# Best Hybrid around $600



## matmatmat

Hi, I've been looking for a hybrid to ride around town, but I haven't had the chance to test ride anything yet. I tried comparing the components, but I don't really know enough to really compare. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

These are the bikes I've been looking at:

Cannondale Quick 4
Giant Seek 3 - disc brakes
Jamis Coda - steel
Raleigh Cadent FT1
Specialized Sirrus Sport
Trek 7.3 FX


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## tyo

All of them are good - not too sure about the disk brakes on the Giant though, something extra that needs maintenance and isn't really needed. All of them have more or less the same level of components - mountain bike style. The Giant and the Jamis have a slightly lower set though. The Specialized has the lowest end road rear dérailleur. Two things I would caution against are carbon forks(the Cannondale and Specialized) and shock forks. Shocks for the simple reason of they add weight and not much comfort, plus another thing that can break. Carbon forks for the reason that they are less durable in being thrown around carelessly/roughly(not a paranoid "carbon will explode" thing). If this is really a ride around town and beater bike, lock it up, go to the store etc, you'll want something that can be jammed between other bikes or locked to a pole without worrying too much if this could cause a crack or something like that. All of the bikes will serve you well, and they're all a bit overbuilt to take some added abuse. 
That said, I can personally vouch for the Trek, which has served for three years now as a beater/mid-long distance commuter, and whatever else, with minimal maintenance and generally less than careful handling (potholes and bike racks mostly).


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## fallabel

I'm new here, so forgive me if this is against the rules:

I recently purchased a new bike and am looking to sell my hybrid. It's a 2007 Giant FCR 3; I'd say it probably leans towards the 'road' side of the Hybrid spectrum. I'd offer it for substantially less than $600.


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## matmatmat

Over the weekend I tried these bikes:
Trek 7.3 FX & Giant Seek - liked both of these, but only rode on really nice roads.
Jamis Coda - rode on rougher & was still comfortable.
Giant FCR 3 & Specialized Sirrus - didn't like these, too much of a road bike.


How much would it cost to upgrade or exchange the handlebars and seat on the Jamis to something nicer?

I'm going to look at used bikes, Cannondale Quick 4, and Raleigh Cadent FT1 hopefully next weekend.


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## tyo

Upgrading the seat is up to you - anywhere from $20 for a take-off similar to what it has, and rising rapidly from there, with good choices in the $50 and $100 range. My advice is to stick with the saddle it has, it takes some time to break in both the seat and your butt, especially if you haven't been on a bike in a while. As for handlebars, what do you mean by upgrade - change to a different shaped bar, lighter, different length ( just a few of the infinite possible changes)?


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## matmatmat

tyo said:


> As for handlebars, what do you mean by upgrade - change to a different shaped bar, lighter, different length ( just a few of the infinite possible changes)?


Yeah, I guess just different grips ergonomic (not round) & bar-ends would work.


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## Lakemichchip

Lok at the FUJI Absolute....Great bike!


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## tyo

> Yeah, I guess just different grips ergonomic (not round) & bar-ends would work.


You are correct - bar ends do wonders. As a commuter bike, that's usually all you need, and grips come in many varieties - what I did with mine was to cut the end off of some nicely shaped grips and mount bar ends around them. Just make sure, when you put them on, the handlebars are long enough that you can fit your hands comfortably on the actual bars, and still use the shifters and brakes. Have fun test riding!


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## PaulRivers

tyo said:


> All of them are good - not too sure about the disk brakes on the Giant though, something extra that needs maintenance and isn't really needed. All of them have more or less the same level of components - mountain bike style. The Giant and the Jamis have a slightly lower set though. The Specialized has the lowest end road rear dérailleur. Two things I would caution against are carbon forks(the Cannondale and Specialized) and shock forks. Shocks for the simple reason of they add weight and not much comfort, plus another thing that can break. Carbon forks for the reason that they are less durable in being thrown around carelessly/roughly(not a paranoid "carbon will explode" thing). If this is really a ride around town and beater bike, lock it up, go to the store etc, you'll want something that can be jammed between other bikes or locked to a pole without worrying too much if this could cause a crack or something like that. All of the bikes will serve you well, and they're all a bit overbuilt to take some added abuse.
> That said, I can personally vouch for the Trek, which has served for three years now as a beater/mid-long distance commuter, and whatever else, with minimal maintenance and generally less than careful handling (potholes and bike racks mostly).


Personally, I wouldn't buy a bike *without* a steel or carbon fork if I could at all help it. In the bikes I've test rode, the ones with an aluminum front fork were always the worst ride. 

I don't have time to write a better response, I just don't think worrying about the carbon fork is worth worrying about. It can takes some shoves and hits. It's not like it's the tire that constantly out in front of the bike.

Obviously, this is just my opinion. A fork failing is a huge deal - I know someone who's forked sheared while he was riding and he broke his collarbone. Thing is - it was a steel fork.


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## chocy

I vote for Jamis coda. They look nice for hybrids


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## 07Fizzer

I find the Giant Seek series to be a great value. I bought one a week ago to replace my 2004 Specialized Sirrus Elite. Absolutely love it, specially with the Avid Juicy 3 brakes and 27 speed. Some folks dont like disc brakes but I find it has advantages over rim brakes, like better stopping power specially for folks who use it to commute and get caught by rain, plus it doesnt wear down the rim if you do alot of miles or ride down steep hills (San Francisco). I have Avid Juicy hydraulic brakes on my mountain bike, and have never had the need to overhaul them even after a 1000 miles of off road hard core riding. The 27 speed may seem like overkill for a city bike, but for cities like San Francisco, you'll need all 27 gears. Compared to my 15 lb Fuji CCR, the Giant Seek 2 is heavy at 27 lbs with pedals, but surprisingly rolls fast and smoothly over rough city streets and feels surprisingly very very light when riding. Seat is very comfortable and and cushy and not too heavy weighing in at 400 grams, much lighter than most gel seats. My choices when I bought this bike were the Trek Valencia, Specialized Sirrus, and Fuji Absolute. I found the Giant to be the best equiped for the price.
<a href="https://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh228/tundraRX8/?action=view&current=IMG_1320.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh228/tundraRX8/IMG_1320.jpg" border="0" alt="Giant seek 2"></a>
<a href="https://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh228/tundraRX8/?action=view&current=IMG_1323.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh228/tundraRX8/IMG_1323.jpg" border="0" alt="Giant seek 2"></a>
<a href="https://s257.photobucket.com/albums/hh228/tundraRX8/?action=view&current=IMG_1322.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh228/tundraRX8/IMG_1322.jpg" border="0" alt="Giant seek 2"></a>


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## lalecture

Hi everyone, this is my first post  
I hope you all can help me in my decision for my new hybrid/city bike.
I have looked at the following:
specialized vita
cannondale quick 4
trek 7.3
giant fsa dash

all are between $550 and 650
weight is a factor for me as I need to be able to lift it onto my car for transport. I found the trek at a shop that offers free gear and brake adjustments for life!!
I liked the ride of the trek and the specialized the best but i am having a hard time swallowing the extra $100. the cannondale has carbon forks which take off a little weight but the shifters are funky. the giant was the first I rode and I liked the feel mostly but it was pretty stiff. 
I'd love to hear some coments or other suggestions from you guys.
Thanks


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## Trek2.3

Hard time with the extra $100? Get a Trek 7.2. My spouse has one and loves it. 
You can upgrade whatever you like later.

Or, ...* bargain*. Put together a package with helmet, cycling shorts & shirt, shoes, etc. If they don't knock 15% or more off the total package, walk out. They will probably follow you and offer a larger discount.

You can always return and pay more. ;-)


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## qatarbhoy

I have a Trek FX7.5 and it is great for commuting and I've done a few long road rides on it as well (before getting a 2.1 for that purpose). It's reliable, light, looks the business and is fun to ride.


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## AWILSON

I'd get the Trek 7.3fx, just a solid bike with goods specs and is pretty light also. I work at a shop that sells Trek, Cannondale, Giant, Raleigh, and Scott. I bought the Trek for my wife.


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## desmo13

not on your list, but check out the Kona Dew line. Had mine for a few years now. Awesome bike.


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## variable

Hi,

The best bike that meets all you are looking for is the Cube Hooper. I've had it for 3 years and love it. I can ride it on road for about 70km or in the city as well as in country (only changing the tyres). Is is light enought (11kg) but very strong. The hidraulic brakes makes me feel very safe, and the Alfine integrated gear offers the hability to push up and down the gear at any moment, even at low speed or stopped. This is very useful when you must to stop suddenly and you are geared at hi speeds and in this moment you have no speed to change the gear to a lower position. And it has vey low maintenance because there is no chain holding like the classic bikes and also the brakes has no maintaining (al least not like the v-brakes). It is nearly like a single/fixie but with modern geometry and gadgets. And if you need to attach fenders or bags, there are threaded holes in the fork as well in the rear. I must to add that mine is in white colour and weights 1kg less the the actual version:










Regards


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## Nikolas lima

The trek 7.3 FX is a good bike but sucks up
Hills. The gearing is mountain bike gearing but it sucks for climbing? It doesn't make since to me but I'm in love with my fx. In my opinion go for the bike with the best brakes.


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## Cajun_Mike

*I'm in same boat*

I have not rode a bike in probably 30 years... I'm 44 and in great shape... just wanting to ride for fitness and pleasure with girlfriend.

I rode a Orbea Carpe a few days ago and i really liked it. But I'm not familiar with the brand at all. How does it compare to some of the bikes mentioned in this thread? it was being sold for around $650. 

I tried providing a link to the Orbea USA website but since this is my first post it won't let me. It's matte black. it's the Carpe H50

Any thoughts? Something better at that price point? I dont have any hills here in Lafayette, La.


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## Dresden

Here's a great deal on a hybrid that's on the road bike end of the spectrum:

2010 Fuji Absolute 1.0 Road Bike - Road Bikes

Assuming Nashbar has it in the right size, it would be an excellent buy even if someone needed to pay a little more money to have a LBS assemble and adjust it. (though there's not much assembly required and adjustment is easy for anyone with a smidgen of mechanical aptitude)


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## tihsepa

The best 600.00 hybrid is two of them. Sold. Purchase good, used road bike for 1200.00. ride untill you forget about hybrid bikes.


/thread


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## Guest

disclaimer: I'm aware this thread is years old and the original poster likely long gone



tihsepa said:


> The best 600.00 hybrid is two of them. Sold. Purchase good, used road bike for 1200.00. ride untill you forget about hybrid bikes.
> 
> 
> /thread


I've owned a couple of hybrids in the past as casual ride around town/beater bikes. Since getting into cycling more seriously, I'm now convinced if you really want some weird combination of road and mountain bikes to use for commuting it's best to get a cyclocross bike. Like hybrids they usually have lower gearing than road bikes and room for bigger tires. 

Cyclocross bike though will have quicker handling and drop handlebars characteristic of a road bike. IMO I could never go back to flat handlebars though, even setups with nice grips/bar ends are no comparison for a good drop bar IMO for having choice of hand positions. A lot of cyclocross handlebars are set up with secondary brake levers along the bar tops which allow the same position as riding on a flat-bar hybrid if desired.


I have a good friend who got this bike on sale for $700 (it's $830 now unfortunately): Nashbar Steel Cyclocross Bike - Road Bikes. 105 components and a steel frame with rack mounts makes for a pretty ideal commuter.


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## MoreCowbell82

matmatmat, the Trek 7.3FX is a truly awesome bike.

While some thought I was nuts, I used one for my cross country bike trip a couple years ago. It's tough, versatile, and best of all, it feels fast. In 3,000 miles, loaded with 50lbs of gear, I never had a single issue(aside from overloading the rear wheel, but for your purposes should be fine). After breaking it in, during the trip, I only had the bottom bracket tightened once, and kept the chain well lubricated. 

That said, these two bikes are the best deals going:

Rocky Mountain Metropolis Yyz '10 Bike > Complete Bikes > Commuter and Urban Bikes | Jenson USA
Rocky Mountain Metropolis Yul '10 Bike > Complete Bikes > Commuter and Urban Bikes | Jenson USA

The rocky mountain website(Rocky Mountain Bicycles | Mountain, road, urban & path bikes) has the geometry details posted too.


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## Cajun_Mike

I am leaning towards the Jamis Coda sport. My issue is that I don't have a dealer within 5 hours round trip with one in stock. I'm also trying to decide between black and red. lol


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## MoreCowbell82

Jamis Codas are also superb - two members of my family have them, and they have been through everything - euro tours, city riding, etc. Are they still Reynolds steel?


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## Sixjours

Jamis Coda is a supeb bicycle at the price.


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## Cajun_Mike

MoreCowbell82 said:


> Jamis Codas are also superb - two members of my family have them, and they have been through everything - euro tours, city riding, etc. Are they still Reynolds steel?


I'm ordering my 2012 Jamis Coda Sport tomorrow.. 19 inch in black. Thought about the red frame but i think the black looks more classic.


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