First post here: My bike (trek 4300) that I used for getting around campus was recently stolen so I've been looking into new bikes. I have never really had any experience with hybrid bikes and such, but somebody suggested it to me. I ride my bike around campus ALL the time, ride trails sometimes, and plan on commuting to work on it (roads). Would a hybrid be a good idea for me? Somebody also said I could just put on mountain bike tires if I was going to end up doing more advanced trail stuff.

Also, can anybody give advice on decent brands/models in the $400-600 range? I'm only really used to Trek and Specialized bikes, but I'm open to anything.. is GT any good?

Thanks!

by the way, the GT I was wondering about is the Transeo model. Anybody?

All LBS store brands are of similar quality, especially in that price range. Its more about finding what you want with the right mix of components and that fits you.

There are hybrids that are just MTB's with slick tires, and there are hybrids that are more like road bikes with flat bars. The GT Transeo series is the former, the GT Legato series is the latter. A more road-bikish hybrid will be faster on pavement, if speed is an issue. It will be ok for mild off-roading too. If you put knobbies on a Transeo, you'd have a MTB, more or less, and could do trails, but it will be sluggish on pavement.

Realize, a hybrid is a jack-of-all trades, master of none. You just need to honestly evaluate whether you will actually ever get around to doing "advanced trails" and how important that is to you.

There's your answer.

1. Get a POS bike for riding around campus. That way you won't feel so bad every time it gets stolen.
2. Buy yourself a real mountain bike for more technical riding. Keep it in a secure place when you're not riding it.

The last time I was at a college campus, the bike racks had bikes that mostly didn't cost over $50 or so. I think that's the answer to the theft problem. That and a lock.

unfortunately my bike was actually stolen out of a normally locked and gated parking garage, with a cable lock on it.

I plan on using both a U lock and cable lock on whatever I buy from now on though. I figure somebody is less likely to steal a bike with 2 locks when one with 1 lock is right next to it.

If I decided to go with a new bike... does $399 for a new GT transeo 3.0 from performance sound like a decent deal? there's also an ok mongoose crossway 450 with disc brakes for the same price. I think I felt a little more comfortable on the mongoose, but I don't think I like entry disc brakes... anybody have thoughts here?