Bike suggestions ~£400

[jamesep]

Hi,
I'm looking for a bike but I'm not exactly sure what type, so some guidance would be very helpful. Not a regular cycler at the moment but I would like to get back into it.

I'm after a bit of an all-rounder, daily road cycle to the train for work and general exercise - roads and gravel/unmade trail paths. Budget's about £400. Pulling/baby seat may need to be an option.

I gather I'm looking for a hybrid or a low end cyclocross. ebay's an option but I'm not sure I'd know how to spot a dud.

As for new Halfords have the Carrera Tanneri which seems ok but I've only seen one review - http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bik...ri-limited-edition-cyclocross-bike-2015-black

Any help would be really appreciated.
thanks, James

 

[Shortmember]

Halfords' Carrera range have a pretty good reputation for robust and reliable budget bikes. All the reviews of the Tanneri on the Halfords website seem to be positive about the bike, although a couple of reviews were critical of the staff at their local branch. To me, it seems like a bargain for a mere £229.
If you do buy it I'd advise you to be sure you check it over thoroughly before racing off down the road, as Halfords' bike preparation can (at some branches) be a bit hit or miss.