best hybrid to buy for commuting?

hamburg

Hi all ,looking for some advice on what hybrid to buy on the bike to work scheme. I have had a look in different bike shops and have picked out 4. First up a Kelly cliff 50 at 585 euro, then a Raleigh strada ts3 at 600 euro, a Scott sub cross 40 at 699euro and finally a trek ds1 at 645euro. The Kelly one was the only one I actually test rode and it was grand.I am kind of drawn to the raleigh and the Scott for the simple reason they both have disc brakes as standard,the other 2 have normal brakes. The Scotts tyres seem to be slightly more knobbly than the Raleigh but the Raleigh has a telescopic front fork that can be locked in a solid position for road use if need be. The scott just has a solid fork. The commute from house to job is about 12 km . 90%of it is tarmac back roads with a few,not many bumpy stretches, but the last km or so is across a field.I will be going to a fifth bike shop tomorrow so possibly there might be another candidate, I don't know yet. Any advice would be gratefully accepted. Thank you.

hamburg

Nobody? Where are all the guru's ?

Gerry

I'm no guru but I'll add my 2c. I don't see much point in a hybrid with solid fork - you might as well buy a cross bike. In fact if the field isn't too rough I'd suggest you try a cross bike - Unless you are really set on the flat bars. Tyres should not be the deciding factor - they are cheap and a good shop would swap them out for you if you had a preference.

hamburg

OK , this is exactly the kind of information I am looking for . thanks for your 2 cents ,gerry it is much appreciated.

iwillhtfu

I don't see much point in hybrid with any kind of front suspension generally they only tend to make a bike heavy and aren't worth ****e for the purpose intended.

If the bike is purely for commuting you'll want something that can take wider tyres,a pannier rack and disc breaks even mechanical ones are good to have.

A cross bike would be an option but not a great one if purely for a commute. A gravel bike might suit better but they may not have a pannier to suit them. Either are a great option if you're going to use it at the weekend for some light offroad river bank kind of stuff.

Of the bike you've mentioned above I wouldn't bother with any of them. The fact you're talking about suspension and knobby tyres are you sure its not a MTB you want. Knobby tyres on a commuter will only add hardship to your trip they're designed for off road use.

Something along the lines of this would be better than all of them or the more expensive 4.0 which is already kitted out and ready to go but the 8 speed hub shifter and drive belt may add extra effort. It's an unknown to me but it does look like a cool drive train

https://www.canyon.com/en-ie/urban/commuter/commuter-3.html

magicbastarder

i'd agree with iwillhtfu's comment regarding suspension - however, you say you've to ride across a field. pastureland? how bumpy is it?

hamburg

magicbastarder wrote: »

i'd agree with iwillhtfu's comment regarding suspension - however, you say you've to ride across a field. pastureland? how bumpy is it?

it is not bumpy, it is quite flat and there is a track worn into to grass from traffic. ( cars ,trucks and bikes use this shortcut)

hamburg

iwillhtfu wrote: »

I don't see much point in hybrid with any kind of front suspension generally they only tend to make a bike heavy and aren't worth ****e for the purpose intended.

If the bike is purely for commuting you'll want something that can take wider tyres,a pannier rack and disc breaks even mechanical ones are good to have.

A cross bike would be an option but not a great one if purely for a commute. A gravel bike might suit better but they may not have a pannier to suit them. Either are a great option if you're going to use it at the weekend for some light offroad river bank kind of stuff.

Of the bike you've mentioned above I wouldn't bother with any of them. The fact you're talking about suspension and knobby tyres are you sure its not a MTB you want. Knobby tyres on a commuter will only add hardship to your trip they're designed for off road use.

Something along the lines of this would be better than all of them or the more expensive 4.0 which is already kitted out and ready to go but the 8 speed hub shifter and drive belt may add extra effort. It's an unknown to me but it does look like a cool drive train

https://www.canyon.com/en-ie/urban/commuter/commuter-3.html

I dont want knobbly tyres or front shocks but these are hybrids and that's the way they come from the factory. Thanks for your advice, I will think it over.

iwillhtfu

hamburg wrote: »

I dont want knobbly tyres or front shocks but these are hybrids and that's the way they come from the factory. Thanks for your advice, I will think it over.

The one I linked is also a hybrid not all of them come with a shock and the ones that do are best avoided.

hamburg

iwillhtfu wrote: »

The one I linked is also a hybrid not all of them come with a shock and the ones that do are best avoided.

Thanks for the advice, I will sit down and ponder all the good advice I have got from the good people on here.