Hybrid/Road bike

paulus69

I asked a similar question on here a while ago, but would like some advice.

I have the opportunity to get a bike through the bike 2 work scheme, I currently have a mountain bike and use it to ride on the local cycle tracks, canal and ride to work. This does involve a couple of kerbs.

I recently used a road bike that I hired during the Skyride and really liked the drop handlebars for the ability of being able to adjust position of my hands. Although apparently a road bike will be prone to damage bumping off kerbs. Upgrading a hybrid to have drops would obviously be a little costly on top of the cost of the bike.

So could I upgrade a road bike to make it more robust (and suited to my riding)?

I did look at a cyclocross, although the cheapest on the scheme is somewhere in the region of £750, so would have to be pretty sure to go with it.

Any help much appreciated!

piquet

paulus69 wrote:

So could I upgrade a road bike to make it more robust (and suited to my riding)?

I did look at a cyclocross, although the cheapest on the scheme is somewhere in the region of £750, so would have to be pretty sure to go with it.

Any help much appreciated!

A cross bike is essentially a beefed up road bike - in fact many Cross bikes are much better suited to commuting that racing Specialized tricross and the new whyte cross bikes are worth a look at. the whyte range has 3: the top end designed fro racing, the other two are specifically billed as commuter bikes eg they have bolt on whlles not QR for security

paulus69

Piquet wrote:

paulus69 wrote:

So could I upgrade a road bike to make it more robust (and suited to my riding)?

I did look at a cyclocross, although the cheapest on the scheme is somewhere in the region of £750, so would have to be pretty sure to go with it.

Any help much appreciated!

A cross bike is essentially a beefed up road bike - in fact many Cross bikes are much better suited to commuting that racing Specialized tricross and the new whyte cross bikes are worth a look at. the whyte range has 3: the top end designed fro racing, the other two are specifically billed as commuter bikes eg they have bolt on whlles not QR for security

Thanks for the advice, they have the specialized Tricross 2012 and its just about in my budget. The company that runs our C2W scheme don;t have the Whytes so am kind of limited in my choice.

jonny_trousers

Road bikes can take an awful lot of abuse and be absolutely fine.

notsoblue

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Road bikes can take an awful lot of abuse and be absolutely fine.

+1

Also, being able to cope with riding up and down kerbs probably shouldn't be a criteria for choosing a bike If you're commuting any distance, get a bike with road geometry, it'll be more comfortable in the long run than a hybrid or mountain bike.

Wallace1492

Get a Tricross and a Cape.....

il_principe

paulus69 wrote:

I recently used a road bike that I hired during the Skyride and really liked the drop handlebars for the ability of being able to adjust position of my hands. Although apparently a road bike will be prone to damage bumping off kerbs. Upgrading a hybrid to have drops would obviously be a little costly on top of the cost of the bike.

So could I upgrade a road bike to make it more robust (and suited to my riding)?

Whoever told you that "a road bike will be prone to damage bumping off kerbs" is full of sh1t. The only thing that may get damaged bumping off kerbs are the wheels, but this fella seems to get away with it ok: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-araCVvDmWU

Just get a road bike, and if you are really concerned then talk to your LBS or people on here about having some extra strong wheels made.

Where does this idea that roadbikes are so fragile come from?

bigmat

Il Principe wrote:

paulus69 wrote:

I recently used a road bike that I hired during the Skyride and really liked the drop handlebars for the ability of being able to adjust position of my hands. Although apparently a road bike will be prone to damage bumping off kerbs. Upgrading a hybrid to have drops would obviously be a little costly on top of the cost of the bike.

So could I upgrade a road bike to make it more robust (and suited to my riding)?

Whoever told you that "a road bike will be prone to damage bumping off kerbs" is full of sh1t. The only thing that may get damaged bumping off kerbs are the wheels, but this fella seems to get away with it ok: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-araCVvDmWU

Just get a road bike, and if you are really concerned then talk to your LBS or people on here about having some extra strong wheels made.

Where does this idea that roadbikes are so fragile come from?

Strong wheels definitely help with kerbs and potholes, although saying that the wheels on a lot of hybrids are heavy rather than strong. Tyres also at risk on a road bike potentially, I have blown out my rear tyre bunny hopping a kerb at speed on my road bike where I'm pretty sure I would have got away with it on my mountain bike, also had blow outs through potholes and the odd broken spoke. I would hazard a guess that the frame and components on pretty much 100% of road bikes are perfectly adequate for riding in the road though.

jamesco

BigMat wrote:

Strong wheels definitely help with kerbs and potholes, although saying that the wheels on a lot of hybrids are heavy rather than strong. Tyres also at risk on a road bike potentially, I have blown out my rear tyre bunny hopping a kerb at speed on my road bike where I'm pretty sure I would have got away with it on my mountain bike, also had blow outs through potholes and the odd broken spoke. I would hazard a guess that the frame and components on pretty much 100% of road bikes are perfectly adequate for riding in the road though.

+1

The front wheel on my roadbike got dented the first time it touched a curb; the hybrid's been slammed into curbs with no ill-effect. Hybrids are definitely tougher (though whether that's important is up for debate).

danlikesbikes

notsoblue wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

Road bikes can take an awful lot of abuse and be absolutely fine.

+1

Also, being able to cope with riding up and down kerbs probably shouldn't be a criteria for choosing a bike If you're commuting any distance, get a bike with road geometry, it'll be more comfortable in the long run than a hybrid or mountain bike.

+1 what he said.

Just need to think about what types of road your riding and the distances. My road bike has been over some pretty rough roads without any issues, just changed the tyres from summer to a wider/better grip set for the winter and your should be fine.

clarkey cat

how about a compromise between a road bike and a hybrid and get a tourer

Dawes Horizon - £600.

http://www.discountcyclesdirect.co.uk/p ... ts_id=9404

MrChuck

paulus69 wrote:

I asked a similar question on here a while ago, but would like some advice.

I have the opportunity to get a bike through the bike 2 work scheme, I currently have a mountain bike and use it to ride on the local cycle tracks, canal and ride to work. This does involve a couple of kerbs.

Any help much appreciated!

Just out of interest, where do you come across the kerbs?

paulus69

MrChuck wrote:

paulus69 wrote:

I asked a similar question on here a while ago, but would like some advice.

I have the opportunity to get a bike through the bike 2 work scheme, I currently have a mountain bike and use it to ride on the local cycle tracks, canal and ride to work. This does involve a couple of kerbs.

Any help much appreciated!

Just out of interest, where do you come across the kerbs?

There is a cycle track that takes me to work and it crosses the road in a number of places and there are kerbs there, my concern was having a bike that was made of glass!

I think I've cleared it in my head, its gonna be a specialized Tricross (the 2012 model) and either the base model or the sport disc model.

The cost for the base model is £38 after tax etc, the Sport disc and the sport versions are the same price, so am assuming the disc is the better one which works out as £45 after tax etc.

Mrs Paulus is however suggesting that I don't need two bikes, I may well have to hide my mountain bike at my parents!

piquet

paulus69 wrote:

MrChuck wrote:

paulus69 wrote:

I asked a similar question on here a while ago, but would like some advice.

I have the opportunity to get a bike through the bike 2 work scheme, I currently have a mountain bike and use it to ride on the local cycle tracks, canal and ride to work. This does involve a couple of kerbs.

Any help much appreciated!

Just out of interest, where do you come across the kerbs?

There is a cycle track that takes me to work and it crosses the road in a number of places and there are kerbs there, my concern was having a bike that was made of glass!

I think I've cleared it in my head, its gonna be a specialized Tricross (the 2012 model) and either the base model or the sport disc model.

The cost for the base model is £38 after tax etc, the Sport disc and the sport versions are the same price, so am assuming the disc is the better one which works out as £45 after tax etc.

Mrs Paulus is however suggesting that I don't need two bikes, I may well have to hide my mountain bike at my parents!

go for the disc version, not only is the braking better in wet weather all round the components are better

nation

I bunnyhop my Giant Defy (3, with the carbon fork) off kerbs and over potholes, and haven't had any problems so far. Plus the tarmac on one of the descents on the way to work is in an atrocious state and has speedbumps.

I've also used it on canal towpaths, but I probably wouldn't want to do that in the wet because of the grip and mud clearance issues.