[pradster]

Hi All,

Posting at Team-Bhp after god knows how many years. When it comes to driving I guess I now prefer being driven around.

I have been focusing on health and fitness recently, to add to it, the local traffic even for small chores makes driving just not fun anymore.

I have thus made up my mind to get back into cycling and buy a proper bike some 20 years after I last owned a bicycle! ( whoopsy daisies I AM turning old!)

My budget is 75K ( stretchable if it makes sense) and in addition to fitness runs and the odd chores I may also consider a commute to work ( 20 odd kms)

Now the question is what bike?

Key factors for me are :

- Looks
- Low Maintenance
- Comfort
- the ability to accomplish my chosen objectives ( short hops, long rides) without killing my back.

Look forward to your advice guys ( and Gals!) thanks a bunch.

[amol4184]

I am assuming you are looking at something with straight bar, as opposed to drop bars? If that is the case then Marin Fairfax 3 is squarely in your budget or Fuji Absolut 1.7. We have Fuji and it is a great hybrid bike. If I was in the market again for relaxed geometry bike, it would be Fairfax for its minimalist, clean looks.

Almost all the bikes at that budget level come with disc brakes of different variety and are higher maintenance compared to a simple rim brake. They don't necessarily need a lot of maintenance but something to keep in mind.

If you absolutely need rim brakes, you will have to drop down in the hierarchy and look for something even simpler like Trek FX1. If you are okay with discs, Trek also makes FX3 which is almost exactly the same price as Marin FF3. Can't go wrong with any of these brands really. I think ultimately it will come down to availability of each bike. Bike supply is still short just like cars so finding one in your size, your color might be a task.

Many of these hybrid bikes also come with front suspension which I personally would avoid at that budget.

However if it is not flat bar/hybrid bike but rather a drop bar bike then it opens up even more avenues and lot of further discussion.

[Sebring]

I have tried the bikes in your list, but I suggest he consider Scott Aspect. Using this for 10 years and consider it the best bike ever. Specialized has few great bikes too. Have a look at their catalogue. A 'surprise recommendation' would be SURLY which two of my friends just picked up (HappyEarth.in). These are straight bars but, ultimately everyone comes back to 'road bikes' (Drop bar). Advantages being; lightweight and easy usage

Originally Posted by amol4184

Fuji Absolut 1.7, Trek FX1, FX3, Marin FF3. Can't go wrong with any of these brands really

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by pradster

Hi :

- Looks
- Low Maintenance
- Comfort
- the ability to accomplish my chosen objectives ( short hops, long rides) without killing my back.

Look forward to your advice guys ( and Gals!) thanks a bunch.

Triban RC500 from Decathlon. change the tyres out to wider profile upto 36 for awesome comfort and air down the tyres

[pradster]

Originally Posted by amol4184

I am assuming you are looking at something with straight bar, as opposed to drop bars? .

This is something that I am totally torn about. Flatbars seem convenient but, my goodness, drop bars do look mighty cool! if the occasion was a short daily ride and the occasional Long one in the middle. Would it make substantial difference?

I went through this article https://wheretheroadforks.com/drop-b...and-cons-list/ and came out even more confused.

Originally Posted by Sebring

I have tried the bikes in your list, but I suggest he consider Scott Aspect. ...These are straight bars but, ultimately everyone comes back to 'road bikes' (Drop bar).

You said it friend, I am already half way there. thanks for the recommendation. I will make it a point to check out Scott. I tried cannondale but could not find a reliable catalogue online.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Triban RC500 from Decathlon. change the tyres out to wider profile upto 36 for awesome comfort and air down the tyres

Somehow cant get myself to spend money on a decathlon bike. no offence to decathlon and their fans (myself included) but I am being a little shallow here and looking to buy a snazzy bike that I will perhaps cherish and show off in equal measure

That said, decathlon are known for selling decent value goods at a no nonsense price, is that also the case with their bikes? Really interested to know if their bikes follow the VFM mantra that they are known for.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by pradster

Somehow cant get myself to spend money on a decathlon bike. no offence to decathlon and their fans (myself included) but I am being a little shallow here and looking to buy a snazzy bike that I will perhaps cherish and show off in equal measure

That said, decathlon are known for selling decent value goods at a no nonsense price, is that also the case with their bikes? Really interested to know if their bikes follow the VFM mantra that they are known for.

The groupset that you get beats every single bike out there at the price. Look up YouTube for what international reviewers have to say.

And i don't think i have to say too much about Decathlon shop warranty.

Good luck

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I have tried the bikes in your list, but I suggest he consider Scott Aspect. Using this for 10 years and consider it the best bike ever.

Aspect is a proper hardtail MTB with front suspension, 2.4 inch thick tyres on smaller MTB rims, geared to handle short steep inclines and gravel tipping scales at 15kg. Not a bad thing but seems like a far cry from what OP is looking for (commute, long rides etc).

Originally Posted by pradster

That said, decathlon are known for selling decent value goods at a no nonsense price, is that also the case with their bikes? Really interested to know if their bikes follow the VFM mantra that they are known for.

I had Decathlon Triban bike and it was an excellent VFM. I had minor issues with it, specifically the rear wheel but all was sorted out thanks to Deca's excellent customer service. The bike otherwise was great. Fast, good looking, okay-ish components (Microshift) and surprisingly light. RC500 is often regarded as best budget bike. road dot cc's review says this :

The remarkable Triban RC 500 is better than any £500 bike has any right to be. Unless you have serious go-faster ambitions, it's hard to see why you'd buy any other drop-handlebar bike in its price range.

Honestly, I would rather deal with Decathlon than boutique bike sellers and websites that have sprung up in recent biking surge. I have pretty mediocre support story from one of these shops.

[srgntpepper]

Unless you are planning on racing, you don't need drop bar handles. Flat bars will do just fine. There's firefox flip flop which ks a agreat some commuter bike.

My dad rides 100-120km a week. On a rc100 Triban. Cheap, and utterly reliable. Infact, since you are starting after ages, get started with maybe secondhand bike. Then once you know you are really into it and figure out your usage. Then do a major upgrade.

If you think about it, zipping past a Scott on a Triban is even cooler way to show off.

And before I forget, there's this whole gravel bike thing that is picking up. A hybrid on the road side of the spectrum.

https://www.firefoxbikes.com/bicycles/gravel_bikes/

Check them out before deciding on a high priced specialist

[tatafanatic]

Originally Posted by pradster

Hi All,

My budget is 75K ( stretchable if it makes sense) and in addition to fitness runs and the odd chores I may also consider a commute to work ( 20 odd kms)

1. Hybrids from Firefox are good, they run smooth, are reliable, well built and good value for money, these are good for running errands (to and fro office) and fitness runs.

2. Marin is another good brand, at that price range they have good gravels / hybrids, if you can get a reliable dealer then its a good option (i just cycles 2k kms across North East on a Marin Nicasio Gravel which came at 65k), these are excellent for fitness runs and good for running regular errands as well

Happy cycling

[Aditya]

With a budget of 75K, you should explore some of the better brands out there - Fuji, Giant, Scott and even Trek. You can not only get good hybrids from these brands, but also some aluminium road bikes. Don't look too much into the drivetrain bit. Anything with an Altus / Acera or Claris / Sora drivetrain will get you along nicely.

What matters most is the weight of the bike, the wheels, tyres and pedals. Sort these out and you won't have a reason to complain. Take my own case for instance. I bought my Fuji Sportif 2.3 back in 2016. I thought I'll use it as a start to road biking and shift to a more advanced bike in a couple of years. Nothing like that happened. With just some minor upgrades over the years, it's gotten better and better. I've even raced it at city level.

[SRISRI_90]

My Suggestion would be the Trek FX3 , we have on in our family( 2020 model), and it is an awesome bike at that budget range .

My wife rode it during our 100K ride and she absolutely loved it.
It belongs to my Brother in law and he rides nearly everyday on it, since the past 2 years.

He swears by it and has never needed any extra care other than regular chain cleaning and lubing.

[silverado]

Looking at what you have mentioned, Hybrid bike the one best suited for you no doubt. But what kind of hybrid would you like to buy?

The hybrid bike leaning more towards a road bike? or hybrid leaning more towards Mtb side.

To give you an example Trek DS3 is a more mtb side hybrid, whereas Trek fx3 is a roadbikish hybrid.

Take your call after a test ride and decide. One of my friend just bought a GIANT fastroad SL2 for 87k, its almost a road bike ( 50 teeth upfront ) with a hybrid handlebar.

[peepo]

An advice I can give you is that do NOT upgrade the bike (ones under 3L especially) in any way. Do not bother with buying carbon wheels or a better group set as they are going to be a waste of money, which is something I have experienced first hand. Therefore, do keep this in mind and do not buy a bike which has something missing to the competition which you can upgrade later.

[offroad]

Pradster, I assume you are riding after a long time. So I would advise not going in for a road bike. As mentioned by others a proper Hybrid would be helpful. I have suggested bikes to many of my friends and in my experience, i have seen people buy with eagerness and then the bikes are not used.

All the above options provided above are quite good, but I would suggest to buy a less expensive one, get used to it and as you increase your miles then upgrade. By then you would know what bike to buy and even if you have to buy or not

[deep_bang]

Is it possible to change the title to 'which cycle' instead of 'which bike' because in the Indian context bike usually means a motor cycle. I came to this thread twice expecting to see motorcycle suggestions and realised later that it's for a cycle. Just my thoughts!