Hello fellow cyclists,

I am in search for an entry level Hybrid. The budget I can afford is up to £500. Unfortunately due to the coronavirus lockdown all bike stores are closed and I cannot go ask for an advise nor can I take the bike for a quick test ride before buying.

I've done some reading and research on aspects such as "Disk VS Rim brakes" and "Rigid VS Hardtail suspension" or "Internal VS External cable routing", etc. Eventually I decided to go with rigid frame/forks and rim brakes. This is simply because of the price (both are cheaper), weight (both are lighter) and ease of maintenance of course. I am not too fussed about internal or external cable routing to be fair.

But this is as far as I can go in terms of the general approach to the build and/or mechanics of the bike. The rest is choosing the actual parts/components from different manufacturers or even different products from the same manufacturer. There are so many Derailleurs, Shifters, Chainsets, Cassettes, Cranks, Rims, Tyres, etc., etc.

I have narrowed my search down based on my budget and the preferences mentioned above as well as stock availability and home delivery options. I am left with 2 to choose from.
www.cannondale.com/en-gb/bikes/active/fitness/quick/quick-6
www.ridgeback.co.uk/bike/velocity

Could someone advise which of the 2 bikes has better parts/components and overall build quality?

Thanks in advance.

The Ridgeback has better derailleurs, 8 speed versus 7 on the Cannondale. The rest is a toss up, they are equally good.

Cannondale is well respected brand especially here in North America. Up until today I have never head of Ridgeback so I cannot comment on that brand. I know if I had to choose between those two brands, I would take the Cannondale over the Ridgeback just because I think the brand is better.

Think about it, if you ever had to sell the bike for whatever reason, which bike would sell faster? Most likely the Cannondale because Ridgeback is not a well know brand. This only based on my opinion.

Both bikes are worthy of buying so pick the one that you like the look of more. (Which is the Cannondale because that weird bend in the top tube of the Ridgeway is just plain weird).

Looks to me the Ridgeback is maybe better and half the cost. That's extra money for accessories

The Ridgeback on the site the OP listed is £479 and the Cannondale is £420. If you can find the Ridgeback at half the cost send the link to the OP.

Oops. Your right. Was more expensive Quick 1 at bottom of page 1000. Zoomed down to specs and didn't see price at top.

The Ridgeback looks to have better parts but is more exensive so that's where the extra $ are going. The Cannondale however is a better known brand though so is the "safer" choice and may have better resale. Both are going to be solid entry level city/hybrid bikes and I think your decision to avoid suspension is wise as it doesn't work very well in practice but adds complexity, weight, maintenance issues and cost. The difference between 7 or 8 speeds is not so much the extra gears which around town are not really needed but 8 (or higher) indicate better quality parts. This means they will last longer, need less servicing and after a few years will maintain their feel.
I'm not UK based but here are some other UK bike sellers whose names pop up frequently:
https://www.evanscycles.com/
https://www.wiggle.co.uk
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com

I have just been through the same process... my spec requirement was hybrid (flatbar), rigid fork and hydraulic disc brakes. I too had to purchase online without seeing or test riding my bike due Covid 19.

​​​​​​After hours of reviewing I settled on a 2020 Marin Muirwoods. I haven't picked it up yet, so can't comment on my decision, and don't know if this model is available to you.

Maybe comparing spec and price will help with your choice of bike.

saw one in a bike shop. caught my eye & immediately started to salivate after seeing the width of the tires. tuff time to shop, without seeing bikes in person, or test riding them!

there's a lot to be said for brand name recognition, especially for resale. I settled on the Trek FX line for my family. we have good availability in my area for them pre-owned. we have 4 in the family & they are reliable good bikes

happy hunting!

Thanks everyone for all your responses.

I have never heard of the Ridgebacks too, but came across this brand when started browsing online shops in the last few days. Did a quick search online and it returns some positive feedback about the brand so hopefully it's ok. Seems to be a UK based manufacturer. Not a world wide famous, but decent and respected by people who have tried it.

And to be fair I am not too concerned about the brand as I don't think I will selling the bike anyway. Even if I would - we're looking at around £400-£500 brand new bike, so 2-3 years from now it will probably be quite worthless (???). Mind you it won't be standing in the shop window display, it will be used (maybe not heavily, but still used). Somehow I have a feeling that people who are buying £50-£100 second hand bikes are not really concerned about the brand. Also a lesser known brand might be sightly safer when it comes to theft prevention. LOL.

Speaking of the costs. The Cannondale is £420 across all stores that sell it. The Ridgeback is £479, but I have found one store where they have a promotion and this bike is offered for £410 now. So provided that everyone here suggested the Ridgeback has better parts I think it makes sense for me to get it.

I agree! Op....at that price point there is little to make one bike better than the other IMO. So go with Looks & Colour.

Post back a pic when you get it.......

To be honest I don't really care too much about the looks. They are all brand new bikes and look ok to me. Or maybe I'm just getting old. LOL

Since most of you said the Ridgeback had slightly better parts I have decided to go for it. Will post some picks one it has arrived.

Thanks everyone.

If you live in a hilly area the Ridgeback is going to make climbing easier as it has a large 34 tooth cog on the rear cassette compared to a 28 on the Cannondale. How much that matters to you is based on your conditioning and the hills around you.

If you live where it's flat you'll probably never use the 34.

hey! i was wondering what you thought of the Muirwoods? I have found a bike shop that has muriwood RC with the nexus hub for sale... not sure how it rides etc.

The Ridgeback with its 8 speed cassette rear wheel is much better than the probable 7 speed freewheel rear wheel on the Cannondale. Freewheel rear wheels are prone to axles bending and breaking