Hybrid recommendations

[User32269]

I have always found rigid steel mtbs to be great do anything bikes. A decent cro mo frame with mid range shimano gear make great commuters with slicker tyres, can tackle the rough tracks, and come ready for racks n mudguards.
They are cheap and tough as old boots. Can be left chained outside work with no worries. Leaving your ctw budget for something you really want.

 

[Cycleops]

I have always found rigid steel mtbs to be great do anything bikes. A decent cro mo frame with mid range shimano gear make great commuters with slicker tyres, can tackle the rough tracks, and come ready for racks n mudguards.
They are cheap and tough as old boots. Can be left chained outside work with no worries. Leaving your ctw budget for something you really want.

And eBay, Preloved, Gumtree etc are awash with them.

 

[vickster]

OP using C2W, presumably wants new via salary sacrifice

 

[Bonefish Blues]

OP using C2W, presumably wants new via salary sacrifice

OP is being guided towards n+1 already

 

[NorthernDave]

The Boardman is a great bike at the money and will cope easily with the rides you're describing.

Remember though that by buying a hybrid you're getting a "do anything" (within reason) bike. It will be happy on road, but not as fast or sweet handling as a road bike and it will cope with most off road, but not as well as an MTB if you start pushing the limits.
That said, it will take more punishment than a road bike (and road bikes, ridden well, can take a surprising amount of hammer despite what some people will tell you).

For what you're describing I wouldn't bother with front suspension, as you won't need it and it will add weight. Even on rough off road any benefits will be marginal.

I bought a hybrid (Boardman MX Sport - essentially a hardtail MTB frame/drivetrain with road friendly wheels and tyres) when I started cycling again and still enjoy riding it, but soon bought a road bike and as a consequence the hybrid only gets ridden occasionally now - either bimbles with Mrs ND, or on routes where I know I'm going to spend most of my time off road.

 

[Racing roadkill]

I’ve had a Boardman MX Comp for a couple of years.

https://www.cyclerepublic.com/catal...MI5sn_ur_i1wIVp7ftCh22Mw7BEAQYAiABEgIaqvD_BwE

With the exception of the dodgy stock rear freehub, it’s been brilliant. The front suspension makes the rough bits of trails and the like childsplay, and you can lock the fork out, if you need to, for smoother stuff, and roads.

 

[Racing roadkill]

You wont go far wrong with the Boardy, mudguards were about £25 quid
Bike was around £560 iirc


View attachment 385131

A big problem with that bike will probably be that horrific crankset. I had an FSA gossamer crankset, with the PF30 pressfit BB, on my old Boardman Pro Carbon. The self extractor bolt jammed, when trying to remove the crankset. Then the soft alloy bolt head rounded off, and it took a mission N.A.S.A would be proud of, to get it off. I’ve converted the Pro Carbon to a threaded HT2 BB now, with a wheels manufacturing converter. It’s much better, because I have far more choice with Cranksets now, and the threaded cups are much nicer, than the crappy PF30 set up.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

To me, most of these replies are approaching the question from the wrong angle, apart from the sensible bit about avoiding suspension frames. My first criteria would be, what is the parking situation like at the destination? If there's a real risk of theft and/or vandalism where the bike will be parked, it's totally pointless buying anything more expensive than the cheapest non-BSO basic quality machine that will do the job.
If a £20-30 secondhand machine from one of those auction sites will get you to work, then buy one for that purpose, and spend the rest of your budget buying something nice that can be kept safely at home and used for leisure trips where it won't be left unattended out of your sight all day.
I know people who own very expensive nice cars as "best", yet deliberately drive a £500 beater as their commuting hack so if it gets crashed into or stolen they haven't lost much. Same approach seems equally sensible for commuting bikes.

 

[Racing roadkill]

apart from the sensible bit about avoiding suspension frames
.

That’s not “sensible” it’s internet trope time. And it’s total B.S. ( as per usual with sheep like regurgitation of such things). If you want a bike that will be anything but horribly uncomfortable / borderline dangerous, on poor surfaces / trails, ( at least ) front suspension is a nice thing to have.

 

[Hodgey1968]

That’s not “sensible” it’s internet trope time. And it’s total B.S. ( as per usual with sheep like regurgitation of such things). If you want a bike that will be anything but horribly uncomfortable / borderline dangerous, on poor surfaces / trails, ( at least ) front suspension is a nice thing to have.

Can I ask your recommendations then please ?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

You don't need suspension frames on commuting bikes, what you do need are machines that are as simple as possible, and have the least number of things on them to wear out, get damaged, and cause repairs expense. Cheap sus-frames are complete and utter junk and just a cynical marketing gimmick aimed at the kind of buyers who aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the box. They are the worst kind of BSO's, and the ones that find themselves in the council tip or builder's skip the quickest.. High quality sus frames are a different matter entirely, but even so you still don't need the extra weight and mechanical complication they involve on a commuter machine!

 

[Racing roadkill]

Can I ask your recommendations then please ?

Boardman MX Comp
https://www.cyclerepublic.com/catal...MI5sn_ur_i1wIVp7ftCh22Mw7BEAQYAiABEgIaqvD_BwE

I have a 2015 version, it’s superb on commutes and the rough stuff, locking front forks help.

Specialized crosstrail, if you like big branded bikes, and you have a CF fetish

https://www.tredz.co.uk/.Specialize...MImebT6sPk1wIVEhQbCh2JrgA3EAQYByABEgIP3vD_BwE


A superb bike this. Again, brilliant as a commuter / trail / path bike.

 

[Racing roadkill]

You don't need suspension frames on commuting bikes, what you do need are machines that are as simple as possible, and have the least number of things on them to wear out, get damaged, and cause repairs expense. Cheap sus-frames are complete and utter junk and just a cynical marketing gimmick aimed at the kind of buyers who aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the box. They are the worst kind of BSO's, and the ones that find themselves in the council tip or builder's skip the quickest.. High quality sus frames are a different matter entirely, but even so you still don't need the extra weight and mechanical complication they involve on a commuter machine!

I think you actually believe this

 

[Pale Rider]

I agree suspension is not necessary - the added weight is a bigger negative than the boing you will get from what will be a cheap fork on a bike in your budget.

However, a Cannondale Bad Boy might suit, slightly over budget, but it has Cannondale's trademark single leg 'leftie' front suspension fork.

That should cure the added weight problem, and still provide some give up front.

https://www.evanscycles.com/cannondale-bad-boy-4-2018-hybrid-bike-EV280376

 

[Spambotbot]

https://www.missionbicycle.com/bike-builder