Buying a Hybrid: Best Brands?

Quoted message said:

I'm about to start looking for a new bike, to use for commuting across
London (about 60 miles a week) and nipping to the shops or park (ie no
touring or off-roading)

I'm intending to replace my current Marin Mill Valley road based hybrid
with a similar type of fast-ish hybrid at around the £500 - £600
mark. I want to buy from one of my LBS's so the choice of brands is:
Specialized, Trek, Ridgeback, Dawes, Giant or Marin.

For that money you should be able to get something decent from any of
those makes, I'd be more interested in the level of components they put
on them - you should be able to get at least XT level kit for all
gear/brake parts for that money, which is a minimum if you want an easy
to ride, low-ish maintenance commuter.

A friend bought a Giant hybrid recently for about 300 quid, and the
bottom bracket was toast after about 100km, and I had the same with a
MBK a few years back - but that's hard to spot in the shop - I guess if
it has an octalink or isis crank, there's a chance it won't be total
carp.

In message <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] writes

Quoted message said:

I'm about to start looking for a new bike, to use for commuting across
London (about 60 miles a week) and nipping to the shops or park (ie no
touring or off-roading)

I'm intending to replace my current Marin Mill Valley road based hybrid
with a similar type of fast-ish hybrid at around the £500 - £600
mark. I want to buy from one of my LBS's so the choice of brands is:
Specialized, Trek, Ridgeback, Dawes, Giant or Marin.

I had to replace my Orange P7 in April (damaged beyond repair) and due
to a changing life-style, opted for a hybrid. After trying several I
bought a Trek 7.6 FX which cost £700 less 10% for being a nice chap! =
£630. It seems most bike shops will give some sort of discount these
days (if you ask).

I've done about 1,000 miles on it so far and can honestly say that it is
a nice piece of kit. Even the original saddle has proved most
comfortable (and I am extremely fussy in that area!). I changed the
tyres to Schwalbe Marathon Cross 'cos I occasionally depart from tarmac
surfaces.

--
Zak

"zakventis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In message <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] writes

Quoted message said:

I'm about to start looking for a new bike, to use for commuting across
London (about 60 miles a week) and nipping to the shops or park (ie no
touring or off-roading)

I'm intending to replace my current Marin Mill Valley road based hybrid
with a similar type of fast-ish hybrid at around the £500 - £600
mark. I want to buy from one of my LBS's so the choice of brands is:
Specialized, Trek, Ridgeback, Dawes, Giant or Marin.

I think all of them at that price point will provide you with a decent and
durable machine. Ultimately it will be down to the one you like best.
Another you may want to consider though is this one:

http://tinyurl.com/o5h3o

Looks an absolute bargain with the components and, if you can cope with
front sus for mainly road riding, may give you what you are after.

Cheers

Paul

In article <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm about to start looking for a new bike, to use for commuting across
London (about 60 miles a week) and nipping to the shops or park (ie no
touring or off-roading)

I'm intending to replace my current Marin Mill Valley

What's wrong with that?

in message <[email hidden]>,

(') said:

I'm about to start looking for a new bike, to use for commuting across
London (about 60 miles a week) and nipping to the shops or park (ie no
touring or off-roading)

I'm intending to replace my current Marin Mill Valley road based hybrid
with a similar type of fast-ish hybrid at around the £500 - £600
mark. I want to buy from one of my LBS's so the choice of brands is:
Specialized, Trek, Ridgeback, Dawes, Giant or Marin.

Before I start looking at the actual models - what I'd be really
grateful for is some pointers on how these brands compare for this type
of bike at this kind of price point? Is one brand normally built like
a 1970's British Leyland car & another the equivalent of a superbly
engineered German car?

At any given price point (until you start getting into four figures)
Cannondales will have better frames and less good finishing kit than
other brands; in terms of cars, think Lotus. Giant have spectacular
value for money in some of their models (the Trance range, for example),
but it's a big range and other models are not so good. Claud Butler are
on the whole good value for money (particular stars are the Classic
utility bike and the Cape Wrath hardtail). Edinburgh Bike Co-op
(branches in Aberdeen, Newcastle and Leeds as well as Edinburgh)
own-brand are usually spectacular value for money. The rest of the big
brands are much of a muchness. Specialized are your sort of Ford
equivalent: reasonably well made, do everything OK, reasonable value for
money.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben... Ist
nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren
keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und
watchen das cursorblinken. -- quoted from the jargon file

in message <[email hidden]>, Paul

(') said:

"zakventis" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In message <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] writes

Quoted message said:

I'm about to start looking for a new bike, to use for commuting across
London (about 60 miles a week) and nipping to the shops or park (ie no
touring or off-roading)

I'm intending to replace my current Marin Mill Valley road based
hybrid with a similar type of fast-ish hybrid at around the £500 -
£600
mark. I want to buy from one of my LBS's so the choice of brands is:
Specialized, Trek, Ridgeback, Dawes, Giant or Marin.

I think all of them at that price point will provide you with a decent
and
durable machine. Ultimately it will be down to the one you like best.
Another you may want to consider though is this one:

http://tinyurl.com/o5h3o

Looks an absolute bargain with the components and, if you can cope with
front sus for mainly road riding, may give you what you are after.

13.7Kg!

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
"This young man has not the faintest idea how socialists think and does
not begin to understand the mentality of the party he has been elected
to lead. He is quite simply a liberal"
-- Ken Coates MEP (Lab) of Tony Blair

13.7Kg!

??

in message <[email hidden]>, Paul

(') said:

13.7Kg!

??

It's about 4Kg overweight. That's a lot.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; lovely alternative to rice.

Simon Brooke said:

At any given price point (until you start getting into four figures)
Cannondales will have better frames and less good finishing kit than
other brands; in terms of cars, think Lotus. Giant have spectacular
value for money in some of their models (the Trance range, for example),
but it's a big range and other models are not so good. Claud Butler are
on the whole good value for money (particular stars are the Classic
utility bike and the Cape Wrath hardtail). Edinburgh Bike Co-op
(branches in Aberdeen, Newcastle and Leeds as well as Edinburgh)
own-brand are usually spectacular value for money. The rest of the big
brands are much of a muchness. Specialized are your sort of Ford
equivalent: reasonably well made, do everything OK, reasonable value for
money.

Thanks - that's really useful. Am I right in thinking that Ridgeback
is something of a Ford as well - but more at the Escort scale of the
market?

Also - what are Dawes like? I know that they're British, but don't
know much about their reputation.

Regards,

Michael

I ride a Dawes Discovery 601 this year. But they are not really British --
all made in China or Taiwan

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

At any given price point (until you start getting into four figures)
Cannondales will have better frames and less good finishing kit than
other brands; in terms of cars, think Lotus. Giant have spectacular
value for money in some of their models (the Trance range, for example),
but it's a big range and other models are not so good. Claud Butler are
on the whole good value for money (particular stars are the Classic
utility bike and the Cape Wrath hardtail). Edinburgh Bike Co-op
(branches in Aberdeen, Newcastle and Leeds as well as Edinburgh)
own-brand are usually spectacular value for money. The rest of the big
brands are much of a muchness. Specialized are your sort of Ford
equivalent: reasonably well made, do everything OK, reasonable value for
money.

Thanks - that's really useful. Am I right in thinking that Ridgeback
is something of a Ford as well - but more at the Escort scale of the
market?

Also - what are Dawes like? I know that they're British, but don't
know much about their reputation.

Regards,

Michael

In article <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

At any given price point (until you start getting into four figures)
Cannondales will have better frames and less good finishing kit than
other brands; in terms of cars, think Lotus. Giant have spectacular
value for money in some of their models (the Trance range, for example),
but it's a big range and other models are not so good. Claud Butler are
on the whole good value for money (particular stars are the Classic
utility bike and the Cape Wrath hardtail). Edinburgh Bike Co-op
(branches in Aberdeen, Newcastle and Leeds as well as Edinburgh)
own-brand are usually spectacular value for money. The rest of the big
brands are much of a muchness. Specialized are your sort of Ford
equivalent: reasonably well made, do everything OK, reasonable value for
money.

Thanks - that's really useful. Am I right in thinking that Ridgeback
is something of a Ford as well - but more at the Escort scale of the
market?

Also - what are Dawes like? I know that they're British, but don't
know much about their reputation.

Are there any mass-producers of bikes left in Britain? Even Raleigh is
just a design and marketing operation for far-east products these days.

in message <[email hidden]>, Rob Morley

(') said:

In article <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Simon Brooke said:

At any given price point (until you start getting into four figures)
Cannondales will have better frames and less good finishing kit than
other brands; in terms of cars, think Lotus. Giant have spectacular
value for money in some of their models (the Trance range, for
example), but it's a big range and other models are not so good.
Claud Butler are on the whole good value for money (particular stars
are the Classic utility bike and the Cape Wrath hardtail). Edinburgh
Bike Co-op (branches in Aberdeen, Newcastle and Leeds as well as
Edinburgh) own-brand are usually spectacular value for money. The
rest of the big brands are much of a muchness. Specialized are your
sort of Ford equivalent: reasonably well made, do everything OK,
reasonable value for money.

Thanks - that's really useful. Am I right in thinking that Ridgeback
is something of a Ford as well - but more at the Escort scale of the
market?

Also - what are Dawes like? I know that they're British, but don't
know much about their reputation.

Are there any mass-producers of bikes left in Britain? Even Raleigh is
just a design and marketing operation for far-east products these days.

Dawes are I believe now made in the Czech republic; all the other
big 'British' brands are manufactured in Taiwan or China. Even
specialists like Dolan have most of their frames manufactured in Italy
and Taiwan. Orange used to manufacture in Yorkshire but I don't think
they still do. Only a few artisans still actually make frames in the UK.

However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Many Taiwan-made frames are
very good indeed.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This mind intentionally left blank ]

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Are there any mass-producers of bikes left in Britain? Even Raleigh is
just a design and marketing operation for far-east products these days.

Dawes are I believe now made in the Czech republic; all the other
big 'British' brands are manufactured in Taiwan or China. Even
specialists like Dolan have most of their frames manufactured in Italy
and Taiwan. Orange used to manufacture in Yorkshire but I don't think
they still do. Only a few artisans still actually make frames in the UK.

Didn't STW recently have an article from Orange's frame building factory in
Yorkshire? Ok, not all their frames may come from there, but I think some
still do.

And of course Brompton.

cheers,
clive