Stick with Hybrid or get a road bike?

chbenson

Hello all, I have been commuting to london and back 2 or 3 times a week for the last few months. Its 16.9 miles each way and i usually manage it in around 50 min to an hour depending on traffic. I managed to get an '09 scott sportster p6 for £150 which is a hybrid, or more of a flat bar road bike. I have been using it for the past few months just fine. I now want to commute all 5 days a week now and am wanting to invest in a good road bike that would also serve well for my occasional 100 milers on weekends which so far I've been doing on the scott.

I have upto around £900 to spend on a good bike and have really been looking at all carbon used bikes around 1-4 years old. What I am wondering though is it actually worth spending that money on a decent road bike as to be fair im pretty happy with my current bike. Ive been to the bike shop and tried out numerous frames, and also some bikes of friends, although not been on any long ride on one. Would i see any significant improvement in time on a decent bike? Also should i bother spending that much or can i get something still pretty good for less? any bike suggestions? Thanks

roger_merriman

Sounds like your fairly fit and fast any how.

what a road bike would give you is.

A for a roadie drops are more normal.

B drop bars are for most folks more comfortable.

C Lighter bike than the present bike.

D should be more aero.

E brakes are better, on the whole dual pivot brakes are better than V brakes.

F it's N-1 aka new toy.

will it be faster? probably but as ever it's diminishing returns, think more in terms of how the bike feels really.

EKE_38BPM

Road bike all the way.

1) You're quite fast already and a dropped bar bike would increase your speed a bit. The idea of doing a century on flat bars sounds like agony to me. Drop bars give you more hand positions and as you get more tired you'll want to shift your hands around to stay comfortable.

2) Drop bars allow you to get lower when facing a headwind and on windy days you'll appreciate being able to duck down and get more aero than you could on a flat barred bike.

3) Riders of drop bar bikes are sex gods and you will get more than a few extra notches on your bedpost!

tailwindhome

chbenson wrote:

Hello all, I have been commuting to london and back 2 or 3 times a week for the last few months. Its 16.9 miles each way and i usually manage it in around 50 min to an hour depending on traffic. I managed to get an '09 scott sportster p6 for £150 which is a hybrid, or more of a flat bar road bike. I have been using it for the past few months just fine. I now want to commute all 5 days a week now and am wanting to invest in a good road bike that would also serve well for my occasional 100 milers on weekends which so far I've been doing on the scott.

I have upto around £900 to spend on a good bike and have really been looking at all carbon used bikes around 1-4 years old. What I am wondering though is it actually worth spending that money on a decent road bike as to be fair im pretty happy with my current bike. Ive been to the bike shop and tried out numerous frames, and also some bikes of friends, although not been on any long ride on one. Would i see any significant improvement in time on a decent bike? Also should i bother spending that much or can i get something still pretty good for less? any bike suggestions? Thanks

You won't see a significant improvement in your commute time.

I'd also be cautious about buying a used carbon bike, unless you're 100% sure about the seller.

jamesco

Since you're happy with the hybrid, you might as well stick with it and give it a go for the daily commute.

A road bike is barely any faster around London since lights stop the rider from getting a fast & sustained run in. When you're stopping all the time the varied hand positions don't matter. The hybrid will also be cheaper to maintain (a 105 chain costs a lot more than a 7 or 8 speed chain) and lends itself to practical stuff like racks, mudguards, puncture-proof tyres and being ignored by theives; all great things for a commuter but which you probably won't want for a weekend blast in the countryside.

rick_chasey

road bike.

A hybrid is a compromise - where you lose all the good bits of either...

Pros ride and race over this stuff on road bikes, so you'd have to be doing some serious off roading to actually need anything but.

jamesco

Rick Chasey wrote:

A hybrid is a compromise

...you get the best bits of both

A commute is surely about practicality, otherwise drivers would go to work in these:

chadders81

I had a Scott P6 and the difference when I switched to a road bike was phenomenal. You won't believe how much quicker it is to spin up to speed and climb with.

Being able to change hand positions is a massive benefit when you're doing anything over 30 miles as well.

And road bikes look better.

iPete

Your commute probably won't be quicker about town but you'll enjoy riding a roadie more, appreciate the efficiency and want to go the long way home.

Marcus_C

If it was my commute, road bike all the way, I wouldn't be looking at a used carbon bike though, walk into your lbs with an open mind, see what they have, take something you like the look of for a test ride, if you come out with lighter pockets you have your answer

rick_chasey

jamesco wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

A hybrid is a compromise

...you get the best bits of both

A commute is surely about practicality, otherwise drivers would go to work in these:

A hybrid is always a poor compromise.

Not sure a road bike is quite like an F1 bike..!!

It's bespoke for the road - has plenty of different positions - it's very efficient on the road, and it can handle any path/road designed for any kind of transportation.

Stevo_666

Nothing wrong with a hybrid/flat barred roadie for the daily commute. If you have a decent one it will take a fair bit of urban punishment without having to worry too much about it as it's not your 'nice' bike. If you can, keep the hybrid for the daily grind and get the roadie for your fun/weekend/longer rides.

chbenson

Thanks for the advice guys. I was at first concerned whether a road bike would take the beating of the potholes on the a23 to london after seeing some pictures of damaged wheels/frames, but im guessing it would take one almighty pothole to do some real damage.

Im not to worried about panniers as i have always just used a small backpack as i dont take much with be. Also i have a secure bike shed to leave the bike in during the day so not too worried about it getting stolen. I havnt really had much discomfort yet but i can see how the varying in hand positions would help. The only thing that has really been putting me off from buying a road bike earlier was that i might damage it. I have already come off my bike once when i hit some oil on the road around the a23/a214 junction in Streatham, however the bike faired better than me, only had a few scratches on the frame, I was pretty beaten up, but lucky not to break anything.

Also is the advice on not buying used carbon frames because of potentially damages frames or something else?

Onto looking for road bikes... Is there a need to spend £900, or could i get a decent used bike for less. I'm also not very clued up on things like whether i would notice a difference in 105 vs ultegra gear or what i should really be looking for in a road bike.

Cheers!

davis

chbenson wrote:

Also is the advice on not buying used carbon frames because of potentially damages frames or something else?

Pretty much, yep. I've still got a carbon bike hanging in my garage 14 months after a big crash. The frame looks fine, and it probably is... but it's the probably that bothers me. I've not ridden it since.

Onto looking for road bikes... Is there a need to spend £900, or could i get a decent used bike for less. I'm also not very clued up on things like whether i would notice a difference in 105 vs ultegra gear or what i should really be looking for in a road bike.
Cheers!

You can definitely get a decent used bike for less than that, yes.
As for groupsets, the Shimano order goes something-numbers-only, Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, and Dura Ace. Opinions differ on where you should compromise for commuting duties in all weathers, but my vote is for around the 105 mark. Either way, keep any of those groupsets well-maintained and they should serve you well.

As for what sort of road bike... it depends. If you want all-out speed, you can go for a head-down, backside-up road/race bike, on to more "relaxed" geometries for sportives/audaxing, out to full-on touring bikes, or even cyclocross. My preference is for the more relaxed geometry of sportive-style bikes with mounts for 'guards and a rack. I don't particularly being slammed over on the bike or jiggled about too much, so I go for a bit more comfort. The first post over in Commuting Yawn gives some idea of the differences...

Overall, your selection should be guided by your assessment of how a bike "feels" and fits you. If you get on a bike and instantly hate the way it feels, it's probably not the right one for you. This is why we're saying you should go to a helpful LBS and try some out, and, frankly, I think you should buy it from them too.

SimonAH

A very inexpensive quick change would be order a bullhorns bar (charge slice are very good) and fit them to your hybrid. I have them on my fixie and can get damn near a aero as on drops, plus you should be able to retain your brakes and shifters (assuming not throttle style shifters?). Plus you get all of the hand positions.

chadders81

Never heard of anybody regretting the decision to get a road bike.

If you're thinking second hand, eBay will come up trumps with something that's got Ultegra for £500ish, leaving you with plenty for a service to make sure it's safe and get some new wheels.

jonny_trousers

Go road bike; I can tell you've been bitten already.

Like others have said, I'd be wary of secondhand carbon, but that doesn't mean quality bargains aren't there to be had. Check the classifieds here as anyone with a decent, regular post count will probably have looked after their bikes.

Groupset wise I would say accept anything by Campagnolo and Sram or anything 105 or up by Shimano.

For comfort, fun and do-it-all adaptability I would suggest looking for a quality secondhand Genesis Equilibrium. If you want something more out-and-out roadie then - and I have never ridden one myself - I don't think I have ever heard anything bad spoken of a 105+ specked Cannondale Caad 9.

Greg T

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

I don't think I have ever heard anything bad spoken of a 105+ specked Cannondale Caad 9.

My go to commuter bike. You can't go wrong, no-one EVER swaps from a Road bike to a hybrid but plenty trade up.

There is a reason for this


There's one with Tiagra on ebay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cannondale-Ca ... 500wt_1193

300 quid.

DonDaddyD

My go to commuter bike. You can't go wrong, no-one EVER swaps from a Road bike to a hybrid but plenty trade up.

There is a reason for this

This. Arguably the single best example of logic on this entire website.

---

I also dispute hybrids have more versatility than (some) road bikes.

My Giant SCR can have panniers and mud guards on it. It's not entirely necessary to have uber wide tyres on tarmac. Knobbly tyres or tyre tread do not provide more grip on tarmac compared slick tyres (especially at our speeds - Vorsprung went to great length to explain this) but slick tyres make it easier to accelerate and are very grippy in comparbale conditions if not more so. Wider wheels do offer more comfort, however comfort can be acheived through over means: comfortable seat, carbon seat post, quality frame, riding position.

Drop handlebars allow for multiple riding positions meaning you can rotate your shoulders during the ride adding comfort. Flatbar mostly means you are fixed in one position [cramp].

Gears, a 20 speed double is all the gears you are likely to need - assuming you choose a sensible cassette.

I have the option to easily set up my road bike for commuting and sportive/faster weekend rides.

So for all the hybrid/commuting bike marketing gruff of "best of post Worlds" I often question what is there on a hybrid that you cannot replicate on (some) road bikes.

DrLex

Greg T wrote:

[...] You can't go wrong, no-one EVER swaps from a Road bike to a hybrid but plenty trade up.

There is a reason for this

Whilst not swapping, I bought a flat-barred Pompetamine for winter/bad-weather commuting after a Roubaix last year. The reviews of the versa shifters discouraged me from the drop bar version, plus bar-ends and a short commute obviates my need for such. A good eBay item swung the deal.

jamesco

Greg T wrote:

...no-one EVER swaps from a Road bike to a hybrid but plenty trade up.

Au contraire, there wouldn't be more than one day a month that my roadbike gets used to go to work. It's a good as new SCR1, but the old, beaten-up Trek T30 hybrid is better, IMHO.

Chadders81 wrote:

Never heard of anybody regretting the decision to get a road bike.

Regret would be too strong, but if I had the chance get back my £700 I wouldn't hesitate!

rick_chasey

jamesco wrote:

Greg T wrote:

...no-one EVER swaps from a Road bike to a hybrid but plenty trade up.

Au contraire, there wouldn't be more than one day a month that my roadbike gets used to go to work. It's a good as new SCR1, but the old, beaten-up Trek T30 hybrid is better, IMHO.

Chadders81 wrote:

Never heard of anybody regretting the decision to get a road bike.

Regret would be too strong, but if I had the chance get back my £700 I wouldn't hesitate!

notsoblue

My other bike is a Scott Sportster and despite it being well looked after, running 23mm tyres etc... I ride much faster and in more comfort on my road bike. The difference in weight and geometry has a big effect imo.

I only use the Sportster when I need panniers, when I can't wear lycra for some reason or if there isn't anywhere inside to park the bike. I'm quite lucky though because I can park the bike securely at work, and don't often need to carry a laptop/paperwork/full change of clothes. If I did need to carry all that with me I'd probably want panniers.

Btw, 17 miles in 50 minutes on a hybrid, in London rush hour traffic is pretty good!

roger_merriman

DonDaddyD wrote:

My go to commuter bike. You can't go wrong, no-one EVER swaps from a Road bike to a hybrid but plenty trade up.

There is a reason for this

This. Arguably the single best example of logic on this entire website.

---

I also dispute hybrids have more versatility than (some) road bikes.

My Giant SCR can have panniers and mud guards on it. It's not entirely necessary to have uber wide tyres on tarmac. Knobbly tyres or tyre tread do not provide more grip on tarmac compared slick tyres (especially at our speeds - Vorsprung went to great length to explain this) but slick tyres make it easier to accelerate and are very grippy in comparbale conditions if not more so. Wider wheels do offer more comfort, however comfort can be acheived through over means: comfortable seat, carbon seat post, quality frame, riding position.

yes slick tyres will give better grip than treaded on roads, but only as far as like for like. ie simular size, Hybrids will often have fairly generous clearance for tyres, which could easily be double the size of your standard roadie tyre.

add in compound and pressure of the tyre and the assumption that you'll get more grip from a road tyre is not safe.

plus plenty of big slicks about, 2inch plus.

frames for a given price point are broadly simular made, with simular if not the same type of alloy etc.

yes getting a good fit on a bike is a good idea, But in terms of smoothing potholes and such, big tyres or suspension will do that, nice saddles etc, will reduce road buzz but potholes um no.

DonDaddyD wrote:

Drop handlebars allow for multiple riding positions meaning you can rotate your shoulders during the ride adding comfort. Flatbar mostly means you are fixed in one position [cramp].

yes indeed for road use flat bars do that, though to be fair for most people it's only on long rides,

DonDaddyD wrote:

Gears, a 20 speed double is all the gears you are likely to need - assuming you choose a sensible cassette.

plenty manage with one gear and with out freewheel!

Hybrids tend to start to get decent gears at a lower price point that road bikes, plus many have disc brakes, which on a wet greasy road are a good choice.

DonDaddyD wrote:

I have the option to easily set up my road bike for commuting and sportive/faster weekend rides.

To be honest that is one of the big pluses of a road bike, mainly from the bars. I like many others find flat bars uncomfortable for long road rides, 5hr hack over the hills on the MTB no problem but on road no.

DonDaddyD wrote:

So for all the hybrid/commuting bike marketing gruff of "best of post Worlds" I often question what is there on a hybrid that you cannot replicate on (some) road bikes.

you can put that the other way around which is, a hybrid can me made as light and areo as a road bike, folks win TT's on them....

Don't get me wrong I commute on a drop bared bike, but thats because it's the fun choice.

flimflam_machine

DonDaddyD wrote:

My go to commuter bike. You can't go wrong, no-one EVER swaps from a Road bike to a hybrid but plenty trade up.

There is a reason for this

This. Arguably the single best example of logic on this entire website.

Well, yeah. The reason is that people get fitter as they do more cycling. They start off over short distances, for which a hybrid is fine, and then build up to longer distances for which a road bike is somewhat more efficient. Nobody starts off doing 50-milers and then becomes less fit and has to go down to 5-milers. It doesn't logically follow from that, however, that for any and all journeys on road a road bike is better than a hybrid.

For example, over my 6-mile urban commute I'm perfectly happy on my road bike (admittedly a fairly old one) or my hybrid (26" wheels with bar-ends). The hybrid is quicker away from the lights, has sharper brakes, turns tighter, deals better with rough sections and, since it has more nimble handling, is generally more confidence inspiring and "chuckable". The road bike is longer-legged and more fun over the long open sections and has nice comfy hand positions. So I reckon it depends entirely on what your commute involves. Assuming that the OP's 34-mile round trip isn't all stop-start, then a road bike sounds like a good investment.

And, of course, n+1

chbenson

Well its been a few weeks now of the daily commute, and well its tiring as hell. At first i just hit a wall and ended up going very slowly, but it seemed i wasnt eating enough and was getting dehydrated, but now i can manage the 17 miles each way no problem.

I am still seaching for a road bike, but just dont know what to get. This has been partly down to the fact i have come off my bike twice in t he last two weeks. Once stationary at lights when I was at the front and an idiot behind just hit my rear wheel knocking me off balance. The other was today approaching lights,The car in the lane on the right came across to the left in front of me braking hard as the lights turned red to get at the front of the traffic light queue. I slammed on my brakes, but it was very very wet out there and i just slid on my side, managed to avoid any vehicles hitting me though. It just seems like a very dangerous journey to me, almost every day I see an ambulance attending to some cyclist on the a23 or a214 going up to london from croydon. Additionally there are always vast ammoutns of oil everywhere and so many potholes you have to aviod. Also the most annoying thing has to be cyclists thinking it is safe/acceptable to cross red lights. It bloody isnt, there are too many close encounters to witness, and whats just as bad is trying to undertake a bus as it approaces a bus stop or undertaking at a pinch point. Its a scary thing to watch!!

The thing is that my bike has faired just fien otu of all this, nothing but a couple of scratches on the rear mech. I wear leather gloves so my hands are yet to get cut but my right thigh is now badly bruised again,although it won't be putting me off the commute just yet.

I dont think im gonna go for a carbon bike and possible may spend a lot less on a bike as if this happens with a £1.5k bike i would not be impressed. I do really enjoy the journey everyday, albeit it is very scary. I may just spend around £3-400 on a cheap road bike i think, any suggestions? Many Thanks!

ketsbaia

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

I don't think I have ever heard anything bad spoken of a 105+ specked Cannondale Caad 9.

If it's 105 and a Caad 9, Shimano were still shipping dodgy left-hand shifters at the time.

But apart from that, great bike.

dhope

viewtopic.php?f=40049&t=12850365
?

Nearly new Spesh Tricross Sport for £400

bails87

'Cross bike?

Adaptability, and drop bars

dhope

bails87 wrote:

'Cross bike?

Adaptability, and drop bars

And free cape

Kieran_Burns

and the ability to go off road:

http://youtu.be/16IgI6IF748?hd=1



(both bikes were Tricross Sports)