Road vs. Hybrid... with a subtle difference.

WelshGuy

Hello! I've recently come into the market for a new bike, but my previous bike was an old, heavy, steel, entry-level Raleigh mountain bike (no suspension or anything!). I put some wide slicks on it, but that just made the top gear far too short... Despite all this, I used to happily ride 50+ miles on it, and even took it on a 350-mile round-Wales charity ride over 7 days. I think I rode around 3000+ miles on it in total!

I'd like to use my new bike for commuting (an inconsequential 3 miles each way) and for longer weekend rides, and some touring. Because I'm so used to riding my old bike, I'm quite wary of suddenly leaping up to a road bike, with skinny tyres, and wobbly-ness and different seating position, so I've been considering buying a hybrid.

Budget is around £500ish, so I've been considering the Giant Rapid 3: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/2013.giant.rapid.3/11834/56810/ and also the Specialized Sirrus Sport/Elite: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/sirrus-sport-2013-hybrid-bike-ec042533.

I know that everyone will instantly tell me to get a road bike, but I want something that's capable of taking some hefty panniers, and can take mudguards and is also reasonably comfortable. I'm not convinced that a road bike can offer this, but I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise!

Your knowledge will be greatly appreciated!

night_porter

There is nothing major wrong with your logic and if you are happy to ride 50 miles on a flat barred bike then losing the flexibility that a dropped bar bike has won't really affect you.

Both the Giant and the Spesh look to be pretty good bikes and if I wanted a hybrid they are what I would choose.

However, the slight flaw in your thinking is that neither of these bikes are any stronger, have significantly wider tyres and will have the same "wobblyness" as their equivalent road bikes. This is because they are road bikes but simply have flat handlebars,

Remember that just as with hybrids, road bikes is a generic term and covers many different types of bikes e.g. Racers, Tourers, light Tourers/Audax, Sportives, etc.

Maybe what you really need is a comfort orientated (relaxed geometry) Road bike with the capacity to fit mudguards, a rack and slightly wider tyres. I think that this may suit your requirements better and you will have the advantage of finding out how much better drops "can" be (imho) than flat barred bikes.

As far as wobblyness is concerned that is a trait of the rider not the bike unless your wheels are seriously buckled.

sporttourer

You need a Cyclocross bike. In simple terms - these can be described as drop handlebar hybrides.

Something like the Specialized tricross series will have 700 x 32c tyres and have mounts for mudguards & racks. These are more than capable bikes and you can also use them on dirt paths,etc as well as go fast on road. If you really get the bug - fit some 700 x 25c tyres & you will effectively have a pretty fast road bike.

I moved from a hybrid to a tricross just under a yr ago - have 700 x 25c tyres fitted and have completed several 100km sportives on it just around the 4hr mark.

Pigtail

Most bikes involve compromises. I found myself in the position of wanting something to commute a short distance on, and having a voucher from Edinburgh Bike that I got as a leaving present from my last job. I wanted a rack and panniers, as I dislike carrying my laptop in a rucksack.

I bought this. http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... ring-bikes

Not the best bike out there, the wheels and tyres are a bit low end and are on my list to upgrade, but I've no regrets and think it was about the best for my needs. I got it in a 15% off sale, which Edinburgh Bike runs occasionally. So I got a decent set of panniers as well within your budget.

keef66

Like you, 5 years ago I was riding a rigid steel framed MTB with slicks on the road. I wanted more speed, better gearing, a less upright position and more hand positions. I did a lot of research and concluded hybrids to be the worst of both worlds, so I bit the bullet and went for a road bike. The only concession being it had to have clearance for 25mm tyres and take full mudguards.

I went for a Racelight Tk which was designed as a winter trainer. Pretty light frame, neccessary mounts / clearances, but still quite lively geometry. It's proved to have been a very good choice; ridden all year round in all weathers, and still puts a smile on my face every time I set off.

The Tk was subsequently relaunched as the Tk2 and more recently the Tk3 with different paint jobs and slightly taller headtubes. Slightly cheaper / slightly heavier / slightly harsher ride is the T2, which is otherwise pretty similar.

Alternatives with proper 'guard clearance / mountings are the alu framed Cannondale Synapse or Tifosi CK7, or something in steel like the Genesis Equilibrium or the Dawes Century / Audax.

WelshGuy

Firstly, thanks for the replies guys - much appreciated!

Night_porter: you say that these bikes aren't any stronger than their equivalent roads, but how strong/weak is that? Would they still handle panniers? And do you have any idea what size tyres I could hope to put on? From what I've seen 28s seem to be a good compromise. Also, you mentioned I need a comfort orientated road bike - any suggestions?

Sport tourer: thanks for the heads up on the tricross, but it looks a little expensive for me. Also I'm not convinced that drop handlebars would be best for me. I've never once suffered from hand pain, and never felt the need to switch to a different hand position (other than my bar ends). Aero performance isn't high on my list so I think I'd rather the increased stability of a flat bar.

Pigtail: I've never really considered tourers - how do they differ from 'normal' bikes?

Keef66: I only want more speed and better gearing, as opposed to more hand positions and less upright. Would you still recommend a road bike then?

Also, how much difference will a carbon fork make? The GIANT Rapid 4 is £100 cheaper with an alu fork and slightly worse rear dérailleur...

night_porter

To try and show how strong a road bike is one of my bikes (Carrera Vanquish) has a pannier rack and I have taken a friend home (10 miles or so) on it with a total combined weight of 160k without a problem. I regularly ride on tow paths with 700x25 tyres and over the last 4 years it has year round commuted about 20,000 miles and is still going strong.

The one advantage you will find with drop bars is that you can ride in a more aero position easier and this will increase your speed more than anything else. Also this forum is for roadies so we will nearly always recommend drop bars anyway.

Which bikes? Giant Defy without a doubt as I have one and love it, you will be limited to 25mm tyres but that is fine as far as I am concerned. Trek and Spesh both make similar road bikes but I have only ridden them briefly so I cannot really comment on them. Carrera bikes are highly recommended by reviewers and by me as they are incredible value for money.

About carbon forks - urban myth will tell you that they reduce road buzz but I have ridden bikes with and without carbon forks and cannot tell the difference. Test ride any bike before you buy and if it feels comfortable then that is all that matters. If you are highly influenced by "what if I had bought...?" syndrome then buy the most expensive bike you can afford and console yourself that you are at your financial limit.

Finally this appears to be a good article for you http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/arti ... est-35756/ remember the prices quoted are list so bargains can be had for all of the recommended bikes.

Pigtail

Hi WelshGuy,

a tourer should be designed with comfort in mind, to ride long distances. So differences over a road bike are more relaxed geometry, lower gearing, more substantially built. They are likely to cone with wider tyres, mudguards fitted and fitting points for racks, generally front and rear. My commute is just over a mile, but that brings a set of challenges of its own.

I certainly don't want to get lycra'd up, get to work, shower and change there if I'd be faster walking. So I wanted something to commute in my work clothes. I've left the stock flat pedals. I also have a need to travel at work fairly regularly, with papers and occasionally my laptop, so this works for me. I have a road bike for leisure miles and it is a different beast but it is 4kg lighter, with expensive tyres, no mudguards and very responsive steering. Surprisingly the gap between them performance wise isn't as great as I expected. It is there, particularly uphill, but one pleasing thing is that the tourer isn't as slow as I thought it would be.

passout

I think the main things are can it take wider tyres, guards & panniers? A hybrid, tourer, and a number of cross and sportive bikes /offer this. Drop bars or flat is personal preference - I'd go dropped but flat will be fine.

Maybe look at the Boardman range of hybrids or possibly Vitus bikes at CRC. All the bikes mentioned so far will be fine though. Main thing is that they fit.

keef66

I'd still recommend drop bars; 95% of the time I ride on the hoods / tops, but when I'm riding into the wind or descending a steep hill they really really do help.

I'd suggest a shallow drop bar like the FSA Vero, that way there's not so great a difference between hoods and drops and it doesn't feel so extreme if you're new to them.

mherby

I bought the Giant Rapid 3 back in April, took me about 3 months to regret not going for drop bars in the first place and it has now been converted to drop bars and sora shifters/levers.

keef66

Worth pointing out that converting a bike from a flat bar to drops isn't exactly cheap, so best to try a few first.

WelshGuy

passout wrote:

I think the main things are can it take wider tyres, guards & panniers? A hybrid, tourer, and a number of cross and sportive bikes /offer this. Drop bars or flat is personal preference - I'd go dropped but flat will be fine.

So does anyone have an idea of the largest tyres I'd be able to put on the Rapid? There's a local cycle shop that has one in stock (in XL!) with a reasonable deal for people who work in my company. If I could put 28s (or maybe 32s at a push) on it, fit decent mudguards and strap a decent set of panniers on the back I think I might go for it. Problem is they'll have to order it in specially so hopefully I'll get to give it a quick test ride before I commit.

I'm really not bothered about the drop handlebars - aerodynamicness doesn't concern me, and the different hand positions are really something I've never thought "that would be nice" when I've been riding my old bike.

I know the Rapid comes with 25s, but I'm not sure where I'd find out what size tyres it could potentially take... also any thoughts on Rapid 3/4? The 3 is £100 more, but has carbon forks and the Sora rear mech.

tonye_n

WelshGuy wrote:

passout wrote:

I think the main things are can it take wider tyres, guards & panniers? A hybrid, tourer, and a number of cross and sportive bikes /offer this. Drop bars or flat is personal preference - I'd go dropped but flat will be fine.

So does anyone have an idea of the largest tyres I'd be able to put on the Rapid? There's a local cycle shop that has one in stock (in XL!) with a reasonable deal for people who work in my company. If I could put 28s (or maybe 32s at a push) on it, fit decent mudguards and strap a decent set of panniers on the back I think I might go for it. Problem is they'll have to order it in specially so hopefully I'll get to give it a quick test ride before I commit.

I'm really not bothered about the drop handlebars - aerodynamicness doesn't concern me, and the different hand positions are really something I've never thought "that would be nice" when I've been riding my old bike.

I know the Rapid comes with 25s, but I'm not sure where I'd find out what size tyres it could potentially take... also any thoughts on Rapid 3/4? The 3 is £100 more, but has carbon forks and the Sora rear mech.

Go for the one with carbon forks. You WILL notice the difference. If commuting on UK roads, carbon or steel forks are they way to go IMO.

I've got a Giant Rapid 1. I am currently using TorTec chromoplastic (slim-line) FULL mudguards with 25c Conti 4 seasons tyres. No clearance issues at all.
However you will defo not be able to fit 32c with or without muddies. You can go up to 28c max without muddies.

With regards to hand positions. You can use bar-ends to give alternate hand positions. If you get a good quality pair they can actually feel quite nice.
I replaced the 58cm flatbar with a 56cm Easton carbon flatbar, put on a pair of Giant branded bar-ends and it is now quite comfy to ride for even 30 miles.

The Giant Rapid (and indeed the Defy) do not have any mudguard fixers at the seat-tube/chainstay bridge, but the TorTec guards come with a plastic chainstay bridge adapter.

IMO this is a road bike in all ways apart from the flat-bar.
Converting to drop will mean ONLY changing the bars, STI brifters, and (if you want to be uber-compliant) the front-mech. If you shop judiciously for 2nd hand offerings and also sell the flat-bar components, you should not be out of pocket by much.