I'm looking for a bike that would be suitable for a 10+ mile commute in London but wasn't sure what peoples thoughts were on hybrids versus road bikes for the start stop of a city and needing to manoeuvre but don't want to have to sacrifice too much time.

Happy to spend a fair bit thanks to the cycle to work scheme and planning to keep the bike for a while. Been looking at the Specialized Sirrus Pro 09 due it being light and quick and also comes in an xxl since I'm 6'5. But wasn't sure if I'm spending that amount of money would I be better off getting a good road bike instead? Any suggestions even if its to tell me I'm looking at completely the wrong thing would be good. Thanks!

Get a cyclocross bike. It has many of the benefits of a road bike, and can also handle some off road or bad pavement riding without a problem. I wish I would have known about this style of bike before I bought my hybrid, but live and learn.

any of the three will do. cyclocross is in between road bike and hybrid. There is very good bikes in all three categories.

Some things to consider:

Do you want braze-ons for racks?

How upright or not upright do you want to be?

Do you want to be able to ride this bike for reasons other than commuting/utility style riding?

Cyclocross bike, but make sure it has mounting provisions for rack and mudguards. The bars are also narrow enough for riding between stopped cars. If you get a straight bar bike you can cut down the bars a bit, and bar ends set low will give a position similar to the hoods of drop bars, which is useful in head winds.

Road

Depends on how much road debris you will be riding through too. It was one of the reasons I went with a hybrid, little more stability, I felt.

Mostly, it depends on how you are going to ride. If you are primarily going to use it to commute, then I would just make sure to get one that has eyelets for luggage racks and/or panniers. If you like riding on the dirt during the weekends, then I would get a mountain or cyclocross bike. If you like riding on the road, then I would get a touring or road bike.

If you want a bike that can do everything, then I would either get a mountain bike (can put slick tires on it for commuting, and switch them out), or a cyclocross bike. If you see yourself doing longer road rides to get into shape, then get a road bike. I like those a lot more than what most of hybrid bikes these days.

Most people that I know that get a hybrid bike, and ride a lot, end up getting another bike that better suits their needs later. Same goes for most people that start out with flashy cruiser, or single-speed bikes. Those bikes are all great, but you are pretty limited later on, especially if you want to ride with other people or groups for fun.

I used a old road bike for 2 years and just changed to a Kona Dew with a bit wider tires. Much better ride on the thousand or so pot holes I hit each day. Much more comfortable.

My two cents worth: ride several models in road, hybrid, cyclocross, even touring styles and see how you like each, keeping in mind what your riding style (not to mention your route) is like. Look for mounts for fenders (for those rainy days) and a rear rack (although you can fudge that with P-clamps).

FWIW, Kona has a new model out called the Dew Drop that looks promising; sort of a cross between the Jake and the Dew.

Good luck.

For a 10mile London commute most styles of bike can be made to work so think about practicality, alternate uses and security.
In my opinion, rack and mudgaurd/fender eyelets are a deal-breaker. If you have them, you dont have to make use of them but if your bike lacks them you will have to use hack solutions that are heavier and less effective. Make sure that the eyelets are usable and dont interfere with any other bits esp disc brakes.
Think about the required tyre clearance. You need at least a 28mm tyre for London in winter and 32 may be better for big riders.
Will you use the bike for anything else apart from commuting/utility, eg weekend off-roading, fast sportif road rides, loaded touring holidays? I used to have a doitall commuter bike but now I have a dedicated one with a separate play bike.
Security: flash brandname bikes are thief magnets. Old road bikes fully rigged with rack and fenders seem to be less attractive.

My own commuter solution is a hub gear/disc brake (Shimano Alfine) flat-bar bike, it is low maintenance, easy and clean to use.

If derailleur gears are your thing then a flar bar road bike such as the Sirrus or a practical cyclo-cross (with eyelets) are pretty good.

In city traffic,you're going to be stopping alot,so all the hand positions of drops are moot. Pretty much all hybrids(with the possible exception of a couple high end flat bar road models) will take a good range of tire sizes,full fenders,and a rear rack. For English weather,you might also want to consider disc brakes. Lots of options nowadays for fenders and racks with discs.

The Sirrius Pro is a pretty cool bike. I don't think you do it justice by calling it a hybrid. People hear "hybrid" and they think "low-end mountain bike with 700c wheels and cheap components". The Sirrius Pro might better be described as a flat bar road bike.

It may, however, be a thief magnet.

I commute on a road bike and a hybrid. Given my experience with these two bikes my next commuter will be either a cyclocross or touring bike.

I had the same decision 2 weeks ago. I wanted something faster then my mountain bike. So it was either a road bike or a hybrid. I went with a hybrid reason being I still want to go in back alleys and a light trail and not worry about flats. I got the 08 trek 7.3 fx.

So far, its been a dream to ride. Its worlds faster then my mountain bike and the gearing was much better. I was surprised how efficient it was. I had more energy and could ride longer compared to the mountain bike. I looked at the reviews of the 7.3 fx before I bought and had solid reviews.

I am another happy trek owner and will be considering a trek road bike in future for long distance cycling. As for commuting the trek 7.3 fx handles the job really well.

For me I wanted a bike with options, and I felt that the flat bar road / hybrid / city speed was the way to go. Since I am in Spain, I ended up going with the Orbea Aneto, but seriously considered the Felt Speed 30, Trek 7.6 fx, Specialized Sirrus, Giant FCR 1, and the Jamis Coda Elite.

I basically wanted the stability of a mountain bike with the speed of a road bike; while its not perfect at either, it gets pretty close. Plus, it has the eyelets for mounting panniers, and room for wider tires to at least 38mm. I also like the strength of the V brakes, but it has the mounts for disks if I decide to change over.

It is more rigid since it is aluminum, so I do miss a little of the comfort of steel or mountain, but it is much lighter and thus easier to keep at speed for longer distances.

Makes no difference. You can setup a hybrid to be mostly road-bike like, and you can set up a sport touring or touring road bike much like a hybrid. It's up to you, how you want to ride, how far, how long... and basically just whatever works for you. Generally, anything works for a 10 mile ride. I'm a road bike guy, but I do think a good "hybrid" (whatever the heck that means) is probably the most versatile bike for general commuting if you aren't already into road bikes. Just stay away from the Madone and Cervelo type of road bikes. But if you have the cash, you already have some superb more traditional-type road and brevet bikes in England. For a tough and durable, relatively inexpensive "road bike" today, get a plain steel-framed, no suspension hybrid and put drop handlebars on it. That will do 100% of what a mega-buck niche-builder steel randonneuse or touring bike will do.

I agree with all of the advice already posted about riding style, etc.

If I had to do it again or had the money to buy a new bike, I'd get a touring bike for the following reasons:

1) Many tire options (road, commuter, etc)
2) Fender/rack mounts
3) Don't want to mess with disc brakes commonly found on most cyclocross bikes, rather have cantilever

You can find different stems to fit your riding position if you want to ride upright and then want to switch to a lower position later, but with a hybrid it's going to be harder to get a low, road style position.

If you can, try bike combinations with the bag outfit you want to use for commuting. The fit and positioning and balance of the bags on the bike can make a big difference on a daily commute. I ride 13 miles each way on an old "stiffy" mtb with slick tires. Kind of like what Andy_K described, so a mtb leaning towards a hybrid. It has good gears for the two moderate hills I take every trip but the flat bars are limiting in traffic. I have pleanty of road bikes, so sharing duties on one bike is no concern, but I do like the bigger mtb wheels and tires for the rough roads and baggage weight. Try some different combos and judge for yourself.

Jim

I'd say, as a beginner, it really wont matter all that much. In your second year as a commuter you will probably be wanting a new bike no mater what you started with, and know better what you want when you get there. You develope too much as a rider for what is "good" now and "good" later to be comparable. My advice is to shop for a year or two old bike and ride it... a lot.

My opinion is a flat bar road bike.

I've used a hybrid, but felt it had too much resistance on the road. While stepping up to a road bike it was much better, and I love the drop bar. Just feels great on the road, low resistance, both wind ánd asphalt. However, if I were to commute IN a city, I would be using a flat bar. It's just more comfortable I guess, and should be easier to brake (I think, comparing a road bike to a hybrid). As well, you will be just slightly more upright, giving you just a bit better overview.

after having both a hybrid and a road bike, i say road bike. i got one which had braze ons as i like to use a rack. it is much faster than the hybrid - however i am now thinking for my next bike i am going to get a road bike / cyclocross with disc brakes - my hybrid has discs and i really notice the difference in power in the rain.

also i love drop bars now - much better than flat bars in the wind.

Road

I use a mountain bike in Derby. The most important thing for me was having puncture proof tyres. I used Specialized nobblies with slime filled tubes. Average about a puncture a year.

I have two bikes that I use on a regular basis for an urban/semi-rural route, 9 miles each way, with a couple of fairly gentle hills in between. One is a Globe city bike, with 700C wheels and wide tyres, mudguards, very much a hybrid geometry. The other is a Surly Cross-Check 'cross bike, built up "stock" as Surly's "complete bike" offer. I added a rear rack, lights, and swapped out for a Brooks saddle.

The one I find most comfortable and useful is the Cross-Check... and I use the Globe primarily in wet sloppy weather (mostly because I haven't gotten around to adding mudguards on the Surly just yet). Both are excellent bikes, quick and easy to accelerate from the stop at traffic signals, easy to see and maneuver in traffic, and very stable under load. The Surly may be a pound or so lighter, but it doesn't make that much difference when I strap on the rack trunk and Kryptonite lock...

I would strongly recommend the Cross-Check as a good all-around city bike. Steel is indeed real.