Looking for a Hybrid

kats45 said:

. I'm looking for a hybrid to get the best of both worlds. I can't spend more than $500, and wonder what you'd recommend. The bike I rode was a Trek Verve 3. It was nice and very comfortable, but I don't know that much about bikes, so your help is appreciated.Â

in the world of cycling you get much more than 2 options, you get: commuting, mountain bike, road bike, triathlon bike, track bike, singlespeed, touring bike, others so what kind of riding do you want to do ? then we can narrow the search for a best of both worlds situation

Well, riding on bike trails and on the road.

if it is off road trails then you need a mountain bike + front suspension + reasonably thin tyres (26 x 1.90 for example), it doesnt work that well on the other sense (road bike + thick tyres) but it is also a possibility

FWIW. Two bikes to look at are the JAMIS CODA and the BIANCHI MILANO which you can use for further comparison ...

• the Jamis CODA has 700c wheels & is closer to a "Cyclocross" bike, but with a FLAT handlebar ...
  
• the Bianchi MILANO has 26" wheels & is basically a multi-speed (3?) "Beach Cruiser" with non-Balloon tires
  

Both bikes have MSRPs in the mid-$500s ... they should be discounted by at least 20% in the mid-June to mid-July time frame BECAUSE that is really the end of the selling season for each calendar year ...

Choose something like the Bianchi MILANO if you are under 5'5" tall ...

OR, a Hybrid with 700c wheels & a "rigid" fork ...

• IMO, for "bike trails" a suspension fork introduces unnecessary weight & cost ...