Priced under the magic cycle scheme voucher of £1k are there any out there or any that come close?

Im after a bike I can chuck down the canals and still hit a good run on the road, plan a is to find a gravel bike flat bar and a good enough spec. I’ve spotted a Planet X at £699 but it’s not well spec’ed enough.

Plan b I’m trying to find out if the higher end Boardman hyb will take a 38c tyre and that might be the solution.

Plan c is pick up the Crockett frameset from trek and swap the bits from my crosstrail over, or find a non suspension fork with 50mm travel offset but that’s been tricky and that way keep using my crosstrail.

Sure you could find a rigid29er for that price.

Flat bar gravel bike

In the olden days it was pronounced “Hybrid”…

Cube SL Road is worth a look

Thanks! That cube looks just what I’m after.

Plan b I’m trying to find out if the higher end Boardman hyb will take a 38c tyre and that might be the solution.

This comes with 35c so guessing 38 would fit.

https://www.cyclerepublic.com/boardman-hyb-8-9-mens-hybrid-bike-2019.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwn4ncBRCaARIsAFD5-gUEl1XFubQFHW1UUpwqPjTytRyiqy1t9apcadEM8eW6NFowGh4CRkwaArDGEALw_wcB

<span style=”display: inline !important; float: none; background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: ‘Open Sans’; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;”>In the olden days it was pronounced “Hybrid”…</span>

It’s not the old days any more.  Hybrid now suggests commuter bike i.e. cheap and upright.

Although I dunno, this Specialized Sirrus looks alright: https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-sirrus-sport-2019-hybrid-bike-EV306274

However the biggest PITA with ‘hybrid’ bikes is the 135mm rear axle on a bike that essentially requires road wheels.

This is better tho:

https://www.evanscycles.com/bmc-alpenchallenge-02-three-2018-hybrid-bike-EV302761

Pinnacle Lithium 5?

cube nuroad here, fitted with flats and mtb controls.

sooo comfy.

Thanks, didn’t notice the sirrus having the wider tyres, might be able to use my crosstrail wheels and swap over between road duty and the canals.

Sonder will have a flat bar Camino available from mid-September that’s within budget. I’ve no personal experience of a Camino but the drop bar versions seem very well respected on here.

Had a BMC Alpenchallenge – seriously quick for a flat bar, though I’d not recommend taking it down canal paths if you’ve got fillings. It’s seriously stiff (in good road-bike kind of way).

Great bike though.

My partner just got a Lithium 5, it’s def more like a rigid 29er than what you seem to be after (take 2.3 inch tyres, steel fork…)

The Neon would be good though:  https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-neon-4-2018-hybrid-bike-EV275613

It seems to have a better groupset than the BMC and Cube things, and it has a carbon fork, while I think the BMC and Cube have aluminium ones (I’m not certain about that though, worth confirming)

This is the sweetest looking IMO though…

https://www.marinbikes.com/gb/bikes/2019-pavement-fitness-transit-beyond-road-nicasio-rc

My Mrs has a Pinnacle Lithium too, she loves it though I’d like to try 650 wheels in it.

Jesus mountain biking really has gone full circle and ended up its own arse.

Just buy a decent spec classic mountain bike from the 80s or nineties.

Stupidest suggestion ever ^^

Why NOT buy one of these bikes?  They aren’t exactly overpriced are they?  Just because the marketing pains you so much doesn’t mean they’re not actually good bikes.

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Grass up the middle #grassupthemiddle #nwalpscc #fakegravelbike #gravelbike

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Especially for @gozbike @cxrodent & the @bikeshopboys the obligatory sign shot #lostlanes #summertime #cycling #NWAlpsCC #ride #fakegravelbike #gravelbike #steelisreal

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@rOcKeTdOg – is that genuine leopard skin?

Just in the middle of building such a bike started with cube cross race frame and forks from discount bikes which seemed reasonably priced but add on special sized headset and through Axel’s and that’s another £100, anyway tiagra all-round Alex draw wheels flat mount brakes riser bar with bar ends iknow iknow but I needed a bit more front hight should add up to a sexy one bike does all for a bag of sand.

Giant Rapid here. Similar to the Cube SL Road, fast/light flat bar commuter/hybrid/gravel etc. Tiagra 2 x 10, 50/34 compact, hydraulic disc brakes, upgraded wheels HALO Devaura aero with Panaracer Gravelking tyres. Very nice bike but nearing time for a change.

Inbred 29er, carbon ebay rigid forks, 42c Specialized Hillbillys on my old Spank Oozys, 600mm flat carbon bar with fake Ergon bar ends (ebay specials again). Comfiest mile muncher I’ve ridden. Shimano flip flop spds/flats and it’ll do every type of ride apart from proper mountain biking. Currently loving doing as much off road out of the door, finding as many canal paths, urban walkways etc until I get out of town onto the bridleways, green lanes and hills.