Hi I currently use a road bike with 39-53 chainrings for Long distance Cycling, but that gearing is just too high for the Alpine landscape here in Switzerland (on my last tour I had a 2km long hill with 20% slope). A new compact crank and BB is pretty expensive (200 USD)....

But I also have a hybrid/Cross bike with flat bars and I was wondering if it wouldnt make sense to use the road bike as it is on the flatter routes and put either drops or a touring bar on the hybrid and use it in the mountains. As there are frequently some gravel sections, a hybrid would be perfect I think.

The only problem is that I have never tried a bike with a touring bar so I dont know it is just good for hauling around 4 panniers or if it can also be good for centuries with some climbing and aggressive downhill sections.

What do you think?

Why not go out and try it on some local roads?

And does the hybrid have lower gearing, as it seems the question is really about climbing, and not about handlebar / comfort, no?

Plenty of people tour on all sorts of bikes - I see some of the tour companies here using hyrbids exclusively as rentals... and other people tour on mountain bikes, use the H bar, and use trekking bars.

The comfort will be up to you.

Why not go out and try it on some local roads?

And does the hybrid have lower gearing, as it seems the question is really about climbing, and not about handlebar / comfort, no?

Plenty of people tour on all sorts of bikes - I see some of the tour companies here using hyrbids exclusively as rentals... and other people tour on mountain bikes, use the H bar, and use trekking bars.

The comfort will be up to you.

Hi, thanx for your answer.

Yes and no, the gearing makes the roadbike difficult to use in the mountains. And then the question arises, if I should change the crank out on the road bike for compact or just use the hybrid that I bought for 150$ and fix the fitting problem.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/2658762705_88823e8738.jpg?v=1215808841
Picture 1 -the hybrid in question

The hybrid currently has a too long stem for my liking, so there are basicly three possibilities

1
Use the current stem and get a trekking bar

2
Get a shorter stem and use the straight bars

3
Get a shorter stem, brake handles, bar end shifters and a drop bar

2 & 3 both involve getting a quill adaptor as stems for threaded headsets are becoming ever harder to get.

Option 1 is the least expensive one, but I dont know how good a trekking bar is for other than touring where you are mostly cycling at least 10 km/h slower than unloaded and are probably not going to speeds around or above 60 km/h.

Hi, thanx for your answer.

Yes and no, the gearing makes the roadbike difficult to use in the mountains. And then the question arises, if I should change the crank out on the road bike for compact or just use the hybrid that I bought for 150$ and fix the fitting problem.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/2658762705_88823e8738.jpg?v=1215808841
Picture 1 -the hybrid in question

The hybrid currently has a too long stem for my liking, so there are basicly three possibilities

1
Use the current stem and get a trekking bar

2
Get a shorter stem and use the straight bars

3
Get a shorter stem, brake handles, bar end shifters and a drop bar

2 & 3 both involve getting a quill adaptor as stems for threaded headsets are becoming ever harder to get.

Option 1 is the least expensive one, but I dont know how good a trekking bar is for other than touring where you are mostly cycling at least 10 km/h slower than unloaded and are probably not going to speeds around or above 60 km/h.

move the cranks and derailers to the road bike?
for the cost of doing 2 or 3 you might be able to pick up a compact (sugino?) and use the same bb.

Good thinking...