"Road" or Hybrid for long commute?

Just thought I'd chip in with my thoughts after my first 6 months commuting:

I do a twice weekly commute of 15 miles each way, over mainly country lanes with some bits of busy A road to navigate. I've been using a Claud Butler Urban 300 not-so-fast hybrid which I bought in 2002 for 300 quid.

Since getting into the routine of commuting I've been really bitten by the cycling bug and also bought an entry level second hand road bike (Claud Butler Milano) for the weekends. I've occasionally used this for the commute too, which gives me an interesting comparison.

The hybrid is heavy (at around 16kg unladen), but then so am I (although that's improving). My road bike is 11kg. There are some decent ups and downs on my route, but nothing spectacular. There are a couple of 10% hills but they only last 100-200 metres or so. It's the 2 mile 4-5% drags that take the most out of me, and they're definitely easier on the roadie.

If I go on the roadie then I have to organise my clothes and packed lunch etc. the day before when I'm in the car. I much prefer to use panniers on the Hybrid even though it adds about 2kg extra, because its just so much easier from a logisitcs point of view to throw everything in the pannier on the morning of the ride.

When I started out, I thought that wind and rain were evil. These days I've just got the habit and so although wind and rain slow me down, I barely notice them. I wouldn't use the roadie in bad weather though, just because I think it's less resistant to the elements.

I average about 15mph on the hybrid, or 18mph on the roadie. I'm sure I'll get more out of the roadie as my experience improves (and maybe if I change the compact 11-22 rear cassette!), but I think I've got pretty much as much as I will ver get out of the hybrid. I've done a few thousand on the hybrid and the drivetrain (rings, cassette, rear hub and chain) is completely shagged out. Add to that the fact that it has an unnecessary (and heavy) front suspension, and I have now decided to replace it. Still, I think I have a much better idea of what I want now than I did 6 months ago - maybe a cheap ( used?) bike would be a better starter bike until you know what you want

FWIW, I'm thinking of going for something with more weather resistant mechs as I plan to keep going over the Winter as long as its not icy or snowy. So I was thinking about either a single speed or hub gear bike, with a budget of about £500. I might get tempted higher if I think it's the right bike that will last me the next 10 years of hard use. I'm not ultra sensitive to the weight (am carrying about 20kg extra myself) but don't want to waste weight on un-necessaries like suspension. I've been pretending I have a single speed this week and using only one gear for the whole 15 miles. I've found that middle 6th is a bit low on the flat and slight descents (I don't pedal down anything greater than 6/7% down anyway - 25mph is fast enough for commuting), but middle 7th is pretty tough on the 10% hills (like a stair climber set on max).

Oh, and tyres that aren't puncture prone are high on the list. There's nothing worse than a puncture to deflate your day.

I love whizzing around on the roadie at weekend, but I also like the more relaxed (and better visibility) posture on the hybrid. I get a thrill on Saturday mornings when I take the roadie out, but I also get a lovely warm comfortable glow when I get on the hybrid on a Tuesday morning. Horses for courses. I don't know too many keen cyclists with only one bike.

If anyone has any suggestions for my new hybrid, feel free to chip in. Will it be worth waiting for the Alfine-11?

Boy Lard wrote:

He is tempted by a full on road bike, because, knowing himself pretty well, he thinks he's going to want to push it faster and faster as his fitness levels rise. I'm thinking he would be better with a hybrid and making sure he can cover the distance he is wanting in comfort and safety rather than speed. I've advised him to look at a hybrid for commuting and getting a separate bike for weekends if that's what he wants to do, but to be honest, I ride a mountain bike and don't really know what I'm talking about.

I'm not looking for a specific bike, but examples would be helpful. Budget £800-1000, but pretty flexible.

I strongly suggest a road bike for him. Entry level road bikes from Specialized (Secteur) and Trek (Trek 1.2) have eyelets for racks and fenders. Even better, get a bike with a frame from Kinesisbikes.uk like the Racelight T2 or Tk2. They can use fenders and racks and 28 mm tyres. My bike with the older "Racelight Tk" frame is outrageously comfortable while still having a stiff bottom bracket area.

Some think that road bikes are uncomfortable, they are not. They are in fact made for riding fast for hours on end. Fit is important though. Too deep a saddle to handlebar drop can be uncomfortable until the right muscles have developed.

Remember to reserve money for bicycle clothes; you have to wash your bibs after every day, or nasty problems may occur (besides the smell problem), so several bibs, jerseys and baselayers are nice to have.

Another advice; most entry level bikes have cheapish FSA/Truvativ chainsets. He will probably ride their BB's to pieces within the first year or so. Advice him to upgrade to a Campagnolo or Shimano chainset; they have very good chainrings and BB's, shift well, and are very stiff, something a strong legged guy will appreciate.

On my daily short commute I like my hybrid just fine, but on my occasional long commute (2x30 km) I really appreciate my road bike.

I think a hybrid is wasted on him; he will outgrow it in a few months if not weeks. He will have no problems whatsoever riding 2x20 miles, though perhaps not every day in the week in the beginning.


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Regards

As Biondino said, easiest what bike thread ever.
He clearly wants a road bike, let him get a road bike... most people here would recommend one anyway.

slog wrote:

I've been commuting 15 miles each way/ 6 days a week since mid April. I've got a Specialised Sirrus Sport, and while I'm very happy with it, I'm already looking for an upgrade to a full-on road bike.I just feel I can't satisfy my need for speed, plus I'm going to enter some triathlons next year. Like your mate, my competitive nature won't allow me to pootle along.....
I'n my mind I had it sorted; the award-winning Cannondale Six Carbon, but with regards to which chainset type is best I don't have a clue. Also. now I've read this thread, I don't know whether I'd be better off with a Cyclocross style in something other that carbon. Why's it so blinkin' hard to choose??

Road bike, especially if you want it to race triathlons on.