Decathlon UK Advice: How to choose your hybrid bike…

Get expert advice from our in-house Decathlon UK cycle team on how to choose the perfect hybrid bike for you!

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In this video guide I’m going to take you through how to choose your hybrid bike the first thing to figure out is what actually is a hybrid bike well a hybrid bike is designed to bridge the gap between a mountain bike and a road bike it allows you to ride efficiently

And comfortably on the road and also it allows you to ride safely and comfortably on gravel trails and Canal towpath making the bike very versatile indeed one of the main differences between a hybrid bike and the mountain or a road bike is the width of the tires

And the riding position the tires tend to be a bit wider than a traditional road bike tire with some grip for traction but not as broad as a mountain bike tire making it far more efficient for riding on the road the wheels on the hybrid bike also are 28 inches in

Diameter to add to a hybrid bike versatility you always have the ability to add front and rear mud guards ideal if you’re cycling to work or riding throughout the winter season and you can also add a rear pannier rack one quite unique feature with hybrid bikes are the

Number of gears or the way the gearing is set up modern hybrid bikes only tend to have one chairing at the front meaning you don’t have a friend derailleur anymore as out the rear you have a wide variety of sprockets giving you great ratios for riding fast and

Efficiently on the flat but also very good ratios from riding up steep hills the bike is very easy to use because of this and also maintenance is kept to a minimum the ideal compromise that’s why a hybrid bike is so popular next thing is to consider what kind of riding will you be

Doing and by that I mean for how long will you be riding how frequently if you’re riding only occasional short distances at a moderate pace on the odd weekend an entry-level hybrid bike will be perfect but if you’re considering writing to work every day with your bike

Or doing a long day or even two day outings on your bike you really need to consider the specification and look for a bike with low weights and highly efficient parts giving it a reliable ride to add to the comfort of the bike most hybrid bikes come with friend suspension forks but

You won’t find a rear suspension on a hybrid bike the front suspension doesn’t give as much as what we call travel as a mountain bike but it does soak up the angulated terrain very well and I was a very comfortable ride with some higher-end models allowing you to lock

Out the fork making the bike even more efficient when riding on tarmac so what are the main upgrade you’ll find on a hybrid bike as you move up the range well first of all let’s start with the frame entry level hybrid bikes may come with a traditional high quality steel

Frame and steel rigid forks as we move up the range the frame will be made of aluminium and the forks would be suspended Forks giving more comfort you will also find that the wheels will also become like to that become stronger and the rims may be wider allowing you to

Choose a wider variety of tires to suit your riding style next we move on to the gearing an entry-level hybrid bike male you have seven gears but the higher-end hybrid bikes will have up to 11 gears this is excellent because it means you can find the perfect ratio for the riding terrain an

Entry-level hybrid bike will tend to come with very efficient but easy to use v brake levers gripping the rim of the bike but as you move up the range you should really expect to find disc brakes the mid-range bikes will have a mechanical operated disc brake which works very well but the higher-end

Hybrid bikes will come with hydraulic brakes this gives fantastic stopping power is it particularly useful if you’re into cycle touring because the bike will be heavier because it carry extra weight with your mud guard your pan your rack and full bags at the rear this means the hydraulic brake will give

Perfect stopping power which you will need if you’re carrying extra weight on your bike it also means that if you’re riding in wet weather or the whole year just riding to work even in winter hydraulic brakes will give you peace of mind and safety and security

When trying to break in an emergency or need to brake suddenly I hope you found this guide useful to help you choose your hybrid bike and don’t forget to pop into your local Decathlon store or to go to Decathlon Co UK where you can visit the webpage and look at each project in

More detail as well as choosing the right size of bike for you