newbie hybrid questions

[thanos]

After having moved from the US (ex car user/driver) to the UK, and having used, and abused pavements and cycle paths *shame on me* with my beat up mtb (a whopping 60 £ purchase) I am looking to upgrade, and hopefully venture out into the roads a bit more (im envious of legit bike commuters, and also aware of the risks- i have a 2 mile commute at the moment). The budget is 400 £. No cycle to work program for my company and because I know ill use the bike to some extent -have not car in the uk- but not to a greater extent I have to cap it to that amount (that plus fears of vandalism / theft).

Because of my road ambition I think 26" wheel bikes are not as high on my candidates list. So I am looking at Pinnacle Stratus 3, Borealis 1/2, Ridgeback Velocity (although Im thoroughly confused by their sizing, I guess I need a 17" frame?????? for ridgeback as opposed to 19", 54cm frames on other brands - feedback welcome on this one) and as of late Specialized Sirrus and a used Boardman Hybrid Comp 09 I think (retailing around 499, but sells for 350 or so).
I had Subways and the Evans Transeo 5 on the list (fine options but theres something not appealing about these - maybe looks maybe lack of agility).

Maintenance fees and all that is a concern, and obviously I will have to look for mudguard(s), hat/helmet, and security for the new purchase

Thanks in advance
T.

 

[fossyant]

You'll need a good lock too - factor in £50 minimum.

All those bikes are good btw....... personal preference..... which do you like best ?

 

[cyberknight]

I always plump for boardman assuming its put together right, i have heard good things about the trek 7.2 as well.

Like Fossy said which do you like? try them all before you decide as every bike has slightly different geometry and getting one that does not suit you can be a nightmare.

Example .. My road bike always gave me back ache so after much searching fitted a shorter ,flipped stem and it made the bike a lot better.

 

[thanos]

Hi guys, and thanks for the feedback,
I managed to only try the pinnacle ones (evans) and the gt transeo one - which was what I initially aimed for. As soon as I entered the store, I was shown the borealis 3 comp (i love the look of compact yet barebones hybrid / road bikes). for example i was just browsing a few kona honky tonk listings.
I like the boardman but am concerned with maintenance / performance of disc brakes, and the plain specialized a bit less cause of the cookie cutter shape they give it..
I live north of london so having to take the train in and walk around london bike shops looking for bikes in stock seems tiring.. but I guess is essential.
For some reason I got discouraged from ridgebacks because of the 17" measurement and not being able to find a store to try it on for size.

Lock is a must indeed, but vandalism is a sad thing to see.. bikes locked up with bent wheels due to kicks and such.. i guess if you have a decent enough bike you shouldnt leave it out for extended periods..