General Cycling Discussion - Somebody PLEASE respond to my Bianchi post

it's down there a few.

also, a newbie asked why i felt the hybrid would not do all that i wanted it to do for moderate distance riding.

let me say i am too, am very NEW to this sport. i rode a lot when i was in high school but that's been 25+ yrs. ago.

from what i am told from the bike shops, the hybrid is FINE for comfort riding, biking around town, some distance riding, but to consistently want to ride distance they felt i should be looking at a road bike (like several days of 20 something rides).

however, a road bike isn't as appropriate for riding around the neighborhood as a hybrid is, and i don't always want to ride distance, so that puts me "in between."

i've been to a few shops, am having to determine what feels comfortable (both bike & people), and what i'm coming up with is....... the person listening to me MOST is now pushing me towards the Bianchi.

She says this will work for cruising my neighborhood but will do better at longer distance than the regular hybrids w/o limiting me.

We have bike groups in my area. They take short cruises and longer cruises (a 2 day trip coming up, prob. 40 mi. of riding each day). She says for the longer cruises the Bianchi will work very well for me, yet I'll still have the comfort/pleasure riding ability around my neighborhood.

make sense?

it's beginning to make sense to me. she's ordered the bike for me to try. i just hope/pray it has a good feel to it for me, good fit.

i have to say when i tested the smaller model frame the ride was very smooth.

i think the tires on the Bianchi are 700 c (????). It's 700 something. She told me I should be looking at a bike for the kind of riding that I want to do, with this kind of tire.

Someone want to explain this to me, about the tires.

Being new, there's so much to absorbe!!

Thanks!

it's down there a few.

also, a newbie asked why i felt the hybrid would not do all that i wanted it to do for moderate distance riding.

let me say i am too, am very NEW to this sport. i rode a lot when i was in high school but that's been 25+ yrs. ago.

from what i am told from the bike shops, the hybrid is FINE for comfort riding, biking around town, some distance riding, but to consistently want to ride distance they felt i should be looking at a road bike (like several days of 20 something rides).

however, a road bike isn't as appropriate for riding around the neighborhood as a hybrid is, and i don't always want to ride distance, so that puts me "in between."

i've been to a few shops, am having to determine what feels comfortable (both bike & people), and what i'm coming up with is....... the person listening to me MOST is now pushing me towards the Bianchi.

She says this will work for cruising my neighborhood but will do better at longer distance than the regular hybrids w/o limiting me.

We have bike groups in my area. They take short cruises and longer cruises (a 2 day trip coming up, prob. 40 mi. of riding each day). She says for the longer cruises the Bianchi will work very well for me, yet I'll still have the comfort/pleasure riding ability around my neighborhood.

make sense?

it's beginning to make sense to me. she's ordered the bike for me to try. i just hope/pray it has a good feel to it for me, good fit.

i have to say when i tested the smaller model frame the ride was very smooth.

i think the tires on the Bianchi are 700 c (????). It's 700 something. She told me I should be looking at a bike for the kind of riding that I want to do, with this kind of tire.

Someone want to explain this to me, about the tires.

Being new, there's so much to absorbe!!

Thanks!

Way too much thinking going on here. Just buy something and start riding.

Tim

Most hybrid and road bikes have 700c (diameter) tires. Mountain bikes have 26 in. (or now some have 29 in.)

As for what bike to get. Get the bike that feels best to you. I ride a mountain bike with skinny tires and time trial handlebars on centuries because thats what I want to ride. It works for me. Get what works for you.

Most people seem to think that for any riding on pavement you have to have a conventional road bike. If your riding just for fun and have no intention of becoming Lance ride whatever you feel the best on. The only "limitation" of a hybrid is speed. If you are only after having fun, communing with nature and doing local group rides speed is probably no big deal.

SS

well now last week y'all told me to TAKE MY TIME making my decision. check 'em all out.

so i have.

i just haven't asked about Bianchi 'til now.

$400 is a huge expense for me. my husband thinks i can buy a bike from Walmart. i'm gonna have this for a longgggggggggggg time.

Keep in mind the geometry. A road bike will have you more stretched out than a hybrid, which keeps you in a more upright position. I suggest a nice hybrid. You'll most likely appreciate the geometry on longer rides as well.

Now get out there and RIDE!

DC_Emily

I've been riding a hybrid for about a year and a half now, and I still love it. I've got about 3600 miles on it so far, and will probably put another 2500 on it before the end of the year.

Unless your'e real into going fast, a hybrid will suit you just fine. They're slower than road bikes obviously, but the riding position is much more relaxed in my oppinion, and it's still not too difficult to do 100 miles as long as you stretch first.

however, a road bike isn't as appropriate for riding around the neighborhood as a hybrid is, and i don't always want to ride distance, so that puts me "in between."
Thanks!

The road bike is appropriate for riding around the neighborhood and more. If you think you're "in between", you're ready for a road bike.

The answer is quite obvious. You need a road bike. You need a mountain bike. You need a hybrid. You need a touring bike. You need a cyclocross bike. You need a road tandem. You need a mountain tandem. You need a recumbent. And then, you can seriously start to examine what's missing in your cycling life.

The answer is quite obvious. You need a road bike. You need a mountain bike. You need a hybrid. You need a touring bike. You need a cyclocross bike. You need a road tandem. You need a mountain tandem. You need a recumbent. And then, you can seriously start to examine what's missing in your cycling life.

You forgot uni-cycle :D

from what i am told from the bike shops, the hybrid is FINE for comfort riding, biking around town, some distance riding, but to consistently want to ride distance they felt i should be looking at a road bike (like several days of 20 something rides).

I think a lot of your decision should be based on what do you want to ride. I have a Hybrid; my kid has a road bike. He zooms past me, and ends up waiting for me at the end of the ride. I am not as fast, but at the end of the ride we both have the same miles, and we both have a good workout. Any more I don’t like riding unless it is around 20 miles, or if I am working hills, around 10 miles. Not bad for 41, and 300 pounds. I have to admit if I was in my son’s shape I would likely have a road bike. But in this stage of my life I think I am going to be on this hybrid for a while.

Don’t base your decision on us, or what the sales person says, but base your decision on what you want. Like I said, 20 miles is no problem, and 40 miles wouldn’t be out of the question. As a mater of fact, I am doing a 40 mile ride this Sunday.

Don’t decide on a bike by the miles you plan on riding. Decide on a bike by the speed, and comfort you want to do those miles in.

It seems that the hybrids want people to be on hybrids, and the roadies want people to be on roadies, mountain bikers look everything over, and go off their own direction anyway.

In the long run you are going to be the one in the saddle, and if you don’t like what you have, it will just be a dust collector. Try em all, and then decide.

After that ride like hell.

I think people obsess about what kind of bike to buy. Well, guess what... it's the motor that counts, that is to say, YOU!

The right kind of bike will help you do your best. But a slightly not-optimum choice is not going to stop you.

I ride a cheap ($275) mountain bike with slick tires all around the place. Ride 75 miles a week to and from work. Longest one-day trip I ever made on it was 60 miles. Could I do a Century on it, 100 miles? Probably. Would I be as fast or as comfortable as on my $1100 road bike. No. But my road bike doesn't have lights and racks on it.

It's all about trade-offs, but the hybrid or road choice isn't all that critical unless you're trying to compete in some way.

my husband thinks i can buy a bike from Walmart. i'm gonna have this for a longgggggggggggg time.

Your husband probably wouldn't buy a car built by and sold by Walmart. :)
FYI for your husband--a bike mechanic puts together the bikes at bike shops, usually your first tune-up is free (it is common that the cables stretch after a few months of riding and just need some tweaking)...plus--they tend to last longer than walmart bikes. Also, a bicycle shop will make sure the bike properly fits you.

As far as hybrid--it is whatever is comfortable for you. Bianchi, trek, giant, specialized, jamis: all make good hybrids--as a matter of fact, the frames for all these different companies tend to be made in the same factory overseas. From hear, the manufacturer puts the components on they want and put their name on the bike.

Hope this helps and hope I didn't pass along too much info!

Keep asking the Q's!

Have you considered buying a used hybrid? I just bought a used Jamis hybrid for $200. I have a road bike that I love. And I do think that road bikes are more comfortable for riding on the road because that's what they're made for But, my road bike isn't practical for riding around the neighborhood w/ my kids. Anyway, maybe if you invested less $$ in a hybrid you'd be more comfortable w/ your desision and if you change your mind you can always sell the hybrid and get a road bike.

Which Bianchi? I have a Vlope it has drop bars but mtb rear cassette and a road tripple up front. I've done 3 MS150s on it. On the other hand there were lots of hybrids and MTBs with slicks on them too. The pure road bikes are a lot faster though. The right answer is ride what feels good to you.

Joe

You need to be considering WHERE you wil be riding. If you want to ride roads, get a road bike. If you want to ride trails, jumping logs, etc, buy a mountain bike. If you want to ride roads AND trails, a hybrid is great. A road bike will be ok for a trail, with 700 x 23mm tires, but not for single track trails and jumping logs. There, you'll need a full suspension bike with shocks. I'd personally recommend a road bike because you'll be able to climb hills easier. I think that a hybrid is for someone who can't decide where they want to bike, and they can't afford to buy a mountain bike and a road bike. Road bikes have drop bars, and they give you various ways to ride, where as a hybrid doesn't allow you any options of where to position your hands.

Of course, buying a bike is a very personal decision. But first and foremost, consider where you'll be riding, and then look around at bikes in your price range before you make a decision on a brand name. Bianchi's are typically very expensive....