BUYER’S GUIDE

You see them everywhere. They are the New Green Way to Live in Town. Ever wondered what is so great about hybrid bikes? Do you want to burn calories, Breathe in fresh air and finish off chores in an affordable way? Are you looking for quality family time in a manageable, stress-free outdoor environment?

You can live this dream if you buy the right kind of Hybrid Bike. We have this Buyer’s Guide aims at helping you do just that.

Starting with the categories of bikes, there are many kinds of Hybrid bikes from which you can select. A few of them are described below. We can help you choose the best hybrid for you through this guide.

Classic Hybrids

Traditional hybrid bike is made from tough steel, and they have classic looks. These hybrids are beautiful but best suited for short trips from market to home. These machines of the old era evoke the simplest pleasure of cycling and relaxed riding. With front basket made from wicker and dutch styled classic frames these hybrids look exactly the same as bicycles of early 19th century, but they perform better when laced with the latest technology.

Comfort Hybrids

Designed for leisurely rides in the street or along country lanes makes these leisure and comfort rides an excellent choice for family rides and individual cycling experience. Not all hybrids are made for the sports lovers, but there are other types meant for enjoying cycling and trekking expeditions.

City Hybrids

Developed for fast transit and utilitarian use, city hybrids offer the easiest and fastest commute in city streets and roads. A lightweight aluminum frame with single-sided suspension fork makes the bike easy to ride and manipulate.

Urban Hybrids

Ride through the concrete jungle at your place with urban bikes. These are similar to terrain hybrids but are built to support riding around city blocks and to achieve fast commute.

Sports Hybrids

Riders who like fast speed and demand comfort at the same time should go for lightweight sports hybrids. Fitness conscious and professional riders can select from sports hybrids for upright posture to have a good look around and ride with confidence.

Terrain Hybrids

Lightweight for riding on any kind rugged trains and carpeted roads. Ride the terrain hybrid on grass or wet grounds and slippery roads to rough tracks with the help of wide and heavy duty tires.

Check out the top-notch hybrid bikes for men and women


Features and Benefits of Hybrid Bikes

Cruiser or Commuter bikes that are individually packed with features that allow for top speeds, comfort and style. Hybrid bikes have been designed according to

Ergonomic structure

The upright handlebars are swept backwards with a frame mounted paddle saddle to support the ergonomic structure of the rider. The soft traction contact points help prevent muscular strain in long distance riding.

Aerodynamic Frame 50w

The Aluminium double butted Aero Blade fork design reduces wind resistance while riding and is light weight so that upward climb on hills and mountain tracks is easier.

High Tech Design

24″ aluminium alloy lightweight frame with aero alloy straight blade is the perfect structure for reliable and fast bike design. 165mm Alloy with chain guard allows faster paddling without causing excessive muscular strain. There are easy trigger shifters which provide 7-21 different speed sets in different bike models.

High Quality Riding Experience

Wider tires, upright structure and aerodynamic design ensures that the biking experience is like none other. Front and back carriers with mount points for specialized containers win points for convenient storage and safe riding.

Affordability & maintenance

These bikes cost around $250- $300 when ordered online which is a very reasonable price to pay for high-quality bikes. The manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty that covers most of the bike repairs. The unique and simple design make hybrids very little maintenance.


Getting Started

When you wish to decide what kind of the hybrid bike you want, it is better to first answer these questions to set your priorities in order:

  • What is your top priority?
  • Quality or affordability?
  • High tech design features or do you prefer a plain, no-nonsense hybrid bike?
  • How much are you willing to spend on this purchase?
  • How healthy are you?
  • For what reason do you plan to ride?

If you plan on shedding weight and enjoy the countryside on weekends, hybrid bike is the best choice for you. It is because these bikes are designed for off-roading as well as street cycling purposes.


Top Reasons to Ride Hybrid Bikes

  • Combination of comfort and commute bikes
  • A toned down version for weight watchers
  • Utilitarian and Sporty- Get the best of Both Worlds
  • Best for leisure and recreation
  • Perfect for riding on paved roads as well as dirt tracks
  • Perfect for travelling on flat terrain
  • Feasible for long distance cycling
  • Good for short jaunts
  • High-tech features and components
  • Cost effective and Low maintenance bikes

Hybrid Bike Components

Handles

Hybrid bikes consist of handle bars which are flat, upright and slightly swept back. These handles support the lumbar spine and are similar to mountain bike design. These hybrids are different from ordinary road bikes and do not have the standard STI-style integrated shift and brake mechanism.

Brakes

Braking system varies from one model to the next. Latest models contain the high-tech V-Brakes hydraulic disc brake system. Some other brake mechanisms include:

  • V-brakes
  • Caliper brakes
  • Linear-pull brakes
  • Disc brakes
  • Hydraulic brakes
  • Cantilever brakes

Hybrid Tires

Sporty and terrain hybrid lovers can go for 26” wider tires. For urban and leisure hybrids 700c wheels are suggested for better grip on concrete roads. Hybrids tires offer better road grip, control and comfort than usual rubber tires.

Drivetrain

The center of the bike and the rear hub are connected by a bike chain that is wound around the crankset and the rear cassette. There are two types of chain rings for the crankset:

  • Doubles
  • Triples

When you switch from one chainring set to the other, you need to adjust course gear settings and for finer gear adjustments, you need to shift the sprockets in the rear hub.

Saddle

Choice of saddle depends on your physique and mileage to be covered. Select from narrow and firm seats which enable the biker to control, change position quickly or go for wide and soft saddles for added comfort. To support lumbar spine, Suspension seatpost is a great choice.

Shifters

The chain moves with the help of the front derailleur between the crankset rings and rear cassette sprockets with rear derailleurs. One shifter controls each of these derailleurs. Twist shifters on handle bars help to change gears. Trigger shifters contain separate levers for up and down shift. The clicking sound helps you choose which gear is next.

Frames

Hybrid frames are made from different materials, and they provide the durability and better performance. Some of the unique characteristics of hybrid frame designs are

  • Adjustable components
  • Comfort and efficiency
  • Speed and Shock absorbency
  • Easy pedaling
  • Sleek seats
  • High air pressure in tire tubes
  • Extraordinary long rides experience

Some of the popular frame materials used for manufacturing hybrid structure have unique characteristics that can help you in deciding the best bike for you such as

Restructures, consolidated high tensile steel frame
Such frames make the bike affordable and are suitable for beginners

Lightweight steel alloy Chrome frame
Anti-rust frame is perfect for little maintenance and hobby hybrid bikes

Aluminium frame
Reliable, rust free and lightweight frame best for sports, fast commute or urban bikes.

Carbon fiber, Carbon composite steel or aluminium frame
Elite class frame for professional hybrid bikes.


Tools needed for bike assembly

Assembling the hybrid bike is no rocket science. The manual gives clear cut instructions on how to do it. Here’s a list of tools you need to finish the task:

  • Chain tool
  • Screwdriver needed to tune low and high stops for derailleurs
  • Cable pullers to dress bike cables neatly
  • Pliers
  • Wrenches

Hybrid Essential Accessories

Helmet

Choose the right fit and specially designed helmets for cycling
Cost: $35- $200

Check out our detailed review of the best bike helmets.

Water bottle & cage

Proper hydration is very important, and hybrid bikes have mount points to fit at least one bottle.
Cost: $15-25

Pedals

Different types of pedals are

  • Entry level flat pedals
  • Clipless pedals
  • Strap & toe clip pedals

Cost: $25-100

Seat pack

A medium seat pack works good for storing

  • flat tire repair
  • change coins
  • A couple of dollars
  • iPod or cell phone

Cost:$20-50

Spare tire tube and levers & Patch repair kit

Repair kit should include

  • Necessities to fix a flat tire
  • A small patch
  • Extra tube

Cost: $20-30

Pump

Light and compact frame-mount pumps are usually attached below the cage and are used to inflate Presta and Schrader valves.
Cost:$20-50

Hybrid Riders Clothing

Cycling shorts

Different from regular Bermudas are the padded crotch hybrid cycling shorts made from high-quality material to absorb compression
Cost: $40-130

Poly-fiber jersey

An excellent alternative to cotton that tends to grow thick and sticky with sweat. Polyester slides away moisture and keeps the biker cool and dry. Back pockets on jerseys provide easy storage for money, iPod or cell phones
Cost: $35-80

Cycling gloves

Relieves pressure improves grip and useful for sweaty hands. Hybrid gel gloves are becoming popular day by day.
Cost: $20-40

Cycling shoes

Cycling shoes have reinforced soles to protect the instep from shock or regressive pain. Clipless pedals also require special shoes to match the cleats.
Cost:$75-150

Hybrid Financing Options

There are bike financing plans which allow you to make a payment in installments that span over 6-10 months. A premium markup and a 10% initial deposit are made to the manufacturer before you can pay the monthly installment.