Road bike vs Hybrid????

delboy2

Im in the process of looking for a new bike but torn between a road bike & a hybrid. I commute to work in town from the burbs everyday on a 6 year old Dawes hybrid and I was looking to either upgrade to a better hybrid or make a complete change and go for a road bike. I also do 2 or 3 sprint traithlons every summer so would need a reliable bike to get me through those. In previous years I've used my Dawes which has been less than ideal:(
budget is btw €700 & €1000. Bikes im considering are Sirrus comp or a Trek1000 but again don't know whether to stick with a hybrid or go for road bike. I have never used a road bike with drop handlebars and im 6ft 4in tall so comfort is somewhat of a requirement....cheers

http://www.cycleways.com/store/product/32094/07-Specialized-Sirrus-Comp/

http://www.trekbike.co.uk/2007/bikes.php?sec=overview&MainCatID=1&SubCatID=3&RangeID=0&ID=316

milod

I'd go with the hybrid - and the specialized has a much better spec - e.g. Shimano Tiagra v. Shimano Sora derailleur...

ruprect

I personally could not commute on a road bike. I have had to in the past and am far quicker on a hybrid, the ridiculous conditions of the roads make it uncomfortable to go fast on a road bike.

Chips Lovell

If you're doing tris I'd get the road bike and learn to ride in the drops. You'll go much faster. The different riding position takes a while to get used to, but after that you'll be flying. At 6ft4, you'll need to be careful to get a frame that fits you well. As for commuting, yes, you'll feel the road more, but it wouldn't put me off.

DirkVoodoo

i switched from a hybrid to a road bike for my all-purpose trip. Unfortuntately you do have to leave the cycle lanes behind, as the condition/crap in them makes them uncyclable. I didn't find it that much more uncomfortable, although I wouldn't cycle it in the city. The dropped position takes some getting used to as you have to make a full turn to check for traffic from behind rather than a slight turn of the head. I prefer the speed and efficiency, but Im lucky my route is along the N11. If your commute is a bit rougher then get the hybrid.

Civilian_Target

Yeah, wouldn't want to commute on a road bike, hybrid's bumpy enough!

If you're spending that much money, I really recommend hub gears on a hybrid. You can shift when stopped, they require pretty much zero maintenance (all I've done in 5000 miles to mine is adjust some thumbscrews), and they seem to be incredibly reliable. Well worth the price premium IMHO.

I have the Orion, as listed here and highly recommend it.
http://www.orbit-cycles.co.uk/bikes.shtml

Danbo!

sorry to seem ignorant,

but ive been riding a heavy "raleigh stonefly", with f*ckin grip shift, 14 miles everyday for four years.. my forte in bike knowledge is more with bmxs.

anywho, im finished college and can finally afford something decent and ive been looking into a few bikes in shops here and there, but im always put off by drop handlebars and tyres thinner than my teeth... readin the post it seems theres 2 types - hybrids and road bikes... what makes hybrids more comfortable...i.e., could anyone give me a brief description of the 2?? and do the kevlar tyres really resist punctures well? i have puncture tape in under my tyres at the mo and they do a great job but im assuming you cant get tape into the thinner road tyres.

any help on this is very much appreciated

cheers

blorg

OP- they are really quite different bikes. Both I would say are good bikes for what they do.

You will go a lot faster on the Trek, no question. I had a Trek 1000 (Sora) at the same time as a Specialised Sirrus (105) and the Trek was a hell of a lot faster. Sora as a groupset was never a problem on the Trek, Sora vs Tiagra on these two bikes should not be influencing you at all as it is the smallest of the differences between them.

I ride in drops in traffic, commute, all over. I commute on either my tourer or road bike. It's not a problem, it's what you are used to. Most of the time I would have my hands on the brake hoods, only go down into the drops with a headwind or going downhill (although by god you appreciate having drops when the wind blows up.) Drops give you a hell of a lot more hand positions than straight bars and as such I actually find them more comfortable, especially over longer distances (note touring bikes tend to come with drops.)

For tris, definately the Trek 1000, no question.

Make sure you get the right size, it really is crucial. I think the Trek was a bit off as I started getting back problems. So I sold it and went back to the Sirrus. A few years later I converted the Sirrus to drops and got another Trek (5000) - no back problems this time around.

There are a few things that feed into "comfort." On the one hand, a road bike will put you more forward, with in particular more weight on your hands. Wearing gloves you should get used to this, and the obvious benefit is that it is also taking weight off your backside and distributing it somewhat.

The major issue though in terms of road quality is probably the tire width: the wider the tire, the more comfortable over a poor road. I wouldn't let this sway you though as you should be able to put wider tires on the Trek if you want, say 700x28s (which I think are the standard width on the Sirrus.) This is reasonably cheap and you can very easily swap back the 700x25/23s for racing. If you do this, get the Specialised Armadillo 700x28s that come with the Sirrus, they are bulletproof.

Disadvantages of the Trek 1000- not 100% sure if you can mount a rack, which you definately can with the Sirrus. If you _can_ mount a rack the lighter weight and road race geometry of the Trek will likely mean handling will be a bit funny if you have weight on it.

The only other disadvantage I can think of offhand is that road bike brakes are _shít_ compared to the V-brakes you get on a hybrid, and even shítter if you are not in the drops when using them.

Whatever you do make sure you ride both to work out what you think will work best, and that you get the right size. Good luck with that!

blorg

noblestee- CTC have a very good section dealing with bike types that explains what hybrids and road bikes are. At root the increased "comfort" on a hybrid comes from a more relaxed (upright) riding position and wider tyres. They will often have other comfort-inducing features not found on road bikes such as suspension seatposts, and it is generally easier to fit racks or mudguards.

Some kevlar tyres do indeed work wonders but they are not all equal. Specialized Armadillos are among the best and really are bulletproof, I didn't get a puncture in three years on these, 10k+ on them, then swapped to Vittoria kevlar tires and started getting punctures on a monthly basis. Went back to an Armadillo on the rear wheel and the punctures disappeared again. Specialized Armadillos are available in typical (thin) road bike tyre sizes as well as wider.

Chips Lovell

I'd agree with blorg on the Armadillos. I've never got a puncture in around 3,000 km of riding over all sorts of crap this winter.

A friend uses Continental Gatorskins and he's never punctured on them either. I believe they're a little lighter with better rolling resistance.

Civilian_Target

I have armadillo on the back, schwalbe marathon on the back. I've got 1500miles out of the marathon and 3000 out of the armadillo, around Dublin and London and yet to puncture, despite cycling over broken glass, and all sort of other nasties.

Hybrids are more comfy because they have wider tyres and a geometry less conducive to you getting bashed. They also have much better brakes, which are invaluable around town (particularly if you travel at pace) and leave you in a much more easy-to-stop position as well. Its also easier to pick between traffic on a hybrid because it's easier to put the foot down if you have to.

Chips Lovell

I've never had a problem with braking on my road bike, and that includes coming down the Sally Gap in the rain. As for putting your feet down, I can't really see the difference, unless you're using clipless pedals.

Civilian_Target

Yeah, sure, when you have distance it's easy to stop on a roadbike in all conditions.
But for snap (or snap and skid) braking, hybrids are going to be way faster. Yesterday a van hidden behind a bus threw himself into reverse and appeared in front on me, with about 5 metres warning, coming downhill on a main road. I was able to jam both brakes on my hybrid, and skid sideways to stop on time.

With a road bike, your weight's much further forward, you have narrower tyres and usually softer brakes so you may have difficulty stopping on time.

rubadub

noblestee wrote:

2 types - hybrids and road bikes... what makes hybrids more comfortable...i.e., could anyone give me a brief description of the 2??

Road bike is a "racer" like in the tour de france. A hybrid is a cross between a racer and a mountain bike (MTB). Some hybrids veer towards a MTB and can have front suspension but will have the same size 27" wheel as a racer. The rims and frame will be stronger and heavier on a hybrid, so more suited to our crap roads and going up & down kerbs, potholes etc.
Hybrids have a more upright riding style with MTB style handle bars. Many will have MTB gears too, more likely a greater range than a racer, and usually lower gears than a racer (i.e. you can not go as fast in the highest gear at the same rate of pedalling). Some hybrids can have suspension seatpost for the saddle. They will have thinner tyres.

I have a hybrid and a MTB. If you are willing to break the law and not cycle on cycle-lanes then you could get away with a racer. I have a MTB for roads/routes I am unsure of, some roads here are in such a state that even my hybrid cannot stand up to them, unless I go slow looking for every obstacle.

Danbo!

thanks to all for explaining to me, much appreciated... i didnt expect as much of a reply, so sorry to delboy2 for taking everyone off the subject

thanks again

DirkVoodoo

Ive found the braking time is a bit longer on the road bike, that and the frame moment seems to allow the back wheel to "jump up" quite easy on even moderate braking. That said, I love it!

Membrane

noblestee wrote:

ive been riding a heavy "raleigh stonefly", with f*ckin grip shift

What do you dislike about grip shifters?

Danbo!

there not very grippy if its wet or if say i wipe my forehead of a bit of sweat... they're quite old so the grip isnt there anymore.... i know i could change them but im lookin into getting a new bike and dont want to put anymore money into this one. i use my dads dawes bike the odd time and it has the shimano thumb and index finger jobbies, a lot more user friendly IMO.

Membrane

noblestee wrote:

there not very grippy if its wet or if say i wipe my forehead of a bit of sweat... they're quite old so the grip isnt there anymore.... i know i could change them but im lookin into getting a new bike and dont want to put anymore money into this one. i use my dads dawes bike the odd time and it has the shimano thumb and index finger jobbies, a lot more user friendly IMO.

I'm not familiar with the Shimano system myself, does it allow skipping gears at the rear, for example change from 4 to 6 in one movement, or does it require 2 lever actions?

Haven't had a problem with slippery grips myself, the rubberized Sram MRX hex shaped grips work ok for me with wet hands.

delboy2

I rode both bikes at the weekend but the fit of the Trek [63cm] seemed much better than the sirrus. Think I'll go with the road bike. Thanks for all the advice

AlanD

some of the cheaper hybrid's seem to have grip shifters. A good or a bad choice? I think the thumb operated shifters seem more user friendly, but does it really matter in terms of quality or is it all personal preference.

Also, some cheaper hybrids have front suspension. I know many folks here don't like suspension on their bikes. But if the bike was good value could you go with the suspension until it broke and then replace with standard forks?

I'm looking for a cheap hybrid hence my cheap hybrid questions

Civilian_Target

I wouldn't bother with suspension - the roads aren't that bad and the suspension's going to majorly increase the amount of work you have to do to get speed. You won't need it anyway, if you encounter a bumpy piece of road on a hybrid, just get into a high gear, suspend yourself above the saddle with your knees bent and pedal through it.

blorg

A lot of the cheaper but decent brand hybrids (I'm thinking the lower-end Treks for example) tend to have suspension forks as an option, e.g. taking a rigid fork gets you €50 or so off the price of the bike.

superlav

Hi There,

Getting back to the hybrid/road debate

I think the best comprimse is a falt bar road bike, like these
http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=38&idproduct=12398

I've been riding the 05 equivalent of the RCR500 for 2 years now, commuting daily about 18 km each way and have completed a number of long touring events. Wicklow 100/200, Wlecome Home Cycle to Wexford and another spin from Enniskillen to Sligo and back the following day.

These straight bar road bikes come 25mm tires, so are slightly more suited to commuting than an out and out road bike, but still narrow enough to be economical on longer spins.

I regularily go out for spins with guys on road and triathalon bikes and have no difficulty in keeping up. The only disadvantage is the lack of drops when facing into a head wind or on a descent, I fell like I'm catching more than my fair share of wind. This could be sorted out with aero bars but I'm not sure I'd like to be that far from my brakes.

All that said, I'm sorely tempted to get a dedicated road bike to keep nice for those weekend spins, and use the hybrid solely for commuting.

Basically, you can go hybird without loosing out much in the way of performance and if you're going to be commuting the I find straight bars are more suitable for negotiating traffic.

rider2222

hi,

i was looking for a new road bike yesterday and found two that are in my budget - trek 1000 and the diamondback interval (both are the newset models). I was just wondering which one has the better performance?

thx.

blorg

I only have personal experience of the Trek 1000, and even then it was a much older model, but it was a very nice bike when I had it and things have only got better (now it has a carbon fork and seatpost, and Tiagra on the back.) It is phenomenally popular as a road bike. Don't know the Diamondback but spec is virtually identical.

Performance is going to be more up to the engine than the bike, I'd take both out if possible and see which suits (and fits) you better.