My wife and are very new to cycling. We rent bikes all the time when we go camping, but we are begining to look into buying our own. We want a bike that is good for paved trails as well as dirt trails. We were told a hybrid bike would be right for us. My question is, can these hybrid bikes really handle dirt paths well? Also, what is a good brand? I have been told Trek, Giant. Is the Diamondback hybrid a good line? Again, we are beginers and don't need anything super fancy.
Any quality hybrid would work. You have to decide if you want to be sitting upright (many have adjustable handlebars to help with this), or leaning forward more for aerodynamic riding (speed). Look at tire width & tread, seat comfort, handlebar type (flat bar - mtn., drops - road, north road - touring, swooping & raised - cruiser, comfort.) Some pedals are moved forward rather than even with the seatpost. Trek, Giant, Electra, Breezer, etc. all have nice hybrids. If you want to attach racks, look for brazeons (holes in the frame) near the axles.
Ask the bike shop for fit & intended use. I have a Giant Suede with 1.95 wide tires and moderate tread which works great on gravel, dirt, pavement. It has a wide seat with raised handlebars. It does fine on all surfaces but is slow because of the pedal forward, upright design. I love it because I sightsee and meander. It's meant as a comfort/neighhborhood bike. It would work as a commuter if you're not worried about speed. Try (ride) them all first.
considering you are new to cycling the hybrid bike will be able to take probibly everything you are capable of doing. Any brand will be fine and just go into your local shop and tell them about $150 less than your budget per bike and they will probibly up sell you to the next level and you will tend to get a great value bike.
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