Hello everyone! Long-time lurker, first-time writer. I'm here because I haven't seen a thread like this yet (although one might exist...please let me know).

I'm buying my first hybrid bike, and I'm very excited. I'm trying really hard to spend less than $500, but it's looking more and more likely I'm going to end up in the $600 range. I ride mostly in the city but want to be able to take it on smoothish trails if I need to. Complicating factor here: I'm 6'5" tall with long legs and a relatively short torso (but skinny, so I don't need to worry too much about weight in terms of number of spokes or anything like that).

I tried out 25" Trek 7.2 and 7.3 FXs today ($549 and $685 at the dealer near my house), and a 23" Fuji Absolute 3.0 (a 2011, so they were selling it for $459). I liked all three bikes OK, although I noticed a pretty big difference in maneuverability/sensitivity between the 7.2 and 7.3, and the Fuji was a bit too small. Had to put the seat way up, which made me feel a bit hunched over (handlebars go up too, so that is a potential solution). In general, I liked the Treks better than the Fuji...I liked the slightly wider wheels especially. The Fuji got a bit jittery on rougher ground.

Advice time...what companies make larger sizes, and what 23" bikes will feel like they are a little bigger? The Trek is the only hybrid I've seen that makes a 25" (which I would prefer) but I'm sure there are more out there. I've been looking at the Diamondback Insight 2 23" as well, but I haven't gotten out to the dealer to ride it yet.

Thanks in advance for the help!

At your height you should be looking at a 25" for a hybrid. A 23" is more towards 6'2-6'4". The Fuji has thinner tires (28mm) and is a smaller frame, so that's may be the reason why you felt that way when riding on it.

If you liked the Trek FX 7.3, you should check out the Giant Escape1.

Not many brands makes bikes larger than a 23" frame. I checked out almost every brand. From Fuji, Cannondale, Giant, Raleigh, Specialized and Jamis.

Not many brands makes bikes larger than a 23" frame. I checked out almost every brand. From Fuji, Cannondale, Giant, Specialized, Raleigh and Jamis. I say just get a 25" Trek. You can't go wrong with it.

Don't even think about a 23" bike. You're a 25 incher for sure...Go with the Trek FX series! Extra tall people are hard to fit. Once they find something comfortable, they should stick with it.

You can always upgrade later...

PS.

Perhaps one day you can graduate to a Surly Long Haul Trucker. They make those in size 64cm, just for people like you!

Im 6'7" and getting my first bike after many years: there were v few big enough for me. BUT a Norco 23" frame seems as big as a Trek 25" frame. I went Norco in the end

At your size, a 25 will almost be mandatory, and the 7.3 is the best choice in my opinion. Always buy as much bike as you can afford, as the difference is sometimes truly amazing.