Hybrid for couple, Specialized or Marin?

[SpokeyDokey]

Well I made some stops today but the only bike I was able to view was the Boardman MX Comp. I like how it looks overall and it actually feels lighter than the Specialized Crosstrail. What concerns me, and I think they are big concerns, I have heard the frames aren't the best and it's Halfords that is selling the bike. The frame warranty is only 2 years compared to lifetime warranties on the others.

I have also been looking at another Whyte bike but it's a different type of hybrid, it's call the 529. It is a 29er Cross Country/Trail. Would this bike perform similarly to the other hybrids? It has bigger tyres, 100mm fork shocks and looks more like a MTB.
http://whyte.bike/gb/models/crosscountrytrail/x29-performance-xc-hardtail-29er/529-2/

You seem to be all over the place choosing your bikes!

For parks and light trails you do not need suspension. A carbon fork is handy and fat tyres are even handier. A some stage you will realise that less is more with bikes and some of these cheaper bikes with this that and the other on are far from light. On a long day, light is nice.

FWIW I have a CX bike with 35mm tyres - I live up the side of a *loody great hill and have to go down a rough (very) and long track to the nearest lane. It easily soaks the bumps up. FWIW (2) it has been ridden extensively around Grizedale Forest and coped well with some of the knarly 'MTB' sections.

A suspension fork on a £5-700 bike is maybe £70's worth? They feel like rubbish too - they clonk, they twist like crazy and generally feel imprecise on bumpy terrain. Manufacturers put them on bikes as the words 'soft', 'plush' and 'smooth' are seductive marketing tools!

I have a Giant and like it a lot. I have no intrinsic interest in pushing Giant as a brand but for the £799 Whyte Chubby Tyred Bike you have shown you could have a Revolt 2 which to my mind would be a whole heap better for your intended purpose.

Re frame warranty of 2 years. Why is this a problem? Boardman build a decent bike. It's unlikely to fail - ever. If it fails after 2 years (unlikely) then what's a new frame cost - £200? This is several hundred pounds of bike we are talking about not a new house.

Hope you make a decision quickly and that you are soon enjoying your bikes(s).

 

[Alex34]

I haven't gone to Giant yet but tbh haven't really considered a Giant up until this point. If I were to go for a Giant it would be that Revolt 2 mentioned by SpokeyDokey rather than the Roam.
I'm all over the place because the bikes I've narrowed down seem to be the hardest things to come buy so I'm just exploring other options that are available.

That being said I have struck some luck today on the way home from work. I stopped by The Bike Shop in Pinner and I'm very happy I did.... They had the Whyte Portobello, Whyte Malvern Ladies and the Marin San Rafael DS3. The only one that was the correct size was the Portobello and even though it was a fantastic looking bike there was no way I would have been able to put bigger tyres on that thing.

The ladies Malvern was very impressive and it looked and felt more premium than the Specialized and the Boardman. The Marin DS3 was also impressive and was definitely better looking and felt premium compared to the Specialized and Boardman as well. Honestly I would have bought both then and there if they were the correct sizes... unfortunately they weren't and being 2014 models they were not able to order them. The DS4 Marin was available for ordering but after realising it has the same gloss paint as the DS2 which I have seen, I decided to scratch that one off of the list. The 2015 Marins aren't available yet, however the 2015 Whyte Malverns are.

Since then my wife has also stopped by the bike shop on her way home from work to see the Malvern and has made up her mind that she definitely wants the 2015 version so at least her bike is now settled and ordered!

My mind is still a bit split between the Whyte and the Marin, I will have a viewing of the Giant Revolt 2 tomorrow. Without seeing the Giant I am leaning towards the Marin in DS3 spec if I can actually find it in my size. The DS4 is a better spec but looks less "the business" in a glossy finish. Tomorrow is another day and we will see what happens when I visit the Giant store.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

You seem determined to buy a suspension bike - they are heavy and add nothing to the party.

A very quick fizz through Evans throws these up. I'd say the 'Dales and Treks would be far nicer bikes to ride.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/quick-sl-3-2014-hybrid-bike-ec054947

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/74-fx-2015-hybrid-bike-ec068199#features

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/74-fx-wsd-2014-womens-hybrid-bike-ec054488

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/74-fx-disc-2014-hybrid-bike-ec040366

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/quick-sl-2-2014-hybrid-bike-ec054946

 

[Cycleops]

Spoke with the Evans in Hendon the other day and nothing as well. Cycle Surgery in Holburn says they have none of the suspensioned hybrids I'm looking for in any of their stores. On Your Bike only has the Portobello.

Doesn't that tell you something?

 

[Alex34]

You seem determined to buy a suspension bike - they are heavy and add nothing to the party.

A very quick fizz through Evans throws these up. I'd say the 'Dales and Treks would be far nicer bikes to ride.

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/quick-sl-3-2014-hybrid-bike-ec054947

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/74-fx-2015-hybrid-bike-ec068199#features

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/74-fx-wsd-2014-womens-hybrid-bike-ec054488

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/trek/74-fx-disc-2014-hybrid-bike-ec040366

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/cannondale/quick-sl-2-2014-hybrid-bike-ec054946

Thanks for those links.

If I were to spend £600 - £700 I would prefer something with disc brakes I think. One of the Trek's has disc brakes but the Cannondales do look nice.

It's not that I'm determined to buy a suspensioned bike, its that all I have seen and been offered in LBS for what I want the bikes for are bikes that have suspensions on them. The hybrids with rigid forks seem to be more road bikes with skinny tyres. I had no clue about CX bikes before it was metioned here. The brands I was looking at really didn't have CX bikes in my price range or none at all... so the suspensioned bikes were the only thing I knew of really.

I have seen Cannondale and Trek with rigid forks but thought they were just older styled bikes as both brands offer suspensioned options as well.

I really like the look of some of the CX bikes but two things concern me, the drop bars and the racier geometry. Will CX bikes be less comfortable to ride around leisurely? I doubt I will be agressively pushing any of these bike with regards to speed (most of the time) as it will predominately be my wife and I riding together and she isn't one for speed.

 

[Alex34]

Doesn't that tell you something?

Actually they aren't in shop becuase there are none available from the distributors. According to the retailers they are a popular range?

Seems I picked a bad time to shop for bikes as the next year's bikes haven't been launched yet but this year's bikes are mostly sold out. I keep hearing this repeated to me at the LBS'.

 

[vickster]

Stick with plan a, if it's just for leisure pootles as you said. Flat bars are easier to manage for this sort of riding IMO. Go with whyte, support Brit not Yank companies

 

[Pale Rider]

There are a couple of Cannondale Quicks and Giant Roams used by riders in a group I ride with.

Don't underestimate the capability of these bikes, they handle anything up to light trails a treat.

I agree the narrow tyres look a bit spindly for the job, but that's really not the case.

I've mentioned two brands, but I'm sure the same applies to similar spec bikes from the other recognised makers.

Suspension forks divide opinion on here.

I reckon a cheap suspension fork is the worst of all worlds, and that is what you will get on a £500 bike.

If you really want a suspension fork - and they have their benefits - try to up the budget as much as you can.

 

[Alex34]

There are a couple of Cannondale Quicks and Giant Roams used by riders in a group I ride with.

Don't underestimate the capability of these bikes, they handle anything up to light trails a treat.

I agree the narrow tyres look a bit spindly for the job, but that's really not the case.

I've mentioned two brands, but I'm sure the same applies to similar spec bikes from the other recognised makers.

Suspension forks divide opinion on here.

I reckon a cheap suspension fork is the worst of all worlds, and that is what you will get on a £500 bike.

If you really want a suspension fork - and they have their benefits - try to up the budget as much as you can.

Aren't the Giant Roam's suspension forked?

How difficult would it be to change the suspension fork to a carbon rigid if I ended up not liking it?

 

[Cycleops]

Aren't the Giant Roam's suspension forked?

How difficult would it be to change the suspension fork to a carbon rigid if I ended up not liking it?

Not possible as you wouldn't be able to mount the disc brake. Might also upset the geometry if you were to swap for a steel one with the mount.

 

[Alex34]

Not possible as you wouldn't be able to mount the disc brake. Might also upset the geometry if you were to swap for a steel one with the mount.

So would it be easier and more practical to get, let's say, a Giant Revolt 2 and put flat bars on it?

 

[Cycleops]

You could do but it would be expensive. As well as the bars you will need new shifters and brake levers. Much better to buy something that fits in with your needs straight off.

 

[Alex34]

Ok.... I've just come from Giant in Radlett (thank you for pushing me to go vickster) and I am now happy with the decision I have come to regarding what style of bike I will buy. If anyone lives near Radlett and is interested in Giant bikes I highly recommend this shop. By far the best bike shop I have been in yet. Very helpful, very knowledgeable and very patient staff; willing to cater to your needs and offer constructive advice. They also go the extra mile to make sure you pick the bike that best suits your riding requirements and style. I was very impressed. Definitely a night and day difference compared to the Specialized brand stores I have been to.

I went there specifically to view the Revolt 2 but also to see what else they had to offer. I ended up test riding a Revolt 1, TCX SLR 2, Escape 0, Roam 1 and Roam 0. SpokeyDokey, I can understand why you own a TCX, quality piece of kit and very light! However, for what I am looking for, I have to say the Roam felt best for me. It had enough beef and weight to make the ride comfortable when going over bumpy road conditions at a leisurely speed.

My second pick would definitely be the TCX, it was a pleasure to ride and I knew I was on a quality performance bike as soon as I set off. It is racier though and would be wasted on the type of riding I will currently be doing. It would have come home with me today if I was looking to do some serious trail riding, no doubt... Maybe in the future?

The reason I tested the Escape 0 is I was told that fatter tyres could easily be put on them and it would essentially be a hybrid for slight off road with a rigid fork (minus the disc brakes). It was a nice bike but felt it offered very little when compared to the others.

The Revolt made absolutely no sense to me once I test rode the TCX.

Now, the suspension on the Roam 1 does feel a bit gimmicky but the Roam 0's suspension was much better and the bike felt like a higher spec bike when compared. There was a bit of play in the Roam 1's suspension when locked but a very minute amount of play, if any in the Roam 0 suspension. I could definitely feel the comfort benefit of the suspension (however slight it is) and know my wife will appreciate it as well; The Roam 0's suspension is the same as on the Whyte Malvern. Also, another good point is Giant has carbon forks that will fit the Roam 0 with the disc brakes if I wanted to change them in the future.

My dilemma now is choosing between the Giant Roam and the Whyte Malvern. Having access to a brand store such as the one in Radlett is a huge plus but the Whyte bikes still feel more premium to me. Any which way it goes my mind will have to be made up by Monday, in time to order.

It's been a drawn out experience and even though I ended up right back where I started, I'm glad I had it. I've learnt a lot and I was able to test out a few style of bikes that allowed me to confidently decide what is better for me. Thank you all so very much for your input and please keep it coming if you have any more to add!

 

[Alex34]

I forgot to add that in the meantime I will also try to get a test ride on the Cannondale Quick SL 1. It is a bit pricey for something with out disc brakes and some of the other components it has but I like the look of it and will have a go none the less. I doubt it will change my current view and I am sure I would rather shell out a grand for the TCX. It is however still an option I should explore.