Ideal for commuting Hybrids vs Road bikes
DonDaddyD
Posts: 12,689
OK after so many of the hybrid riders were up in arms I've pulled this from my Beginners guide to commuting thread.
However, I don't want to leave this issue there I think there needs to be discussed.
There are so many myths about road bikes that deter people from making them their first purchase.
Firstly:
It is not harder to ride a road bike than it is to ride a hybrid. Riding a bike is all about balance, if you can ride a bike (and lets face it if a person is planning on commuting chances are they actually know how to ride a bike) you can ride a bike.
Tyres Road bike tyres do not offer less grip than slick hybrid tyres. They do cover less surface area and thus roll and accelerate better but take longer to slow down.
Punctures Side wall pinch flat is not a reason not to buy a road bike. All tyres are susceptible to punctures. All tyres are prone to particular punctures.
Brakes Caliper brakes properly set up on a road bike works better than properly set up cantilever brakes found on hybrids. Cable operrated disc brakes and Hydraulic disc brakes work better than caliper brakes but are often really heavy and costly to replace.
Comfot Drop handle bars are more comfortable than flat handlebars, the static riding position offered by a flat handle bar can cause discomfort after a long ride. The ability to move you hands on drop handle bars allows you rotate your shoulders and reposition you back - you can ride longer on a road bike with less discomfort than on a hybrid. This notion is supported by flat bar road bikes whose static riding position can become uncomfortable far earlier than the same bike with drop handle bars.
Frame and riding position The upright position does offer more confidence than the head down chin on the stem riding position of some more aggressive race bred road bikes. Bike's such as the Touring bikes, SCR, Allez, Roubaix, Trek 1 series, Bianchi Via Nirone come with a longer head tube. This coupled with a number of spacers gives the bike an upright riding position. Ride your bike with your hands on the the hoods and not the drops and you can (certainly when comparing between my M2 and SCR) have an upright riding position equal to if not more so than many aggressively shaped hybrids (those that come with purest mountain bike frames).
Wheels bigger wheels are better for riding long distances, smaller wheels are better for accelerating.
All of the above are fact for me born out of my own personal experience. My most recent hybrid was a 2007/8 Giant M2 bought my road bike in August 2008. I can absolutely say that my road bike is more comfortable and reassuring on my commute than my hybrid. My brother is more stable on my road bike (especially at speed) than he ever was on my M2.
Manoeuvrability A hybrid with a mountain bike frame and 26inch wheels will be able to manoeuvre better than a road bike. A hybrid with a mountian bike frame anb 700c wheels will be able to but less so (almost to the point that the difference isn't comparable).
Pot holes Yes the mountain bike basis of a hybrid (thick tyres and frame) will allow it to go over a pot hole easier than a road bike. Common sense and general road safety would suggest to ride around a pot hole because those things could make you dismount. Again the ability to ride over pot holes (more frequently than a road bike (without complaint) is not a reason not to get a road bike.
Road bikes are faster, a better way to get fitter and will open up the possibilites of weekend social riding. I've never seen team hybrid. That's all I have to say about that. Even if you don't like or want to ride socially on the weekend you can dawdle/bimble on any bike. Road bikes don't have to be ridden fast, you have that option however.
Panniers and load carrying Road bikes can do this just like hybrids.
Why bike shops suggest hybrids. They often look familiar and therefore non-threatening to the bikes most are likely to have learnt to ride on. That familiarity is easy to sell to. I think that has lead to several myths about road bikes.
Hybrids are not devoid of purpose, add a soft gravel path thorugh a park to a persons commute and the hybrid will be more sensible than a road bike (though you could buy a cyclocross bike). Fact is hybrids are a comprimise, if you want to ride in the mud you don't buy a hybrid you buy a mountain bike with suspension as it was designed to do so. If you want to ride on the road buy a road bike it was designed to do so. A hybrid is the equivilent of a soft roader or Chelsea tractor (no one would stand for a car company trying to say that a BMW X3 is better than both a Land Rover and a 3 series proper).
So with that, as a person who ridden both a hybrid and a road bike to work, I'm going to say no a hybrid is not safer, more comfortable or automatically better than a road bike for the purpose of commuting.
You can discuss this if you want.
However, I don't want to leave this issue there I think there needs to be discussed.
There are so many myths about road bikes that deter people from making them their first purchase.
Firstly:
It is not harder to ride a road bike than it is to ride a hybrid. Riding a bike is all about balance, if you can ride a bike (and lets face it if a person is planning on commuting chances are they actually know how to ride a bike) you can ride a bike.
Tyres Road bike tyres do not offer less grip than slick hybrid tyres. They do cover less surface area and thus roll and accelerate better but take longer to slow down.
Punctures Side wall pinch flat is not a reason not to buy a road bike. All tyres are susceptible to punctures. All tyres are prone to particular punctures.
Brakes Caliper brakes properly set up on a road bike works better than properly set up cantilever brakes found on hybrids. Cable operrated disc brakes and Hydraulic disc brakes work better than caliper brakes but are often really heavy and costly to replace.
Comfot Drop handle bars are more comfortable than flat handlebars, the static riding position offered by a flat handle bar can cause discomfort after a long ride. The ability to move you hands on drop handle bars allows you rotate your shoulders and reposition you back - you can ride longer on a road bike with less discomfort than on a hybrid. This notion is supported by flat bar road bikes whose static riding position can become uncomfortable far earlier than the same bike with drop handle bars.
Frame and riding position The upright position does offer more confidence than the head down chin on the stem riding position of some more aggressive race bred road bikes. Bike's such as the Touring bikes, SCR, Allez, Roubaix, Trek 1 series, Bianchi Via Nirone come with a longer head tube. This coupled with a number of spacers gives the bike an upright riding position. Ride your bike with your hands on the the hoods and not the drops and you can (certainly when comparing between my M2 and SCR) have an upright riding position equal to if not more so than many aggressively shaped hybrids (those that come with purest mountain bike frames).
Wheels bigger wheels are better for riding long distances, smaller wheels are better for accelerating.
All of the above are fact for me born out of my own personal experience. My most recent hybrid was a 2007/8 Giant M2 bought my road bike in August 2008. I can absolutely say that my road bike is more comfortable and reassuring on my commute than my hybrid. My brother is more stable on my road bike (especially at speed) than he ever was on my M2.
Manoeuvrability A hybrid with a mountain bike frame and 26inch wheels will be able to manoeuvre better than a road bike. A hybrid with a mountian bike frame anb 700c wheels will be able to but less so (almost to the point that the difference isn't comparable).
Pot holes Yes the mountain bike basis of a hybrid (thick tyres and frame) will allow it to go over a pot hole easier than a road bike. Common sense and general road safety would suggest to ride around a pot hole because those things could make you dismount. Again the ability to ride over pot holes (more frequently than a road bike (without complaint) is not a reason not to get a road bike.
Road bikes are faster, a better way to get fitter and will open up the possibilites of weekend social riding. I've never seen team hybrid. That's all I have to say about that. Even if you don't like or want to ride socially on the weekend you can dawdle/bimble on any bike. Road bikes don't have to be ridden fast, you have that option however.
Panniers and load carrying Road bikes can do this just like hybrids.
Why bike shops suggest hybrids. They often look familiar and therefore non-threatening to the bikes most are likely to have learnt to ride on. That familiarity is easy to sell to. I think that has lead to several myths about road bikes.
Hybrids are not devoid of purpose, add a soft gravel path thorugh a park to a persons commute and the hybrid will be more sensible than a road bike (though you could buy a cyclocross bike). Fact is hybrids are a comprimise, if you want to ride in the mud you don't buy a hybrid you buy a mountain bike with suspension as it was designed to do so. If you want to ride on the road buy a road bike it was designed to do so. A hybrid is the equivilent of a soft roader or Chelsea tractor (no one would stand for a car company trying to say that a BMW X3 is better than both a Land Rover and a 3 series proper).
So with that, as a person who ridden both a hybrid and a road bike to work, I'm going to say no a hybrid is not safer, more comfortable or automatically better than a road bike for the purpose of commuting.
You can discuss this if you want.
Food Chain number = 4
A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
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Comments
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Sorry to throw another spanner in the works, but frankly (and seriously for a change) I think my CX bike is a better choice than any of the options above.
You get road bike geometry, almost the same speed, extra comfort from the thicker tyres (and clearances to use them and mudguards), and the ability to cover poor roads, good roads, off road with ease.
I know I've joked about this, but I seriously think that a CX bike is THE ideal commuter.Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
I vote Hybrid. I've got both and I commute on a road bike, so why did I vote hybrid?
Well I think a hybrid is a more practical and easier bike to use. I ride my roadie cos I love it though.
The position of a hybrid is less stretched out due to the shorter top tube. The fatter and tougher wheels of a hybrid are less puncture prone (based on my survey of using both bikes only
). The wider tyres are more stable on the hybrid and the brakes work better on the hybrid. I've got canti on both and they are set up correctly. I have clipless on my roadie and flats on my hybrid.
In summary, the hybrid is a great bike for just hacking around and short commutes. A road bike is a very specialised bike and I think it would be good if you have a long commute and need the speed, but if you don't need the speed then a hybrid is a more practical better choice. Alternatively you may just love the zipp of a road bike and I'm in the latter category!0 -
Depends on the nature of your commute also, you city types could (possibly) justify using a (cough, splutter) hybrid, my commute is a 56 mile round trip on rural B roads and rolling hills so road bike, no contest.Pictures are better than words because some words are big and hard to understand.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34335188@N07/3336802663/0 -
I've voted hybrid because it suits my current commute, but it depends really. A few years ago I used to commute 11 miles each way on mostly open roads on my Dawes Galaxy with panniers, and a hybrid wouldn't have been nearly as good. At the moment I do relatively short hacks around the city and my hybrid is much better for that.0
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I'd pick my SS roadie over a hybrid for my on road commute any day of the week. Tough Halo wheels, fast and dependable Vittoria tires, dual pivot caliper brakes, carbon forks and seatpin - fast, comfortable, stable.
@ Jeepie - I disagree with your assertion that: "The fatter and tougher wheels of a hybrid are less puncture prone."
I'd argue that most bikes (around the £500 or so mark) of hybrids and entry level roadies are usually sold with pretty dire wheels anyway. I'd back my upgraded Halo wheels/Rubino pro tires over OEM hybrid wheels/tires anytime. I've been running Rubino Pros (700x23) on my commuting SS for nearly a year now - I travel all over London on that bike, over some awful road surfaces and I've had 0 P*nctures.- 2023 Vielo V+1
- 2022 Canyon Aeroad CFR
- 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX
- Strava
- On the Strand
- Crown Stables
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I think there's a massive difference inside the term 'hybrid' - both my last bikes have been hybrids.
BUT the former was an upright and incredibly heavy shopper, the latter is essentially a flat-bar roadie (albeit with some added chunk).
Mind you, the shopper was perfect for my old 2-mile commute, carrying shopping (funny, that) and general "Oooh I look so girly I will never get stolen!" looks...
(voting Hybrid)
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I voted hybrid although I currently commute on a CX bike.
Personally I found the more upright position on my hybrid to be more comfortable when using a rucksack to carry things.
HOWEVER, on a commute I used to do of 18+ miles each way I used the roadie cos it was quicker.0 -
Another vote for CX bikes. Apart from being too big for me :evil: mine is perfect for the commute. I have road style geometry, can take panniers, full mud guards etc.
Though my opinion may change when I get my shiney new Giant road bike.0 -
The question should be 'What is best for a beginner'. My answer would be Hybrid.0
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it all depend on the distance you are commuting, type of commuting route and as other point out, the stuff that you are carrying during commuting too.
for me, i will say Hybrid as it is more close to what im commuting with and im happy with it."It is not impossible, its just improbable"
Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 080 -
Hey Jash - you may be right. I have however just upgraded my roadie tyres to Michelin Kryolin Carbons as I was getting loads of punctures with the previous set. Don't even know what tyres I have on my hybrid and only had 1 puncture in 6 years!0
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I think this is a bit of a redundant argument really, because it boils down to 'each to their own'.
I think the best advice is to cycle to work on whatever bike you have hanging around or if you're buying a new one, whatever you feel comfortable on - which differs for different people. Different factors are important to each person. I spent 6 months commuting on a full suspension MTB, and whilst I wasn't the fastest, it was nice enough. Although, having said that, I now have a 'proper' road bike, a singlespeed and a mountain bike sitting in the flat.
I have a friend who won't take a second look at bikes with drop bars. It's completely irrational, but that's just how he is. He wants to get a fixed gear, but he won't buy one unless I promise to fit some flat bars to it!
Commuting is easy (even in London, surprisingly, as everyone I talked to before I moved here was convinced commuting to work by bike was going to be potentially more hazardous than in Iraq), and it can be done on any bike - if some people feel more comfortable on a hybrid then so be it.
Once they get bitten by the bug, they'll end up with multiple bikes anyway!0 -
I've just gone through pain of this as I've been commuting on a HT. After umming & ahhing I've ended up with an Escape R1 as it fits what I want it for (roads and bridleways). Didn't even consider CX :roll:Giant Escape R1
FCN 8
"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
- Terry Pratchett.0 -
dondaddyd you may only have one bike? but most of us have a number, at any point i can be a hybrid/roadie/mtb etc rider
while all bikes can be ridden some bikes need to be ridden more, road bikes are for fun so tend to be faster to the point in some of twichy. a more sit up and beg bike will just roll along and will take a lot to shunt it out of line, which is incdently why the MTB's was born out of ballon wheeled clunkers being lauched downhill.
wider tires will give more grip, some of the road tires are very good but not that good.
good V brakes are very good a lot better than road brakes, even my 15 year old pre V's can't are lot better, road brakes are not it's strong point.
arguments about being able to take a road bike on club runs are bit um well this is a bike for commuting most people have more than one bike.....
as to comprise some hybrids are simply MTB's with slicks take the slicks off and they will bog snorkle with the rest of them.0 -
Matt-B wrote:
Once they get bitten by the bug, they'll end up with multiple bikes anyway!
Isn't this kinda the point though? I'm a bit preachy against Hybrids because when I started I was talked into one. I quickly got fed up being passed by roadies all the time and when (thankfully) it got stolen, I bought a Specialized Allez and never looked back. Yeah the hybrid got me going, but the roadie was a revelation - better in every single way.
I just don't want some people to make the same mistake I did and waste £400 or more on a bike they may very well get fed up with very quickly.
So I won't say "don't get a hybrid" but I will say "try a few roadies out as well." That way you might just save some money in the long run.- 2023 Vielo V+1
- 2022 Canyon Aeroad CFR
- 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX
- Strava
- On the Strand
- Crown Stables
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jashburnham wrote:Matt-B wrote:
Once they get bitten by the bug, they'll end up with multiple bikes anyway!
Isn't this kinda the point though? I'm a bit preachy against Hybrids because when I started I was talked into one. I quickly got fed up being passed by roadies all the time and when (thankfully) it got stolen, I bought a Specialized Allez and never looked back. Yeah the hybrid got me going, but the roadie was a revelation - better in every single way.
I just don't want some people to make the same mistake I did and waste £400 or more on a bike they may very well get fed up with very quickly.
So I won't say "don't get a hybrid" but I will say "try a few roadies out as well." That way you might just save some money in the long run.
Are you typical of the average beginner though? For instance your location being 'lounging on a throne of scalps' may suggest you are not the average pootling type.0 -
jashburnham wrote:Matt-B wrote:
Once they get bitten by the bug, they'll end up with multiple bikes anyway!
Isn't this kinda the point though? I'm a bit preachy against Hybrids because when I started I was talked into one. I quickly got fed up being passed by roadies all the time and when (thankfully) it got stolen, I bought a Specialized Allez and never looked back. Yeah the hybrid got me going, but the roadie was a revelation - better in every single way.
I just don't want some people to make the same mistake I did and waste £400 or more on a bike they may very well get fed up with very quickly.
So I won't say "don't get a hybrid" but I will say "try a few roadies out as well." That way you might just save some money in the long run.
there is that yes, that sadly problem in that until starts you don't know how serious or not you'll get, my wife potters to and from work though a Bushy park etc the route is not hilly she rides slowly, the route is just under 4 miles, she can't drive so a hybrid with paniers and basket suits her fine.0 -
I really love the time and effort and knowledge DDD has put into this whole thing over the past week. Chapeaux.
Alas, what DDD's work has shown is that there is no ideal bike for "commuting". It's all going to depend on so many personal variables that in the end it's going to be different for everyone.
Maybe we need one of those "what star wars character are you" questionaires for "which commuting bike is for you"
1) Is your commute
A) Only on the road
Includes a trip through a forest
C) Includes a bit of rough track (and I like cross dressing)
2) To you want to
A) Get to work as quick and effortlessly as possible Get to work some time this week
c) Get to work reasonably effortlessly
d) Get to work in a potter
3) Are you
A) Mark Cavendish A Cross Dressing devient
C) Afraid of drop bars, praise be their bends.
D) Unfortunate enough to need to use a train
E) Totally Rad
F) A hip messenger-wannabe
That kind of thing0 -
R_T_A wrote:I've just gone through pain of this as I've been commuting on a HT. After umming & ahhing I've ended up with an Escape R1 as it fits what I want it for (roads and bridleways). Didn't even consider CX :roll:
Whoops!
Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
Sewinman wrote:jashburnham wrote:Matt-B wrote:
Once they get bitten by the bug, they'll end up with multiple bikes anyway!
Isn't this kinda the point though? I'm a bit preachy against Hybrids because when I started I was talked into one. I quickly got fed up being passed by roadies all the time and when (thankfully) it got stolen, I bought a Specialized Allez and never looked back. Yeah the hybrid got me going, but the roadie was a revelation - better in every single way.
I just don't want some people to make the same mistake I did and waste £400 or more on a bike they may very well get fed up with very quickly.
So I won't say "don't get a hybrid" but I will say "try a few roadies out as well." That way you might just save some money in the long run.
Are you typical of the average beginner though? For instance your location being 'lounging on a throne of scalps' may suggest you are not the average pootling type.
Well I was when I started. I hadn't ridden a bike for years, was terrified of London traffic, had no idea about bikes, or anything bike related. Took a colleague months of nagging to get me off the tube and on a bike - he has my eternal gratitude.
My key point is this. I was happyish with the Hybrid, and had it not been stolen and I didn't get annoyed by people passing me, then I may well have stuck with it and never succumbed to the bug. As it is I bought a roadie and it changed my life. I went from being a commuting pootler to a committed cyclist - started riding weekends, riding more around London and upping my distance. Eventually started training with some friends, riding sportives and then last year completed the Etape. And you know what, I love it!
I'm fitter and in better shape now than I've ever been. Finding a sport that gets me into work, gets me off public transport, gets me out into the countryside etc has been a revelation and I'm far happier as a result. I look at my best mate who is overweight and never exercises and think - that could've been me, I love him to bits, but thank god that I've not ended up like him.
Now I don't get passed on the way into work, and I look at the guys on hybrids, pootling along in jeans and think "you're missing a trick there fella."
I fully accept it's not for everyone, but it changed my life*
*Argh I sound like some evangelical Christian nutcase.- 2023 Vielo V+1
- 2022 Canyon Aeroad CFR
- 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX
- Strava
- On the Strand
- Crown Stables
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It's absolutely fair enough to say one ought to try several types including roadies.
I think looking for the 'ideal' bike is going to be tough, as commutes vary massively, as do peoples' lifestyles.
A pure roadie for me wouldn't have worked as I was /so/ keen to get going, and on the cut-throat traffic of the A38 around here, a week or two of wobbling about getting used to an unfamiliar riding position and drops (while it might well have paid off in the long run) wasn't going to be good for my dashed fondness for staying alive.
A fixie or singlespeed wouldn't do me too good on the Brizzle hills. I REALLY want one. But I don't think my legs would survive.
Brompton - well possibly, if I had a train journey inside my commute too.
The sort of priority I give cycling in life - yes I enjoy the commute and yes I do it for leisure too - but have absolutely no aspirations to do it competitively or in a club. My current bike will last me now for several years before I tire of it or look for something new (the shopper was fine for 3 years, before that I had a - stolen - curvy hybriddy thing with Nexus Inter-4 gears. Lovely it was).
I think getting a road bike and getting into it proper is exactly what one should do if one has aspirations to take up cycling as a proper hobby. But purely for the /commute/ I don't think it's wrong to stick with a bit of familiarity and mental comfort over what might become comfortable "after some getting used to".
Nothing wrong with taking one step at a time. I wouldn't suggest that beginners to swing-dancing (which I am /well/ into) should get out and get a £50-£60 pair of dance shoes and a stack of 40s clothing straight away. They can do that when they're ready.0 -
DDD, why so polemical about this?
There is not really a 'right' answer, as the multiple different responses to these threads suggest. In fact, if there is anything close to a 'right' answer (judging by forum opinion over time) it would be something like a tourer or audax bike (and/or a CX bike that has been engineered/changed so it is practically a tourer/audax bike itself). Yet as far as I tell very few people actually go for this option in practice.
The truth is, people buy commuting bikes for all kinds of different reasons. Some things bother some people more than they do others (e.g. mudguards, rack mounts, flat handlebars, manufacturer bling etc). Also, people's views on this change over time. My own example is a case in point. I've spent ten years commuting on mudguard-less roadies. I've just bought a Pearson SS with mudguards however to replace my broken Cervelo. I've also spent the last month commuting on a flat bar SS, and realised that this set up too has some important advantages (and of course disadvanges) over my default drop bar roadie option (In fact, I think flats actually ARE nippier and more stable through traffic, particularly if you have a short stem fitted).
Can't we just accept that all bikes have certain advantages and disadvantages - and that depending on your preference/experience some will be better suited to you than others?0 -
You see - that's lovely, it really is. I promise I'm not being sarcastic, as it's a real feeling of awakening to find a form of exercise that you /really/ enjoy which becomes a big part of your life!jashburnham wrote:I went from being a commuting pootler to a committed cyclist - started riding weekends, riding more around London and upping my distance. Eventually started training with some friends, riding sportives and then last year completed the Etape. And you know what, I love it!
But see, not everyone is going to want to become a committed cyclist - this is the commuting forum, for people cycling to and from work - rather than the road/race/triathlon forum.
From what I can make out, those who are evangelical about roadies are also committed cyclists - to/from work, at leisure, on holiday, in club, take part in races, etc. Or have aspirations to do so.
But not all of us want all that. I have too many other hobbies to crow-bar into my time..! I like a good ride and knew I needed more exercise in my life to get fit - so cycle-commuting it is, it's the easiest way to get a decent workout into my day without having to force myself down the gym or give up time I'd rather spend doing something else.
Not if they're pootling - they obviously aren't bothered about going fast - and probably only have a couple of miles to go anyway - I'd be in jeans toojashburnham wrote:I look at the guys on hybrids, pootling along in jeans and think "you're missing a trick there fella."
My name is Sara, and I ride a Hybrid.0 -
Or maybe DDD wanted to stimulate a conversation AWAY from the sticky thread that basically says what we all actually agree on:
it depends.Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter0 -
Eau Rouge wrote:I really love the time and effort and knowledge DDD has put into this whole thing over the past week. Chapeaux.
Alas, what DDD's work has shown is that there is no ideal bike for "commuting". It's all going to depend on so many personal variables that in the end it's going to be different for everyone.
Maybe we need one of those "what star wars character are you" questionaires for "which commuting bike is for you"
1) Is your commute
A) Only on the road Includes a trip through a forest
C) Includes a bit of rough track (and I like cross dressing)
2) To you want to
A) Get to work as quick and effortlessly as possible Get to work some time this week
c) Get to work reasonably effortlessly
d) Get to work in a potter
3) Are you
A) Mark Cavendish A Cross Dressing devient
C) Afraid of drop bars, praise be their bends.
D) Unfortunate enough to need to use a train
E) Totally Rad
F) A hip messenger-wannabe
That kind of thing
+1dondaddyd you may only have one bike? but most of us have a number, at any point i can be a hybrid/roadie/mtb etc rider
Technically I have 3 (Barracuda suspension, Giant M2 and Giant SCR3). The road bike being my personal favourite!So I won't say "don't get a hybrid" but I will say "try a few roadies out as well."
+1million!
BUT in my opinion
On roads and for commuting road bikes are better than hybrids. If my commute involved anything that looked like mud and soil I would get a Mountain bike. Know why? Mountain bikes are better than hybrids at going off road and riding on uneven surfaces.
Hybrids are a compromise surpassed by the bikes that shaped its conception. I.e a BMW X5 is neither as good as a 5 series or a Land Rover, it just sits aimlessly somewhere in the middle.Food Chain number = 4
A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game0 -
I voted for hybrid despite having a road bike.
Frankly, for getting on your bike and pootling a couple of mile in normal clothing (perhaps with a luminous gilet flapping in the wind), which is what most cycling commutes are, a hybrid does the job perfectly. The fatter tyres make it more comfortable than a road bike, there's a more upright riding position, it's probably going to be cheaper to buy and maintain, and so on.
A road bike might well give an enthusiast more pleasure for a weekend ride (my road bike gives me lot of pleasure on a normal commute) but most people want a bike which just gets them from A to B, not A to B via a few laps of RP and then taking a detour to attack a few hills.
If you asked me what would be the perfect car for commuting ( :shock: ), I'd be a lot more likely to say a Ford Fiesta than a Porsche 911. Same reasons.
Part of the problem is the name "hybrid". Reverting back to the old name ("town bike") might clarify that.Never be tempted to race against a Barclays Cycle Hire bike. If you do, there are only two outcomes. Of these, by far the better is that you now have the scalp of a Boris Bike.0 -
I agree with TheHunderth...
When I was little road bikes used to be called racers. And hybrids used to be called town bikes.
DDD - I believe you are arguing that a road bike is better because most commute to work on roads rather than up and down mountains. You would use a mountain bike though if you worked at the top of Snowdon. Therefore because a hybrid is not specific it has a place neither on road nor mountain.
However, would you agree then that a town bike is better for the town and a racer is better for the Tour De France?
It's all in the branding. Look beyond the branding at the bike is my advice.0 -
sarajoy wrote:
You see - that's lovely, it really is. I promise I'm not being sarcastic, as it's a real feeling of awakening to find a form of exercise that you /really/ enjoy which becomes a big part of your life!jashburnham wrote:I went from being a commuting pootler to a committed cyclist - started riding weekends, riding more around London and upping my distance. Eventually started training with some friends, riding sportives and then last year completed the Etape. And you know what, I love it!
But see, not everyone is going to want to become a committed cyclist - this is the commuting forum, for people cycling to and from work - rather than the road/race/triathlon forum.
But not all of us want all that. I have too many other hobbies to crow-bar into my time..! I like a good ride and knew I needed more exercise in my life to get fit - so cycle-commuting it is, it's the easiest way to get a decent workout into my day without having to force myself down the gym or give up time I'd rather spend doing something else.
My name is Sara, and I ride a Hybrid.
To be fair Sara, I do go on to sayjashburnham wrote:I fully accept it's not for everyone, but it changed my life.- 2023 Vielo V+1
- 2022 Canyon Aeroad CFR
- 2020 Canyon Ultimate CF SLX
- Strava
- On the Strand
- Crown Stables
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I will say that every time I've ridden a road bike (shop test rides or borrowed) the brakes have scared the bejesus out of me.
Now, I suspect there's several factors at work here. There's the fact that I'm coming from an MTB where I'm used to being able to cover the brakes at all times (I haven't been able to figure out a comfortable way to do this on drops), the fact that I'm used to discs with single finger wheel locking power, or the fact that skinny road tyres means less rubber on the road which means less ultimate braking power available.
I can see the comfort argument for drops, and I suspect on a long and winding lonely road I'd be fine with them, but I can't get over the (what feels, to me, like) lack of control enough to be confident riding a drop barred bike in traffic.
In the interests of science I should probably try out a disc-equipped CX bike and see how I get on.0
