Carrera Parva, Carrera Subway 1 or Riverside 500?

[Carcy]

Hi, I’m looking for a decent value hybrid bike as a gift for my partner, who hasn’t owned a bike for years. He will mainly be using it for leisure cycling to start (so only in nice weather!). However as he gets more comfortable with road cycling, he may then use it to commute to work occasionally. Availability of bikes in general obviously an issue at the moment so we’ve narrowed it down to these three which are available in the stores near us and are in our price range (<£350).

I’m leaning towards either of the Halford ones because they have puncture resistant tyres and I understand Halford has updated their whole range of bikes in 2020. However I’ve heard that Decathlon are better at helping set up the bike and general customer service. Neither of us know much about bikes so would need help from whichever store we buy from to build and set it up and probably give us a demo. Also is it worth forking out extra for the Subway 1 over the Parva?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[DRM]

Your biggest problem is actual availability of bikes at the moment, I'd avoid the Decathlon with suspension as all It'll do is add weight at that price point & just absorbs energy from pedaling as it compresses and rebounds, personally I'd get the Carrera Subway 1 out of those, as It'll do everything you've put down as requirements with ease, and it looks like it'll take mudguards and a rear rack/panniers for commuting, both of which can be had cheaply from Wilkinsons
Wilko Black Pannier Bag | page.titleSuffix
Wilko Black Alloy Rear Carrier | Wilko
They will make it easier to carry things for a commute, but equally a small back pack would do too.
If he does commute then don't forget a decent lock & lights for it, good luck with your search