What type of bike

[Shrekchippy]

I need help! I am currently looking to change my 6 year old mountain bike but don't know what to get. I ride on the road quite a bit but like to ride places like Thetford Forrest, would you suggest a MTB hard tail or a Hybrid?
My company does the cycle to work scheme through cycle solutions and I have a budget of around £900.
I am drawn to the Scott aspect 910 or Scott sportster 10.
Any suggestions?

 

[vickster]

Maybe a 29er?

 

[Cycleops]

Hybrid is more versatile.

 

[vickster]

Depends how off road the forest is. £900 is fast hybrid territory, not so suitable for a forest

Or get two bikes

 

[Shrekchippy]

The Forrest is more dirt tracks rather than full mountain biking I am hoping to do the London to cambridge next year on the bike

 

[SWSteve]

Lockable fork? That should also make the L2C ride much easier

 

[vickster]

And slick tyres

Or something like a Cannondale Bad Boy? Or my favouride, the Whyte Cambridge Bit more ruggedy than road, but still quick on road

 

[SteCenturion]

I was perusing the interweb today & discovered just the job & it looks lovely too, the bike in question is the Focus Mares AX cyclocross bike at £899, they have them at Sigmasport & jejamescycles.

 

[Learnincurve]

Hybrid is a bit of a marketing buzz word really as it can mean 10,000 things. A hard tale 29er can be classed as a MTB with knobbly tires on and a hybrid with hybrid tyres on. If it were me (and I have done this) I would get a hard tail with 700c wheels and have two sets of wheels you can swap out, one with knobbly and another with hybrid. Hybrid tyres are slick in the middle for road and have small knobbles on the outside that will grip better than road tires on bridal/tow/gravel paths but they would not handle proper off road stuff.

 

[tudor_77]

Giant Roam is an excellent 'X Road' Hybrid. Has front suspension like a mountain bike but 700c wheels and bigger gears like a road bike. It is really fast on the roads and excellent on the forest trails that I ride on. I generally tend to choose it over my Boardman Road bike most of the time (also an excellent bike, just not as versatile as its only a roady). Specialized do the Crosstrail but they are more expensive than the roam and not so well specced.