Hybrid bike recommendations for family leisure rides both on and off road

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

John_S

Über Member
Hi All,

My wife would like a new bike and is drawing up a list of possible bikes and we’re just wondered if anybody would have any recommendations of bikes that aren’t on the current list below. This is quite a varied list and it will need to be narrowed down at some point. However particularly in view of the availability of bikes at the moment having a few different options to try and look at won’t be a bad thing.

Also she hasn’t totally made her mind up as to whether she might like to go for an e-bike or not so that means that there are some very major differences between some of the bikes that she’s considering because some are standard bikes and some e-bikes.

At the moment she has a Globe Daily step through framed bike ( https://www.sigmasports.com/item/Specialized/Globe-Daily-2-Step-Through-Bicycle-2013/4W4 ) and she likes the bike and the riding position. This is used for popping into town, going to the shops, taking the kids to school etc. and is a great utility bike for short journeys and it will continue to be used for those. However it’s not the perfect bike for some of the family leisure rides that we’ve been doing more recently. This includes for example family bikes rides of between say 5-20 miles on country single track roads, roads around country parks and estates with mixed use trails where some can be tarmac, part gravel, part sandy surfaces etc.. It’s particularly on the gravel/ sandy surfaces where this town bike (good though it is) is not the right bike for the terrain therefore making a ride, plus keeping up with the kids who are 8 & 6, hard work. Also on the road whilst there’s nothing wrong with the bike the kids are now nipping along quite fast and a bike which is a bit quicker on the road would be good to keep up with the kids who only get quicker.

On a recent ride she did try using an old mountain bike of mine that I had when I was much younger and although the standover and saddle height was no issue she did not like the longer reach and lower stack of this particular mountain bike. Therefore whilst with her next bike she doesn’t want to totally replicate the town bike sit up and beg geometry of her current Globe Daily bike she does want something comfortable & slightly familiar so she’s after a bike with a reach on the shorter side and a stack on the higher side for comfort riding because she doesn’t like stretching out on a bike with a long reach. Also although I’ve suggested that she at least try a bike with drop bars she has said that she’d like to stick to a bike with flat bars.

Therefore to get something with flat bars and suitable for riding on both roads and light off road riding country trail path type riding she’s essentially after some form of hybrid. She doesn’t want too many gears over complicating things and so that seems to rule out some of the hybrids around who in some cases come with triple front chainsets. We live in East Anglia and it’s relatively flat baring the odd hill and so a single front chainring 1x set up would probably preferable because most of them would still have more than enough gearing range but it seems that quite a few hybrids still come with a double front chainring which she’d consider if necessary when there isn’t a 1x option but she doesn’t want a triple.

Just for reference the reach and stack on the Globe Daily bike which she finds comfortable is: Reach = 358mm and Stack = 649mm. The bike has an aluminium step through frame though with her next bike she doesn’t mind if it has a step through or regular frame.

In respect of her height she is 5 feet 5 inches which I think is about 165cm.

Non Electric bikes currently up for consideration on the list:-

Ribble Hybrid AL Leisure Edition ( https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-hybrid-al-nx-leisure-edition/ )
Gearing: 1x SRAM gearing
Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc
Reach: 405mm (on the medium frame)
Stack: 571mm (on the medium frame)
Frame: Aluminium (approximate bike weight = 10 kg) with carbon forks
Cable Routing: Includes internal cables
Bottom Bracket: SRAM Threaded
Axles: Thru Axles both front and rear

Whyte Pimlico ( https://whyte.bike/collections/compact/products/pimlico-v3 )
Gearing: 1x Shimano gearing
Brakes: Shimano hydraulic disc
Reach: 404mm (on the medium frame)
Stack: 575mm (on the medium frame)
Frame: Aluminium (approximate bike weight = 10 kg)
Cable Routing: Includes internal cables
Bottom Bracket: ?
Axles: Front Thru Axle and rear ?
Frame Style: Regular

Liv Thrive 1 ( https://www.liv-cycling.com/gb/thrive-1 )
Gearing: 2x Shimano gearing
Brakes: Tektro hydraulic disc
Reach: 392mm (on the small frame)
Stack: 535mm (on the small frame)
Frame: Aluminium (approximate bike weight = 10.3 kg)
Cable Routing: ?
Bottom Bracket: FSA MegaExo (not sure if threaded or press fit)
Axles: ?
Frame Style: Regular

Genesis Croix de Fer 10 ( https://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/genesis-croix-de-fer-10-flat-bar-vargn21010 )
Gearing: 2x gearing with mix of Genesis own brand and Shimano Sora 9 speed components
Brakes: Shimano hydraulic disc
Reach: 375mm (on the small frame)
Stack: 572mm (on the small frame)
Frame: Steel Genesis own brand (approximate bike weight = 12.28 kg)
Cable Routing: External
Bottom Bracket: Shimano BB-RS500 which I think is threaded
Axles: Quick Release both front and rear
Frame Style: Regular

Genesis Croix de Fer 20 ( https://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/genesis-croix-de-fer-20-flat-bar-vargn21030 )
Gearing: 2x Shimano GRX gearing
Brakes: Shimano hydraulic disc
Reach: 375mm (on the small frame)
Stack: 572mm (on the small frame)
Frame: Reynolds 725 Steel (approximate bike weight = 12.25 kg)
Cable Routing: External
Bottom Bracket: Shimano BB-RS500 which I think is threaded
Axles: Quick Release both front and rear
Frame Style: Regular


Electric Assist Bikes

Orbea Vibe Mid H30 ( https://www.orbea.com/gb-en/ebikes/urban/vibe/cat/vibe-mid-h30 )
Gearing: 1x Shimano gearing
Brakes: Magura hydraulic disc
Reach: 380mm (on the medium frame)
Stack: 580mm (on the medium frame)
Frame: Aluminium (approximate bike weight = ? kg) with carbon forks
Cable Routing: Includes internal cables
Bottom Bracket: ?
Axles: I think Thru Axles on the front and quick release on the rear
Frame Style: Step Through
Motor: Ebikemotion X35 Plus 25kmh
Battery: Ebikemotion 36V/6.9A 248Wh ANT+

Ribble Hybrid AL e Step Through ( https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-hybrid-al-e-step-through-standard/ )
Gearing: 1x SRAM gearing
Brakes: Shimano hydraulic disc
Reach: 365mm (on the XS/S frame)
Stack: 557mm (on the XS/S frame)
Frame: Aluminium (approximate bike weight = 13.75 kg) with carbon forks
Cable Routing: Includes internal cables
Bottom Bracket: SRAM press fit BB
Axles: I think Thru Axles on the front and not sure about the rear
Frame Style: Step Through
Motor: MAHLE Ebikemotion X35+ M1, 36V/250W
Battery: Panasonic 36V/250Wh, 18650GA-10S/2P


The Whyte Pimlico and the Ribble AL Leisure Edition are the only two who have reach of over 400mm so I don’t know if that will be too much but she’ll try to get to test ride them if that’s at all possible.

If anyone has any other bikes that might be suitable to suggest that would be great. Or if anyone has any thoughts positive or negative about the bikes above that would also be great to know.

Thanks for any help and suggestions!

John
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
I can’t see what any of those bikes will give her over her existing one for 5-20 mile rides with 6-8 year olds over flat terrain. If she can’t keep up with them it may be down to her cycle fitness whchi isn’t the same as general fitness.
The only thing you might gain is more comfort if they have fatter tyres but to take advantage of that you’ll need to lower the pressures which will make the bike more draggy and slower. If she just wants a new bike that’s another matter and if that’s the case the Liv might be the best option with it’s ‘sportier’ position and narrow faster tyres but this might not chime with her preference for a shorter reach and more upright stance, but could be fixed with a different stem.
If she wants to go faster with little effort then the e-bike might be the best bet.
 
Last edited:

vickster

Legendary Member
If she likes a shorter reach she could consider the S Whyte as opposed to the medium, she's pretty much in the middle and could always add a longer stem, the stem is pretty short on the Whytes due to their MTB heritage (the R7s are more an MTB fast hybrid, than road bike inspired).
I like Whytes so would always go for one of those (I saw a number of Pimlico's in a shop last week, so they are definitely available).

I wouldn't go for the heavy Croix for short distances.

Question of electric vs. non, is a completely different kettle of fish, cost and weight wise etc
 
OP
OP
J

John_S

Über Member
Hi All,

Thanks for the messages and advice.

In respect of what a new bike will give her over her current bike I do think that she'll benefit from a lighter bike. She does really like her current bike, the Globe Daily, and also I think it's the perfect tool for the job it does. Around town and for running errands it's great as it has hub gears which are low maintenance, it has a front hub dynamo wheel with dynamo lights a rear rack plus a Wald front basket so it's a great utility bike. But the bike itself plus the extras such as the hub gears, dynamo wheel all at weight not to mention the Wald basket which is absolutely brilliant for carrying all sorts of stuff on the bike but I think that the Wald basket alone weighs something like 3.5kg and that's a lot of weight on the front of the bike and it does not make it feel like a nimble or fast bike. But that's not the point because the Globe Daily isn't meant to be a fast lightweight bike as it's meant as a comfortable town bike which is exactly what it is. I even use it on occasions because it's great for picking up stuff from the shops.

But on road rides down country roads with the kids, which will hopefully get longer and longer in distance, plus on off road trail rides, the Globe Daily just isn't the right tool for the job. Whilst my kids are both on lightweight aluminium bikes plus I'm on a drop bar bike I just know that she's having to put in more effort to maintain the same speed as us. Plus when we're doing off road trail riding her bike just isn't ideally suited to that task. Therefore I think that she would benefit from something different for the type of family rides that we're now doing as our kids are getting older plus she wants an N+1 and I'm not going to argue with that logic.

Hi Vickster, thanks for the tip about the Croix de Fer and following your advice about the weight maybe she'll give that option a miss for the purpose that she has in mind for the bike. Also thanks for the tips about getting a Whyte to fit in order to suit the geometry and comfortable more upright riding position that she likes.

Thanks,

John
 
Last edited:

sasquath

Well-Known Member
Have a look at Trek Verve or Verve+ for electric, high stack short reach to match her current ride comfy position,
 
Top Bottom