I use the Specialized BG ergo grips
I will ride them, but like I said I prefer to have a few in mind before getting to the shop.
To be honest I don't particularly like the atmosphere in many bike shops, I've not been to Evans but many I've been in just seem to want to rush you and get your money.
Apparently the Charge Grater is 23.2KG, the issue I have with the gears is it's only 8 speed, I'm wondering whether that gives a large enough range for up and downhill.
The Charge site says: LIGHTWEIGHT 6061 ALUMINIUM FRAME and Cro Mo fork.
I do like the simplicity of the bike, lots of good reviews on Evans and it's cheap.
I got a whyte Cambridge for £450 on eBay, ridden once. It is an utterly fab bike IMO, compared to the specializeds and treks I've had in the past. A frame that is better on rubbish roads than my carbon road bike, SRAM apex gearing, hydraulic discs. 10kg...
A £900 bike new, so a no brainer. The whyte site has decent geometry specs etc, its a more mtb than road geometry
I don't want/need suspension to be honest.
Super deal on the 2012 Portobello here
http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co....='Whyte Portobello 2012 Hybrid/Commuter Bike'