Hybrid Road Bike

jacton

Hi My first post so hope I am at the right place
I am 66 years old always been into my fitness but have had to stop road running after a prostate cancer operation but want to get back into some form of Keeping fit
Was recommended to take up cycling, which I used to do and looking at all the information I think a hybrid bike will be my best choice, given the quality of the roads where I live. I dont need an MTB or a road racer
I currently live in Spain and websites over here are not really helpful but so far its seems one of my best options for my budget of around 500 euros is the B'Twin Triban 520 Flat bar which comes in around 455 euros but cannot seem to find out if it really is a hybrid or not.
The only place over here i can purchase this model is at Decathlon but they speak very little English and my Spanish is limited I looked on the UK website but am not sure it the same model
I have also looked at the Claud Butler Explorer 200 hybrid which has 700/38C tyres as opposed to the B'Twins 700/28C Tyres but not sure how much different they would be The Explorer is at the top of my budget at 499 euros
Can anybody help please

fenix

There are >100 reviews on the decathlon page for that bike - having a look at those should give you an insight into the bike.

https://www.decathlon.es/bicicleta-carr ... 22799.html looks identical to the UK version as you'd expect.

The Triban range do get a very good review so I don't think you'd be able to go far wrong.

davesnothere

My mate has a Triban from decathlon, I would say the predecessor to the one above. They are generally regarded to be good value entry level bikes. I googled the claud butler explorer, there's nothing about it that makes it better than the Triban other than it has a (very budget) suspension fork. If you are only riding on roads then i would say you don't need this, it adds weight but will do little to improve the ride, especially a cheapy suntour type as on the CB

Good luck with the recovery, you will soon have the cycling bug. Enjoy

mrfpb

One note on tyres - a bike with 38mm tyres will take 28mm tyres if you decide to change, but the bike with 28mm tyres may not have room for 38mm.

You will need 38mm tyres only if you intend to to do heavy laden touring or use the bike off road on very rough/muddy paths. I can go shopping and get home on 28mm tyres.

jacton

Thanks for your help I certainly wont be on rough or muddy Paths so the 28 will be fine Actually Decathlon said i could have 32 fitted if I didnt want at some stage to put mud guards on which i wont as it doesnt rain that often here and when it does it dries so quickly.
Am going to test ride the BTwin Triban 520 tomorrow
Thanks again for you help

mouth

The reason only Decathlon stock it is quite simple. It's their own brand.

jacton

Yes unfortunatly over here in Spain there are not many stockist that sell the budget end of the market I could go to Carrefour but not sure the quality of their bikes so am pretty limited
But having said that the spec of the bike isnt to bad and it gets a good review in Cycling weekly

apreading

Decathlon are pretty much hands down the best value bikes on the market. They are well regarded as being very good but dont have any snob value.

The Triban 520 is great - the ideal recommendation for your price.

You will probably find when you start that you hanker for those bigger tyres that you can run at lower pressures for more comfort. I did with my first road bike, and I went and bought some 32mm tyres but didnt fit them straight away. They are still unused because I got used to it and found no need for them in the end - preferring to have mudguards when needed instead. 28mm are the ideal compromise but it might take you a few miles to believe that. Just dont put too much pressure in them - depending on your weight you can probably run the tyres at 80-85psi which will be alot more comfortable than if you over-inflate them to >100psi - only bikes with really skinny tyres need to go that high.

keef66

The only other thing I'd say is are you sure about the flat handlebars? I'm 60 now and beyond walking the dog, road cycling is my sole form of exercise. I've never raced, I'm not particularly flexible, and I ride at a pretty sedate pace, but both my bikes have drop handlebars. I appreciate that post prostate you may value the upright posture though?

When I returned to road cycling at nearly 50 it was initially on a rigid MTB with slick tyres. Even with bar ends I soon became frustrated by the limited range of hand positions and the fixed, upright posture. When I then bought a road bike the drop bars felt a bit odd at first, but I soon came to appreciate flexibility they provide. Most of the time I ride on the hoods and elsewhere on the tops of the bars, varying my reach as I move about. Very rarely do I ride in the drops, but it's occasionally handy for steep descents / hard braking and battling into a headwind.

I know the appeal of flat bars is a more upright posture and the perception of better steering control / braking, but I've read hundreds of posts from people who chose a hybrid bike as a safe bet / compromise, and very soon realised they would have been better off with a road bike. It is possible to convert a bike from flat bars to drops in the future, but the geometry can be compromised and it's not cheap because of the cost of the STI levers.

Whatever you choose, get the right size.

jacton

I had a look at the BTwin 520 flat today and was disappointed first because Decathlon did not have the bike in small and no local branches had it either but also because the tyres looked very thin and didnt appear to be much bigger than a real racing bike.
I am now totally confused as to the difference between Hybrid bikes, MTB and Road bikes
I have also looked at the Claud Butler Explorer Hybrid which had 700/38C on them and they didnt look much different to a full MTB
But I cannot get the Btwin 520 anywhere around here

keef66

A hybrid is a vague term to cover a bike that's somewhere between a mountain bike and a road bike. Covers a multitude of sins. People often choose them thinking they'll be good for a bit of both, whereas the opposite is often true; too heavy and slow on the road and not capable at all off it.

The Triban is a flat barred road bike. A road bike is what you need by the sound of it. Finding one appears to be your biggest problem...Can Decathlon not obtain the bike / size you want? They are a massive company

(A 28mm tyre may look skinny, but it's a lot more comfortable than a 23mm race tyre pumped up to 100psi. 28s will be fine for road riding)

Could you buy from a UK retailer and have it delivered? I'm in the process of organising just this for an expat colleague who works in Germany but has a long service award which has to be bought in the UK.

jacton

Funnily enough i am just looking at that myself I did like the look of the bike (520) and it seems I can order on line as I now know my size but still wanted to see what else is out there.
If you go into a shop over here bearing in mind Road Racing is almost the number one sport in Spain and ask for a hybrid bike out comes the big tyred bikes, so over here their understanding of a hybrid is almost an MTB but as soon as I see it has sprung fronts I know its not what I want. Hence the 520 which does look a nice bike
Thanks for your help will continue to chat with Decathlon but also look at other bikes
Any recommendations would be welcomed.

mrfpb

Hybrid is a misnomer it's the original safety bicycle, the MTB and drop bar bikes are derivatives. The Triban has a road geometry, I think, as it's also the name of their road bike range. 28mm is plenty for road riding. I swapped down from 35mm on my CX bike, as I didn't need that width, even in winter, for the roads and canal/forest paths I ride on.

jacton

Thanks but unfortunatly this bike is not available in Spain and the UK branch of Decathlon does not deliver to Spain So I'm back to the drawing board looking for an alternative bike
I really thought getting the bike would be easy but its not so not sure where to go now

keef66

I know Evans and Rutland Cycling do delivery to Germany for about £50 so I'm sure Spain's possible. You can look on their websites to see if there are any flat barred* road bikes in your size / budget and to check delivery options.

*assuming I haven't persuaded you about the merits of drop bars...

keef66

I'd be curious to know what you could get in a local bike shop if you don't mention the hybrid word and just ask about road bikes. Are they really only selling race bikes with 23mm tyres?

jacton

Will be trying that self same thing over the next few days so will let you know.
Sorry keef66 I tried a drop bar bike and just could not stay on it whether its because of my having to wear glasses and everytime I looked up to check the road I lost my balance so its definatly upright for me
Just wish I knew what bike to go for Yes Evans seems to have a good stock and will deliver to Spain but not sure what I will be getting if I cannot see the bike first

keef66

Fair enough! Good luck with the search.

jacton

Thanks

gimpl

Also with your medical history I'd recommend a saddle something like this https://www.specialized.com/us/en/saddles/romin-expert-gel/105591

Something with a cut out will be a lot easier on the prostrate area.

Best of luck, I'm sure you're going to love it and I would hesitate a guess that you'll be on a drop bar bike in no time once your body get's used to it.

mcstumpy

The triban 520 and 540 flat bars usually sell with 25mm tyres but I've seen some in store with 28mm. As you say, decathlon advise you can go to 32mm without mudguards. I've got 35mm on my 540 and there's still plenty of clearance.

A 520 or 540 flat bar with bigger tyres makes an excellent hybrid.