Total noobie here

[slowmotion]

Welcome @Dbt.
Try and beg or borrow lots of different bikes and see which one suits you before spending a lot of money.

Have fun.

 

[Dbt]

Hey there Dbt, and welcome! From what you described a gravel bike sounds like a good fit to me. If you want a specific model recommendation- my brother has a Trek Crossrip (I think it is a 3, there are also 1 and 2 models with step-downs) which has drop bars, disc brakes, and fittings for his racks and mudguards as he commutes and does not own a car. When he wants to go riding fast with the guys in the cycle club he takes off the commuting gear and puts slicks on; right now it has 35s that are pretty grippy and do ok in winter, and I believe it can go a bit wider for tires if you wish so it is versatile. He rides the trails and the roads and it does great on both. It is a good bike (if you like drop bars, which I am not as partial to) and wasn't super pricey if I recall compared to some but he may have gotten it on sale as a previous-year's-color pricing.

If you don't mind flat bars, Trek's Verve 3 looks like a great hybrid bike (they also have a 1 and 2 that are each a bit more basic but still nice.) This was actually the bike that my brother suggested that I look at when I was shopping a couple of months ago (he works at our LBS.) I ended up getting a steal on a pre-owned-but-never-ridden older hybrid that I love, but the Verve 3 was a nice simple bike and comparable to what I ended up with. The hybrids are a bit less racy in comparison, but go well anywhere except hardcore mtb trails and can be quite versatile. I am getting some mudguards and a rear rack and will use mine to commute when we get thawed out here, and I imagine you could easily put some slicks on it if you choose.

Oooh, both of those sound fab, especially the Crossrip. Not sure if they’re available in the uk, but I’ll see if I can find them. Thank you

 

[Dbt]

Welcome @Dbt.
Try and beg or borrow lots of different bikes and see which one suits you before spending a lot of money.

Have fun.

Yeah, I’ve tried out a couple of hire bikes that are at least giving me an idea as to what I don’t want . Hopefully in the not too distant future I’ll find something I do want.

 

[ADarkDraconis]

Oooh, both of those sound fab, especially the Crossrip. Not sure if they’re available in the uk, but I’ll see if I can find them. Thank you

You are welcome! Good luck in your search, if you go to Trek's website it may show local sellers to you? He really loves his Crossrip (her name is Linda!) In this picture she is the silver bike with the orange bartape in the back (orange is his favorite color). Not a great pic but I think it's the only one I have of her, you can see them on the website.

 

[vickster]

Evans sell the Crossrip...they are significantly above budget though!

https://www.evanscycles.com/search/bikes-category/?text=trek-crossrip&esvt=53840-GOUKb2141124&esvq=+trek +crossrip&esvadt=999999-8400832-1164702-1&esvcrea=177105052761&esvplace=&esvd=c&esvtg=kwd-43374619204&esvaid=50080&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvvDx9OeT2QIVq7DtCh3K1Qx5EAAYASAAEgJUC_D_BwE

Even the lower end Crossrip 1 is a grand at full price (note with Trek, you can't get it delivered, you can order online but have to collect from the retailer)

https://www.cycle-revolution.net/27...MI9sW2juiT2QIV4ZXtCh0bFQSMEAQYAyABEgJAO_D_BwE

 

[ADarkDraconis]

Evans sell the Crossrip...they are significantly above budget though!

https://www.evanscycles.com/search/bikes-category/?text=trek-crossrip&esvt=53840-GOUKb2141124&esvq=+trek +crossrip&esvadt=999999-8400832-1164702-1&esvcrea=177105052761&esvplace=&esvd=c&esvtg=kwd-43374619204&esvaid=50080&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvvDx9OeT2QIVq7DtCh3K1Qx5EAAYASAAEgJUC_D_BwE

Even the lower end Crossrip 1 is a grand at full price (note with Trek, you can't get it delivered, you can order online but have to collect from the retailer)

https://www.cycle-revolution.net/27...MI9sW2juiT2QIV4ZXtCh0bFQSMEAQYAyABEgJAO_D_BwE

I seem to remember him paying about 1000 or so USD on sale, I figured that was about 7-800 pounds. Keep an eye out and maybe look for secondhand or a last year's model!

Edited to add: in your second link the Crossrip 1 is 850 on sale, not a bad price and maybe it will go lower.

 

[pjd57]

CX is ideal on canal paths etc .
Bought an inexpensive one in August and really enjoying it.
Still have my hybrid for going to the shops

 

[Dbt]

I seem to remember him paying about 1000 or so USD on sale, I figured that was about 7-800 pounds. Keep an eye out and maybe look for secondhand or a last year's model!

Edited to add: in your second link the Crossrip 1 is 850 on sale, not a bad price and maybe it will go lower.

Yeah, I checked out the prices yesterday and saw the price. Quite a bit over budget, but as I can only have one bike due to storage space limitations I’m not going to rule it out yet. I’ll just have to wait a bit longer until I can afford it. There’s an Evans shop not too far away from me, so I’ll pop over at the weekend and have a look.

 

[Tin Pot]

Challenge your assumptions - you can ride a road bike all year without changing the tyres.

Enjoy

 

[ADarkDraconis]

Yeah, I checked out the prices yesterday and saw the price. Quite a bit over budget, but as I can only have one bike due to storage space limitations I’m not going to rule it out yet. I’ll just have to wait a bit longer until I can afford it. There’s an Evans shop not too far away from me, so I’ll pop over at the weekend and have a look.

It'd be worth taking a look at the Verve 3 as well while you're there. My Trek hybrid is the only working bike I own at the moment and due to limited space it will probably stay that way. It is great and has everything I needed for commuting, and they are very comfortable to use (however I am not a racer so if speed is your aim you may want something 'sportier'). It is also quite a bit less expensive and would be under your max budget, so you can get any racks/bags/mudguards/lights you are eyeing!

Tire choices are plenty (the Bontragers that come with them are good for road and trail, slicks can be used and there is clearance for wider wheels if you want) and you could always convert it to drop bars later if you feel it's necessary. It has all the holes for attaching gear and an adjustable handlebar (which I did not realize that all bikes do not have these, I think they are vital!) No disc brakes, but I've always had rim brakes and never fussed about it (don't have to worry about rusty rotors or calipers like with a car, just swap out worn brake shoes) so it wasn't something I needed. So for an everyday driver I would recommend it, maybe not ideal for Speed Racer though.

 

[Dbt]

Challenge your assumptions - you can ride a road bike all year without changing the tyres.

Enjoy

I think I’d be pooping myself too much in the snow on those skinny tyres!!

 

[Tin Pot]

I think I’d be pooping myself too much in the snow on those skinny tyres!!

As a total noob you’re probably full of prejudices and assumptions - I know I was.

Everything you thought was true about tread, the wet, ‘slick’ tyres from cars is basically irrelevant and wrong when it comes to cycling. “Skinny” smooth tyres give the best traction on road.

Unless you’re off the tarmac a large portion of your ride, or the roads are literally covered in snow, normal road tyres are fine and give the best traction.

“Common sense” is your enemy, if you want what is actually best for road riding.

Whatever you go with, just get out there and enjoy it

 

[Dbt]

As a total noob you’re probably full of prejudices and assumptions - I know I was.

Everything you thought was true about tread, the wet, ‘slick’ tyres from cars is basically irrelevant and wrong when it comes to cycling. “Skinny” smooth tyres give the best traction on road.

Unless you’re off the tarmac a large portion of your ride, or the roads are literally covered in snow, normal road tyres are fine and give the best traction.

“Common sense” is your enemy, if you want what is actually best for road riding.

Whatever you go with, just get out there and enjoy it

Well that’s given me food for thought. Cheers.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Save your £700, buy a secondhand Raleigh Pioneer hybrid, an old Nottingham-built one from the 1990s not the latest imported version.. They are very durable & versatile bikes and they don't generally fetch much secondhand, so are excellent value used. Make sure you get one with alloy 700c wheels, some of the early ones had steel rims that are heavier and don't stop so well in the wet.
You already know what an old Apollo MTB is like to ride; heavy and solid, but dependable if maintained. I have one I pulled out of a builders skip and it's ideal for use as a local hack as it's not worth anyone stealing. However, I wouldn't want to do a 20 mile round trip on it, hence my "best" bike is a Pioneer, which is also solid and dependable but not as heavy and doesn't require so much effort to propel. There's no reason why you can't cover a lot of miles on a flat bar hybrid so long as it's fitted with tyres that roll easily and resist p*nctures. They are infinitely more practical than many modern road bikes lacking in tyre clearance and carrying ability.

 

[Dbt]

Well I finally settled on a trek checkpoint Alr 5, a grand over my original budget, but I got £150 trade in for my Apollo that I paid £30 for and 7% discount through my works benefits scheme. I’m absolutely loving it. Only a few months earlier than planned, but once I’d decided on the bike I just couldn’t control myself