Hybrid recommendations - Cannondale Treadwell 2, Bad Boy 3, Giant Escape 0 disc, Specialized Crosstrail Sport

[teerob]

Hi all,

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I'm going to be buying my first bike for around 20 years and have decided to get a hybrid. I want to be able to cycle to work but also go on cycle paths, bridleways etc. Basically I want something which is a bit versatile. I'm looking at spending £600-700 and have spent hours looking at reviews of different bikes.
I *think* I've narrowed it down to:
Cannondale Treadwell 2 (or Bad Boy 3?)
Giant Escape 0 Disc
Specialized Crosstrail Sport

I'm not too fussy about the bike being super lightweight as I'm not planning on carrying it up any stairs.
I think I've been basically put off anything where I've found a negative review. I want to future-proof myself as much as possible, and it looks like the Cannondale should be fairly low maintenance compared to some other models? I've not managed to find many reviews of the treadwell though. Not sure on which has better specs, this or the Bad Boy 3. I think I read somewhere that the Bad Boy is more targeted at road use? Unfortunately I'm very much in the dark

Any advice is greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

[Cycleops]

First off welcome the forum.
It's always a good idea to post links to the specific bikes when asking these questions so people know exactly which model you're talking about.
I would say avoid suspension forks, they add weight for little extra comfort. Its a very competitive sector of the market so differences will be small so seek out the best deal a with previous year model etc if you want to save money. Also select the one that's best suited to your needs. Narrow tyres up to 28c section will be faster but less comfortable than fatter tyres, say up to 40c. If mainly road use go for narrower.
If you want low maintainance pick something with a gates rubber drive and Alfine enclosed hub;
https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/blog/best-urban-belt-drive-bikes-2019
The Treadwell looks like an American beach cruiser type bike which will be very comfortable but won't respond well to putting the hammer down.
You should also check out Decathlon as they have some good vfm models;
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc500-flat-bar-disc-road-bike-sora-id_8554412.html
Good luck.

 

[teerob]

First off welcome the forum.
It's always a good idea to post links to the specific bikes when asking these questions so people know exactly which model you're talking about.
I would say avoid suspension forks, they add weight for little extra comfort. Its a very competitive sector of the market so differences will be small so seek out the best deal a with previous year model etc. Also select the one that's best suited to your needs. Narrow tyres up to 28c section will be faster but less comfortable than fatter tyres, say up to 40c. If mainly road use go for narrower.
You should also check out Decathlon as they have some good vfm models;
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc500-flat-bar-disc-road-bike-sora-id_8554412.html
Good luck.

Thanks very much for this! These are the ones I've been looking at:
Giant Escape 0 Disc: https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/escape-0-disc
Cannondale Treadwell 2: https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-treadwell-2-2020-hybrid-bike-EV360894
Cannondale Bad Boy 3: https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/cannondale_bad_boy_3_urban_bike_2020-ID_78033?
Specialized Crosstrail Sport: https://www.freeborn.co.uk/specialized-crosstrail-sport-2019-flake-tint-reflective-hybrid-bike

I did look at the B'Twin Riverside 920 but saw a few people saying it was quite heavy so thought the other may be better options

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'd buy the Giant Escape 2 model. it's £300 less and will do exactly the same job. Not a fan of Cannondales, especially the weird lefty fork designs, and the B'Twin has a suspension fork, which I wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

 

[Pale Rider]

Cannondale is to be congratulated for trying to do something a little different with a design that has barely changed in more than a century.

Their suspended Lefty fork can be extra maintenance in a mountain bike application, but the Bad Boy is rigid, so no problem.

The other Cannondale bike might be a bit too laid back, and that stem looks dreadful.

The suspension fork on the Spesh bike rules it out, so that leaves the Bad Boy or the Giant.

 

[Cycleops]

If you're using it to commute make sure you can fit mudguards and rack.
The Giant would be a good option IMO. If you can throw your leg over one.
Try to buy locally as any problems can be sorted out easily plus they usually offer a free first service so adjustments can be made after the bike has settled in.

 

[vickster]

Giant no question of those

I’d also look at the Whyte R7 range

Bridleways can get extremely mucky in winter so those might be best avoided

 

[teerob]

Thanks all for your input
I'm wondering if there is a larger degree of personal preference than I expected.
I think I was thinking that people would come back and say "Bike X has by far the best spec of the 4" or "this component on Bike Y is terrible". I do think I've been suckered in by the Treadwell advertising with it being marketed as "just a bike" and simplicity and practicality being highlighted, although the rubber to stop scratches does appeal to my careless nature!

The Giant seems like a good option (no one seems to have taken issue with it!)

Giant no question of those

I’d also look at the Whyte R7 range

Bridleways can get extremely mucky in winter so those might be best avoided

Thanks for this suggestion. Must admit the Whyte Portobello is particularly nice looking, although perhaps a bit of a budget stretch. I will look at the others in the range too

 

[vickster]

Not over 6' perchance, a great deal here on an older Cambridge

https://www.discountcyclesdirect.co...53&Item='Whyte Cambridge Hybrid/Commuter Bike'

 

[Sixmile]

I can give you a bit of user experience on the Specialized Crosstrail. I have the 2014 model and I know that year on year the spec has gradually improved. I found it a pretty solidly built bike with ok components. I think at this stage everything bar the frame has been replaced/changed/upgraded on mine. As it sits today, it's entering retirement. I haven't used it in over a year due to rust and seizing of some componentry as I used and abused it as my winter bike over the last 3 winters and my relatively low maintenance has taken a toll. It was a decent bike for running to work in all weathers, great for tugging the kids trailer about for years and even did a few 3-7 day tours on it without major issue. I will say, the forks were a pile of crap, they absorbed nothing and have seized solid now. If you want to ask anything fire away.

Now my work steed is a Boardman URB 8.9 as I wanted something that required little maintenance. That dream hasn't quite blossomed into fruition but with C2W & BC discount I've an £850 bike for £520 so can't complain really.

 

[teerob]

Not over 6' perchance, a great deal here on an older Cambridge

https://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/catalog/product.php?CI_ID=20753&Item='Whyte Cambridge Hybrid/Commuter Bike'

I'm 5'10 so it would be a little too big for me unfortunately. I had a look through the Whyte range at your recommendation and was thinking the Shoreditch would be worth considering. I put the specs side by side with the Portobello and couldn't see a huge number of differences. Couldn't find anything for a previous year's model but one of my local shops seems to have the 2020 iteration. It would be nice to buy locally so this is a plus. Interesting that I went through a load of different 'Top 10s' and don't recall Whyte ever getting a mention. Individual reviews seem really good though!
I looked at the Ribble range too, briefly as they're local(ish) but struggled finding many reviews. Plus the customisation options left me a bit flustered! I do think they're nice looking though: https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-hybrid-al/

I can give you a bit of user experience on the Specialized Crosstrail. I have the 2014 model and I know that year on year the spec has gradually improved. I found it a pretty solidly built bike with ok components. I think at this stage everything bar the frame has been replaced/changed/upgraded on mine. As it sits today, it's entering retirement. I haven't used it in over a year due to rust and seizing of some componentry as I used and abused it as my winter bike over the last 3 winters and my relatively low maintenance has taken a toll. It was a decent bike for running to work in all weathers, great for tugging the kids trailer about for years and even did a few 3-7 day tours on it without major issue. I will say, the forks were a pile of crap, they absorbed nothing and have seized solid now. If you want to ask anything fire away.

Now my work steed is a Boardman URB 8.9 as I wanted something that required little maintenance. That dream hasn't quite blossomed into fruition but with C2W & BC discount I've an £850 bike for £520 so can't complain really.

Thanks for the candid feedback I think I saw a few people saying that although the bike itself wasn't bad, some components didn't quite match up to the price point.
I was afraid to mention the Boardman range with them being Halfords exclusive! I didn't realise you could use the BC discount in conjunction with a C2W voucher either. I've seen a few stores say you can only use on models sold at RRP. Would you say overall you've enjoyed the 8.9?

 

[vickster]

I'm 5'10 so it would be a little too big for me unfortunately. I had a look through the Whyte range at your recommendation and was thinking the Shoreditch would be worth considering. I put the specs side by side with the Portobello and couldn't see a huge number of differences. Couldn't find anything for a previous year's model but one of my local shops seems to have the 2020 iteration. It would be nice to buy locally so this is a plus. Interesting that I went through a load of different 'Top 10s' and don't recall Whyte ever getting a mention. Individual reviews seem really good though!
I looked at the Ribble range too, briefly as they're local(ish) but struggled finding many reviews. Plus the customisation options left me a bit flustered! I do think they're nice looking though: https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-hybrid-al/



Thanks for the candid feedback I think I saw a few people saying that although the bike itself wasn't bad, some components didn't quite match up to the price point.
I was afraid to mention the Boardman range with them being Halfords exclusive! I didn't realise you could use the BC discount in conjunction with a C2W voucher either. I've seen a few stores say you can only use on models sold at RRP. Would you say overall you've enjoyed the 8.9?

You can't combine the vouchers (at least not anymore)

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/halfords-discounts

https://www.cycle2work.info/employees/faqs
....
You can take advantage of any in store promotions or sales prices when selecting a bike from the Halfords and Cycle Republic store network, or online discounts with Tredz.co.uk. If you're a member of British Cycling you cannot use your discount when redeeming your LoC. If you're selecting a bike outside of this range from one of the independent bike shops we work with we'll always source the bike at the RRP to ensure consistency of price and availability.

...

Whyte flatbars are great, I've had two. Forget the reviews, the big brands pay more to get their bikes favourably reviewed

The Ribble looks great for commuting
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-hybrid-al-commuter-fully-loaded/

 

[teerob]

You can't combine the vouchers (at least not anymore)

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/membership/article/halfords-discounts

https://www.cycle2work.info/employees/faqs
....
You can take advantage of any in store promotions or sales prices when selecting a bike from the Halfords and Cycle Republic store network, or online discounts with Tredz.co.uk. If you're a member of British Cycling you cannot use your discount when redeeming your LoC. If you're selecting a bike outside of this range from one of the independent bike shops we work with we'll always source the bike at the RRP to ensure consistency of price and availability.

...

Whyte flatbars are great, I've had two. Forget the reviews, the big brands pay more to get their bikes favourably reviewed

The Ribble looks great for commuting
https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/ribble-hybrid-al-commuter-fully-loaded/

Ah, that's interesting. Seems on the surface a bit unfair that you're incentivised to get sale items at a larger store rather than local but I guess that's not worth digging in to now!

I did think about the paying for reviews aspect but just thought maybe I'd looked at enough different sources to mitigate this! Perhaps I wasn't cynical enough haha.

I think I'm currently leaning toward the Whyte Shoreditch at the moment! I'll try and put it side by side with the Ribble and Giant perhaps. Thanks you for putting me on to the Whyte range!

 

[Sixmile]

Thanks for the candid feedback I think I saw a few people saying that although the bike itself wasn't bad, some components didn't quite match up to the price point.
I was afraid to mention the Boardman range with them being Halfords exclusive! I didn't realise you could use the BC discount in conjunction with a C2W voucher either. I've seen a few stores say you can only use on models sold at RRP. Would you say overall you've enjoyed the 8.9?

I like quality gear but I'm not a brand snob. I couldn't care less what label was on my bike, jacket, overshoes, lights etc as long as they give me unrelenting service ride after ride, winter after winter. That's when you find out the true quality of the gear!

To be honest I didn't need another bike but once my work introduced C2W I went along to Halfords for a chat. The determining factor for me was whether I would be allowed 10% off RRP then avail of the 32% C2W benefit. If the fella in Halfords had said no at that point, I simply wouldn't have bought a bike. As it was, he allowed it without an issue (his manager subsequently wasn't best pleased) so I guess it's all about who you talk to. On a side note, if your workplace operates the C2W scheme with halfords, you or anyone in your workplace can avail of 10% off anything in store regardless whether you have used of the scheme or not. I got clarification on this via email directly from Halfords HQ yesterday.

I've been disappointed with the Alfine hub. I've maybe had the bike back to the shop 10 times. Alot of this has been down to the incompetency of the staff as I've found that they have not recieved training on how to set up or service Alfines/Nexus. I got my original 8.9 replaced as I wasn't happy with it. I'm onto my second one and still have whirring/grinding issue in the hub. Some say this goes away after a few thousand miles. I'm nearing my first 1000 miles and no improvement at all. It's not a comfy bike, the standard grips look good but are slippy canvas. The hydraulic brakes are great, the bike looks fantastic and mudguards have drastically improved things all round. I've done zero maintenance on it as there's really not anything to go wrong bar the internal hub gearing. My only plans are to change tyres to marathons and then blast through the winter on it and see how it comes out in Spring. I've still got some protection until Feb 2020 under the c2w scheme incase something does go wrong. Anything else, just ask!

 

[tom73]

Most of the Ribble range is newish just over a year really so helps explain lack of reviews.
If you can call in give them a go i've found them helpful. Or email them if you don't know what option will suit you.
I've seen the hybrid up close, the British Racing green finish is the business. All in all it's a nice looking and put together bike.
The option @vickster points to looks a good fully ready to go option.