benjarno

Hi All, I've been given £500 worth of evans vouchers as a gift...but I can add upto another £150 towards my first hybrid bike that I will mostly use to commute to work.
So given that I've got around £650 quid to play with...any recommendations would be very useful as I dont know much about Hybrid bikes, and all the reviews I've read seem to be conflicting.
I've been looking at the following :
Cube Hyde 2020 Hybrid



Trek Dual Sport 3 2020 Hybrid Bike



Cannondale Quick CX 3 2020 Hybrid Bike



Specialized Crosstrail Hydro Disc 2020 Hybrid Bike



Specialized Sirrus Disc 2020 Hybrid Bike


Any advice would be greatly received.Cheers everyone.

hokiefyd 

Welcome! Bike reviews are not worth much in my opinion. Unlike with motor vehicles, parts and components on bikes are commodity items, and you'll find the same parts on all bike brands. With few exceptions, nobody actually makes their own parts -- everything is purchased in vast quantities and bolted on at the factory. Also, most bike manufacturers don't actually make their own frames, either. Giant and Merida are two of the more prolific frame makers, and I understand many or most of Trek's frames are made by Giant and Merida owns some of the Specialized brand, and makes their frames. I'm not sure about Cannondale, but I don't think they make their own frames, at least not the aluminum hybrid frames like on the Quick or Quick CX.

Bike satisfaction is all about fitting the type of bike to its use and fitting the size of the bike to its rider. Other important factors are the quality of the bike shop or dealer, and things like bike color (don't buy a bike in a color you don't like).

Regarding the bikes you're considering, you really have two genres listed: dual-sport type bikes (Trek DS, C'dale Quick CX, and Specialized Crosstrail) and fitness type bikes (Cube Hyde and Specialized Sirrus). Every brand has a model in each of those genres; for example, Trek's FX and C'dale's Quick are analogous to the Sirrus and Hyde. If you're looking at the Sirrus and Hyde, consider also the FX and Quick. If you have a Giant dealer nearby, the Roam is their dual-sport bike and the Escape is their fitness bike. Cube also have dual-sport type bikes, like the Cross model, and possibly others.

The best advice I can give you is to look at the following factors, all of which will require a visit to the store and test riding:

1. Bike fit. The bike has to be comfortable to you and the ride has to be comfortable to you. Not as in "plush", necessarily, but some bikes' geometry just feels "weird" to some people. Ride the bike -- does it feel like a natural extension of your body? Do you feel like to have to push it or move it around, or does it just "flow" with you and go where you want it? It sounds silly, but bikes absolutely ride differently, and only you can decide what you like and don't like.
2. Bike style. Don't buy a bike in a color you don't like. You'll enjoy the bike and ride the bike more if you like how it looks. If you hate yellow, don't buy a yellow bike just because it's on sale or the sales person says it's the best thing, etc. Start with your favorite color and go from there.
3. Bike dealer. If all the brands you listed above are sold at the same dealer, then this may not be as important, but if you have a choice of dealers, and some dealers sell some brands but not others, get a feel for how the dealer is treating you. Some dealers offer service after the sale (free maintenance, free flat repairs, etc.) and this may have value to you. Is the dealer friendly and approachable? Are they pushy or aloof? Depending on how much time you will spend there for maintenance and/or parts like helmets, racks, etc., this can play a big role in how happy you are with your purchase.

Again, just get out there and ride some bikes. Don't read too much into online reviews. And let us know what you buy!

benjarno

Wow thanks so much for the extensive detailed advice...I appreciate it a lot and has helped me and got me thinking.

Cheers again.

themp

Looked at them all, and I liked the Trek Dual Sport 3 2020 Hybrid Bike.

1.) The Quicksilver color looks very nice.
2.) The internal cabling makes it look clean.
3.) I like just two front chain rings. Adjustment is easier and less finicky, in my opinion.
4.) The crank looks nice.
5.) The Cube is a totally different type of bicycle, no experience with an IGH. Changing rear flats can be a hassle, I have heard.
6.) 700x40c tires are nice. You said just commuting, but this size would let you do gravel trails.

TakingMyTime

You can probably pickup a discounted 2019 model of almost any of those bikes for hundreds less. Those manufacturers are trying to get rid of last years models right now.