after a mountain bike for me and the mrs

[jameshiggon]

Hello all, im new to this forum. I have been on the lookout for a bike for me and my gf. Most of the time we will be on the road but i need them to be capable of going off road too. I have a budget of around 200 per bike, but maybe a bit more for mine and a bit less for hers seeing as im paying for them both lol.

So far ive had a look in halfords and they recommended the carrera crossfire 1 at 269.99, but i also saw the carrera subway ltd at 199.99. A bit of browsing online threw up the Saracen Tufftrax, this was £243 and i saw that it won a few awards. But really im open to suggestions.

As for my girlfriends bike she liked the look of the Pendleton bikes in halfords as shes after something that is a little bit girly. But again any suggestions are welcome as they're rather pricey

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Take a look at the Rockriders from Decathlon.

 

[subaqua]

wot greg says.

 

[jameshiggon]

thanks for your replies. is the 5.1 a childs bike? it comes up saying childs on the decathlon site whilst the 5.2 says adult. Also they give sizes in S M L etc but doesnt list frame sizes

 

[jameshiggon]

another thing id like to add is that comfort is probably the main priority for me, so should i be looking for a bike with big fat tyres? and on my sort of budget am i best of avoiding suspension altogether?

 

[Nearly there]

If your doing some riding on the road big fat nobbly tyres will work against you I have a Saracen tufftrax its a good solid bike

 

[jameshiggon]

very true, but so will a sore bum lol. There is a decathlon store up at lakeside so i will check that out next weekend.

 

[Pauluk]

I have front suspension on my hybrid for bumpy off road riding, over time during a ride I get some wrist discomfort. If you get front suspension you would do well to make sure the fork has a lockout setting for road use as its not necessary and you will waste pedaling energy into the suspension. Also, front suspension adds extra weight to the bike making road work that bit harder/slower.

As for tyres, generally the thinner and slicker (within reason) the better for road use. However, I use 35mm wide ones as I find they are a good compromise between road and off road.

 

[jameshiggon]

Are these rockriders hybrids ?

 

[Pauluk]

The Rockrider 5.2 looks like a mountain bike to me not a hybrid

 

[subaqua]

The Rockrider 5.2 looks like a mountain bike to me not a hybrid

rockriders are MTBs.

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/riverside-1-mens-id_8202744.html . this one is the bargain basement Hybrid.

for £50 over the budget of £200 there are a few nice "hybrids" in decathlon http://www.decathlon.co.uk/riverside-3-mens-id_8202746.html

the fitness 3 looks OK but i hate gripshift .

 

[Monsieur]

I'm quite keen on the trek fx7.1 - anyone know if its worth getting?
Looking for similar to the OP - hybrid type bike.£299 at evans but £350 at my LVS

 

[Pauluk]

Do you have an Evans store near you where you can try the bike and have a good look at it.

I think Evans may be selling the 2011 version for £299 and the 2012 for £350

 

[jameshiggon]

Would you recommend the decathlon hybrid over the carrera subway or crossfire?

 

[Pauluk]

Sorry don't know much about the decathlon hybrid but other people on here like the subway a lot. I have a crossfire 1 and a crossfire 2 modified and they are both very good