Hi all!!
I currently ride a carrera subway for my commuter bike and I hate it. It has 26 inch wheels and big draggy tyres and it just feels horrendous to ride to be honest so it’s got to go!!

My current commute distance is 3 miles and when I moved next year that will go up to 7 miles each way so I am looking at getting a better bike!!

I can’t decide what would be best out of a hybrid or a road Bike though!!

Ideally I would like to fit full guards and a rack on the back and I’m not sure if you can do this on a road bike.

I have a budget of £300 to £450 and don’t mind secondhand either.

I am 6 foot 2 and weigh 110 kgs my aim is to try and lose 20kgs this year.

What do you think would be best and what sort of sizes should I be looking at??

Thanks

Steve

For practicality i would suggest something like a Boardman performance hybrid. Flat barred road bike if you will, that has disc brakes for wet weather performance and will take full length guards. Also has pannier mounts.
Specialised do a similar bike as well. I have the Boardman and its a quick bike, far nicer to ride than my old subway – although i replaced the subway with a Mango SS as my commute is only 5 mile round trip.

I had a 5-6 mile commute, across town, for years. TBH at first it was on a MTB with racks, guards, and then on a hybrid – allows better visibility and also racks, guards are a ‘better’ (solid) fit. It was a simple (actually quite good) MTB based hybrid, compared to what you can get now nothing special at all – but robust, comfortable, quick. And easy to keep running. Was a Marin Pt Reyes..

For that mileage I’d go for something like a Ss crosscheck- can deal with bigger rubber, flexible enough to run off road , racks etc and low maintenance

I’ve used both for my 10 mile road commute and the road bike is definitely faster, more efficient and generally better aground compared with the Roadrat in SS commute mode. I’ve now converted the Roadrat to a geared drop bar’d fully guarded commute and wet weather road bike.

Clearly if you want the bike to do other duties other than the commute, then that might change the requirements, but in my experience the best bike for the road is a proper road bike.

narrow slick tyres will take your mtb 90% of the way to a hybrid.

Choice is subjective, 7 miles I’d prob want drop bars.

I think my 5 spot would look daft with skinny tyres!!

Commute will be Elgin to lossiemouth and aapparently it’s quite windy!!

I meant your Carrera

Either works, it’s really a matter of choice. I can’t get on with drops personally, and imo over such a relatively short distance the biggest advantages of the drops don’t really come through… So pretty much, get what you prefer riding without worrying about “best”

Is it the current model subway you have? It’s not as good a bike as the previous models tbh but even so you might find just sticking proper slicks on it will change it a lot. Bad tyres ruin anything… It’s still pretty heavy though, and blatantly just a mountain bike with a few bits changed rather than a purpose built hybrid.

What if you get up late?

Stop messing about.

Why not a Cyclocross bike? More options for use.

Northwind. It is the current version yes. I just find it very uncomfortable to ride for some reason really hurts the front of my legs just above my knee for some reason and I just can’t get comfy on it!

I’ve just popped to halfords and the Boardman bikes look very good value for money!!

What is the differences between a cross bike and a road Bike?

FWIW I have a subway 2 with racks and guards on which I bought off here.
5’9″ and ride an 18″

At first I hated mine too but I’ve since persevered and upgraded most parts which has resulted in it being now quite nice to ride.

Sounds like your issue is more with the fit and reach rather than the bike itself

You could be right mate! It’s a lot smaller thAn my 5 spot even though it’s a large 20″ frame?

For my normal 5 mile commute I just take my brompton, unless I need to buy groceries when I take my Portland. 5-7 miles is bugger all, just ride what you got – with mudguards and a rack, obviously.

renton. Elgin to Lossiemouth (camp I would hazard a guess at).
You’re not in town (was thinking it would be a cross town commute, relatively smooth surface (assuming you go the path, don’t go on road, not worth it). Racks would be helpful as you can put your kit in them, save your back.

Drop bars would be handy at that distance. Other option as above might be something like the Cross Check or Road Rat as they would allow (with tyres) a jaunt along the railway line there or back as a variation..

PM/email if you want other input. Around here road bike is good though out of the urban area, road surface might warrant something more beefy anyway – all road or ‘cross style..

Renton. Could explain it, mine feels like a 16″ really. It’s visually smaller than my 18″ full susser.
But
Once I’d changed the bars for wider and slightly more rise along with the stem, it felt better. Then I bought an ibeam post and seat as I already ran one on my other bikes. This allows the seat to be further back than railed seats so could also help?
I toyed with the idea of drops but always suffer with a sore neck on extended rides with lower bars so just bought some £5 bar ends and that is comfy enough for me.
Halfords do the disc version of the pannier rack which I’ve found to be perfectly good enough to carry fairly heavy loads on. It bolts onto the subway with no issues, even though I’m using full length guards.
The only thing I may do (if I can be bothered ) is to measure the outer diameter of some nice 650b or 29er slick mtb tyres and see if I could fit larger wheels as there seems to be quite a gap from tyre to frame currently.
If that works then ill upgrade to better wheels from the deore and 117 rims that I’m on currently.

For seven not too hilly road miles, I’d recommend a single speed road bike. Kona Paddy Wagon or Specialized Langster. Either used will be under budget. The Langster struggles to take proper mudguards. The Kona requires a seatpost collar adapter to take a proper rack. We have one of each 😳

Once you’ve got some SS miles under your belt, switch to fixed and your fitness will improve further.

Transporter13 ….. Ive stuck some nukeproof bars and a 30 degree rise stem on it and they are still two inches lower than my full susser and feels rubbish. Im guessing with smaller thinner tyres it will be even lower.

I looked at a cross bike in halfords, the boardman version and it looked really nice. The bars were higher on that than the equivalent road bike.

I do like the look of the hybrids though !

Furry muff bud, probably sounds like you’d actually need a 22″ from carrera.
Fwiw my mates dad has a boardman hybrid thing and it’s like a missile.
Couldn’t tell you exactly which model but the tyres are thin, it’s has avid discs and is set up for winter. Think it maybe a carbon version?

Just checked and it’s the hybrid pro model

Yep thats them !! bit out of my budget that one but ive been looking at this…………

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_777849_langId_-1_categoryId_289005

And also this cross bike………

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_777849_langId_-1_categoryId_289005

Fisnlly this road bike too…….

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_875985_langId_-1_categoryId_165710

What do you think to these??

Are there any other hybrids or cross bikes I can look at?

Commute will be Elgin to lossiemouth and aapparently it’s quite windy!!

Got to be drops in that case. When riding into a headwind being able to get down on the drops is a god-send imo.

Whatever you get, make sure it’ll take full mudguards and puncture proof tyres with ice spikey bits. You can’t beat heading out in the foulest of weather, knowing that you’ll stay upright and rolling.
Was thinking of a Surly of sorts for rumbling around Glasgow, but got a cheap Hoy flat bar off gumtree in the end. Fast position, good disc brakes for the road and plenty of room for bigger tyres and guards.

Personally I’d stay away from road bikes as my commute sometimes contains the need to avert the **** at split second notice. The need to be able to stoppie or hop up kerbs and over potholes out ways any benefit that a roady would give.
That hybrid comp looks pretty good tbh.

On my 10 mile commute, my hybrid was fractionally slower.

20 – 30 seconds.

It took slightly more effort, was more comfortable, could hit kerbs and pot holes all way better than the road bike,

It got me fitter faster,
Hybrid every time.

On another note, same journey

Road bike 30 minutes
Hybrid 31 minutes
Hardtail 40 minutes
Full sus 45 minutes
Single speed 50 minutes.

Hardtail was ok, (Inbred) full sus felt like massive amounts of hard work (2006 Enduro) single speed was so boring (inbred)

All on same commute of course.

Hybrid was massively best. Not quite the fastest but not far from it as you could maintain speed better over bumpy bits.

I’ve done the commute on my 5 spot and yes it is slower but a lot easier if that makes sense!!

Been looking at the secondhand Boardman hybrids on eBay and they look like they hold there price well!