Hybrid or mountain bike?

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areyouactuallymoving

Well-Known Member
Location
Stroud
Hi,

I am pondering an n+1, I currently ride a Norco Search adventure road bike, but I still have a bit of trouble getting up the hills around here (Cotswolds = big hills). I was wondering if a hybrid or a mountain bike with their lower gearing might be an option (plus potentially be more fit for winter riding). I don't intend to go off road much, maybe some canal towpaths or cycle tracks but it would still mainly be on road.

My budget is around £500 - 600 and I know there are some sales on at the moment that mean I could get something decent for that sort of money.

So any advice? The ones I have looked at so far are https://www.evanscycles.com/norco-xfr-2-2017-hybrid-bike-EV277790 and https://www.evanscycles.com/scott-scale-970-2017-mountain-bike-EV286101

Thanks
 

Jody

Stubborn git
I would take the hybrid over the MTB for what you are doing and maybe swap for rigid forks to loose a bit of weight.
 

mjr

Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
Hybrid rather than MTB unless you're intending much off-road and I'd do as @Jody says, go for rigid forks to make it easier uphill on road tyres. No point carrying that weight uphill yet if you were struggling IMO. Just fit fatter tyres if you go off-roading unless you're planning to do some gnarly stuff.

I looked at whether it's possible to lower the gears on the Norco and options seem limited as both derailleurs are already close to their capacity limits: replacing the front derailleur, shifter and chainset to fit a triple is the main idea and that's not straightforward.
 

Levo-Lon

Guru
The Scott has the easier gearing and will be a fun bike..plus you can do some cross country riding which should be brilliant in the Cotswolds.

The Norco is a good bike but still 50x34 up front.

No contest for me it would be the Scott
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
I really don’t see the necessity to buy a new bike just because the gears don’t go low enough. Just put a triple on the Search, that should solve your problem or a low gear rear mech as User46386 suggested.
A five hundred quid bike won’t be anywhere near as good and a MTB at that level is going to be quite heavy as well as having slow rolling tyres so that won’t get you up the hills any better.
 
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Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
I really don’t see the necessity to buy a new bike just because the gears don’t go low enough. Just put a triple on the Search, that should solve your problem or a low gear rear mech as User46386 suggested.
A five hundred quid bike won’t be anywhere near as good and a MTB at that level is going to be quite heavy as well as having slow rolling tyres so that won’t get you up the hills any better.
OTOH n+1's always a powerful draw, isn't it (much as you are completely right!)

OP, if you do want something which will get you up any and everything, then consider something like this:

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-lithium-4-2018-hybrid-bike-EV275574

If you can't get up on this, then either level the hill, sort out a binding brake, or move!
 

NorthernDave

Never used Über Member
Depends what you're looking for, doesn't it?

My hybrid is essentially a mountain bike with narrower wheels and tyres for road use. But other hybrids are essentially flat bar road bikes.

I enjoy riding my hybrid and it's what got me back into cycling, but within 6 months I'd bought a proper road bike which is far better on the road, unsurprisingly.
As a result the hybrid now only really gets used when I do a ride that is mainly off-road.

What I'm saying is take the time to decide exactly what you'll want from your bike before trying a few.
 
OP
OP
A

areyouactuallymoving

Well-Known Member
Location
Stroud
Hi
Thanks for the replies
I really don’t see the necessity to buy a new bike just because the gears don’t go low enough. Just put a triple on the Search, that should solve your problem or a low gear rear mech as User46386 suggested.
A five hundred quid bike won’t be anywhere near as good and a MTB at that level is going to be quite heavy as well as having slow rolling tyres so that won’t get you up the hills any better.

Well on my tourer I've got a 33/46 on the front and a deore cassette at the rear and its easy to get up really steep hills with a load.
Cant OP have something like this put on the Search?

How much would this cost, especially given that I don't have the skills to do it myself?
 

NickNick

Well-Known Member
Depends what you mean by that. Even the GS version of its Claris rear mech only takes 34T as its biggest cog.

Couldn't you use a longer caged mountain bike rear mech with an 11-42 or 11-46 cassette? Would have thought you could pick them up pretty cheap on ebay.
 
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