new bike

[Michael86]

I am going to get a new bike tommorow morning. I would just like to now if there is any brands of bike I should avoid for any reason.

 

[Keith Oates]

Avoid them all except for Giant. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Michael86]

Could anyone recommend a hybrid bike with disc brakes, with a budget of 450

 

[Cyclist33]

how tall art thou?

 

[Michael86]

6ft 1

 

[Michael86]

how tall art thou?

6ft 1

 

[Pale Rider]

Most of the brands to be avoided are beneath your budget, so they won't come into play.

If you have a decent local bike shop, patronise that.

Building a relationship with them is more important for long term cycling happiness than choosing one brand over another.

If I had to pluck a name out of the air, Ridgeback are usually well recommended on here.

 

[vickster]

Whyte if you can get a great deal. Or ridgeback. Boardman from halfords definitely worth a look given your budget

 

[Cyclist33]

Pinnacle lithium 2, size large, 400 quid leaves cash for beers.

 

[vickster]

@Simontm had a not great experience with a pinnacle hybrid.

What have decathlon got?

 

[Michael86]

Whyte if you can get a great deal. Or ridgeback. Boardman from halfords definitely worth a look given your budget

Cheers, it would have to be from one of the LBS, as I'm doing the cycle to work scheme

 

[vickster]

Ah then it'll likely be full price, so whyte will unfortunately be out as they start around £600

Head to the LBS, see what they have, and come back with a shortlist. Try to test ride whatever you can too

 

[Simontm]

@Simontm had a not great experience with a pinnacle hybrid.

What have decathlon got?

Certainly didn't but the problem was with the actual bike sold to me than the brand itself.

The Pinnacle Neon is a fun bike but my back wheel was absolutely shite with 5 spokes going in three months. Evans in Kingston basically said "what do you expect for £350" and told me to eff off, denying that it was sold 'not fit for purpose'.

I went out and, actually to my own surprise, found myself buying a Specialized Diverge A1 Sport (sorry @vickster) . This has done more miles than the pinnacle in the same amount of time and apart from having to sort out the back brake - which Specialized did without fuss and even gave me some free pedals - I have had a whale of a time on it.

So don't dismiss Pinnacle but watch out for the wheel and the Evans that sells it to you!

 

[vickster]

Fair enough, don't know if the OP can use evans for C2W

 

[Pale Rider]

Ah then it'll likely be full price,

My local bike shop charges full price for bike to work, or offers about 10 per cent discount if it's a cash sale.

Worth an ask, because by the time you've pratted around with the bike to work forms and admin, it might be just as cheap to buy the bike at discount - assuming you can pull out the coin without having to pay credit card interest rates.