Cycling UK Forum

Hi all,
I'm looking for a Hybrid bike under £500. Looking at Claud Butler, Ridgeback, The Felt, Dawes, Scott. I like front suspension but not sure about rear, heard it slows you down a bit. I got my bike stolen just before Xmas and the insurance company uses an online dealer to offer a replacement so I can't really test the bike before I get it. Anybody who owns one of these bikes or has any first hand experience on thyese or any other models, alloy frame types, weights, suspension types etc etc etc please let me know. Any input greatly appreciated

Some good suggestions on this thread:

http://tinyurl.com/c6nstm

Only advice I would offer is to think carefully about front (indeed any) suspension. I've just made the transition from an MTB with slicks and front suspension fork to rigid framed (steel) bike and the difference in ride quality and speed is quite frankly startling - much, much better

Happy hunting

I have a marin muirwoods from a few years back that is half decent but I think if I was buying a hybrid again I would try a Cannondale Badboy

rear suspension does slow you down and is very un-neccerary unless you intent to do lots of very hard-core down hill races.

in fact i would go as far as saying that it annoyes me to see people on those cheap nasty full suss things. and honestly any full suspension bike for less than £500 is going to be very poor quality. you have to spend at least £1,500 on a full suspension bike to get a good one.

even though you're forced to go mail order only, these models are bound to be in stock at some shops, you can test ride them there without being obliged to buy from the same place you did the test ride.

Ok thanks. Was just looking at a thread from someone who was asking the same thing and I see the now maybe what you mean about the neccesity of front suspension. Wish I knew a bit more of frame weights though, different types of alloys etc. Anyway, thanks for all the input, glad I found this site, really handy

I would only want front suspension if I was riding on a very rough surface or doing proper mountain biking.
I have felt the need on freshly layed forestry tracks and other places where the stones are generally an inch or more in size.

pauly,

generally, the lighter the bike the better, that's all you really need to know about frame weights.

as for the different types of alloys, frame materials etc, that's a bit more complicated. for your first bike you're better off going for an inexpensive steel frame, because it'll take a while to acquire the knowledge to judge what's best for you and what sort of upgrades you want to make etc.

but enjoy it, don't get too bogged down in the technical side of things.....

I can heartily recommend a Giant CRS City Hybrid - I purchased a brand new one last May to replace a Raleigh Pioneer. This new aquisition is absolutely brilliant and very, very comfortable to ride and very well equipped. The only alteration I made was to the Handlebar stem which I replaced with an adjustable one to bring the bar in slightly closer as I have a slightly shorter arm reach and find this more comfy.