Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500: 6 of the Best Recreation Hybrids

So, you’ve planned your commute and you’ve decided you’ve decided on a hybrid bike. You’ve got a £500 budget and you’re keen to get on two wheels. To help you pick we have reviewed the Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for recreation riding.

Performance Recreation Hybrid Bikes Under £500 Results

Comfort Recreation Hybrid Bikes Under £500 Results

Recreation hybrid bikes are more akin to mountain bikes. Proper mountain bikes are overkill for road cycling and take much more effort to go the same distance. This is because they weigh more and have knobbly tyres with high rolling resistance. If you then add the weight of racks and panniers on top then this can really sap your power and speed. But if you need the versatility of a bike that can handle on and off road then a recreation hybrid could be perfect.

Recreation Hybrids will have larger wheels and slicker tyres than a traditional mountain bike. This reduces rolling resistance on the road. But the tyres will still have enough tread for use on towpaths and bridleways. They also come fitted with suspension forks for a more comfortable ride.

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Hybrid Bike Review – Specialized Crosstrail Disc – 2017

We’ll kick off our Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 review with the Specialized Crosstrail disc 2017. Specialized have branded their hybrid bikes as ‘Fitness’ bikes. The Crosstrail is Specialized offering for the recreation fitness cyclist. The Crosstrail is for the cyclist who wants to mix it up and get out there and explore. The bike is light and fast enough for riding on the roads. The front suspension keeps the bike versatile and smooth on all terrain if you want to head off the tarmac.

Frame and Forks

The Specialized Crosstrail frame is made from Specialized’s A1 SL Premium Aluminium. The frame has fully manipulated butted tubing to keep the weight down.  Specialized have given the cross trail Fitness Geometry, which gives the bike a good balance between comfort and speed. As for extra features, the frame has internal cable routing, flat mount disc, rack & Plug + Play mounts.

The Crosstrail comes equipped with SR Suntour NEX suspension forks.  The NEX forks have 60mm of travel from coil springs and multi-circuit damping. A really useful feature for the road is the forks hydraulic lock-out system. The lock-out makes the forks rigid when the suspension isn’t needed keeping the Crosstrail fast and efficient over any surface.

Bike Your Drive Score = 18/25

Groupset

The groupset on the Crosstrail is a mixture of entry-level Shimano components with a Specialized own brand chainset, KMC chain and Sun Race Cassette.

The Sun Race 11-34t cassette and the Shimano Altus rear derailleur and shifters give the Crosstrail an 8-speed setup at the back. Up front there’s a Specialized Stout Forged triple alloy chainset. The chainset comes with a chainguard for bash protection for the 48/38/28T chainrings. The triple chainset is matched with a Shimano Tourney front derailleur for a 24-speed groupset. Tying the drivetrain up is a KMC X8 8-speed chain which has a reusable missing link.

Bike Your Drive Score = 17/25

Wheels and Brakes

The wheels on the Crosstrail are Specialized own brand. The wheels are equipped with black, double wall, 6061 aluminium, 700c disc specific rims. Both front and rear hubs are Specialized own brand and have double sealed loose ball bearings. Each wheel also comes with a 9mm quick release. Wrapping the wheels are 38mm Trigger Sport Reflect tyres.

The Crosstrail’s stopping power comes from Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. A 160mm disc rotor is bolted to each of the hubs. The brake callipers are bolted to the frame via flat mounts and feature organic pads brake pads.

Bike Your Drive Score = 19/25

Finishing Kit

Finally, the finishing kit on the Crosstrail is all unbranded black alloy. The handle bars on the Crosstrail are flat double butted alloy. The Crosstrail comes with Specialized Body Geometry Set Control Grips for hand comfort which also lock-on to the handlebars for stability. The stem on the Crosstrail has a short reach and 7-degree rise for comfort and responsive handling. The Crosstrail has a black alloy two bolt seat pin to keep the weight down. Atop the seat pin is a Canopy Sport saddle with steel rails.

Bike Your Drive Score = 19/25

Verdict

• The geometry and the paint colours really make the Crosstrail a great looking bike.
• The Specialized frame design and materials are at the top end of this review.
• The Crosstrail comes well equipped but it’s not the best.  The Specialized brand comes with a bit of a premium
• This bikes a solid choice for the more performance orientated rider over comfort.

Bike Your Drive Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for Recreation Riding – Total Score = 73/100

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Hybrid Bike Review – Cube Curve Pro – 2017

Second in our Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for recreational riding review is the Cube Curve Pro. The Curve range comes from Cube’s trekking series of bikes. The Curve Pro is perfect for anyone wanting to get into the world of cycling. This bike is great for weekend rides and building fitness. Equally at home on the road or country trails and even light enough to take on the hills.

Frame and Forks

The Curve Pro frame is made from Superlite aluminium with double butted tubes. This keeps the frame weight down but keeps the frame stiff for accurate handling. The frame also comes with mudguard, rack and kickstand mounts. The gear and brake cables are internally routed through the frame for a crisp look and to keep them out of the mud.

The Curve Pro comes with SR Suntour NEX HLO suspension forks with 63mm of travel. The NEX HLO forks come with a hydraulic lockout feature to make the forks rigid when you don’t want the forks to sap your power.

Bike Your Drive Score = 18/25

Groupset

The Curve Pro comes equipped with a full Shimano groupset which is a definite plus point. The rapidfire-plus shifters, front and rear derailleur are all Shimano Altus. Together with a 9 speed Shimano Acera 11-34T Cassette and a KMC X9 chain gives the Curve Pro a 27 speed set up.

Finishing off the groupset is the Shimano Acera triple chainset. The Acera chainset comes with 48x36x26T chainring and a chainguard to protect the chainrings from knocks and bashes.

Bike Your Drive Score = 20/25

Wheels and Brakes

Cube ZX20, 32H Disc specific rims and CUBE K68 Disc hubs make up the own brand Cube 700c wheelset. Schwalbe Smart Sam 44c, active tyres provide the grip.

The stopping power comes from Tektro M285 hydraulic disc brakes. Both front and rear hubs have 160mm rotors for equal braking power.

Bike Your Drive Score = 20/25

Finishing Kit

The Stem, Grips and seat post are all own brand Cube Performance. The handlebar is again Cube own brand but this time a trail riser bar for a slightly more upright riding position and more comfort. Lastly, the saddle on the Curve Pro is the Active 1.1.

Bike Your Drive Score = 19/25

Verdict

• For us, the Cube Curve Pro is the best-looking bike here. The colour scheme is superb and the geometry makes the bike look fast and agile.
• Like the Specialized the Curve Pro is more speed and performance orientated.
• The Curve Pro has a Slightly better spec than the Specialized. It has slight upgrades on the groupset and wheels
• Again a great choice for the rider looking for performance and speed. We think the spec slightly pips the Crosstrail here.

Bike Your Drive Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for Recreation Riding – Total Score = 77/100

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Hybrid Bike Review – GT Transeo 4.0 – 2017

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Hybrid Bike Review – Orbea Comfort 10 – 2017

Fourth in our Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for recreational riding review is the Orbea Comfort 10. The Comfort 10 is from Orbea’s leisure range of bikes.  The Comfort is aimed at cyclists looking for a smooth ride through the city or on more adventurous trips.

Frame and Forks

The Orbea Comfort 10 frame is made from aluminium like other bikes here. The Orbea has Comfort Top Bar frame geometry. This geometry gives you a more upright riding position for a more comfortable ride. The frame features internal cable routing for a sleeker look and to keep your cables out of the grime.  The frame also comes with mounts for racks, frame locks and a kickstand.

The Comfort 10 comes with SR Suntour NEX suspension forks. These forks have 63mm or travel and are disc specific. One thing the SR Suntour NEX  forks on the Orbea Comfort 10 are lacking is a lockout feature.

Bike Your Drive Score = 17/25

Groupset

Where the Comfort 10 really excels is its full Shimano groupset. The groupset is a mixture of Deore and Altus.

The shifters and Shadow rear mech are Deore. Shimano Shadow technology is used on their higher end MTB groupsets (Deore or better). There are two main benefits of shadow technology. The first is a more direct cable routing which results in a lot less cable friction, and therefore, better and smoother shifting. The second is a reduction in outward profile of the derailleur which keeps it out of the way and less suseptible to knocks and damage.

Making up the Altus components is the front mech, chain, triple chainset and 9-speed cassette.  The 26, 36, 48 tooth chainrings and 12-36t cassette give wide gear ratios for the 27 speed set up.

Bike Your Drive Score = 23/25

Wheels and Brakes

Another plus point for the Comfort 10 is a full set of Shimano Hydraulic Disc brakes. The M315 offers good stopping power with proven Shimano quality.

Matched to the brakes are Mach 1 ER20 700c disc specific wheels in black. For grip, the Comfort 10 comes fitted with Kenda Reflex 1.65 inch wide tyres. The Kenda reflex tyres also have a reflective strip for added safety.

Bike Your Drive Score = 21/25

Finishing Kit

Finishing kit is Orbea own brand aluminium but is specced with Comfort in mind. The Comfort 10 comes with a riser handlebar and an adjustable stem both in black. This will give you a more upright and comfortable riding position which you can tailor to your tastes. The seatpost also has a small shock absorber to take the sting out of any harsh bumps. The bike also comes fitted with a black Orbea kick stand.

Bike Your Drive Score = 21/25

Verdict

In our best hybrid bikes under £500 review for recreation riding, we’ve rated the

• The Orbea Comfort 10 definitely has the best spec here.
• The bike has a fantastic Shimano groupset for the price.
• It’s also the only bike here with Shimano hydraulic disc brake set up.
• But, the bike is aimed at the rider looking for comfort rather than speed.

Bike Your Drive Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for Recreation Riding – Total Score = 82/100

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Hybrid Bike Review – Merida Crossway 40-D – 2017

The Merida Crossway 40-D is the fifth bike in our Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for recreational riding review. The Crossway is Merida’s range of recreation Hybrid bikes. The Crossway aims to combine a comfortable ride with commuting, fitness training and leisure riding. The 40-D fits in the middle of the Crossway range and is designed with rider comfort in mind.

Frame and Forks

The Crossway frame is made from techno formed ‘Racelite’ 6061 aluminium. Technoforming is the process of mechanically shaping the tubes of the frame.  The racelite 61 is a lightweight alloy which originated from the aerospace industry. The frame tubes are also double butted to minimise weight. The result of this gives the Crossway a solid and light alloy frame. The frame also features mounts for rack, mudguards and kickstand.

Up front, the Crossway 40-D  comes equipped with SR Suntour NEX fork with 63mm of travel. Like some of the other hybrids here the forks also have a lockout mechanism. The lockout feature is useful for climbing and smooth surfaces where suspension can sap your power.

In contrast to the rest of the bikes here, the NEX forks come with a threaded steerer tube and headset. Threadless headsets and steerers on modern bikes have largely replaced the dated threaded steerer setup. This could have cause issues for repairs or upgrades for the Crossway in the future.

Bike Your Drive Score = 16/20

Groupset

The groupset for the Crossway is a mixture of Shimano components and other budget brands. The shifters, front mech and rear mech are all Shimano Altus. There’s a Sunrace CS-9S 9 speed cassette at the back and an SR Suntour XCM triple chainset up front. This 27-speed setup offers a wide range of gear ratios from the 48-36-26 chainset and 11-32 Cassette.

Bike Your Drive Score = 17/25

Wheels and Brakes

The Crossway comes equipped with Tektro TA Hydraulic disc brakes, with 160mm rotors front and rear. The Tektro brakes give consistent power in both wet and dry conditions. The brakes are mounted to Merida own brand 700c wheels. The Merida wheels are made up from alloy hubs, alloy rims and stainless steel spokes. Lastly, own brand Merida Cross 40C tyres complete wheelset.

Bike Your Drive Score = 18/25

Finishing Kit

Like the majority of bikes on test here, the Crossway 40-D finishing kit is own brand. The Crossway 40-D is equipped with a riser handlebar and an adjustable stem for rider comfort. But the threaded stem and headset does let the Crossway down here.

Support at the back comes from a Crossway Sport saddle and a suspension seatpost. This helps provide comfort for when you take the Crossway off the smooth tarmac.

Bike Your Drive Score = 18/25

Verdict

• The Merida Crossway 40-D frame is made from quality ‘racelite’ alloy.
• But, the threaded steerer on the NEX forks may cause issues in the future.
• The groupset equipped is mid range and is a combination of Shimano and other brands.
• Like the Orbea, the Crossway is designed for rider comfort. However, the spec of the Crossway isn’t as high as the Orbea.

Bike Your Drive Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for Recreation Riding – Total Score = 69/100

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Hybrid Bike Review – Marin San Rafael DS1 700c – 2017

 

Lastly in our Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for recreational riding review is the Marin San Rafael DS1. The San Rafael is a series of Dual Sport Bikes from within Marins Pavement range of Bikes.  The San Rafael is designed to have both on and road capability, ideal for adventuring past the end of the tarmac.

Frame and Forks

The San Rafael DS1 is built on a Marin Series 2 6061 aluminium frame. The frames geometry is Marin Dual Sport design, which gives you a balanced riding position between upright comfort and pedalling performance. The frame has some additional nice features like forged drop outs, rack and mudguard eyelets and internal cable routing.

The San Rafael has SR Suntour NEX suspension forks to soak up off-road bumps. These forks have 63mm of travel and have preload adjustment so they can be tailored to your weight. One thing the SR Suntour NEX  forks on the San Rafael are lacking is a lockout feature.

Bike Your Drive Score = 16/25

Groupset

The San Rafael comes equipped with a 24-speed drivetrain. The bulk of the components are Shimano Altus and Tourney. The exceptions being the Sunrace 11-32T 8 Speed cassette and KMC Z8 chain.  Gear control is through Shimano EF500 shifters – brake lever combo. These are matched with a Shimano Altus rear derailleur and a Shimano Tourney front derailleur. The Chainset on the San Rafael is also Shimano Tourney. The chainset comes with 48, 38 and 28 tooth chainrings and a bash guard for added protection.

Bike Your Drive Score = 19/25

Wheels and Brakes

The San Rafael is the only bike here which has specced more traditional rim brakes over disc brakes. The brakes are unbranded alloy V brakes paired with brake levers on the EF500 shifters. Rim brakes generally don’t offer as much braking power as disc brakes. They also suffer from reduced performance in the wet and off road grime.

The wheels of the San Rafael are 700c Marin own brand rim brake. They are simple aluminium hubs laced into Marin aluminium double wall rims with a machined braking surface. Kenda Kahn semi slick tyres offer speed on the tarmac and stability in the corners.

Bike Your Drive Score = 16/25

Finishing Kit

Like other bikes here the finishing kit on the DS1 is all Marin own brand. Up front, there is an alloy stem and riser bar. Supporting the Marin Fitness Plush saddle is an alloy seatpost. The DS1 doesn’t feature any of the other creature comforts like a kickstand and suspension seatpost.

Bike Your Drive Score = 19/25

Verdict

• The San Rafael has a solid frame and forks, but the suspension lacks lockout feature.
• Features a full Shimano Altus / Tourney groupset, however, only 24 speed.
• This is the only bike here equipped with rim brakes rather than disc brakes.
• The San Rafael sits in the middle of the performance comfort tradeoff but,  it’s not specced as highly as the other bikes reviewed here.

Bike Your Drive Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for Recreation Riding – Total Score = 70/100

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Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for Recreation Riding – The Round Up.

So we’ve reviewed six of the best Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for recreational riding. Despite all of the bikes being aimed at the same market, there are key differences between them. The fundamental differences are whether the bike is designed for comfort or performance.

The Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for performance riding is the Cube Curve pro. The Curve Pro score 77 /100 and narrowly has the edge from the Specialized Crosstrail with 73/100. Both of these bikes would be an excellent choice for riders looking for speed whilst recreational riding.

The Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for comfort recreational riding is theOrbea Comfort 10. The Orbea Comfort 10 is the clear winner in the comfort bracket with 82/100. The Comfort 10 has the best spec of all the bikes on test here and has plenty of nice features to keep comfortable no matter the terrain.

Well there you have it, that concludes our review of the Best Hybrid Bikes Under £500 for recreational riding. Tell us what you think in the comments below.