finds this statement extremely condescending?

I include myself in that. I love these bikes but I think that since the Raleigh Chiltern of about 1990, few of these bikes have been seen in many shops until very recently, so younger riders probably won't have experienced them. Older riders might have.

 

[MarkF]

Have a look at decathlon, they take some beating at your budget.

The styling on the 500 is a bit marmite but the on sale for 150 is a bargain.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/C-376962-hybrid-and-touring-bikes#product_8245553

Wow, that's a bargain. The very same bike is a used by rental companies all over Spain, that's a pretty good recommendation. I've used them umpteen times, they are ugly though.

So I would go with cyberknights suggestion, I'd happily buy this (& I might), stick some M+'s on it and get years of road/trail/towpath fun.

I like the look of this .....
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-500-flat-bar-road-bike-black-id_8322664.html

 

[Hiimspiderman]

Thanks.. We're going for a good nose around today so I'll report back

 

[r04DiE]

To answer your original question: "Is Hybrid right for me?" I would say that there is nothing wrong with it, so long as it suits you. For a mix of road and rough path, you will need to consider tyre width and type, but you shouldn't have much trouble finding something to suit both surfaces.

Personally, I like road bikes with drops, but that said, I rode a hybrid for a while and covered about 13,000 km on it, and very happy kilometers they were too!

 

[Hiimspiderman]

So after much deliberating and only going slightly over budget I went for a new...

*Drumroll noise*

Carrera Crossfire 2 Hybrid. I pick it up on Wednesday all being well and I'm well chuffed. I love the way it looks and it has a few features better than others I had been looking at.

Thanks for all your help it's definitely all helped!! Hope to see some of you local folks out riding soon.