Originally Posted by
bassjones
What are you currently riding? Why do you want to upgrade? Your goal of 50 mile plus rides indicates you may want to consider endurance geometry drop bar road bikes instead of hybrids. There are quite a few in your price range including models made by both Giant and Specialized. Hybrids are good for short rides, but have some glaring weaknesses once those rides start stretching into 40 miles and more.
I am currently riding a Del Sol LXI 7.2. It's really a comfort bike, and I feel like I have "outgrown" it, so to speak, plus, it's a little too small for me, so I want a bike that's right for a guy my size.