Hi all,

I am new to this forum so thank you in advance for any help and support you may provide, it's good to know there are people out there who are willing to share their knowledge and experience.

I am in the market for my first hybrid. I want to use it for canal path's, light off road and paved street. The furthest I am likely to travel in a day is around 20 miles. I was frustrated at the lack of speed with my old MTB so want to go a bit faster but it still needs to be sturdy enough to cope with my frame, I am 6 foot 1 inches tall and weigh 19 stone. My budget for said bike is £800 - £900 and I'm looking to get as much bike for my money that will suit my needs. I short listed a couple of bikes and would like your feedback, I am also open to other suggestions. I confess to not knowing much about the components so any insight as to best quality would also be appreciated.

Scott Sportster 10
(I have not ridden this bike yet but it looks good on paper and has a nice livery)

Crosstrail Elite/Comp 2014
(I spent 10 minutes on this bike and thought it was ok, I was disappointed to hear it had spring suspension considering the cost.)

WHYTE CALEDONIAN 2014
(This felt more comfortable than the crosstrail. The hand grips were perfect and it had a nice turn of speed with the gears. The frame is slightly heavier than the crosstrail although I found it hard to tell lifting the bikes. The other issue is I have never heard of this make before was wasn't sure if it's recommended)

Any feedback / thoughts from more experienced riders would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Rookie69 (UK rider)

I'm envious of you UK riders having Boardman bikes. I'd be trying something in their line if it were me.

Hi There,

Why not "hybridize" your mtb. That's what I did.

Fitted rigid steel forks and slicks, ergo grips, flat pedals and bar ends, cost me approx £130 or so.

You can also fit 29er wheels to mtb's but then you start spending.

What mtb is it?

Beic

ha that'a a good idea but I gave the MTB to my brother. It was a claud butler but I never really enjoyed that bike like I did my others in the past. I did do the London to Brighton cycle ride (56 miles) and due to my general unfitness struggled to walk for three days... :-)

things are easier to explain if you are in the room and can take a test ride.

I am new too riding also. I bought a Scott metrix 20 and love it but my opinion is don't buy anything before you ride it first.

Hey, I ordered the Scott Sportster 10 in the end. It has better gears than the crosstrail series and has remote fork lockout. It's also slightly more tailored for touring / comfort which is what I wanted. Thanks to all for your suggestions.