Hybrid Bikes

Advantages: Lightweight, sturdy, stylish and very versatile
Disadvantages: Expensive

...We decided on the Marin San Raphael at a cost of £425 from the North East dealer in Gateshead for Marin. With it being a joint purchase we had to buy a bike that was suitable for both of us. The San Raphael is classed as a hybrid touring bike and a unisex model; however, I do believe it’s more of a male bike with the high crossbar. I have always preferred the more sturdy looking bikes anyway compared to the ‘ladies’ models. The Marin name is well ...
...to customize your brakes the Marin standard brake system was perfectly adequate when I used them. To be honest I don't know why it took me so long to get back into cycling, I think had I bought a more inferior bike then the experience wouldn't have been as pleasurable and I may have given up. As it happens my car is gathering dust and I am seriously considering getting shot of it when the tax is due to cycle exclusively. At work I am constantly ... Read review

Advantages: It has two wheels
Disadvantages: It gets muddy, it's not a car

...My bike is a Dawes Discovery 201 which I've owned for 6 months, it cost £199 when I bought it in August. I don't think you can buy them from Halfords (may be wrong!), perhaps try an independent bike dealer. According to the waffly Dawes pamphlet I got with the bike, it is handbuilt - "we simply do not mass produce bicycles, we handbuild them to the very highest quality standard". The bike does seem pretty well made and I haven't had any problems ...
...has a red seat. Dawes provide a maintenance manual so you know exactly what to do should anything go wrong, and also how best to care for your bike. The components have a 1 year guarantee and the frame 3 years. The Discovery 201 is a hybrid bike, which is like a cross between a mountain bike and a racer. It looks pretty much identical to a mountain bike but has thinner wheels, creating less friction and making cycling on roads easier (in theory!). ... Read review

Advantages: speed, style, comfort
Disadvantages: tedious to remove chain guard

...I really wanted. The Raleigh Pioneer 160 was the first bike I've ever owned that almost perfectly matches my requirements. The only modifications I've needed to make are the addition of: wheel reflectors, a large bell, bar ends, a bungee cord, and dynamo lights. Further testament to the desirability of this bike can be had from the thief who stole my first one from my own back yard and had to haul it over high walls and a roof. In fact, it ...
...with the same model, someone tried to steal that one too. This bike is fast and comfortable. The large alloy wheels (700c) combined with the 21 gears of the 48/38/28T chainset and 14-28T freewheel provide all the gears you want right up to high cruising speeds where only racers overtake me. Stopping is not a problem with the powerful v-brakes and comfortable rubber coated aluminium levers. The front forks have SR Suntour suspension, and ... Read review

Advantages: Good quality components, well built.
Disadvantages: Rather heavy, front suspension.

Not a bad bike at all, but it's failing is that it can't make up it's mind if it's one thing or the other. It's set up to be a light use MTB / rough towpath bike with semi-knobbly tyres, front suspension and a bouncy seatpost. As a MTB, it's too frail, as a city commuter it's too heavy and bouncy. It's ideal use would be taking the kids for Sunday rides around forestry trails. Using mine for a 10 mile hilly commute, mainly on cycle paths, I felt ...
...poor Tioga tyres. I changed the tyres to semi-slicks which helped, and swapped the seat post to a solid one to which let me put the power down better. The front suspension still made the bike far heavier than it needed to be (36 lb including a rack) and the suspension saps your effort when pedalling hard. Along the flat this wan't too much of a problem, but on the hilly bits of my commute the effort involved in climbing was excessive. On the plus ... Read review

Advantages: LOOKS CLASS, CANT HURT YOUR **** IF YOU SLIP
Disadvantages: NOTHING TOTALLY BRILL

I have been looking for a way in which to get fit but wanted to make it fun and something that i would enjoy and have the motivation to do! I thoguht about joining a gym or going jogging but decided that buying a bike to ride to work on would be a great idea. I am into the whole retro scene and the fact that the chopper was being re issued was a twist of fate!! I decided to buy one and see how i got on, to my disgust i got home a d my dad told ...
...70's just a few years ago and that if he had known i could of had it. Anyway i settled for my 'new' chopper and went out for a ride. The brilliant thing about it is that you wont see anybody else riding around on one because i think most people would be embaressed. When i ride to work i get a mixed reaction from people laughing at me to people actually stopping me in the street and telling me about them having a chopper when they were younger!! ... Read review