Hybrid Bicycles - Schwinn Toursist=ROAD TIRES. Any similar bikes???

Hi guys,

I'm 14 and I love biking-I use a 89$ MTB from walmart and I decided that since I joined high school bike club and was do 30 miles+ rides, I should upgrade my bike to a decent hybrid or road. My budget is $270, and I decided on a hybrid since I would be doing light dirt trails often...

I spent a week checking out hybrid bikes for the uncommon 5' teen. Most were OK, but too tall or not my taste. After a week, I saw this: http://www.target.com/Mens-Tourist-Hybrid-Bike/dp/B00160JO4Q


It's a Schwinn Tourist, and I LOVED it. It was my height, it could respond to barely any pressure(I rode down the aisles), and it looked beautiful...but the tires were road tires. No grip at all.
Another week of frustrated calls to Target(3 per day) proved to be worthless-they weren't listening, and I doubted they could do anything about it anyways.

So I was wondering if there's anything I could do about it...hybrid tires on a almost-road bike...Please help! And if I can't, are there any similar bikes under $270???


PLEASE RESPOND. I love this bike and really want it, but can't get it with the road tires

Thanks,
LilBallerx8
Age: 14
Weight: 95
Height: 5'
Suggested Frame: 14-15"

Looks good to me Mister. As far as the tires; wear 'em out then get slicker ones. Your story's kinda funny.
Just two years ago I went to a local Sporting Goods Store named Dick's. I strolled in there looking for fishing gear and saw bikes. The young man runnin' the show at the Bike Dept. let me ride a bike down the aisle, out the store for lap around the lot. I liked that bike. It was a Mongoose, a FLatBar hybrid like you've listed. It was three hundred even.
A older man I know bought it. The store has it no more. they have DiamondBacks, haven't tried them.
The point is that you have have a target price that Target can provide. Not a junky bike from what I can see. You're young and will have more time, more ops. to up-grade, besides, you'll outgrow it in more ways than one.
I checked Trek, other spots too. Unfortunately, lower priced bikes are kinda wimpy; up-right, bouncy seat posts, not what you've experienced. Others may disagree with you and me but the fact IS that that type of bike isn't so easy to find used, so much for the used route. I don' know, you want a new bike, get a new one, it's not that complicated. Not muuch money either. You like it, why not get what you like ?
My best choices in the Fast FlatBar realm are close to $500. They can come when you grow taller. Just earlier, I checked in on a post I'd chimed in on concerning an older man getting an economy bike. I'd wrote that he should try it, I'd responded yesterday. Seems though having just checked an hour ago that others rec.'d others. I think he went with YOUR model and some approved. I could on and on.. A new bike, it fits, you dig it, it's available.. I see no downside. You like the color ??.. I do. I'm sure i'd like the ride, I did the Mongoose, their prices are outa sight though, as are many others, except for tthe wimpy models.
Guarateed, others will recommend Mountain Bikes, used ones. They're slower and not what you want !!!

What's wrong with the tires? Are you riding off-road? I occasionally jump onto a dirt trail with either of my hybrids both of which have road tires on them. You just need to be careful, I banged my knee pretty bad on my stem once when my front tire slipped on some wet leaves on a section of technical singletrack. I was exploring, in other words, lost in the woods, but unworried as these woods are in the middle of a big city. My knee hurt really bad for several minutes, but nothing was broken and I remember the ride as a very fun ride with one mishap.

If you ride primarily on the roads, road tires are probably the best bet. Watch out for slippery stuff when the road is wet, like metal grates, manhole covers, the painted lines. Even with wider treaded tires, you should be aware of these things. On pavement, slick tires are not that much worse than lightly treaded ones. Most people who know a lot about bike tires will tell you slick tires have better(!) traction on pavement than treaded tires, but my limited exerience suggests otherwise.

I think it would be hard to find as nice a bike at that price.

Enjoy the ride!

i have that exact bike, and use it every day (car free here)
basic upkeep and it has been a great and speedy rider in many conditions.

It sure looks like a decent bike for the money.

Take really good care of it, and you might get your money back when you outgrow it. And, at your age, you certainly will.

Do a good job of checking everything over, when you get it. Visit Park Tools website for primers on all necessary maintenance, or, as another option, Sheldon Brown. Follow those directions to the letter, and you should have it in top notch condition within a few hours, and learn many basic maintenance skills in the process.

Once you outgrow this one, you will likely have a job, and will be able to afford whatever you want.

It sure is a nice bike, for the money.....

I wouldn't worry about the tires...they'll grip better on pavement than linoleum. +2 on looks like a good deal for the money.

You could do worse for the money. You can always put different tires on it, if the stock ones don't work for you. It doesn't give the tire size, in a meaningful way, but anything 700x32 will be fine for some light off road. But I'm gonna guess that the stock tires are that size and will be ok for your use.
BTW, the floors in Target are waxed daily, which is why the tires felt like they had "no grip". You really have to ried it out side to feel how it rides.

You could do worse for the money. You can always put different tires on it, if the stock ones don't work for you. It doesn't give the tire size, in a meaningful way, but anything 700x32 will be fine for some light off road. But I'm gonna guess that the stock tires are that size and will be ok for your use.
BTW, the floors in Target are waxed daily, which is why the tires felt like they had "no grip". You really have to ried it out side to feel how it rides.

How much will putting new tires cost? I really don't want to go over the 270-280 dollar budget, and the bike is $249 on Amazon, so the tires are hopefully 20-30 bucks?

I believe the tires are 700cX28. They are slicks. My Kenda Kwest has more tread pattern than the stock tire of that Schwinn. It's equivalent here in Canada is called the Schwinn Circuit XST. Lots of good reviews. From what I read, this little bike is quite the speedster. Weighs around 26lbs. I think for the price, it is certainly one of the better dept. store bike. I think it comes only in one size (atleast the one here) which is 18" frame.

I take it you haven't hit your last growth spurt yet. I hit my last spurt in 8th grade when I was 14 (27 now...getting old!). Most of my peers did their last growing between 7th and 9th grade if I remember correctly. My point is, if you are possibly doing some significant growing in the next year or so, you may grow out of a newly purchased bike. Also, you may grow into a bike size that is easier to find in the used market.

Regarding type of bike, it sounds like you may be better suited for a hardtail mountain bike in your size. Smaller frames should normally come with 26" wheels as opposed to 700c, which are also better suited to off-road. Finding a used mountain bike within your budget that is a good upgrade to what you have shouldn't be any problem. Another thing to note, the low spoke count on the Schwinn Tourist may be a bad thing for riding off-road. Normal spoke count is around 32, and spokes give wheels durability. Not trying to be discouraging, but that bike does not look suited for riding off-road.

Better yet, mow some lawns and sell a few video games to up your budget just a tad, and buy an entry-level mountain bike from a department store. If you want more road-worthy tires or anything, you can negotiate a swap as part of the sticker price. Then you also get a bike with better components, assembled by a professional.

A few examples:
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/mountain_hardtail/820/820/
http://www.fujibikes.com/Mountain/Sport-Hardtail/Adventure-3-0.aspx
http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/hardtails/trailx/09_trailxr.html

My lbs even has the Trek 820 on sale for $280. http://spokesetc.com/product/09-trek-820-47363-1.htm

OK...I'm done now. Good luck!

...I rode down the aisles...but the tires were road tires. No grip at all. ...

Untreaded road tires on tiles are not going to have any grip. No tire is going to work well there.

The tires (probably) would be fine on pavement. You can also use other tires (with treads for trail riding), if you like.

How much will putting new tires cost? I really don't want to go over the 270-280 dollar budget, and the bike is $249 on Amazon, so the tires are hopefully 20-30 bucks?

Are you reading the replies? Everybody seems to think your concerns about the tires are unwarranted including the person who submitted the post you quoted here.

As I noted above, slick bicycle tires are believed to have better traction on pavement than treaded ones.

I saw that bike when I was picking up kitty litter a few weeks ago. That's a pretty good bike for the money. Aluminum frame and decent components.

Since the guys in the Target stock room assemble it, I'd either buy it unassembled or buy it as is and then immediately take it to the local bike shop and have them give it a once over, tighten everything down, maybe re-true the wheels if they need it. If you have some extra cash, maybe you can pick up some new tires. If not, they stockers will work well enough on the trails.

It's a good bike, go for it.

As I noted above, slick bicycle tires are believed to have better traction on pavement than treaded ones.

I can vouch for this. I just returned from a 10 mile ride, it's been raining a lot these days and the roads are wet but my Gatorskins still handle the roads as if they were dry. I've never slipped on them once. The only trouble is smooth surfaces like tiles etc.



If you ride primarily on the roads, road tires are probably the best bet. Watch out for slippery stuff when the road is wet, like metal grates, manhole covers, the painted lines. Even with wider treaded tires, you should be aware of these things. On pavement, slick tires are not that much worse than lightly treaded ones. Most people who know a lot about bike tires will tell you slick tires have better(!) traction on pavement than treaded tires, but my limited exerience suggests otherwise.

I own this bike and have put a little over 1,000 miles on it since I bought it late this summer. The tires that came with it lasted about 400 miles...but they did look cheap. The tire size is 700c x 28....you could easily fit 700c x 32 on the rims with no problem if you like a slighty wider tire....All that depends on what type of trails you are riding on.

I replaced the stock tires on this bike with a set of Serfas Seca slicks....cost 25 each at the LBS....Good tires...great traction on the dry and wet pavement. Good flat protection too.

What type of riding are you going to be doing...what is the surface like. If it is pavement this is a great bike...its fast...and handles solid. Well worth the 250 bucks IMO.

^ Just wondering how tall are you? Does the 18" frame with you well?

^ Just wondering how tall are you? Does the 18" frame with you well?

I don't think it's really 18", because I fit really well-and I'm 5' exactly.

To all others: Thanks for the kind replies, just need a little more clarification:

Are you suggesting that the stock tires will work for slightly rough dirt paths? The comment on the less spokes was interesting, and if all of this is really true, unfortunately, the Tourist wouldn't be the right bike, no matter how much I want it- I WILL do slight dirt trail, I mean everyday riding is only going to be to school and back(all pavement), but on the 20-50 mile rides, I think that there will be some semi-rough areas for sure.

I don't think it's really 18", because I fit really well-and I'm 5' exactly.

To all others: Thanks for the kind replies, just need a little more clarification:

Are you suggesting that the stock tires will work for slightly rough dirt paths? The comment on the less spokes was interesting, and if all of this is really true, unfortunately, the Tourist wouldn't be the right bike, no matter how much I want it- I WILL do slight dirt trail, I mean everyday riding is only going to be to school and back(all pavement), but on the 20-50 mile rides, I think that there will be some semi-rough areas for sure.


I'm 5 foot 11 and this bike fits me well...I at first found it hard to mount at times!


You have some options here....You could find a LBS that sells new and used bike and tell them your story and I'm sure they would have a bike for you....One that you would enjoy for years even in your price range.

I have ridden my Tourist on rocky trails....I mean lots of small rocks...that is the trail...but I had to go slow because the thin 28c tires felt shaky. Now if it was dirt I would go faster..especially with 32c tires. But yeah the 24 spoke rims are not as strong as 32 spoke....I have not had issues with mine yet...even after two flip over accidents.

Maybe try to find a cyclocross bike...you might like those a lot. Look around take your time after all at your age 250 bucks is a lot.

Really with the tourist it depends on how rough the trail really is...If it is full of small twigs, then your fine..But a MB trail...you will have to go slow not to damage the tires...or even fall due to lack of traction.

I own this bike and it is best suited for pavement. Too bad you are going on dirt trails because it is a fun bike! Hey but you will find something that you love!

Here is mine

hey crazyed27, i like the look of yours with the new tires....i'll have to find some for myself soon. what freewheel you have on the back of yours? i am thinking of the suntour 8-speed on mine, but also thinking about getting a different rear wheel and shimano freehub (i have a trailer i pull sometimes and the 24 spoke scares me. i have had ZERO problems, it just scares me LOL)

it really has been a great bike all around, in all kinds of riding conditions. not any snow or anything. where i live, we don't have that evil stuff, but hurricanes make up the difference from time to time.

-Sighs-
So I guess i won't be able to get it...

I've looked at:
the Midmoor- http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Midmoor-Mens-Hybrid-Wheels/dp/B001731O36
the Trailway- http://www.amazon.com/Men-92s-Schwinn-700C-Trail-Hybrid/dp/B000KZ1G7Q
the Avenue- http://www.walmart.com/Schwinn-Mens-Avenue-Hybrid-Bike/ip/8399247

...and none feel, or look, even close to the Tourist :(
Ah well... I'm doing a last minute try by looking at costs of hybrid tires at my LBS, but I don't think I'll be able to fit it into the budget...

Just wondering, is it hard to install new tires into a bike?

I think the only risk with the Tourist is the low spoke count. Apart from that, I don't see it having trouble negotiating packed gravel trails. Perhaps all it takes is a switch to wider tires to absorb the impact.

At 95 pounds you have no worries about 24 spoke wheels. If you were 225 lbs, I'd be concerned. I have these tires on my trail bike in the 700 x 32 size. They provide good grip on crushed stone trails and are still fast on roads. I can manage at least 18 mph on the stone with no sense of loosing it due to lack of tire grip. I'm 64, would think you could go faster. Here is a link for cheap price; although they will also tack on shipping. You would do good to look for tire changing bars while at site, and also pick up a spare tube. I think tires are easy to change and quite frankly it's something you will want to learn. You gotta do it to fix a flat. Hope I get this link right with this new site software. http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_174913_-1_201492_10000_201496

At 95 pounds you have no worries about 24 spoke wheels. If you were 225 lbs, I'd be concerned. I have these tires on my trail bike in the 700 x 32 size. They provide good grip on crushed stone trails and are still fast on roads. I can manage at least 18 mph on the stone with no sense of loosing it due to lack of tire grip. I'm 64, would think you could go faster. Here is a link for cheap price; although they will also tack on shipping. You would do good to look for tire changing bars while at site, and also pick up a spare tube. I think tires are easy to change and quite frankly it's something you will want to learn. You gotta do it to fix a flat. Hope I get this link right with this new site software. http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_174913_-1_201492_10000_201496

Thanks A LOT for that link....I might actually get the bike now!

See, this is how it's working out-
If I get the bike online, 250(price) + 25(assembly+tune up) + 35(tires) = $310
If I get it at Target, 250(price) + 25(tax-CA stinks) +10(tune up) + 35(tires) = $320

my dad is now ok with $300, so mayyybe he'll agree
Plus, Target seems to say that changing tires might be free, as long as the tires of this bike fit in another :)

Will keep you updated, thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!

hey crazyed27, i like the look of yours with the new tires....i'll have to find some for myself soon. what freewheel you have on the back of yours? i am thinking of the suntour 8-speed on mine, but also thinking about getting a different rear wheel and shimano freehub (i have a trailer i pull sometimes and the 24 spoke scares me. i have had ZERO problems, it just scares me LOL)

it really has been a great bike all around, in all kinds of riding conditions. not any snow or anything. where i live, we don't have that evil stuff, but hurricanes make up the difference from time to time.



Yeah it as been a good all around bike for me too! Like I said before I have over 1000 miles on the bike....I think the straight forks makes it handle great IMO. I weigh 170LBS and sometimes carry over 30lbs on the bike with me, I have had no problems with the rims yet. As far as the compnents on the bike they are alll stock. Atlus derallier..and so forth. I thought about putting drop bars on it and I still might....or bull horns..I'm not sure yet!

-Sighs-
So I guess i won't be able to get it...

I've looked at:
the Midmoor- http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Midmoor-Mens-Hybrid-Wheels/dp/B001731O36
the Trailway- http://www.amazon.com/Men-92s-Schwinn-700C-Trail-Hybrid/dp/B000KZ1G7Q
the Avenue- http://www.walmart.com/Schwinn-Mens-Avenue-Hybrid-Bike/ip/8399247

...and none feel, or look, even close to the Tourist :(
Ah well... I'm doing a last minute try by looking at costs of hybrid tires at my LBS, but I don't think I'll be able to fit it into the budget...

Just wondering, is it hard to install new tires into a bike?


Yes I agree none of those bike even come close the the Tourist. When I bought mine it was between the trail blazer for $199 or the Tourist for $250. The Tourist was hands down the better bike.

It would be nice to see an example of the type of trails you will be riding on...So we could give you more info. I would suggest going to a 32C tire...and yes Tires are easy to replace. If you want to ride a bike..... tire and inner tube repair is a must. Byt a patch kit and keep it with you at all times while you are riding...I suggest Park tools Glue patch kit..I give it 5 stars. Plus you will need tools to take the tire off of the rim...so you will need tire levers too. Keep a hand held pump with you too as well and a muti tool for adjustments.

When your 5 miles from home on a bike..these items will save you from walking!

Yeah it as been a good all around bike for me too! Like I said before I have over 1000 miles on the bike....I think the straight forks makes it handle great IMO. I weigh 170LBS and sometimes carry over 30lbs on the bike with me, I have had no problems with the rims yet. As far as the compnents on the bike they are alll stock. Atlus derallier..and so forth. I thought about putting drop bars on it and I still might....or bull horns..I'm not sure yet!

i got some bar ends in a parts swap-out with a friend, and really like them, so much that i thought about bullhorns one of these days.

Run the stock tires until they die. Then, swap 'em out for a set of 32s in a "cross" pattern.

You wil be happy with your purchase, and will be surprised how well the stock tires do....

HECK YEAH.

I got the bike today (exactly 6:13 AM) this morning.
I rode around the parking lot, and I was grinning like a madman. After putting ~200 miles on a heavy 89 buck MTB w/24" wheels, this bike feels like heaven on Earth.

Thanks for all the info you guys gave me, I learned a lot, and I hope to be active on these forums for some time. As for the tires, my dad got a 15% discount on the bike, and the discount with turn into new tires if I choose to get ones with more traction.

Thanks again :)

Another question: I'm going on a 40 mile ride this Sunday, series of steep hills at the end- should I use the new bike for it?
I'll tell more about the trail soon

Congrats! Don't forget to give us periodical reports on how is the bike.... you know once the honeymoon period is over.

Congrats.....The bike is quick and nimble, you experienced that first hand in the parking lot!....Its up to you if you want to ride it on your next ride...Make sure you are 100% comfortable with the new feel. The bike climbs hills with ease because of the 24 gears. Also it can really move down hill. I've gone over 30 miles an hour on mine!

Happy for you young man! I know for a fact you will love this bike!

"I'm going on a 40 mile ride this Sunday, series of steep hills at the end- should I use the new bike for it?"

HECK YEAH!! Lighter bike and narrow tires make for a great hill climber.

HECK YEAH!! Lighter bike and narrow tires make for a great hill climber.

LOL...ok then but I don't think I gave enough info:

I live in CA Bay Area, we will be going to down Niles Canyon Rd. Road bikers will ride around the roads there and mountain bikers will go to Pleasanton Ridge Park.

Here is the map pic:
Pleasanton Ridge Park (click terrain, and zoom out once to see Niles Canyon Rd. as well):
http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&q=pleasanton+ridge+park&fb=1&gl=us&hq=ridge+park&hnear=pleasanton&hl=en&view=map&cid=16084987484290327782&iwloc=A&ved=0CA8QpQY&sa=X&ei=pXURS6PeIpXUtAOiw-GID

For the Niles Canyon Road part, the Tourist should work perfectly. But in the mountainous regions, I really don't think it'll work out...And yes, I WANT to do the mountainous parts.

---

As for yesterday, first REAL ride on the bike:
It was insane. I went faster then the cars on a 25 mph area, and they were like 'wtf.' I was laughing at the expressions at their faces the whole time. Unfortunately, it was raining REALLY bad, so I didn't push myself that hard.

The only flaw was at the absolute end: I was riding up the driveway(in front of my garage), and that TINY bump on the curb threw me off the bike...with a MTB I guess the wider tires could go over while approaching at a 70 degree angle, but the Tourist's thin tires couldn't take it, and it slipped. Only minor cuts for me though, and no damage to the bike.

If the tires will slip at that, I don't think I should take it to the ride, any advice?

A thin road tire, usually smooth, no tread, is best on a paved surface. It can manage hard packed crushed stone or dry pack dirt; but doesn't like surface imperfections on an unpaved surface. Also not so good on a pot holed or broken up paved road. Even a small marble size stone can trip you up. As you discovered, best to take tiny bumps straight on. You loose a lot of traction in wet. Painted lines on road can be come quite slippery. Wet train or trolley tracks have dropped a lot of people. This past year was watching a race in Europe, it was raining and the course was on cobble stones. Poor guy riding straight, apparently hit the seam between two stones, not level, and down he went. So you know the road surface. My hill climbing remarks apply only to paved, dry, surface. Have fun.

Argh...reading about such satisfaction so far with the Schwinn Tourist makes me regret my Schwinn Trail Way, especially its suspension fork. I'll just remind myself of how a Trail Way owner like rumrunn6 has beaten road bikes, the rider can make it happen, and I like my Trail Way's color more than the Tourist's. :P Hey LilBallerx8, congratulations on your purchase. :thumb:

It'll be fine. You just have to start paying attention to the surfaces you are riding on, and attack them appropriately.

You want to cross imperfections at as close to a right angle as possible, with as much care as possible. Help the bike cross "bumps" by standing and lightening yourself on the pedals. Easy on the controls. Take time and care, you'll get it right.

I bought a Target bike and have been happy with it. I would suggest you have a bike shop check the wheel spoke tensions and true ness before putting more than 100 miles on it. It might also need some initial adjustments to brakes and shifting.

I also put slicks on it for road riding. 700 x 28c

I believe the tires are 700cX28. They are slicks. My Kenda Kwest has more tread pattern than the stock tire of that Schwinn.

..Which is irrelevant. Grip patterns only matter when the tyre if riding on something soft enough for the teeth of the grips to mesh with - gravel or mud. Grip on tarmac depends on the rubber compound used. Grippy compounds cost more. Read http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html

A thin road tire, usually smooth, no tread, is best on a paved surface. It can manage hard packed crushed stone or dry pack dirt; but doesn't like surface imperfections on an unpaved surface. Also not so good on a pot holed or broken up paved road. Even a small marble size stone can trip you up. As you discovered, best to take tiny bumps straight on.

The problem is that thin tyres need a lot of pressure to avoid bottoming out when they hit even small debris. So they respond as if they are hard, which means the rim takes a thrust from the angle of impact. So at the same the wheel loses some or all contact with the ground and gets a sideways kick (if teh debris is off centre).

A wider tyre at lower pressure will distort more and absorb the impact. The tyre will remain in good contact with the ground, so what sideways thrust there is will be absorbed by the grip of the tyre pushing back.

"I'm going on a 40 mile ride this Sunday, series of steep hills at the end- should I use the new bike for it?"

HECK YEAH!! Lighter bike and narrow tires make for a great hill climber.

..I can't even imagine why someone should think that narrow tyres should make a bike climb better.

At least the usual errors - eg the belief that narrow tyres have less friction than wide ones - are easily diagnosed as the result of mis-applying "common sense". But why should gravity care how wide your tyres are? How heavy they are, yes, to a minute degree, in that mass differences between tyres are tiny when scaled by rider weight. But width? Bizarre.

The stock tires that come with that bike are terrible in the rain. I was going up a hill in the rain standing and spun my back wheel with those tires on it. Its not the size the tire but the quality of the rubber as another poster suggested. Since I have put nes tires on this bike, I have had ZERO problems in wet conditions, even while cornering sharp and fast. Now with the stock tires i would not ride in the rain unless I was forced to and would be very cautious.


Unfortunately these tires that come with the bike are bottom of the barrel tires so to speak. My Serfas Seca's are great in both environments.

..I can't even imagine why someone should think that narrow tyres should make a bike climb better.

At least the usual errors - eg the belief that narrow tyres have less friction than wide ones - are easily diagnosed as the result of mis-applying "common sense". But why should gravity care how wide your tyres are? How heavy they are, yes, to a minute degree, in that mass differences between tyres are tiny when scaled by rider weight. But width? Bizarre.



High pressure thin tires are indeed faster than fat gripy tires.

well, a rainy cold and dark 10 miler for me this morning, and no problems with traction at all.

not that i am complaining

The only flaw was at the absolute end: I was riding up the driveway(in front of my garage), and that TINY bump on the curb threw me off the bike...with a MTB I guess the wider tires could go over while approaching at a 70 degree angle, but the Tourist's thin tires couldn't take it, and it slipped. Only minor cuts for me though, and no damage to the bike.

Wider/lower pressure tires absorb road variations better. The MTB bike allows you to be less attentive and active in responding to road variations (keep in mind that the context is riding pavement).

With narrower/high-pressure tires, you need to absorb/handle the road variations better, typically, by getting off of the seat and using your legs/arms as shock-absorbers. With some skill and experience, things like your driveway (and worse) won't be a problem.

(You probably should avoid hopping curbs etc, with the road bike!)

The key here is that you have to ride this bike a bit more differently than a MTB.