Best Hybrid Bikes Under $500

OUR TOP PICK

Let's kick things off with the best of the best - The Schwinn Cruiser Bike, Wayfarer model.

This bike is our number one choice as it is the hybrid bike that will work best for most people. It ticks every box a hybrid bike needs to - great wheels, sturdy but light frame, sharp brakes.

This bike needs to be built when it arrives but comes with fenders and a kickstand included. Its gear system has 7 options and the bike is fitted with 700cc wheels.

The bike comes in three color options - black, white, and yellow. This bike also comes with two frame options, a step over and a step through.

If you do order this bike, don't expect it to come quickly - some customers have reported shipping taking over three months.

We would also recommend picking up a replacement seat for this bike unless you like having sore buns… 

Pros

• Stylish retro model
• High-quality frame
• Lifetime warranty
• Great price
• Fenders included
• Kickstand included 

Cons

• The seat will need replacing
• Shipping takes an age

EDITORS CHOICE

This is possibly the most beautiful bike on this list (and maybe even on the market).

If you have ever dreamed about riding down country lanes with flowers and cakes in your front basket then this is the bike for you. 

This cruiser comes with thin 22" wheels, that work well with heights from 5"2-6"6 (although if you are shorted, it is possible to have the frame adjusted to work for you), it comes with a comfy brown leather seat, fenders, and a basket rack over the back wheel. 

The only reason this doesn't grab our number one spot is that multiple users have complained about not getting all the parts they need to build their bike.

These missing parts can be difficult to get hold of, and many people have experienced difficulty with sixthreezero's customer service team. 

Pros

• 7-speed gearbox
• 22" wheels - great for all heights
• Gentle on back and knees 
• Comfy seat
• Beautiful bike 

Cons

• Extra parts needed to assemble
• Sixthreezero customer services have some issues 

BEST VALUE

Our third everyday option is a folding hybrid bike. It is also the second bike on this list from Schwinn.

They've already proved that they are capable of making a great hybrid bike, but do they pull off making a folding, hybrid bike?

If you're looking for a convenient way to commute but don't want to sacrifice the fun or ease of using a hybrid bike then this Loops folding bike might be the answer to your prayers.

This bike is smaller than a traditional bike, ideal for city commuting. It also folds away into a small cube - fitting easily into a trunk.

This bike comes with fenders, 20" wheels, a travel-friendly seat, and is incredibly lightweight. The size effect of this lightness is that the frame is a little flimsy.

The wheels are, however, reinforced, which is arguably more important.

This bike is available in three colors - black, red, and white. 

Pros

• Folds - less space, all the benefits
• Comfy seat
• Basket rack included
• Reinforced wheels (20")
• Lightweight 

Cons

• Not a full-sized bike
• Thinner frame 

RUNNER UP

The hybrids that have come before on this list have been road bikes with a little bit of off-roading thrown in.

This, however, is an off-reading bike tamed with a dash of commuter-friendly features. Yes, it may not be as practical as choices 1-3, but my goodness is this bike fun.

This bike comes with an impressive 21 gear settings, a smooth, reinforced suspension, twice enforced wheels, and a lightweight but tough frame.

This bike allows you to bring the tough, all-terrain nature of an off-road bike with the easy control of a road model.

If you're an experienced bike builder you should be able to put this bike together but those of you who are new to bike building may struggle.

We would also recommend checking both the rear and front shifter, as multiple users have mentioned that theirs needed to be professionally tuned before the bike was safe to ride. 

Pros

• 21-speed gearbox
• Reinforced wheels (20")
• Sports frame (aluminum)
• Multi-surface tires 

Cons

• Shifters will need tuning before use
• A little difficult to put together 

RUNNER UP

Earlier in this list, we showed you a great hybrid, folding bike - well take a look at this, a folding, hybrid bike with a sporting twist.

This is a folding bike with a few secrets. It has tough, reinforced off-road wheels that can tackle anything from a smooth road to chunky scree.

The wheels themselves are reinforced meaning they can come with whatever you throw at them.

We love this bike because it performs like an off-road loving hybrid but is in actual fact just a folding bike. It's lightweight, it's fast, and it's easy to travel with.

A bike like this opens up a whole new world to you.

The downsides of this bike come as part of it being a folding bike. The joints where the bikes folders are a little weaker.

The bike is also not a full-sized bike. 

Pros

• Folding bike meets sports bike
• 7-speed gearbox
• Reinforced wheels
• Fenders included
• Kickstand included 

Cons

• Not a full-sized bike
• Folding joints are weaker than a non-folding bike 

RUNNER UP

It's hard to read the reviews of the Vilano Diverse 3.0 and not buy 5 of them straight away.

None of the other bikes on this list have glowing reviews like this one. That's why we had no choice but to include it in our top 10.

This is a sleek hybrid bike that perfectly toes the line between being a smooth-riding road model and a feisty off-road bike that adds a bit of excitement to your day.

This bike isn't a work of art, it's nothing groundbreaking but it is solid, reliable, and does the job more than well.

This bike has a lightweight alloy frame and fork. Its wheels are 700cc (perfect for anyone shorter than 6"2) and are reinforced in two different ways.

This bike has more speed options than every other bike on our list - a really impressive 24-speeds.

With speed comes a need for good quality brakes. This bike can supply that too, customers are happy with how well these brakes last. Even after hundreds of miles riding.

As we said, this is a great bike, it's not anything special, but for the price, this really is a hidden gem in the world of hybrid bikes. 

Pros

• 700cc reinforced wheels
• Lightweight, alloy frame
• 24-speed gearbox
• High-quality brakes 

Cons

• Not any 'bells and whistles'
• Not the prettiest bike 

RUNNER UP

This bike is a great option if you liked everything about our number 2 choice, but you don't like the shape of its frame.

This bike comes in three colors - black, grey, white.

This bike is large, it comes with 26", inforced wheels. This is the largest bike on this list. Riders under 5"6 will struggle to ride this bike.

Unlike other bikes, it is not possible to adjust the frame very easily to fit your height.

It comes with a comfy black leather seat, wide brakes, and a smooth gear change. This is a hybrid bike designed more with commuting and road riding in mind and you'll struggle to have a nicer road trip.

There are hints of this bike's claim to the title of hybrid, these include the thick, absorbent wheels that will cope well with most surfaces, and add to the smoothness of the ride.

Like our number 2 choice, many customers have mentioned not getting all the parts they need with their delivery - and as mentioned before the customer service team at sixthreezero is a little difficult to deal with.

How is this bike different from the 'woman EVRYjourney' model? Firstly, its wheels are 4" bigger, meaning the shorter cyclists will struggle to ride it.

This bike is not specifically designed with off-roading in mind, but more so than the Woman EVRYjounrey.

This bike has thicker wheels and a heavier frame. 

Pros

• 7-speed gearbox
• 26" wheels - great for all heights
• Gentle on back and knees
• Comfy seat
• Beautiful bike 

Cons

• Extra parts needed to assemble
• Sixthreezero customer services have some issues 

RUNNER UP

This is another hybrid bike that doesn't offer any bells and whistles but does its job well.

It's bikes like this that make the phrase 'you get what you pay for' less believable. This bike could easily compete with bikes three times its price.

If you're not an amateur mechanic this bike will appeal to you as it comes 90% assembled. It has a lot of points of adjustment so it is easy to customize. As hybrids go this is a perfect option for beginners.

This is an excellent off-roading bike that has a few features that allow it to perform well on the road too.

It comes with 700cc wheels, fitted with all-terrain treads. This bike does not come with a kickstand, fenders, or a basket rack on the back wheel.

A few users have been complaining that this bike arrives with very cheap, low-quality tires fitted. One's that wear down quickly in off-road situations.

This bike comes at such a good price that you could feasibly replace the tires on arrival, and still get a bike for under $500.

The 21-speed gearbox is impressive for a bike at this price point. This gearbox is perfect for off-roading but also translates well to a busy, stop-start commute. 

Pros

• Comes 90% assembled
• 700cc wheels
• All-terrain tire treads
• A comfy, spring-loaded saddle
• 21-speed gearbox 

Cons

• No kickstand
• No fenders included
• No extras
• Weak tires 

RUNNER UP

This bike from TOUNTLETS is as flashy as you can get for under $500 (or even half that, as this bike is).

Not only do you get a good quality bike that can compete with everything else on this list with ease, but you also get a boatload of accessories.

TOUNTETS would have you believe that peddles count as an accessory, thankfully that's not all they're offering.

This bike comes with a range of lightweight attachments and even lightweight alloy wheel covers (perfect for long races on the roads).

This bike comes with 700cc wheels that are enforced, and come with extra accessories that help to enforce the wheels further.

If you're interested in using your hybrid bike for racing, at least part of the time, then this will be the bike for you. It is designed with racing in mind.

TOUNTLETS has finetuned this bike to be as light as possible - less than 35 pounds. Boasting over 21-speed settings and finely balanced brakes, this bike will cope well racing on and off the road.

The fast-responding brakes make this bike a great option for the daily commute as well.

When you look at what this bike can bring to the table it really is hard to get your head around the fact that this is the cheapest bike on this list. 

Pros

• 700cc wheels
• Best priced bike on this list
• Accessories
• Racing build
• Racing handles
• 21-speed gearbox
• Lightweight 

Cons

• Not for beginners
• Complex to put together 

RUNNER UP

We're ending this list with a bang. This bike by Eurobikes is a speed chaser's dream. Perfect for anyone who's hitting the race tracks on the weekend, and the cycle to work for the rest of the week. 

Like the choice above, this bike is designed for people who already have some cycling skills and who know a little bit about maintaining bikes. 

This is one of the best-priced bikes on our list and if you're into racing a bike like this could save you a lot of money. 

Why is this bike so good for racing? Well, Eurobikes have managed to get the total weight of this bike down to 33.5 pounds (if you're into racing you know how much every single gram counts), it has lightweight 700cc, reinforced wheels, and 21-speed settings. Giving you total control. 

It is a little complicated to put together, and it is a little closer to riding a racing bike than a road bike.

For these reasons, we recommend beginners to skip this bike. 

Pros

• Super lightweight - 33.5 pounds
• Comes in 4 sizes
• Great price
• 85% assembled on delivery
• Impressive braking system
• 700cc wheels
• 21-speed gearbox 

Cons

• Not for beginners