Bikes - Urban/Hybrid

Looking for a fuss-free budget bike for getting around the city?  The Urban Soul from KHS could be it - at £299.99 you'll have to go a long way to find a machine as good for the price.

The Soul comes equipped with a Double Butted CrMo top and down tube frame, single-speed freewheel on its flip/flop track hub (which can be converted to a fixed gear in minutes), an upright fit flat bar, front and rear dual pivot brakes, 700c x 26 tires and an all-round great look. There are four sizes: (S, M, L, XL) so you should find one that fits.

We first saw the Urban Cargo at Eurobike 2008 and we've wanted to try one out ever since. Now we have and it turns out to be a very comfortable and capable town machine with some nice touches. It's not all good news though: the expensive spec didn't really enthrall us and the cargo system needs a bit of work. As such it's hard to recommend the bike as tested here, the derailleur option looks a much better bet.

The Cadenza Solo is a fun, low maintenance singlespeed that's designed to be at home in the city. It's not the lightest or most responsive bike but it's very sturdy, and the folding frame makes it a great option if you have a mixed commute. To somewhere fairly flat.

The Gary Fisher Mendota is an exciting commuter bike, yes, that’s right an EXCITING bike to get to work on! It's a fine ride and although the brakes let the side down a bit you're getting a very well specced machine with a responsive feel.

If this Land Rover bike was a Land Rover car then it'd be a Defender, for sure: it's a solidly built, multipurpose machine with a nice high cockpit and dependable equipment. It's not the quickest or liveliest flat barred bike you'll find but it's a good option if you're looking for something that'll take a bit of abuse, or lug some heavier loads.

The Urban Mover UM44S is a decent electric bike that will appeal to commuters and leisure cyclists who want, or need, a bit of a push along the way. The electrics perform well, it isn't overly heavy and the ride quality is pretty good. It isn't without its faults but electric bikes are getting better every year, and while this isn't the best we've seen it's a well thought out solution to the problem of adding power.

Load bikes are the new rock'n'roll apparently. More people want an alternative to their cars and, dare I say it, bikie types might want something more practical than another urban fixer. Current players on the scene are the Surly Big Dummy, the Yuba Mundo and Kona's Ute, with the Extracycle conversion kit as the joker in the pack. The Dummy and Mundo are probably better suited to shifting big loads than the Ute, but don't assume that Ute is merely a fashion item.

The Buga - we're guessing you pronounce that 'booger' and not 'bugger', but neither's exactly great - is Viner's flat bar offering for the burgeoning cycle to work market and it's an interesting alternative to your more standard £1k fare. Italian born and bred, the whole of the bike (except the tyres) hails from the boot and the frame is made by hand there. You'll pay a premium for that Italian chic, but if it's something that you value then the Buga is certainly a rounded machine that's good to ride.

The 7.7FX is the one-from-the top Trek ‘bike path’ bike. They’ve designed it to be a do-it-all machine: recreation, transportation and exercise. It’s a road bike with an upright geometry – not an easy thing to deliver on – but as a package it's a good lightweight commuter, if a little upright for longer jaunts.

Trek 7.7 gallery

The Boardman Urban Pro Ltd is a very capable fast commuter with a high spec level and a responsive ride. It's light and comfortable enough for much, much longer outings than just the trip to work and would be a great sportive or Audax tool for riders who prefer the flats to the drops. Aside from a few niggles, it comes highly recommended.

Boardman Urban Pro gallery