Road Cycling - It's the hybrid.....RIGHT?

So I'm in the home stretch of my 20 mile commute home last night. I'm plugging along the strand fighting the cramps on my Sirrus trying to break my best time (1:17) and a roadie zips by me with ease. Not only did he cruise by me I notice he was in his 2nd or maybe 3rd lowest gear in back. Here I am pushing myself in my 2nd to HIGHEST gear (middle ring) ACK.

Humbling......It MUST be cuz he was on a super light efficient roadie while I was riding my heavier Sirrus. RIGHT? It couldn't be the engine :rolleyes:

As I grasp for justification of getting a road bike..:p

Before spending all that money, try changing your tires. 28mm will run faster than whatever you have now.

Does your Sirrus have road bike gearing? Anyway, whether it does or not, I'd say it's "probably the engine". :)

HOWEVER, I will also say that the ride of a hybrid is not going to top that of a road bike overall, so, yeah, go get a road bike! You'll have more fun, fly faster, feel lighter, feel the JOY! :D

No I KNOW it's the engine.....:(

I got my 2001 Sirrus as an entry back into biking. It was an old model year close out so a $450 investment to give it a try didn't seem too bad. Never even thought I'd attempt to ride to work. Now I try to do it 2-3 times a week :D

I think my Sirrus has MTB gearing with LX derailer. Does that sound right? I'm runnning 700X26 tires and according to listings I've seen it runs 23-24 lbs.

Just like people told me 6 months in to this I long for a road bike. I don't know a Tiagra from a Ultegra from a chorus....but I want one. I haven't even ridden that style of bike since my teenage sear 10 speed....but I want one.

Wife has given me the ok but I NEED to put more miles on my Sirrus before I justify that jump to myself. Cuz I know I got a good deal on my starter bike but knowing myself I KNOW I won't get out that cheaply if I get a full roadie.

till then I'll be a window shopper ;)

Another way to look at it is that the LESS miles you put on your Sirrus, the more money you can get for it if you sell it on Ebay to get that road bike. Sirrus should sell pretty well, if that's where you're headed with this.

Most of us have been the hybrid bike route BEFORE we bit the bullet and got a road bike.

Originally posted by Rats13
So I'm in the home stretch of my 20 mile commute home last night. I'm plugging along the strand fighting the cramps on my Sirrus trying to break my best time (1:17) and a roadie zips by me with ease. Not only did he cruise by me I notice he was in his 2nd or maybe 3rd lowest gear in back. Here I am pushing myself in my 2nd to HIGHEST gear (middle ring) ACK.

Humbling......It MUST be cuz he was on a super light efficient roadie while I was riding my heavier Sirrus. RIGHT? It couldn't be the engine :rolleyes:

As I grasp for justification of getting a road bike..:p


I have the Sirrus, and use the same excuse.... :)

Originally posted by Rats13

Wife has given me the ok but I NEED to put more miles on my Sirrus before I justify that jump to myself. Cuz I know I got a good deal on my starter bike but knowing myself I KNOW I won't get out that cheaply if I get a full roadie.


You must own at least two bikes. It's a rule.

Seriously, can't you put lights and fenders on the Sirrus and use it as your rain bike?

Most dedicated commuters I know have at least two bikes, so there's always something available for the trip to work. A hybrid is an excellent utility bike.

I'm not saying you need a road bike and it will make you faster. I'm just saying you need another bike anyway, so why not a road bike if that's what you want?

RichC

Originally posted by Rich Clark
You must own at least two bikes. It's a rule.

Seriously, can't you put lights and fenders on the Sirrus and use it as your rain bike?




I like the two bike idea, but what makes a road bike unsuitable for commuting?

Wouldn't it be a better idea to sell the Sirrus when I upgrade to a road bike, use the cash for toys?

Originally posted by belfast-biker
I like the two bike idea, but what makes a road bike unsuitable for commuting?

Wouldn't it be a better idea to sell the Sirrus when I upgrade to a road bike, use the cash for toys?

Racing-style road bikes can be problematic for racks and fenders. So you commute on the road bike on sunny days when your clothes are already at work. Ride the rain bike if it looks messy. In a pinch, both bikes are available.

If your commute can be done on a road bike, of course, then by all means ride it. I'm just saying that the more you ride, and the more you hate to travel any other way, the more you'll appreciate always having a backup bike.

RichC

Originally posted by Rich Clark
If your commute can be done on a road bike, of course, then by all means ride it. I'm just saying that the more you ride, and the more you hate to travel any other way, the more you'll appreciate always having a backup bike.


Hmmm.... still don't understand it...but hey, if I have to buy two bikes, so be it! :)

I've actually think my down the road plan will be to keep my bike as a commuter/ride with my wife bike.


My thoughy was perhaps put a rack and slighlty bigger (?) tires because my commute route is along the coastal bike path where there are patchs of sand from time to time.

Do you think cyclocross type tires would help give me just a little more grip on the path and still be suitable for commuting?

Thanks

Originally posted by Rats13

Do you think cyclocross type tires would help give me just a little more grip on the path and still be suitable for commuting?


I had Avocet Cross K's (700x32c) on my Novara for over 6000 miles; that's the bike I ride in rain and muck. I recently replaced the rear, but the front looks like it has another 6000 miles in it.

These are decent all-purpose tires. Not knobby, so there are no handling issues, and plenty of rubber in contact with the road, but still a deep enough tread pattern to do some good on loose terrain.

They're not light, and they're not particularly quiet, but they're really tough and yes, I think they're very suitable for commuting.

RichC

Your Sirrus's riding position is probably making your body generate a lot of air drag, compared to Mr. Roadie. The aerodynamic riding position allowed by a road-racing bike is the key. The lightness and improved aerodynamics of the road bike itself are just icing on the cake. :)

If you wanted to experiment with something, you might try a good aero bar that has armrests mounted well to the rear of your handlebar's axis. Aero bars allow your body to draft your arms, and can be surprisingly restful too. On my road bike, getting down on my aero bars will generally result in my speed jumping noticably... if I was going 20mph, it jumps to about 22mph. They do hog your handlebar space insofar as accessories go.

Welcome to my world my friend...

After a couple of MTB's (Diamondback & Kona) I went the Hybrid route too (Trek 7500 - took the cassette off the Kona put it on the Trek with a new 9 speed chain). After a couple of weeks I started hearing a voice say to me (like in the movie Field of Dreams) "Road Bike...Road Bike...Road Bike".

After a couple of day's of this, off I went to my FBS and was fitted to a Cannondale R800 roadie. I've written about this experience in other threads so I won't bore you with the details. All I can say is "Road Bike, Road Bike, Road Bike"....the difference is amazing, the speed is fantastic. My engine was turbo charged after getting the R800.

This of course is my opinion. See your LBS for details...your mpg may be different than stated.

I'd offer advice similar to mechBgon, except aero bars are proabably a bit of a jump - a decent drop bar though would be very handy. You've already got a reasonable weight bike, working gears & slim tyres. Upgrading bars, levers & shifters should be cheaper than a new bike (give you time to save for something really nice when you're improved) and would give you 90% of the benefits IMO.

Another thing with a new bike at this point - you may end up with a lust for a third bike when you improve and realise that you didn't get all the bike you could handle. Do the improvement first, then upgrade is my philosophy.

Usually the engine is the problem. I remember at college one of the team cyclists used to whip by me on his upright commuter bike despite my roadie machine - he was quick enough to draft buses. Definitely an engine thing.

Originally posted by belfast-biker
I like the two bike idea, but what makes a road bike unsuitable for commuting?

Wouldn't it be a better idea to sell the Sirrus when I upgrade to a road bike, use the cash for toys?

I have days when I just simply want to ride a different kind of bike. Like I am in an "explore the countryside" mood, I wheel out the old mountain bike.

When I am in a "whee" mood, I get on the road bike.

Also, I find that my seat appreciates having a different saddle, and my legs appreciate a different feeling at times. Makes for a nice variety.

Keep the old bike.

My mtn bike has a rack, two panniers, lights. It is sort of fixed up for more winter type biking, going to the store, doing errands, etc. I can actually carry 5 grocery bags on the bike (2 each in the panniers, one in my little foldup back pack.

I'd say keep the hybrid too. I'm like the poster above, I have two. A road bike and a hybrid (which I recently acquired) just to have a bike to cruise the sights on, put a rack and bags on, take on vacation to explore, a change of pace completely. It can go on some rougher terrain with it's 700x38 tires and suspension. Best of both worlds is nice! :)