Hello everyone!
First time poster here, coming from surprisingly sunny UK.
Along with my wife, we decided to get back to cycling after around 15 years. Back then when I was buying a bike, the usual choice was either road or mountain bike, however it is so overwhelming now with different types of bikes available...
We are basically looking for something along those lines:
- Versatile - can tackle both off-road (not very rough, something like bridleways, gravel, smooth forest paths) but is not too exhausting to cycle on the road or when going uphill
- Comfy - once we get to desired fitness level, we would love to go on longer bike trips (anywhere from 1-4 hours). The dream is to go to France 1-2 times per year for cycling holidays.
- Casual - we plan to cycle alongside each other, have a chat and generally enjoy cycling while admiring nature around us. I think this potentially eliminates drop-bars due to more sporty position
- Budget - around £1000, planning to use cycle scheme
From what I've seen, our first criterion means either hybrid or gravel bike, however I am leaning more towards hybrids due to flat bars. My main worry is about comfy aspect, as quite often I read that hybrid bikes are not that suitable for rides >2 hours as they are not the most comfortable ones. Is that true or total bs?
Anyway, we went to a store nearby and looked at two bikes:
- Giant Roam Disk 0 & 1 - Really loved how the bike looked but after some reading, I don't think front suspension is right choice for us, plus it makes bike heavier
- Trek Dual Sport 3 - I was very close to buying it today, however I am not sure if those super wide tyres are a good choice for us. I am a bit worried that if we decided to take this bike for 20-30 mile ride on a paved surface, it would be quite tiring to ride.
I spent last 2 days reading about bikes and here are few more that I've been considering:
- Boardman HYB 8.8/8.9 - I would say this is our favourite at the moment as it seems to have really good reviews and I am very close to buying it. I feel the bike would handle well on paved surfaces, however are its 35mm tyres enough for off-roading, or are our hands going to fall-off after cycling on e.g. bridleway for 10 miles? Also, is HYB 8.9 worth £250 extra over 8.8?
- Giant Escape - Similar to above bike, but seems to have slightly wider tyres
I think in ideal world, I would guess something between Boardman and Trek DS3 with ~40-45mm tyres would be best fit for us but first, I am struggling to find a bike like that and second, I am not sure if I am guessing correctly.
I think I am starting to overthink all of this too much, so could definitely use your help in helping me make the right choice!
First time poster here, coming from surprisingly sunny UK.
Along with my wife, we decided to get back to cycling after around 15 years. Back then when I was buying a bike, the usual choice was either road or mountain bike, however it is so overwhelming now with different types of bikes available...
We are basically looking for something along those lines:
- Versatile - can tackle both off-road (not very rough, something like bridleways, gravel, smooth forest paths) but is not too exhausting to cycle on the road or when going uphill
- Comfy - once we get to desired fitness level, we would love to go on longer bike trips (anywhere from 1-4 hours). The dream is to go to France 1-2 times per year for cycling holidays.
- Casual - we plan to cycle alongside each other, have a chat and generally enjoy cycling while admiring nature around us. I think this potentially eliminates drop-bars due to more sporty position
- Budget - around £1000, planning to use cycle scheme
From what I've seen, our first criterion means either hybrid or gravel bike, however I am leaning more towards hybrids due to flat bars. My main worry is about comfy aspect, as quite often I read that hybrid bikes are not that suitable for rides >2 hours as they are not the most comfortable ones. Is that true or total bs?
Anyway, we went to a store nearby and looked at two bikes:
- Giant Roam Disk 0 & 1 - Really loved how the bike looked but after some reading, I don't think front suspension is right choice for us, plus it makes bike heavier
- Trek Dual Sport 3 - I was very close to buying it today, however I am not sure if those super wide tyres are a good choice for us. I am a bit worried that if we decided to take this bike for 20-30 mile ride on a paved surface, it would be quite tiring to ride.
I spent last 2 days reading about bikes and here are few more that I've been considering:
- Boardman HYB 8.8/8.9 - I would say this is our favourite at the moment as it seems to have really good reviews and I am very close to buying it. I feel the bike would handle well on paved surfaces, however are its 35mm tyres enough for off-roading, or are our hands going to fall-off after cycling on e.g. bridleway for 10 miles? Also, is HYB 8.9 worth £250 extra over 8.8?
- Giant Escape - Similar to above bike, but seems to have slightly wider tyres
I think in ideal world, I would guess something between Boardman and Trek DS3 with ~40-45mm tyres would be best fit for us but first, I am struggling to find a bike like that and second, I am not sure if I am guessing correctly.
I think I am starting to overthink all of this too much, so could definitely use your help in helping me make the right choice!
