New bike advice!

[Misanthrope]

Hi guys,

Basically I’m looking for some advice. I haven’t had a bike for about 20 years and back then a bike was just a bike. Now there’s hybrids, mountain bikes and road bikes!
I’ll only be a casual rider, mostly to work and back on a 15 minute ride. Plus now and again in some woods maybe.
I’ve been directed towards a mountain bike as an all-round purpose.
I then saw that there are 27.5 or 29 wheels. Been told the 29s could be better in the woods but 27s are stronger due to shorter spokes.
Anyway, I’ve been recommended a Diamondback Sync 3.0 by the guy in the shop. Failing that, a Kross.

Any advice you guys can offer will be greatly appreciated!

[Roadster]

I can't believe you need a Mountain bike for regular 15-minute commutes and the odd foray off-tarmac, certainly not a heavy one with cheap suspension forks, hydraulic disc brakes, knobbly tyres and millions of (mostly low) gears etc.

Personally, I'd be looking for a simple steel frame with rigid forks, rim brakes, full mudguards and 700c wheels with 32-35mm wide puncture-resistant tyres. Such a machine is more likely to be called a "Hybrid" or Tourer, and would be more durable/reliable and easier/cheaper to maintain than the budget "Mountain"-types you're looking at.

[Annoying Twit]

I must admit that I'd suggest two bikes for the two very different purposes.

If you get a hybrid, then it is possible to have two sets of wheels. One with knobbly tyres on, and the other with smooth road going tyres. This also gives you a quick solution if you try to go to work one morning and find one of the tyres is flat. (Particularly if you have quick release wheels.)

If you are concerned by a lack of suspension, then you can get a seat post with suspension built in. A quality suspension seat post is much cheaper than buying a mountain bike with quality suspension on front/rear. The seat-post won't give you the same suspension as front/rear suspension, but it gives you something. It's also easier to get rid of if you decide you don't like suspension.

EDIT: After a quick google, it seems as if mountain bikers don't like suspension seat posts. I never noticed any problems when I rode a bike with one of them, but hard core mountain bikers say they get seasick and lose pedalling efficiency. It seems that the solution is to stand on the pedals when you see some terrain which you believe will render your undersides black and blue.

[Bonefishblues]

For 15 mins on road, then the bikes you've been recommended will be OK - not ideal, but OK.

If you are going to be bombing around woods etc - i.e. proper offroading with drop-offs and very rough terrain, then the recommendation also comes into its own.

If you're doing something less extreme, but still offroad, then look at a hybrid at the "mountain" end of the spectrum (as opposed to road, with skinny tyres). The best examples I know of these are the Pinnacle Lithium range from Evans Cycles. They will be a better all-round compromise for both on and offroad duties.

[whoof]

There are quite a few things to consider such as what do you mean be by 'now and again in the woods'

If it's the first then a hybrid or tourer would be fine or almost any bike as long as it doesn't get too muddy. If it's the second you will probably need a mountain bike unless you want to go for a walk in the woods and push your bike.

The knobbly tyres on a mountain bike will literally be a drag but a 15 minute ride isn't very long and you might want to put up with this if the off-road riding is important to you.
If your not going 'mountain bike' type riding then knobbly tyres and suspension is probably overkill.
With regarding to gears the bike you mentioned has 24, a hybrid or tourer is likely to have a similar amount and if it's hilly you might appreciate the lower gearing .
Other things to consider are:
Do you need to carry stuff to work and how?
Do you mind a wet backside if is raining or been raining on your commute and whether you want to fit mudguard to prevent this?
Do you envisage that in future you might want to do longer or different types of cycling and will your current choice of bike be the most suitable for this?

Personally if I needed a bike solely to for a 15 minute commute to work and a once every couple of months ride around a family orientated woodland trail I'd buy a second hand hybrid for £100.

[Roadster]

If you're doing something less extreme, but still offroad, then look at a hybrid at the "mountain" end of the spectrum (as opposed to road, with skinny tyres). The best examples I know of these are the Pinnacle Lithium range from Evans Cycles. They will be a better all-round compromise for both on and offroad duties.

Yes, the Pinnacle Lithium 2 (or something similar) would be a wiser choice than either of the two you're considering. Decent suspension forks can easily cost £400 by themselves, so those included with a £400 bike are not going to be all that great yet do add unnecessary extra weight. Similarly, hydraulic disc brakes are a tad ott and quite unnecessary for your purposes.
At any given price-point, you can have feature-rich and quality-poor or you can have feature-poor and quality-rich, but what you can't have is a full complement of high quality features on a bike at that price level. Of the two, less features and more quality is infinitely preferable to the other way round.

[Misanthrope]

Well my commute will only be short but I’m hoping to go out on longer journeys after a while.

As for the woodlands it’d be much more like the photo on the left, proper trails as opposed to anything like actual downhill stuff, if that makes sense?

So, a hybrid is a better choice I’m understanding? Unfortunately I have to buy brand new as it’s a gift from work and have £500 to spend.

[Annoying Twit]

I'm not an expert on the full range of bikes available, but I've noticed so many people buying bikes through bike to work schemes that always end up with a Boardman bought from Halfords. There is always the Boardman Hybrid Comp for £500 but currently on at £400. I'm not seriously suggesting this, though it's probably a reasonable option.

I personally would have no concerns about riding on the left hand image path on my single speed with thin tyres. Which I have done on some of the paths on the National Cycle Route 63 near Moira, Donisthorpe, down to Measham. And elsewhere.

[Misanthrope]

Yes, the Pinnacle Lithium 2 (or something similar) would be a wiser choice than either of the two you're considering. Decent suspension forks can easily cost £400 by themselves, so those included with a £400 bike are not going to be all that great yet do add unnecessary extra weight. Similarly, hydraulic disc brakes are a tad ott and quite unnecessary for your purposes.
At any given price-point, you can have feature-rich and quality-poor or you can have feature-poor and quality-rich, but what you can't have is a full complement of high quality features on a bike at that price level. Of the two, less features and more quality is infinitely preferable to the other way round.

Are there major differences between the Lithium 2 and 3?

[Roadster]

The main difference is that the 2 has v-brakes whereas the 3 has hydraulic disc brakes.
Bear in mind that there will be extras to add onto the price of a new bike, notably mudguards (and possibly lights) but also accessories like pump, lock, rear rack, bag of some sort etc. If you buy mudguards or rack at the same time as the bike, shops like Evans and Halfords will usually fit them for you free of charge.

[Annoying Twit]

Yes, the Pinnacle Lithium 2 (or something similar) would be a wiser choice than either of the two you're considering. Decent suspension forks can easily cost £400 by themselves, so those included with a £400 bike are not going to be all that great yet do add unnecessary extra weight. Similarly, hydraulic disc brakes are a tad ott and quite unnecessary for your purposes.
At any given price-point, you can have feature-rich and quality-poor or you can have feature-poor and quality-rich, but what you can't have is a full complement of high quality features on a bike at that price level. Of the two, less features and more quality is infinitely preferable to the other way round.

Are there major differences between the Lithium 2 and 3?

The brakes and gears are completely different. The gears on the 2 are quite basic Tourney parts, which are cheap, though they work OK. The better gears on the 3 (Altus derailleurs etc.) should give better changing. The 3 also has 24 gears instead of 21. The 3 has disc brakes, as opposed to rim brakes.

[Bonefishblues]

The 3 is worth the premium over the 2 IMHO.

[Misanthrope]

An update!

I’ve been to Evans and kinda really like the Pinnacle Colbalt 2.

Yay? Nay?

[Bonefishblues]

If you think that the short travel suspension fork is worth the weight penalty, then it looks good. I personally wouldn't bother, but there again I still ride a rigid mountain bike

[Graham]

We did recommend that you ditch the front suspension = cheap & heavy.

Money saved there usually results in better quality equipment elsewhere.