hybrid vs touring

wob86

Hi Im sure this question is asked a lot but tryed searching the forums and couldn't find a similar question.

Im looking a getting a new bike for commuting to work (10 mile eac way) and also for some long distance rides as well (100 - 200 miles over a few days).

now my question is do I use the cash i have now to get a hybrid (i have seen some with rear racks for £200 in evan cycles) or is it worth saving and getting a touring bike if I plan on doing the long rides or could the hybrid cope with that?

thanks for your help

another jacko

I'm not sure I understand that there really is a fundamental difference between a hybrid and a touring bike.

To tour you need a bike:

that will be comfortable for the the sort of distances you plan to travel that will carry the sort of luggage you plan to carry that will be robust enough for type and length of trip you are making that will have the range of gears for the terrain you are covering that (if you want) will let you sit up and look at the scenery around you

A hybrid is perfectly capable of meeting all of these requirements.

An expensive top of the range tourer will meet them better than a cheap bottom of the range hybrid, but that's also true vice versa. Often hybrids and tourers in the same manufacturers range will be pretty much the same bikes - and basically what you are being offered in these market niches is little more than the choice of flat bars, drop bars or 'sit up and beg' bars. Just choose the one that suits the way you feel best.

Buy the best bike you can afford as it will generally, and all other things being equal, be lighter and/or better put together and/or made with longer life components. Don't spend so much on the bike that you can't afford to go on the trips you want to use it for!