# What Hybrid Bike For £300-£400



## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

Hi All

I need to replace my trusty old Halfords Subway 2 hyrbid tourer and have a budget of £300-£400 but I'm totally out of touch with what's good and bad in the game these days so would like some advice. I was hoping to keep it reasonably local and go for a Revolution model but not seeing anything suitable so currently considering Saracen Urban Cross 1 2013.

I'm going by the fact that it looks nice, it's in budget and it doesn't have gimmicks likes discs and rear suspension which I don't think I need. 

I'm 5'11 and 17 stone (down from 19 at the start of the year and hoping to drop down more hence replacing the old bike). It's mainly used for leisurely rides on tarmac with the occasional slightly bumpy mud/gravel canal towpath with occasional commuting on crap farm roads. 

Being able to throw it down a mountain would be nice though.

Is this a decent bike or should I be considering something else?


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## carrera2s (Jun 28, 2009)

Hi mate

Just back into cycling after 20 year break! I am doing transpennine way which is pretty flat mainly gravel/dirt track. So bought a hardtail front suspension only Specialized Hardrock sport. 29 inch wheels and great bike. Cost £450 so a little over your budget and got from Evans cycles. Good luck and keep cycling:thumb:


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## Z4-35i (Jun 12, 2012)

Two options for well spec'd Hybrids at around your price point:

Boardman Performance Hybrid Race Bike 2012/2013

Boardman Performance Hybrid Comp Bike 2012/2013


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

Thanks. Most of the hybrids I'm finding are too road biased and wouldn't cope with 17 stone over bumps. Was also going to buy a mountain bike later this year so...

Now seriously considering a Merida Big.Nine TFS100 which my LBS can do for £450. Get a second set of wheels with more tour/road biased tyres and I've got two bikes in 1 as far as I can see. 


The frame is also a great base to upgrade from although it comes well speccd for the money.

Other choice would be a Scott Sportster x50.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

Decathlon have offerings at around your price point.

By the way, what's wrong with your current bike? Just fancy a change? Not being arsey, just wondering.


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

Current bike is a halfords bag of **** that i'm fed up replacing bits on. It's seen far better days. 

Don't see the point in upgrading parts on the bike I've got but the Big.Nine on the other hand... different story. Although not a hybrid it's a bit more dual purpose for gentle leisurely road and the odd bit of MTB shenanigans.


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## chunkytfg (Feb 1, 2009)

17 stone shouldnt be causing your bike too many issues as long as your rear wheel is up to it. 32 spoke minimum imo. I'm over that and ride a road bike with a 32 spoke rear wheel and it holds up fine. I have a 28spoke rear that holds up okay but needs tweaking to keep true when I spend time out the saddle in the hills.

for that budget i'd be looking at trying to find a secondhand Boardman. something like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chris-Boa...1097045886?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item1c31f2477e


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

Cheers matey. So do you not think the big.nine is a cracking deal? It would be a more mtb style hybrid I would have gone for anyways. Isn't a 29er best of hybrid and mtb worlds just by changine tyres? I'd buy a seperate road bike as I think nothing other than a proper road bike for road rising if I get back into it. I could always get the old dynatech out!

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## chunkytfg (Feb 1, 2009)

The big nine is a reasonable bike but it isnt a hybrid its a 29er. You need to decide what you actually want and are going to use the bike for. Road stuff with the odd canal path/footpath= hybrid like i suggested, trails with the odd bit of road then mtb. Ignore your weight as it isnt going to be a problem! Failing that there is always the left field option of a CX bike


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

Chunky, he speak the truth.
That Merida does look a nice bike though!

Basically you're entering the x = n+1 zone,
where x is the number of bikes you need,
and n is the number of bike you currently own.

A cyclocross bike with two wheelsets is a very, very sweet thing.


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

I think saying road is what i did wrong. By road I mean farm backroads not used by the public. Not smooth tarmac with the occasional pothole. 

*Not sure why I said "commuting on good roads" in my OP*
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2


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## Barchettaman (Dec 16, 2007)

Ah, ok. Can't see you being disappointed with that Merida then! Looks like a great deal, particularly with after sales support through your LBS.

Best of luck.


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## Nanoman (Jan 17, 2009)

Picked this up yesterday. Did a quick 20km on it last night and I'm delighted. The Maxxis tyres that are on it aren't bad but I'll probably take the tyres off my old hybrid and use them unless I'm taking it off road because the seem to pick up a lot of gravel/stones and are chunkier than I need.


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