Moving from Hybrid to Road

chipandpin

Hi, Im looking for some advice please - I currently have a Specialized Crosstrail Expert hybrid which i use for my commute twice a week. The journey is relatively short (9 miles each way) but VERY hilly. I have had the hybrid for 12 months now and whilst I enjoy riding it, I wonder if I would find it easier on a road bike? My logic being, the easier I find my commute, the more likely I am to choose the saddle over the comfy car!

By the way, I am looking at getting a Ribble Sportive Sram. I look forward to your input!

Cheers

Dave

pneumatic

I did this after my first year of commuting. I would say it feels strange and then it feels better.

The biggest advantages for me were being able to tuck in against the wind on my way home and feeling like a "proper" cyclist, not just someone who rides a bike to work.

The hybrid sat in my garage unused until I traded it with a local artist for a painting of three Puffins.

A year later, he traded it for a better bike.

Maybe the cycle to work scheme should just lend out hybrids for a year.

chipandpin

pneumatic wrote:

The hybrid sat in my garage unused until I traded it with a local artist for a painting of three Puffins.

I come for the advice and stay for the comedy!!

blackpoolkev

+1 for the bit above about "strange then better".
I changed from flat bar road bike to drop bar 5 months ago and I find that my hands,arms and shoulders feel more comfortable.
Also be ready to put a bit more time and effort into your rear observations,looking behind was easier on the hybrid.

paulbox

Very similar situation to me, I turned my old hardtail in to a commuter last year. I was only doing the commute (22 miles each way) once a week and was struggling a bit to get the enthusiasm up to go to twice a week.

So I bought a road bike...

Hoping to start (waiting for lighter evenings) with twice a week and then step up to three times. So far, riding at weekends, I'm finding the road bike really nice to ride. You can cover distances and get up hills far easier!

chipandpin

Glad to hear that you find hills easier on the road bike. I have ordered the road bike today so should have it in a couple of weeks. Look forward to becoming a 'cyclist' rather than someone who rides to work!

tigerben

One of biggest differences i found was I found wearing a ruck sack a right pain in the ass when riding on the drops - weight distribution was all wrong. So would strongly recommend panniers if you will need to carry change clothes/ towel/work stuff on your commute.

Apart from that niggle i have never looked back...

sparkins1972

The advice I would give you is make sure you really get used to handling the bike before you throw yourself into the rush hour traffic. I used to commute on my old Ridgeback Genesis Day 02 hybrid and was used to the way the bike handled and the more upright position that allowed me to ride confidently in traffic. I changed jobs and started working from home so no longer commuted; shifted to a nice roadbike and the first time I went out in heavy traffic I realised what a difference there was to riding a road bike compared to my hybrid - I found I had to think ahead more than I did on my old hybrid in the first few weeks and when I was trying to get through those tight little gaps at very low speed I realised that the balance of ridin a road bike is very different. The good news is that there is no substitute for practice and in a short period of time the body makes the necessary changes.

And if you are moving to clipless pedals on your road bike that adds another element of fun on your commute :-)

Smirf

I rode a spesh hybrid for a couple of years. Then decided to go to a road bike too.

Ended up riding the hybrid into work to sell, and I hated it! felt slow and cumbersome! Think you've made the right decision!