Hybrid vs Drop bar

jryano

Hi all.

I'm in the process of looking for anew bike for my daily commute to work. It's only a 10 mile round trip, downhill on the way but very much uphill on the way home!

Apart from the commute I'm hoping to start some weekend cycling for keeping fit and enjoyment.

I've been looking closeley at the 2010 range of Bianchi Camaleontes and am close to buying one but after reading this forum and looking at various bikes my head is being turned and I'm considering a drop bar bike. I'm thinking if I want to start cycling further this would be the best option.

Does anyone own a Camaleonte? What are your thougts on them vs a drop bar? Can anyone recommend a drop bar bike? My budget is £700.

The 2010 Camaleontes seem to come with disc brakes. I'm thinking these would be useful in a winter commute.

Thanks in advance.

John.

Wallace1492

Specialized Tricross. The dogs danglies. I commute on it, and also tour on it. Big and tough, and also good for weekend longer rides.

I was thinking of a hybrid, but now sooooooo glad I didn't.

Mountainboy2465

How about a Kona Dew Drop?

A Hybrid with drop bars...?

Wiggle and others have deals on the 2009 model down to about £450 from £650 or so.

UndercoverElephant

Drop bars have two main advantages over the fastest flat bar bikes, as I see it. Firstly, in the "hoods" position, your wrists are turned to a neutral position, which is better for steering and comfort (try it on supermarket trolleys, the weight distribution is more extreme, but it shows my point). Secondly, in a headwind, or when you want to go faster, you can go into drops and steam away.

The disadvantages are that often you get worse brakes (that said, any stronger and the skinny tyres wouldn't let yo stop any faster). £700 will buy you a lot of bike, if you know where to look, my own bike (see sig.) cost £600, and I really can't fault it.

jryano

Thanks for the quick reply.

How light is the Specialized Tricross?

UndercoverElephant

Not very!

Wallace1492

jryano wrote:

Thanks for the quick reply.

How light is the Specialized Tricross?

Its all here: http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/cyclo-cross/product/tricross-sport-09-33640

Mountainboy2465

Kona Jake is another option, one of the Specialized riders would have to confirm it but I suspect the Tricross would be a bit 'quicker' than the Kona.

jryano

Thanks for the info everyone. The consensus seems to be that a drop bar would be the better option.

The tricross is quite appealing for all year round riding (I don't have the budget or wife to justify a summer road bike and winter commuter) but woudl the tricross be overkill if I'm only riding on tarmac?

What do people do in the winter with road bikes on slicks? I suppose the Camaleonte would have the same issues.

Bikequin

Very happy with my Giant SCR 2 for commuting on. For £700 you can get an SCR 1 which is a very nice bike for the price imho.

Wallace1492

Slicks will be fine in the winter, its not like you are off roading. I did it most of last winter with MTB on slicks. The Tricross has larger tyres which I have not changed yet (but did get puncture today) but would be happy on slicks.

I did look at the Kona Jake the Snake, and was very close to getting it, but wanted to try another make and got a good deal on the Tricross (my MTB is Kona)

Tricross is a bit heavier, but is solid and has a decent speed. I have a rack and panniers and have gone camping with it. Next year me and MaryDoll will be heading from Glasgow to Durness. I do like her a lot..... but not as much as this guy liked his bike : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7095134.stm

cjcp

Mountainboy2465 wrote:

Kona Jake is another option, one of the Specialized riders would have to confirm it but I suspect the Tricross would be a bit 'quicker' than the Kona.

Ahem! Not been overtaken by a Tricross (yet).

I recently bought a Jake frame and fork, then built it up with gear from my previous commuter. It's by no means the lightest (not the lightest alu for the frame and it's fork is full alu rather than the carbon/alu combos you can get), as you'd expect at that price point, but that's no bad thing frankly - makes my legs work that bit harder up the hills. I'm going to use it for cross racing and have used it on a light off road track in a nearby Park. It's great.

As Wallace says, slicks are fine on the road during the winter (unless it snows, mind). I've got 25mm Gatorskins on my wheels. Others use Schwalbe or Michelin Krylion Carbons.

The Giant would be fine for year round riding. The Tricross/Jake are a better bet if you want to use it do some light off-roading (or cross-racing too!).

CdrJake

It's really a matter of personal choice. When I went with NGale to purchase her C2W bike she opted for the Trek 7.5 wsd which is flat bar road bike (skinner wheels than hybrids), she tried a drop bar bike but didn't feel comfortable with it, so what she brough suited her, she has since added extras like bar ends to make it fit better.

She has since been given a full on road bike which she gets on with very well. it isn't however used for commuting.

Personally since I 18 I have ridden drop bar bikes, unless it's been my MTB. I find them more comfortable. I have my Trek for the road stuff and tend to use the Kona Jake for commuting with the Brompton for in and around base.

Try out each of the bikes you like, what you may think you want now may not turn out to be the right bike for you. You really need to get a test ride on each first before making a choice.

Mountainboy2465

cjcp wrote:

Ahem! Not been overtaken by a Tricross (yet).

I'd go for the Jake myself, I was just making a nodd to the Specialized massive so they didn't chew my stones off!

I was undecided between the Jake, the Dew drop & the Honky Tonk myself, as I have a road bike I thought the Dew Drop gave me more of a difference than the Jake or the Honky Tonk would.
Since ordering it I have changed my mind a couple of times...

CdrJake

Mountainboy2465 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Ahem! Not been overtaken by a Tricross (yet).

I'd go for the Jake myself

Sorry but you're not my type

cjcp

Mountainboy2465 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Ahem! Not been overtaken by a Tricross (yet).

I'd go for the Jake myself, I was just making a nodd to the Specialized massive so they didn't chew my stones off!

Fair point. They're a particularly feral bunch.



:P

jryano

CdrJake wrote:

It's really a matter of personal choice. When I went with NGale to purchase her C2W bike she opted for the Trek 7.5 wsd which is flat bar road bike (skinner wheels than hybrids), she tried a drop bar bike but didn't feel comfortable with it, so what she brough suited her, she has since added extras like bar ends to make it fit better.

She has since been given a full on road bike which she gets on with very well. it isn't however used for commuting.

Personally since I 18 I have ridden drop bar bikes, unless it's been my MTB. I find them more comfortable. I have my Trek for the road stuff and tend to use the Kona Jake for commuting with the Brompton for in and around base.

Try out each of the bikes you like, what you may think you want now may not turn out to be the right bike for you. You really need to get a test ride on each first before making a choice.

I'm going to go to a coupele of local bike shops for test rides this weekend so thansk for the advice.

Thanks everyone.

Wallace1492

cjcp wrote:

Mountainboy2465 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Ahem! Not been overtaken by a Tricross (yet).

I'd go for the Jake myself, I was just making a nodd to the Specialized massive so they didn't chew my stones off!

Fair point. They're a particularly feral bunch.



:P

Making wheels for a brand new Tricross :

biondino

Stone wheels? On a Tricross? Way too light and flimsy, mate.

vorsprung

I am looking at a new commuter bike
I am at the moment a 100% drop bar user
So far the winners are
1) a cotic roadrat built up with drops, Alfine 8 speed hub gears and disc brakes
or
2) a ridgeback flight 04 with Alfine 8 speed hub gears and disc brakes. This is flat barred so I'd either add bar end "drops" or change the bars

Clever Pun

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Drop bars have two main advantages over the fastest flat bar bikes, as I see it. Firstly, in the "hoods" position, your wrists are turned to a neutral position, which is better for steering and comfort (try it on supermarket trolleys, the weight distribution is more extreme, but it shows my point). Secondly, in a headwind, or when you want to go faster, you can go into drops and chew the bar.

fixed that for you