Hybrid for £300

[parody]

Hi All

After some advice because i'm driving myself nuts every night trying to find a bike!

The wife an I want a couple of new hybrids of road / trail (with 2 year old on the back). I'm getting in a confuzzle about where to put my money - brand/features/groupset etc.

Ideally I want a not-terrible groupset (acera or alivio, altus maybe but not tourney), disc brakes, aluminium frame, not worried about suspension, 700c wheels. Is this the right things to be wanting?

I've got a shortlist with varying specs, the viking seems to be the best buy to me:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004YCHLFM/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/gt-traffic-20-2011/
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_810737_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

Am I asking too much? Should I drop the disc brakes to increase choice? I don't mind second hand but can't really find them the right condition/price/size within a reasonable distance. I did miss out on a specialized sirrus for £180 unfortunately. If I am missing a trick by not spending a tad more then please educate me...!

By the way these are going to be used a few times a month throughout the summer so not daily commute. But I have had super cheap bikes before with steel frames and terrible gears that jump and grind etc so don't want to do that again as it wil put us off using them!

Thanks all!

 

[Cyclist33]

If it's the right size, the GT hands down, in my humble opinion.

Stu

 

[rollinstok]

I quite like the gt from wiggle, it looks a great deal
The Carrera would be my 2nd choice
Disc brakes are a nice feature but certainly not a deal breaker at £300 price range.. I would honestly grab a couple of those gt's before they go but it looks as if they only have medium sizes left, if thats ok for you and the lady wife then your laughing.
Good luck

 

[parody]

The GT is the right size for me yes, the Mrs needs a small though. Out of the shortlist only the Carrera is available in a range of sizes the other two seem to be end of line.

Any reason on the GT? Are the Alivio componenents worth the loss of disc brakes? I do remmber when I was younger GT was "THE" brand to have. The guy in halfords told me carrera and GT come out the same factory in taiwan though?!

 

[rollinstok]

Alivio is a workhorse middle of the road range from Shimano, they should provide quite a solid performance for a long time.
Disc brakes tend to be heavy on cheaper bikes and other components often suffer to make the bike at a target price.
I'm not sure about whether the GT frames are from the same factory, he could be right but Halfords salesfolk are notoriously bad.

 

[parody]

Is Viking not a very respected brand? It seems to trump the carrera in every way but no one has chosen that one yet!

Any others out there I should consider around £300? A bottom end specialised?

It seems to me tha it comes down to group set and frame material beyond that the brand is just a different sticker?

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

As far as I am aware, Viking is a brand that was respected but folded and has in the last few years been brought back from the dead.

Because of this quite a few people look down their noses at it, however from what I've seen, the brand offers very good specs for the money and I believe a couple of people on here have Viking road bikes which they seem quite happy with. I'd consider one but then I quite like Tourney so what do I know?

 

[rollinstok]

TBH I have no experience of the Viking and it looks a fair price on Amazon for what you get. Its a tad heavy at 14.25kg but beyond that I cant make a comment.
Groupset, frame material, seatpost, saddle, stem, handlebars, and of course wheelset are all factors to be taken into consideration.
GT as you know have a decent reputation, Carrera have often been recommended on this site by others.

 

[HovR]

I'd consider one but then I quite like Tourney so what do I know?

My cheap hack has Tourney Derailleurs. It's been serving me fine for 5 years. Gear shifts are crisp and quick. Maintenance is the key, I could upgrade to a groupset which is higher up in the hierarchy, but I don't see the need!

To the OP, from your short list I would pick the GT. It may not have discs, but in reality you should get all the stopping power you need from V brakes when on the road, if they are well adjusted. They are also cheaper to maintain, and easier to maintain than mechanical discs.

The Carrera and the Viking are pretty close in my books. The Carrera has the disadvantage of thicker, 26" wheels - Which are less suited to road use than the Viking's 700x40 wheels - However Amazon claims the Viking is 14.25KG, which is heavier than the Carrera (at 13.4KG), although these measurements can often be inaccurate.

Lastly, I'd advise that you get to a shop to test ride the bikes rather than ordering them online! This way you will get the feel of the bike, and you can decide whether you find it comfortable.

 

[wiggydiggy]

from that list, the GT

or

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_840919_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

A better cheaper Subway

 

[Mike!]

Hi All
I don't mind second hand but can't really find them the right condition/price/size within a reasonable distance. I did miss out on a specialized sirrus for £180 unfortunately. If I am missing a trick by not spending a tad more then please educate me...!
quote]

What size do you need and where are you? I have a Specilized Sirrus Comp (2011) which is immaculate going up for sale in the next few days (once i've had a chance to get some pictures etc!), it's a Medium and i'm near Ipswich in Suffolk (although i can post as my new bike came in a proper box which i kept)

 

[parody]

A better cheaper Subway

The only difference I can see is the rear mech which seems worse? (Tournay vs Altus?) and lack of disc brakes.

OK so I think I will drop the disc brake requirement then, that opens up the field. I am quite drawn to the GT and lots of "no brainer" recommendations here so thik that will do me. It's just one for the missus now.

Our local halfords has one of these left from an xmas special which will fit her

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_821657_langId_-1_categoryId_165534

Seems good for the price?

We did go have a ride on the carreras and a Trek at a local shop. TBH its difficult to get a real sense of it without doing some miles, more checking for size.

 

[parody]

Oh dammit just seen this too. Pushing the budget, but worth it?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/gt-transeo-30-disc-2011/

Also found Schwinn Sporterra and Searcher models in my price range.

 

[Pauluk]

My wife and I have a Carrera crossfire 1 and a very pleased with them. We do casual riding not commuting. I've just bought a Carrera crossfire 2 with disc brakes, black alloys and wide tyres. I must admit I've wanted disc brakes for years but now I've got them I don't think they are really necessary for the type of cycling I do and they are a bit more problematic than v-brakes (setting up and squealing. You have to keep them clean to stop them squealing). Removing the wheels is slightly easier with disc brakes but there is not much in it.
If I were you I wouldn't be too hung up on buying a bike with disc brakes, I would concentrate more on the quality of the other equipment that is fitted to the bike and its feel/fit.
My crossfire 1 is now permanently on a turbo trainer but my wife loves her crossfire 1.

Paul

 

[parody]

Thanks for all the advice guys (and gals).

We have been around some bike shops today and decided to up the budget if necessary with some change of priorities, such as requiring front suspension for the forest trails etc. After doing some research in disc vs V I am erring towards V, it seems getting a bike at this price gets you a poor set of discs that will squeal etc. In fact all things being equal for the £50 or so saving you could retrofit some far better quality ones afterwards, all other specs being equal.

All opinions appreciated! We sat on the specialized and they felt nice, the GT they didn't have in but apparently have very similar geometry. The only thing the guy mentioned was the tripple triangle design is known to be slightly heavier, and also their cable routing can make child seats difficult to mount due to the lug on the seat post.

So the new shortlist for me is:
2011 GT Transeo 4.0 - V/Altus/Acera/£300

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/gt/transeo-40-2011-hybrid-bike-ec024790#features​

2011 Specialized CrossTrail - V/Altus/Altus/£300

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/specialized-2011-crosstrail-disc​

2011 GT Transeo 3.0 - Disc(Tektro Aquila)/Altus/Alivio/£315

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/gt-transeo-30-disc-2011/​

2011 Specialized CrossTrail Disc - Disc(Tektro ?)/Altus/Altus/£350

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/specialized-2011-crosstrail-disc​

For her:
2011 Specialized CrossTrail - V/Altus/Altus/£300

http://www.freeborn.co.uk/specialized-2011-ariel​

2011 Specialized CrossTrail Disc - Disc(Tektro ?)/Altus/Altus/£336

http://www.cyclestore.co.uk/productDetails.asp?productID=24971​