Best hybrid to buy?

[FrancisJago]

Hi there, new member here.

My wife and I just had a great holiday where we hired bikes and put our children in a child seat on the back (one aged five, one two), which they loved.

Now back home in London, we want to buy tow bikes with seats on the back to carry on cycling. I would then like to be able to remove the seat and use the bike for my 5 mile communte to work.

Can anyone here make any recommendations as to the best bikes/seats? My wife's bike will be used much less than mine. Budget-wise we have no real preconceptions, but I guess around £1,000 ($1,600) all in would be a sort of limit, if that makes sense?

All thoughts and recommendations gratefully received.

Thanks, Francis

[Bigmark]

I just purchased a Gary Fisher Tiburon, and a friend just purchased a Trek 7300 this spring. I ride mine as often as work and house chores allows, and I love it. Solid, shifts smooth, and the upright position helps a lot with my back. The GF and the Trek are almost identical bikes, with the Trek having a twist shift. I did not like that, but other than that it would be a wash. My main reason for the Gary Fisher choice was the price. Between the two, the GF was $100.00 less. I walked out of the bike shop with the bike, a new helmet, and a Trek something cyclometer and 2 24 oz water bottles for $412.00. I did add a tool pouch, toe clips, and a light with standoff, and a small emergency pump. You can check it out on my cycling page at
My Cycling Pages (http://users.zoominternet.net/~meisenbraun/cycling.htm)

I hope this helps.
Mark

[MichaelW]

First find a good, local bike shop then look at their brands. Most brands are fairly comparable in the low-mid price range.
In the flat-bar/hybrid category, some are lighter and faster than others. The Specialized Sirrus is an example of a speedier style, popular with London commuters. There are UK brands such as Ridgeback, Dawes, Sarecan.
Evanc Cycles has a good selection:
http://www.evanscycles.com/dept.jsp?dept_id=1032&subdept_id=3106

Budget for luggage rack, fenders, toe clips, helmet, puncture repair kit and a good lock. If you dont already have one, some lightweight, bright windproof and waterproof tops.
The London Cycling Campaign has some useful info and the forum at www.cyclingplus.co.uk has good local information.