Road Cycling - Road or Hybird? Material? I did some research but...

I really want to have a road bike because I want to ride FAST with thinner tires and rims. However, I am NOT use to the horn style handlebar, yet. You may wonder, how do I know? I recently brought an old Panasonic bike for Cdn$80 dollars plus another Cdn$60 tune up to try it out first. I find myself that it is hard to bent my neck and look on the road. The bike is heavy and it weights 24 lbs. I was thinking about Alu or CF for light weight. I am tempted on the Trek 7500 FX on sale in a bike shop for Cdn$699 and the Org. cost is Cdn$899. But the Trek 7500 FX weighted around 24lbs which is same as my Panasonic. Now, another bike I am interesting is the discontinued Trek 2000 for Cdn$1499 and org. cost is Cdn$1999. The price is too high for me and my buget is not over Cdn$1000. I am afraid a great lost if the bike is stolen. Devinci Chicane is also another bike that I am interested in and the price is the org. Cdn$999.

Another issue I am still figuring out is why people like the stiffness STEEL on their bike? Would it be better if the bike has flex material like Alu or CF? The reason we have front suspension on mtn bike because we want a comfort ride. My Panasonic is made out of steel and it feels too hard to ride compare with my Alu Infinity mtn bike from Costco. (No suspension on my mtn bike :o )

I also prefer other suggestion on other brands road bike. Such as: Cannondale, Bianchi, Giant and KHS.

G'day,

So many questions....so little time!.1st, the title of your thread. A 'roadie' or a hybrid?.....depends on where you're gunna do the majority of your riding. A hybrid is a compromise, as the name suggests. It does nothing well. If you're gunna ride all the time on the road, get a 'roadie', off road, get an MTB.

Handlebars?. You can fit 'flatbars' to your 'roadie' if you don't like to 'horn' bars,( as you refer to them).

Frame Construction material?....i detected a number of misapprehensions in your text. Particularly that steel was ' stiff' & that Alu was flexible....All of these materials are stiff, 'roadies' by there very nature are designed to be 'stiff' in the areas that matter. What you should refer to is the 'harshness' of the ride of different materials. common perception has it that ALU is the harshest ride, followed by either steel or carbon as the least harsh, (& you'll never get agreement on which is which...40,000 threads on the subject can't be wrong!) & of course we can't forget our ever present fans of Titanium.Within your budget, generally ALU will be the lightest weight material

The problem for you appears to come down to cost & practicality. There are plenty of cheap alu & composite farmes about that will suit your budget. My advice would be to ride everything possible & make your mind up from there. I would possibly get the frame I liked, within my budget & then spec it from there, don't get talked into highend parts by your LBS. The type of riding you sound like you will be doing, all the lower end 'gruppos' from Shimano & campy will be more than adequate.....goodluck & let us know what you decide,

cheers,

Hitchy

I can vouch for the Trek 7500FX: it's a great bike. This is not to say that it's necessarily a great bike for you, but a hybrid of this type offers much that a true road bike will while perhaps being more comfortable if you aren't fond of the drop bars (and by the way, the simple way to combat neck fatigue is to use your eyes, rolling them upward while keeping your neck aligned with your shoulders and back).

As to materials: Steel is actually more flexible than aluminum and tends to afford a more forgiving ride.

I really want to have a road bike because I want to ride FAST with thinner tires and rims. However, I am NOT use to the horn style handlebar, yet. You may wonder, how do I know? I recently brought an old Panasonic bike for Cdn$80 dollars plus another Cdn$60 tune up to try it out first. I find myself that it is hard to bent my neck and look on the road. The bike is heavy and it weights 24 lbs. I was thinking about Alu or CF for light weight. I am tempted on the Trek 7500 FX on sale in a bike shop for Cdn$699 and the Org. cost is Cdn$899. But the Trek 7500 FX weighted around 24lbs which is same as my Panasonic. Now, another bike I am interesting is the discontinued Trek 2000 for Cdn$1499 and org. cost is Cdn$1999. The price is too high for me and my buget is not over Cdn$1000. I am afraid a great lost if the bike is stolen. Devinci Chicane is also another bike that I am interested in and the price is the org. Cdn$999.

Another issue I am still figuring out is why people like the stiffness STEEL on their bike? Would it be better if the bike has flex material like Alu or CF? The reason we have front suspension on mtn bike because we want a comfort ride. My Panasonic is made out of steel and it feels too hard to ride compare with my Alu Infinity mtn bike from Costco. (No suspension on my mtn bike :o )

I also prefer other suggestion on other brands road bike. Such as: Cannondale, Bianchi, Giant and KHS.

Steel will provide the most comfortable ride out there. If you find the Panasonic uncomfortable, just wait to you get on an Alu bike! If you're going to go fast, you have to give up comfort. You can't have both.

The reason most people are unconfortable with the "horn style handlebar" is becuase the bike is improperly fitted for them. The comment you made about your neck hurting tells me the frame was probably too big which is why your body is hurting. Extending the stem might solve your neck problems if this is possible. Furthermore, the saddle on the old Panasonic will almost certainly bring about pain and the old heavy wheels would make any bike feel slow.

Whatever you do. Get a fitting at all costs! Really look into steel frames. My Bianchi Eros weights about 20 lbs and cost about $1,000.00 USD. The heavier the steel frame, the more comfortable the ride. If you think about it, 24 lbs is not really too heavy for a road bike. Most hybrids weight more than that so you're better off getting a road bike anyway.

However, I am NOT use to the horn style handlebar, yet. You may wonder, how do I know? I recently brought an old Panasonic bike for Cdn$80 dollars plus another Cdn$60 tune up to try it out first. I find myself that it is hard to bent my neck and look on the road.
What handlebar position are you riding with? With drop bars, most riders spend most of their time riding on the flat tops of the bars or on the top of the brake hoods, not with their hands down in the bottom of the bars or in the curved part where the brake levers are.

In short, a hybrid can never be a roadbike, but a roadbike be set up like a hybrid (different stem, wider drop bars...ala Specialized Sequoia or Trek "C" series). 24 pounds is NOT heavy, road bikes in your price range will be over 20 pounds.

Keep riding and build some miles on the panasonic (hope it fits well). Try raising the stem or tilting the bars, see if that helps. Don't ride in the drops. Panasonic made some decent bikes in their day.

Test ride some other road bikes and see what you think.

Hope this helps,

ehenz

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2004/bikes/04Sequoia_d.jpg

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2004/bikes/04Sequoia_d.jpg

http://www.trekbikes.com/images/bikes/2004/road/medium/1000c.jpg

for what its worth, my wife has a fuji royale, nice bike, rides quite well. however, after about 10mi she starts having problems with her hands getting tired of the flat bar. there just is not enough different hand positions for her to get comfortable. thats one reason to consider regular drop handle bars: it gives you lots of options for hand position.

-- michael

Panasonic frames did not use the best quality steel bike tubing. A decent steel frame will use much higher grades which are lighter, stronger and ride better. 18lbs is about what you expect a good steel bike to weight .
As for brands, pick your bikeshop before your brand.

for what its worth, my wife has a fuji royale, nice bike, rides quite well. however, after about 10mi she starts having problems with her hands getting tired of the flat bar. there just is not enough different hand positions for her to get comfortable. thats one reason to consider regular drop handle bars: it gives you lots of options for hand position.

-- michael


The cane creek bar ends are really nice and they address this issue.