My dad has been asking for advice about what bike he should get but I only really know about mtb and road rather than what he's after so looking to the STW oracle hivemind for advice. He just wants a bike he can use for general country lane/gravel track/reservoir path type riding. Doesn't want suspension and will probably be ok without discs. Tbh any type of BSO would probably work but I dont want him to buy something shit and heavy that's gonna fall apart in a few months. So probably looking for a cheap hybrid of some kind?
Something like a trek FX hybrid?
[url= http://www.leisurelakesbikes.com/p/17100/trek-70-fx-hybrid-bike-2015 ]like this one[/url]
Most other bikes of this type have suspension.
I started with a hybrid when I came back to cycling, under just the conditions you mention. Whatever the entry level is, make sure it's not too heavy and comes with decent name kit. And he may chose to move on, or not.
I've just bought my wife the Isla Bike Beinn 29. She loves it. Very versatile in that you can run it as a hybrid or it'll take up to 2" tyres for off road. Fittings for bottles, racks, mudguards and disks really mean you can do almost anything with it. The simple 1x10 drivetrain is perfect for anyone new to cycling or whose been away from it for years.
Not the cheapest option but well worth upgrading if he gets more into cycling and will probably have good resale value if he doesn't.
I tried to persuade my sister that it was the bike for her but she insisted she'd need suspension, she doesn't, and now she's finding the Giant she bought a bit of a slow dead weight. So she's now eyeing up road bikes! I honestly think if she'd bought the Beinn she'd be happy with a single bike*
*I hear that this is possible