hybridbkrdr

I was lazy about doing this review for months but I decided to do this in a bit of a rush to get it done. So at this point, I did not include any pictures. However, I'm not done on the details on these bikes yet anyway (like cutting the fender rods because SKS didn't have 650b specific Bluemels fenders). As a side note Canadian Tire bought the rights to names like Raleigh, Redline and Diamondback inside Canada.
I also wanted to add that I thought I only wanted to buy the Raleigh Knox at first but when I couldn't find a solution I liked to install a front rack I sort of "panick-bought" the Linus Rover after I saw it was 47% off.

MODIFICATIONS
I'm going to start with the modifications. For the Raleigh Knox I changed to a silver double bolt seatpost clamp (34.9mm) I found on Aliexpress (to remove the quick-release clamp). I added silver SKS 69mm Bluemels fenders, black BBB Cycling skewers (Allen-key to remove the quick release), silver Racktime Addit rear rack and changed to black XLC 640mm handlebars with 30mm rise (31.8mm clamp) from Bike24 (the fenders on that site were marked 28 inch). I also added a silver Sunlite bottle cage and Portland Design Works fender disc adapter for the front fender from ModernBike (weird looking site but it worked). Later on I'd like to change to plastic pedals and add a red Busch & Muller reflector for the rear rack from Rosebikes. And I added a black Cateye bell I already had.
Although I live in Canada I don't mind ordering from Germany (Bike24, Rosebikes), the US (Modernbike) or China (Aliexpress) to get what I want.
For the Linus Rover 9 I took a silver double bolt seatpost clamp from my CCM Sutherland (and installed the Linus clamp on the CCM). I added silver SKS 65mm Bluemels fenders and a black RFR (Ready for Race) rear kickstand (size KSA 18) from Bike24. I could have chosen silver for the rear kickstand but that's what I ended up with because of price/choice. I installed it outside the frame although I don't know if it would have been better to install it in the inside. I added a silver Sunlite bottle cage from ModernBike. I think the silver Sunlite Goldtech HD Tourer rear rack and silver Sunlite allen-key skewers came from Niagaracycle when it was still online. The front Soma Fabrications Lucas Mini front rack came from Bikewagon (they're now on eBay). (I wish the front support rods on the Soma rack would be the same width as the rear ones so the bags wouldn't hit the front wheel when loaded with groceries. I want to bolt on some plastic kitchen cutting boards to stop them from hitting the wheel.) And the two Everyday double bags I permanently bolted to the racks came from Canadian Tire (they now have Raleigh bags). The Linus has the front rack eyelets close to the front hub compatible with my Soma rack. Later I'd like to install a Cateye bell.
I believe I chose the correct width for the fenders for both bikes. My position was pretty upright on the Linus Rover while the Raleigh Knox has a slightly forward leaning position.

RALEIGH KNOX GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The frame has rear rack eyelets but the front fork don't have any either near the wheel hub nor in the middle of the fork. I tried to find front rack adapters but the forks legs are so large I don't think any would fit. The rear of the frame is designed so the brake goes inside the frame so installing a rear rack and fender is easy. I measured front and rear and my best guess is the bike might have clearance for 2.8" tires with fenders (like the SKS 75U) or 3" tires without fenders. For a sleeker look, I would have chosen a frameset to have clearance for 2.4" slick tires with fenders and no more than 46cm for the chainstay. The chainstay is 47.5cm. A rear kickstand came with the Raleigh and the standard for the frame looks to be KSA 40.
The disc brakes are mechanical but this is good enough for me since I don't know how to bleed hydraulic brakes. But I had to wear the discs a bit before they started to grip more (pumping the brake levers many times while going downhill). I think they should have sourced a thinner front brake though to make it easier to install a front fender without using an adapter.
In the cockpit it has a threadless headset and 4 bolt 60mm stem with a 31.8mm clamp. The 700mm bars that came on the bike had Raleigh comfort grips and two-finger metal brake levers. The brake levers are good, only slightly inferior to Shimano. It also has an 8 speed Microshift shifter. I like it although I stlightly prefer the Shimano Rapidfire action. I don't always understand the idea of having glossy black headset spacers and matte black stems and bars though. At 5 foot 8 inches, I found I was more comfortable with the XLC bars I installed. I tried to get the angle pretty straight up but slightly towards me for better comfort.
The saddle is gel and comfortable although it kind has a curved shape to accomodate your nuts. This seems like a comfortable idea though I'd slightly prefer a flatter style saddle so I don't have the impression I want move backwards and forwards from time to time to find the right position. The seatpost is the standard one bolt adjustable angle type.
The Prowheel 38T crankset has a double metal chainguards which I find really cool. It also has a sealed bearing cartridge bottom bracket. It also has a Microshift Mezzo rear derailleur and 11 to 34T rear 8 speed cassette. It has metal pedals although I prefer plastic.
The wheels have black spokes and silver nipples. I measured the Lepper tires at 55mm (or 2.16") even though they're advertised as 2.4". I found the 55mm tires awesome at rolling over dirt roads, cracked roads, grass and even hitting train tracks without fear.
ASSEMBLY
I wish Canadian Tire would encourage their mechanics to use torque wrenches because I had the impression my bike was assembled by Brutus or Hercules. Working on the bike was a bit of a challenge even though I work out and am strong enough.

LINUS ROVER 9 GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Linus has rear rack eyelets on the frame and front rack eyelets on the fork near the hub. The frame also takes brakes on the inside. The chainstay is 43cm. I find the curved top tube pretty cool. I suspect you can't install tires larger than 2 inches (or 51mm) with fenders.
The brakes and rotors are Tektro hydraulic (mineral oil). The brakes are silent and powerful. I don't know how to bleed hydraulic brakes so that's my only concern. The front brake is slim enough to keep out of the way of the fender rods.
The silver 600mm handlebars have a significant sweepback. I wondered at first whether I was going to keep them until I realized just how much control I have over the bike when loaded with groceries (on both racks). The corks grips are a bit large for my taste. I understand people could go for that for the isolation from vibrations but I would have been happy with the cheapest RFR (Ready for Race) kraton rubber grips on Bike24. The Tektro brake levers feel like mechanical levers (which is good). The only thing is I desperately wish they were two finger levers. They look and feel like 3 finger levers. The silver stem is two bolts and 90mm (medium sized model). I think four bolt stems are easier to adjust (once you lightly grease the bars). It has a Microshift nine speed shifter even though like I said I prefer the Shimano Rapidfire action.
The saddle is large but very comfortable and doesn't get in the way of pedaling. The silver seatpost is also the regular one bolt adjustable angle type.
The Prowheel crankset has 44 teeth and a metal chainguard. There's a plastic thing on the frame that stops the chain from dropping. It also has a sealed bearing cartridge bottom bracket. The rear derailleur is a Microshift Marvolt and 9 speed 11 to 34T cassette. The pedals again are metal although I prefer plastic.
The wheels have silver spokes and nipples. I measured the outside width of the rims at 25mm so 51mm tires (2 inches) is probably the maximum safe tire size. I measured the Kenda K1082 tires at 44mm at 30 PSI. I found they were comfortable enough to do grocery shopping with although they lack the sheer cushioning ability of the 55mm tires on the Raleigh. So I think 2 inch (51mm) tires would be a cushier option.
I'm still not decided on whether I should remove the middle kickstand. Since the frame was made to install one in the rear, I really don't know why they installed a middle one. This is partly because I find rear kickstands way more stable with groceries on the bike and also because the kickstand that came with the bike seems to have been made for 700c bikes. In other words, it keeps the bike too upright.
ASSEMBLY
Since it's been a few months all I remember is I had to install the front wheel and seatpost (with saddle), adjust the front brake and slide the stem back to front. It was pretty straitforward and simple (for me). I put 30 PSI in the tires.

ADDITIONAL NOTES
The Raleigh could have designed the bike with an 80mm stem to give people more flexibility in riding position (like the ability to choose 60 or 70mm).
As far as gearing goes, I wish both bikes would have had a 36T crankset and 11 to 36T cassette. If you're going nine speed though I find the Microshift and Sunrace models are preferable to the Shimano because the easier cogs have smaller differences between them.
When it comes to internal/external cabling, the Linus has external cabling so it's easier to work with. The Raleigh has internal cabling although the hole beneath the frame is large enough to make it easy enough to work with.
For frame materials, the Raleigh has an aluminum frame & fork which I find cool but also rare for a department store bike. The Linus has an aluminum frame and steel fork. The steel fork on a bike with a 9 speed cassette and hydraulic disc brakes seems like an odd fit. It could have been cooler with an aluminum fork.
The fact the Raleigh Knox has an 8 speed cassette is significant because it means if you want to switch to a 9 speed cassette, you don't have to change the rear wheel.
I suspect one of the chainguards on the Raleigh is slightly rubbing on the chain in the largest cog. I noticed the outside chainguard is smaller than the inside one. I thought of switching them but haven't done so yet.
I'm tempted to install 2.4" tires on the Raleigh because one Youtuber tourist said that size tire can help with floatation on sand. The outside rim width is 30mm so it might be safe, but 33mm would be safer.
I would have been desperate to see a brighter color on the Raleigh, either something like more pale metallic green or neon orange (same color frame & fork).
I suspect the bottom bracket height for the Raleigh Knox is adequate to avoid hitting the pedals on the ground while turning and pedaling. However, I think the Linus Rover might come close. This is one of the reasons why I think the Linus should have 2" tires. The Linus also seems a bit "short" while walking with it. Two inch tires could help to solve that.
Silver spokes on the Raleigh might have been cooler because they don't rub like painted spokes (although it's possible for unpainted spokes to rust).
I prefer 36 spoke wheels because I can put weight on the racks. Both bikes have 32 spoke wheels.
Maybe I had too much fun bouncing on the Linus saddle because at one point I noticed one of the bolts underneath was too far down. I tried to tighten it but noticed the bolt was moving as tried to turn the nut. I don't need a replacement because it seems fine anyway.
The only hybrids I've found that have the same kind of clearance as the Raleigh is the Breezer Midtown and Surly Bridge Club. The State Bicycle 4130 All-Road frameset might take 27.5x2.3" though.
I used two bolt seatpost clamps on both bikes because they're easier to adjust once you grease the seatposts lightly.
I wouldn't go larger than 660mm for the bars.
I'm not a fan of the black fork fad.
EDIT: I would prefer to see rack eyelets in the middle of the front fork for the Raleigh Knox to install a Racktime Topit front rack.

CONCLUSION
Despite the remarks I made, I think both are great bikes. The Linus is like a fun, laid-back Peewee Herman bike and the Raleigh is fun Mad Max aggressive type of bike.