Hybrid to Road

vwone

Hi, I am very new to cycling I bought a bike a few years ago from Decathlon a Hybrid 5 but never got out much. I am now going out about twice a week covering 14 miles and trying to increase each time. I really enjoy riding and I am considering getting a road bike my question is what improvements will it make i.e. will it be easier to climb hills, will I be quicker, will I be more comfortable and able to go further? I am quite fit and go to the gym 5 times a week the idea of the bike is that I prefer to be out then stuck in the gym. The road bikes I am looking at are the Triban 5 or the Defy 5. thanks Neil

simon_masterson

Road bikes offer more aerodynamic positioning, often harder gears, and sharper response - both geometry and in having lighter wheels and tyres, which are also narrower. The actual tyre width itself isn't very important - wider tyres (28-32mm) offer comfort and traction and are very good for road cycling - typical hybrid and city tyres are often very heavy and/or knobbly, and consequently feel a bit sluggish.

Faster? I'd expect you to go a little bit quicker because the bike feels nippier. Easier to climb hills? Psychologically maybe, but the importance of weight even here is overstated, particularly for beginners. Presupposing the same gear on both bikes, fitness and nothing else will get you up that hill; there are no shortcuts.

kajjal

The trick with road bikes is the setup and being aerodynamic. A properly setup road bike will let you put down power efficiently over short fast or longer rides without injury. Once you get up to about 15mph or so a more aerodynamic riding position and tighter fitting clothing helps. This does not mean you need a really low riding position and clothing so skin tight you look like a human sausage

vwone

Thanks all for your responses really useful, I am going to spend some time next week getting the right sized bike as this seems to be important and then take the plunge into the road bike.

Lassic

I've recently upgraded from a Hybrid (£300~ish Merida Speeder S1 2012) to a Road Bike (£600~ Felt F85 Tiagra 2014).

The first thing that got me straight away was my balance, the shift to leaning forwards from being more upright took a few miles to get used to. Going from a 7 speed cassette to a 10 speed cassette, more aero and less weight also helps with getting the right cadence and extra speed.

Overall though, on the flats I'm probably going about 2mph quicker than I was on my hybrid. Comfort wise, I don't think it's as comfortable, the seat isn't as squishy (easily changed though) and vibration on my hands is alot more from the harder tires, even with a carbon fork.

simon_masterson

^ Are you wearing proper shorts? Using a squashy saddle is the equivalent of using a squashy armchair at work rather than a proper office chair; you need something that will support your sitbones. As you've discovered, the positioning on a road bike is very different, and leisure saddles are not designed for it.

markiegrim

Briefly, I moved from a hybrid to a road bike 12 months ago and was astonished at the increase in speed on flat (2 - 5 mph) and ease of getting up hills

Possibly not as comfortable though, but getting set up right helps a lot

lakesluddite

One real advantage of a road bike is hand positioning - on a flat bar, you only really have the one option, which involves the rider twisting their forearm so that the back of your hand faces upwards. On a road bike you can have your hands in a more natural position, palms inwards and no twist of the forearm. That said, you also have the choice to have your hands on the flat section of the bars, on the (brake)hoods, or down low in the drop position (which increases aerodynamics). This is useful for giving your upper body a break from just the one position.

It is also much easier to get out of the saddle on a road bike, much for the same reasons as above, which helps with climbing if you can get the hang of it.

My other half is going through the same process, looking at going from hybrid to road bike (I have turned her to the Dark Side). The only thing now is finding a bike within budget and that she likes!