Thorougly confused over buying a hybrid!!! :(

[meh]

Hi,

I'm going to buy my first decent bike... I started off with a budget of 10-12 and this allowed for just the ACT110 and then finally move it up to 15 after seeing this gives me more options... like the Firefox RoadRunner and then I went to a larger showroom with more brands...

And now, I'm totally confused... with what to buy...

My requirements are:
Daily Cycling of about 8-12kms
Occasional longer drives on the weekends.
Preferably a hybrid to manage the mediocre/bad roads in bangalore with occasional footpath driving.
I weight about 98kgs and am 178cms tall. So I am also preferring something with Shocks... I've ridden a few of my friends bikes and think that it really makes a differnce.


The following are my current options:
1. Hercules Neo (12,900 all inclusive) - Cheapest and probably reasonable cycle.
2. Firefox Road runner Disc (15,400) This has front suspension, and disc brakes... but the general frame to me looked flimsy and weak.
3. Montra Jazz A (16,500) This does not seem to have the front shocks but I'm not a 100% on that... but the bike looks and feels good.
4. Schwinn Searcher (22,000) I personally don't like this that much but its a tried and tested bike... so I'm ready to go for it...
5. Schwinn Sportera (19,000) Almost the same as the searcher but no shocks...
6. Bianchi Spillo Rubino Suspension (19,300) Now the reason I am looking at this bike is... this has a marked price tag of 24,500 but one of the local dealers claims that the company has for a while marked down the price of the bike.

The shocks feels amazing in the Bianchi and it also allows us to lock it. But the thing is I'm unable to find concrete data on how this bike is anywhere online... BZ also does not seem to have many reviews... I hate the ladybird like handles but the dealer would swap that out for a flat one for free.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Is the Bianchi worth it at the 19k price tag or is it not?

Cheers!

[pankaj mishra]

Hi,
M very new to this forum and apparently hv the same confusion over buying a hybrid.
aftr reading few posts it seems height is strong deciding factor for choosing a bike. my height is 180 cms (5'11), my budget is around 15k-20k
So all BZers are requested to help me as well. thanks a lot.

[quake_rohit]

I am in the same situation man. I am also considering B'Twin Rockrider 5.1(15,000)

[hsohoni]

Me too in the same situation............@ pankaj mishra : you are right, height is the factor. Also, the frame of the bike, your riding posture, got forbid your back/neck problems if any. .............. Thats whats I think..............

I want to sell my heavy Honda unicorn and buy a cycle ............. Please help me out here........I dont know any cycle brands here...

[pagalpainter]

@meh & quake_rohit: I'm pretty much in the same boat. Pray do tell me which one of these bikes you guys finally zero down upon.

[ravi_wadhwa]

Hi Meh,

You have mentioned that a dealer is giving bianchi rubinno in 19300, i would like to know which dealer is giving you this price as i would like to buy it in this price

thanks

[pankajzarekar]

Schwinn Sportera !!

My Numero Uno choice !

[ramesh3]

my friend bought a bianchi spillo rubino at TnT Lajpat for under 19k a month back...go for the rigid one...suspension are all springs...a good hydraulic front suspension is for Rs35,000...if Act110 fits you, which i doubt...it is good for 5'5 guys...act110 is a great bike if the derailer is changed to altus(Rs900 or so) and kenda kwick roller sports(Rs3300)32-622 fitted...do the same in biankey...go for alivio rear derailer if u find it.bianchi rigid comes in flatter handles than the suspension one...bianchi over swichinnnn any day...only trek 7.1 beats it...though with the 32 mm kenda fitted...bianchi spillo has a 11 teeth cog which very few hybrids have...and it has shimano rm30/40 hubs and shimano QR...all malaysia made...bianchi is made for europe...somehow it fits better than any other if you are 5'8 or higher...go for bianchi only if u r 5'7 minimum

[pavanshetty]

Since its a hybrid with front suspension you are looking for and if your getting the Bianchi Spillo Rubino Suspension
for the said price along with the handle bar swapped for a flat bar...it sure sounds like a good deal.
Also do consider the Schwinn Searcher as it is also a very good option to look at.

[prateekmanwani]

Even i am in the same dilemma.
I ride 15 km a day and weekend rides in excess of 50 km.
I am inclined towards the roadrunner as my friend got it a month back and its running fine.

Others that u mentioned are out of my budget

[gokulpr]

I am too ..,. confused.

Does anyone know the frame material in Bianchi Spillo Rubino rigid, Schwinn Sporterra, Searcher etc?(the websites do not specify this, anyway if one has weighed in with hand one can guess, around 16k points to steel, slightly lesser alloy).

Another Q: How can a brand like Bianchi be so cheap!, what's the catch here?

[knmurthy]

Hello,
AFAIK all the bikes in that range use aluminium
And good quality steel bikes are very very expensive.
If you are looking at hybrids, you can also check out the khs, merida and trek as well
Murthy

[gokulpr]

Thansk a lot Mr.Murthy, so u live in Malaysia I gather?. Are u a citizen there or where is ur base in India?. Had vistsed KL last May, want to come back soon 1) for cycles and 2) for more interesting places and adventures there in Malaysia(this time it was a very short visit of 4 effective days, of which 1 was eaten by family visits!)

[Sai Ravikiran]

im confused between these 2...

1) A New Montra Jazz A for 17k (http://www.trackandtrail.in/product-details.asp?pid=70[/url])
2) 6 month sparingly Used GT Traffic 3.0 for 15k (http://www.trackandtrail.in/product-details.asp?pid=97[/url])
3) Firefox Roadrunner 21 speed Disc for about 16k (http://www.firefoxbikes.com/Hybrid_Road ... _disc.html)


My requirements are ride to office, Fitness, occassional long rides. Totally on good Roads ( Hence No MTB's)

Im newbie for Cycling..so..want to start with Hybrid bike then upgrade to a proper road bike.

Should be good VFM and lasting without niggles....

Please help me out....

Thank you..

[ramesh3]

if the gt fits u grab it...montra jazz has a pure road bike stance...while commuting in traffic and looking back is difficult...roadrunner has poor quality spring suspension...actually go for a rigid bike...i again say just grab the GT if it fits u well...pple tend to ignore size when buying a used bike...try new bikes in different sizes...if possible increase yer budget...but the cycle should fit you like a shoe!!!

[Sai Ravikiran]

thank you for your reply ramesh,

Im concerned about the Montra's reliability. I know that the GT is a reliable bike...will check it out this friday and would conclude on something.....

any review about the montra jazz a would be of great help...

thank you..

[ramesh3]

Sai, if the montra jaaz fits u and u are comfortable with it...it is the fastest...do not have any fear abt its reliability...in fact i wud buy a montra jazz myself...i only want a better hybrid stance...6 inch higher stem/handle...if the TnT store can fit kenda kriterium endurance tires and upgrade rear derailer to alivio it wud be better...but re-tiring to these 25 mm kendas is highly desirable.

[Sai Ravikiran]

Thank you guys....going for the Montra.....will get it within a week....

[bunty.verma]

Hi I have recently joined the group, but readhing the post for last couple of years, I started cycling actively for for last one year in bangalore. I bought a used Firefox road pro (road bike). My main use is for communiting to office around 20K a day. over all I was ok with the bike,
3 months back I moved to chennai and along with work I have taken evening management classes at IIM trichy chennai campus. With Metro consutrcution chennai road are bad and tough for road bike. On a average I will have 2 flats in months. Once I get flat I have to wait till week end to correct it.(getting the right tube and cost e 200 buck each time).

Now I am looking for reliable bike which can should be close to road bike performance and at the same time I will need thicker tires (hybrid will be the choice). I can streach my budget to 30K. I want a bike for long term which can serve my purpose of trouble free commuting of around 25 Km per day on chennai roads. I am 5, 9 and weight around 90 kgs.

1. I was looking for trek 7100 at RS 29000, My question is any other bike provide similar value at lower price point.
2. Schwinn Searcher
3. Schwinn Sportera
4. Bianchi Spillo Rubino Suspension (with current price tag of 20 k its looks attractive.

what are stores in chennai who can provide me better price for these bikes..

[gokulpr]

Hi If you only issue is punctures, then try lining your existing tires with another tires/tubes pieces or get a bigger(hybrids tire and ride with or without lining(try this first, if u dont get that many flats then continue)).

I have made up my mind and are buying the Bianchi Spillo Rubino suspension today, so I would be able to give a feedback by Monday or so after testing it out a bit.

[ramesh3]

rubino suspension comes with a curved handle...i just love it...

[gokulpr]

Yes I too like it, but there are a section of Bianchi lovers who do not like this deviation from the norm(other bianchi's have straight handles as well as they say that the frame geo also is different in Spillo Rubino, Iam not sure about this but that's what some Bianchi fans say). They may be consumed by the conventional Bianchi imagery, and may be overlooking the fuctional advantage(comfort) of this curved handle(oh yes some term this as "BSA handle" in a mocking manner!)

[grasspirits]

cheers for ur new bike mate. U didnt put up any postride reviews. sorry for diggin this thread.

i am just another- going to buy -first timers. WUd really like to end to this story unless u have ditched the internet for the road.

ps.okay really wondering abt that dealer..? cud use some help on that. really on cashstrapped busget