What biketo go for?

gilmore

Hi all.
I'm 32 and I havn't rode a bike since i was a teenager but i've decided to start cycling to work a few days a week for general fitness, and also maybe go for a longer spin at weekends. The round trip to work is 12 miles or so. Just looking for opinions on what bike would suit me (i'm 6'2), in the €300 to €500 price range. Was leaning towards a hybrid? Any suggestions much appreciated.

worded

I was thinking the same myself, a hybrid.

A pall talked me into a mountain bike, Im very happy I did.

Hybrids are great at neither road or off road.

A mountain bike IMO. Great fun.

Bluefoam

I'd be reluctant to buy a new MTB for that kinda money. It may not be ideal for going off road & the *inexpensive supension would only drain your energy on the roads & not offer much in terms of comfort.

A good hybrid is ideal for the roads, it will support any rider & give a comfortable cycling position. If you intend to go off road, you should consider the spec of a good MTB very carefully. Also see if you can locate a 2008/2009 model on special offer - you should get more bang for your buck...

Depending on how long you intend to go on your weekend rides, you may want to look at a bike with drop bars - to give added comfort/hand positions. But it sounds like a good hybrid would suite your needs.

I have:
Charge Tap
Try:
Specialized Sirus
Trek 7.3

gilmore

Just an update. I've narrowed down my choice to the Trek 7.3 and the Giant Rapid 4, both €560 in my local bike shop. Very impressed with both but would be leaning towards the Giant just on looks alone. Anyone got a suggestion as to which one to go for? Thanks in advance.

DirkVoodoo

Good choices, 20km each way on a MTB would be torture. Moutain bikes are built for trails riding, jumping off things. They have a specific function and it doesn't include riding on the roads. I've cycled my MTB to ballinastoe before, it takes me about twice as long as on a road bike, it's uncomfortable and it is above all else amazingly tiring.

I know people ride them around the place, but unless you have some basis for comparison I don't think you can recommend a mountain bike over a hybrid or road bike.

The Trek is more "mountie": larger cassette (11-32 will be very gappy, it will mean your legs are going to spinning quicker or slower between shifts, not the most smooth). It also comes with v-brakes which I don't really like and lower gearing than the giant.

The giant is closer to a road bike, it has narrow 28mm tyres and higher gearing. If you have more flat on your commute or just want to get there faster, the Giant is a better choice.

Try both, see which you prefer. My advice would be that, while both are good bikes, the Giant is the slightly sportier (perhaps slightly less comfortable) ride and wins it for me.

tfrancer

Both are good bikes and priced about right. Go with the one you think is most comfortable.

Lumen

I wouldn't be too dogmatic since I haven't ridden one, but I'm not really convinced about the ergonomics of the Giant Rapid's "stretched out flat bar geometry".

It just seems like a marketing gimmick to sell bikes to people who want some "sportiness" but are put off by drop handlebars.

I guess you can get used to anything though...

thebouldwhacker

When I got back to biking I was about your age and living in Co Kildare. I wanted something comfortable that I could cycle on and off road but with a tight budget so I went for a trek 3700. I would cycle about 20km on road and then hit the curragh for 10km+ off road. Since then I have bought a road bike (trek 1.2)for 'training' spins, sportive and the like. I have also bought an mtb (Specialized rockhopper) for trails and off road. I now use the Trek 3700 as my run about and I still love it. I know people with hybrids and they are happy with them but they wouldn't float my boat, (maybe in 20 years or so:p)
The good thing about having a mountain bike to start is that (I found) they are sturdy and give a good sense of security also will take abuse and you can throw it up and down kerbs, across parks etc and no need to worry about it.

manwithaplan

I have a Trek 7.2 and it's served me very well. The point about the gearing is a fair one, though. There's a few clunky shifts in there but, on the other hand, if you wanted to take a spin up the mountains, 28-32 will get you up any hill! Anyway, I have had it for two years and have done a consistent 50km of commuting per week while not looking after it terribly well and it hasn't given me any problems at all. Until my recent road bike purchase, it was also getting some weekend usage, including up Sally Gap a couple of times. It's nice and quick too.

However, it's the first decent bike I have owned so I have nothing to compare it to. I might rave about the Giant if I had a go. I suspect you would be happy with either one. For commuting, Hybrid vs. MTB is a no brainer though.