Hybrid or Racer

amnezia

Cafewanda wrote:

Top man! @ Dave1941

:P @ Jash/Amnezia and the rest of the anti-hybrid brigade :P

I'm only anti hybrid because i've been there and done that. I find it somewhat compelling that there are a large amount of people that have moved from a hybrid to a road bike but not vice versa.

supersonic

I know plenty that have had road bikes and moved to (I won't say back!) to something else.

Eau Rouge

I see lots of people riding road bikes at the weekends.
I see lots of cars carrying MTB's to places you can ride MTB's off-road at the weekend.
I don't see an awful lot of hybrids being ridden much at the weekends.
Maybe they just avoid the hills.

You can commute on almost anything perfectly well, but only commuting on a bike...it doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's just me, but if I didn't do the longer rides at the weekends, then the commute would seem like a lot more hard work, and I'd be more inclined to skip it every now and then, and that strikes me as a slippy slope. I can't imagine doing the longer rides on a hybrid.

supersonic

I used to be happy doing dozens of miles on road on my MTB. But it was very light for an MTB! Perhaps not the best choice for outright speed, but I could get an average of over 20mph on a god day with the right tyres.

I used to live in York and I did see a lot of 'leisure' type hybrids used at weekends just for that - bimbling up and down the riverside paths. And quite a lot too for short commutes in the week.

I wonder what the average length is of the cycle commute?

DonDaddyD

Today by South Wimbledon tube about 8pm I saw a red Specialized Allez waiting in the box junction to turn right and head towards Wimbledon Broadway.

The most remarkable thing however was a guy on a Sirrus (the flat bar version of the Allez-but with Robaix chain stays) which had drop handle bars it also had tricross forks....

The small irony made me happy.

roger_merriman

To the OP

for 4 miles commute, a £1000 pound bike is over kill, I ride round that distance every day, works out at 9 miles around trip.

which is close enough that you don't need to bother with cycling clothes.

so the bike is set up for that, it's a big heavy hybrid.

what it offers is:

big volume puncture proof tires
full mudguards
the bike is weather proof. it's unfazed by snow and ice, ( I didn't miss a day)
if you miss a pothole, a big solid town bike will just roll though, with a thud.

how steep are these hills? with lower gearing you should be able to spin up.

at that distance do you really want to have to change? going to get really annoying very quickly. I'd go for a slower less sweaty way my self.

if you do use the full £1000 then maybe think about a bike for more than just the commute?

as you can see there are two schools of thoughts regarding the commute there is the get in the lycra and blast it or the sit and potter, in truth there is little time difference.

roger_merriman

DonDaddyD wrote:

stickman wrote:

Who was that rider, Ian Wilkinson? Breaks loads of riding records on his daily commuting hybrid.

Imagine what he could do on a lighter road bike.

Fact is my old hybrid weighs more than my road bike, the rigid riding position makes it harder to go fast, harder to remain comfortable, harder to climb hills and all round less enjoyable.

If there are others who beg to differ, fine. My advice to the OP. Go to a shop, try a few. Choose your preference.

If you buy a hybrid, I'll still be hear with advice for what road bike you should get when next years cycle2work scheme comes around.

No worries.

Ian Wilkinson and the hybrid, faster on a road bike?

this was in a TT weight is almost irrelevant it's about cutting though the air. I dough any one used their drops would of been won and lost on the clip on bars.

his hybrid had clip on bars and TT wheels.

i.e. would be fast, very very fast indeed.

cutting though the air is in many ways much more of a benefit than being super light.

MrChuck

Looks like the Bikeradar reviewers haven't read the script- there's a hybrid on the main page they seem to quite like

W1

Can't face another bloody thread on this. In summary - horses for courses, and the traffic and red lights are the main slowing factor in a city centre commute, not your bike. On a cross country ride with few stops or traffic a roadie will be quicker.

End of thread?

goco

Had exactly this dilemma a couple of months ago myself - £1000 c2w voucher and how to spend it. My commute is 8 miles each way, so a bit longer than yours. But I'd agree with those that say for the commute you won't be that much faster on a roadie - traffic is the main factor. And if you're spending £1000 on it, I'd guess you're looking at something like the Sirrus Comp, which weighs all of 9.8kg, so weight is not an issue. So you'll be absolutely fine on a hybrid, or flat bar road bike, or whatever you want to call it, FOR THE COMMUTE. But the key factor is what else you want to do with it. For longer rides the road bike will be far better, more hand positions, more comfortable and faster

In the end I went for a road bike - I couldn't see any major disadvantages of the roadie for the commute - the drop bars are daunting at first but took all of 30min to get used to them, and I've fitted a rack so its practical. And if you're only having one bike it opens up so many more options. Just couldn't see myself want to go out for a 30+ mile ride at the weekend on a hybrid. Why restrict yourself? I'd also agree that spending £1000 on what is essentially a workhorse commuter bike is a waste of money. You'll notice that many of those recommending the hybrid have more than one bike (not all, but many) - hybrid for the commute and road/mtb for the weekend. I guess this is ideal for some, but I don't have the space for 2 bikes, and to be honest I love getting on the road bike every morning for my commute - and I never felt like that on the borrowed hybrid I was using before.

But at the end of the day, do what YOU want to do…..just don't be put off by thinking that a road bike is no good for the commute, impractical etc. Here endeth the essay.

Underscore

Just to add my thoughts. I've been commuting on a 700c hybrid (Spesh Sirrus) for almost 10 years now and it has done the job perfectly well. However, last year I got a road bike (Giant Defy 1) on the C2W scheme and have to say that it definitely makes me want to take the longer routes to and from work. Now I still use the Sirrus as i) it has a rack for panniers, ii) it has mudguards, and iii) the components are (much) cheaper to replace as they are worn out be winter's salt and grit, and I don't intend to replace it. However, if it broke in half, what would I do? I would probably buy a winter trainer (so support for guards and rack) with Sora or, more probably, Tiagra and use that instead. As has been said before, for me, there are no real downsides to running the right roadie for a commute but the riding position(s) and the choice of hand positions are significant up-sides.

YMMV,

_

flippo

ok well i have plenty of food for thought.

I will try and arrange some test rides soon to see which i get on with best.

Lots are saying a £1000 is overkill but surely there has to be a reasonable difference in overall quality between an £700 bike to a £1000 bike to make the ride more enjoyable and easier, i dont mind paying for quality if it will last.

supersonic

There can be - some brands offer better value than others. And lighter weight, for a given price.

The Chingford Skinhead

I don't doubt that many people start with a hybrid and then go on to get a road bike. Good. However, if I had started on a road bike I would quickly have given up cycling full stop - not good.

I don't like the riding position as the visibility isn't good and I feel cramped, i don't like the drop bars and what always feel like ineffective brakes (even if they are not) The narrow wheels made the bike feel every road bump while the weight made it twitchy in any kind of crosswind. I know to a lot of you that discounts me from being "a proper cyclist" but I don't care. It would have been in the garage after a few rides.

I had a hybrid for 7 years. I got a second hand racer and didn't like it. I have just bought a new hybrid.

As othrs say, give a few bikes a test ride, consider the riding you want to do and most of all, whatever you get I hope you enjoy your cycling.

nation

For what it's worth, road bike brakes scare the bejesus out of me, since I usually ride MTBs. My "proper" MTB has hydraulic discs and my "urban" MTB has Vs.

I'm planning to get a drop bar singlespeed at some point as a hack bike, so it'll be interesting to see if I can actually get used to them.

StanwaySteve62

So, here's my bike, not to upright
PS I know this not a 'proper' pic

gbsahne001

tonight, decided that rather than run the gauntlet of traffic I'd take a detour; 2 miles of open countryside lots of mud and fun and then back on the road home.

Fast; not particularly, fun; absolutely, you couldnt do that on a road bike.

cyclemambo

check this out , saw one the other day very impressed and good value, would last and last
especially with the rainy weather we seem to get these days


http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/equilibrium-10-36088

rally200

StanwaySteve62 wrote:

So, here's my bike, not to upright
PS I know this not a 'proper' pic

that's a nice looking bike - but your pump''s almost as big as the down tube - treat yourself to a nice shiny Lezyne Road or Pressure drive - would look a treat .

(sorry I'll go back to my fellow OCD suffers on the road section)

stickman

Someone who deserves a mention is Yvonne Rix of Raleigh as she invented the hybrid.

flippo

hi again
ok i have been recommended a giant crs alliance as a good hybrid and found one today to have a look at and must say it looks very nice and ticks all the boxes, does anyone have experience of this bike?

thanks

rally200

flippo wrote:

hi again
ok i have been recommended a giant crs alliance as a good hybrid and found one today to have a look at and must say it looks very nice and ticks all the boxes, does anyone have experience of this bike?

thanks

I have an all alluminium CRS - fitted with rack & guards it's been a totally dependable commuter over the last 4 years. It suffered a fair bit if abuse but has only had only needed minimal maintenance - until last month when I had to buy a new wheelset (could have kept them a lot longer if I'd bothered to keep the rims & brakes clean).


but - as everyone says - it inspired me to buy a roadbike too - and now it feels very upright. which brings me back to the other point everyone makes - a grand is a lot for a hybrid - my CRS with 8 speed alivio, suspension seat post, and ridiculous "race-style" wheels cost me £300 - I cant see that the carbon elements & 9 speed on the alliance are worth an extra £700 - for a 4 mile hop to work.
One of my colleagues recently picked up a Specialised Globe with 8 speed hub gears, in-hub dynamo lights, and guards for £425- he loves it , perfect no maintenance commuting

El Diego

Get a Cannondale Caad9. You will love it so much I can guarantee you will be riding a lot more than your standard commute. If it doesn't work out I'll buy it off you!

w86h2000

ride_whenever wrote:

buy a mountainbike, a proper one.

It'll be more fun for such a commute and you can go off-roading at the weekends.

I'd go for this option if you are intending to go off-roading at some stage. I got a hybrid but now want to go off-roading. A MTB would have done my commute into work (9 miles) especially in winter here which the cycle paths are covered in ice, my bike doesn't get on well with ice at all, hence its been in the garage most of the winter.

Aapje

w86h2000 wrote:

I'd go for this option if you are intending to go off-roading at some stage. I got a hybrid but now want to go off-roading. A MTB would have done my commute into work (9 miles) especially in winter here which the cycle paths are covered in ice, my bike doesn't get on well with ice at all, hence its been in the garage most of the winter.

I'm thinking about trying these tires with studs next winter (size 35-622), which should work wonders on ice, even without the extra width of a MTB tire:

http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/c2-1217-schwa ... inter.html

gabriel959

the crs alliance is a waste of hard earned cash. If you have to get a hybrid spend 300 so when you go to the pub and it gets nicked you wont worry too much and you wont also mind giving it a few knocks.

w86h2000

Aapje wrote:

w86h2000 wrote:

I'd go for this option if you are intending to go off-roading at some stage. I got a hybrid but now want to go off-roading. A MTB would have done my commute into work (9 miles) especially in winter here which the cycle paths are covered in ice, my bike doesn't get on well with ice at all, hence its been in the garage most of the winter.

I'm thinking about trying these tires with studs next winter (size 35-622), which should work wonders on ice, even without the extra width of a MTB tire:

http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/c2-1217-schwa ... inter.html

They seem like a good shout. Can just imagine how much weight they would add to the bike though, would make cycling in and out to work during the summer much easier. I might give this a look towards the end of this year as well. 8)