The best budget hybrid bikes are flexible friends that give cyclists the option to be versatile in their riding habits or to find a safe middle ground among the often-overwhelming – and ever-growing – number of riding styles on offer. Those who are exploring more serious cycling for the first time might choose a hybrid as a gateway bike, perhaps nervous about the dropped handlebars of road bikes or wary of picking a ride that is too specialised in one discipline.
The joke among cyclists is the ideal number of bikes in your shed is N+1: whatever you have plus one more. And the truth is that the best bike for the type of ride you are embarking upon is always going to be one designed specifically for that discipline. If you are riding on roads, you need the best road bikes; if you are riding gravel, you need the best gravel bikes.
So while a hybrid certainly offers a more versatile ‘do-it-all’ alternative, it is never going to ‘do it all’ perfectly. So it is important to consider the type of riding you will be doing – because often hybrids are designed with a focus on certain attributes – while at the same time accepting that it will not be as good as a bike designed solely for a singular purpose.
The best budget hybrid bikes will also be customisable to suit your needs, so you may also want to look at the best bike lights, the best flat road bike pedals or the best road bike tyres to get the best out of your new ride.
We have looked at the best hybrid bikes in the past, but this guide is focused more on those making their first forays into cycling who want to put a cap on how much they spend as they dip an exploratory toe in the water. We set a budget of around £800 and tested bikes that offer a range of different characteristics to suit those looking for a commuter ride, a fitness bike, an urban cruiser or perhaps something with scope to explore off the beaten track.
We took them out for rides on varied routes in varied conditions, comparing them to each other and other bikes we have ridden to see how they performed in terms of comfort, stability, handling and responsiveness as well as comparing their technical specifications such as weight, gearing and frame build.
In case you want a little more help deciding what suits your needs, we have answered a few common questions on how to choose the best budget hybrid bike for you at the end of the article.
The best budget hybrid bikes available today
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