Please Help choose a bike no more than £700

www.rutlandcycling.com/280933/products/giant-defy-3-2014-road-bike.aspx

this is an absolute bargain for the spec

I have a Whyte Malvern which I use for a hilly commute, cycle paths, towpaths etc. it's very comfy, prob not the lightest bike ever but comfy, solid and will manage panniers etc too

I thought the saddle on my bike was uncomfortable when I first got it, but didn't get round to changing it. I've come to find that the saddle is actually really comfortable on long distance rides. It just took a little while to get used to it.

Yes, saddles are inter-changeable, but don't assume that a wider, squishier saddle will be more comfortable. It needs to support your "sit bones" (ischial tuberosity), so the most important thing is the correct width. Some shops (inc Evans?) have an arse-o-meter to measure your width

What about a cross bike, they have drop bars like a road bike but will take tyres suitable for rougher paths. I have a giant invite2 and I love it. This years model is 699 so just within budget. It has a really low ratio on the lowest gear (ie less than 1 times) so is great for hills. The weight is not disclosed but it's light and can be fast when you want it to be. I also think the 2015 version in white is pretty!

Ok, I've done the one finger test op, and I can't do it. Can do it with two fingers though, so was nearly right

I'm the opposite, I'd avoid pretty like the plague, just because bikes are so very nickable.

Pretty for me, comes at a much higher pricetag than £700. The beautiful Pinnarello I rode at the NEC last week, that was pretty - in a 'move aside boys, I'm coming through' way

Nobody has really addressed the issue of "pretty". Eye of the beholder, and all that, but personally I think it's important . But rather than a "pretty frame", you could consider a very plain frame (black or white or grey), and then accessorise it in a bright colour. We did this with my friend's hybrid, a grey Pinnacle (that's Evan's own brand), then added red pedals, grips, bell, lights, bottle cage, valve caps, panniers, etc. It looks really good (and when she sells it to me, I'll replace the red stuff with purple).

A word of warning, though - don't buy a red saddle

If you want hills you need a 'granny gear' basically either a small (micro) smallest chainring on the front or a very large largest cog on the back or a combination of quite wee on front quite big on back so that it works out that the lowest gear you can use is close to being 1:1 i.e. the cog on the front is almost the same as the cog on the back so you get one turn of the wheel for every turn of the pedals. Going up hill is then easy (if slow)

usually you will something reasonable with smallest front and largest back on any bike with a reasonable number of gears (esp if it has 3 rings on the front) but you can specifically request a good easy climbing gear at the bike shop and they will be able to advise you.

I've got a Specialized Tricross which is a cyclocross type bike. For me its a perfect hybrid without being a hybrid. Its got drops so looks the business and has different hand positions for longer journeys. You can tour on it as I've got mudguards and a rack. I've got fairly wide tyres....I think 35mm or possibly 32mm and it handles rough tracks ok. I reckon its faster than a hybrid. I could put slicker tyres on it if I wanted to and it'd be faster still.

How about a cyclocross bike then? You'll be able to do trails on it, but it will still be faster than a hybrid. If you were doing a sportive, you could put slick tyres on it.

I completely recommend Boardman bikes, available only from Halfords I think. This one is a newer version of mine, which I love.

DH has the fancy pants carbon fibre one, but that costs £££.

What sort of bike does your dh have? If its a road bike, as pp says, they do go faster than hybrids. So if he has a road bike and you're planning on cycling with him, it may be worth considering a road bike too. I love my hybrid but it definitely isn't as fast as a road bike.

I have an Ariel Elite Disc, and though I really like it, and its great on trails, I go 2mph faster on average on a road bike (same routes etc). If you are planning on keeping up with your dh, it'll be a lot easier on a road bike with skinny tyres etc

My hybrid is pretty light.
It is lighter by a long way. than my 6 yr olds mtb which is half the size. Obvs it is not as light as my road bike but it isn't a clunky monster. And as it is pretty old I reckon the newer revolution couriers would be lighter. They do also do roads and tourers though. All at v reasonable prices and frequently win awards. (Not paid by then honest!)
But it is a lovely bike and a pleasure to ride.

The one finger test? No. But I will when I get the bike out in the morning.

Speak to your employer op about the government scheme to get people cycling. If you get a bike up to the value of £1000, they pay something like 40% of it.