"Hybrid" frame? Does it mean anything without accoutrements?

ajoten
ajoten Posts: 321
edited June 2017 in Road general
Saw an ad recently for a "Hybrid/cyclocross frame". Is that right? How realistic is putting drops on a 700c hybrid and miraculously having a cx or gravel bike? Coz I know that the geometry of an mtb is all wrong for drops.
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Comments

  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    It's not mountain bike geometry ... it's a road frame with probably a longer top tube to keep the length of the stem down to accommodate the flat bar reach

    My hybrid if I stuck drops on it has almost the same geo as the road bike albeit in the next size up
  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    'Hybrid' geometry could be anything...

    But if it is the type of bike which is often called a 'flat bar road bike' then its normally just a slightly longer top tube than the road bike. Any difference can be compensated for by appropriate choice of stem/bars to some degree, but geometry varies from one bike to the next, even within the same broad category.
  • ajoten
    ajoten Posts: 321
    Hmm. Perhaps it would be a bit risky buying something cheap and hoping to convert it somehow. I was also musing on a similar approach with old skool rigid steel mtb or something, as they seem to be a bit roadier geom than modern mtb
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  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    I dont understand. Surely there are plenty of old drop bar road bike frames available? If you want drop bars then it shouldnt be hard to find a frame that was designed for them? Why so set on finding a hybrid or mountain bike frame and then converting it?
  • ajoten
    ajoten Posts: 321
    Tyre clearance
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  • apreading
    apreading Posts: 4,535
    Ah - ok, that makes sense.

    Just make sure that any hybrid frame supports that. Many of the more road bike oriented hybrids used to have limited clearance too - its only relatively recently that both started offering wider clearance - often along with disc brakes. Rim calipers may be a limiting factor as well as the frame.

    If you want discs then something like the Boardman CX frame would be worth considering - plenty around.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,362
    Planet X sell the London Road with flat bars or drops, I'm sure there are others that do the same so not that radical a concept.
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  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    Link to the add? Probably easier.
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  • ajoten
    ajoten Posts: 321
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SAB-Cyclo-Cross-Hybrid-alloy-frame-medium-/332228587453

    Note that I'm not considering buying this, it just got me thinking (as my budget is severely limited).

    E.g. more likely a http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ridgeback-Delta-Urban-Hybrid-Mens-Bike-/232368181811 or http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raleigh-Urban2-Hybrid-Bike-/222543558301 but switching bars (and moving levers to middle, cyclocross stylee, rather than getting braking system all wrong) and faffing with stem as necessary.
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  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,362
    Stick with flat bars and put some bar ends on it so they will give a position similar to being on the hoods. No faffing that way.
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  • ajoten
    ajoten Posts: 321
    Good point and worth a go. I can confirm that doesn't work with mtbs tho - I actually have bar ends "inside" the levers of my mtb so that they are 40cm apart, but weight distribution is all wrong so I never use them.
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  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    I have a PX London road, its actually a drop bar frame which they sell with flats, I built mine with flats and bought a size bigger (Large) frame and setback seatpost to match the cockpit length of my old (medium) frame.

    To do it the other way round you'd need a smaller frame hopefully designed for a setback post (so you could run an inline) to get it right. Sure you can just do a swap but the Geo may well be out.

    With drop bars, even with the same length stem, the handhold position is usually usually the hoodz and that's a long way in front of the headtube, you have to match the lengths somewhere!
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.

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