Hybrid Bicycles - What, exactly, is a Hybrid?

Picking nits.
I'd always thought it meant flat bar/no suspension like my 7.3.

But now you can have a hybrid that I would consider closer to a cross bike or a city bike.
Is it just a catchall category meaning "not a road bike"?

there is alot of variation on hybrids so I guess yeah it is kind of a catchall, they seem to be any variation in-between a road bike and a mountainbike

Yeah, I was told between a road bike and a mountain bike. Some are more performance oriented and some are more comfort oriented, lots of different kinds. Some are closer to road bikes, some are closer to mountain bikes and all in between. HTHS-

Basically it is a bike that doesn't quite fit into any category, but has features and design elements from two or more categories. Usually it is something in between a road and a mountain bike---it will never win any road races, but it will do well on the road; nor it it suitable for really technical trails, but can be ridden off-pavement. Some lean more to the mtb side, some more to the road side.

I think it's a category where people who had them were starting to get annoyed that their bike didn't have a name like "road bike" or "mountain bike" or recumbent or bmx or any other real defining category. I feel like the definition is really "if it looks like a normal bike but doesn't have all the specific features of a certain bike then it's a hybrid" ore of a "you know it when you see it" kind of things

Picking nits.
I'd always thought it meant flat bar/no suspension like my 7.3.

But now you can have a hybrid that I would consider closer to a cross bike or a city bike.
Is it just a catchall category meaning "not a road bike"?

Some hybrids have suspensions, some have drop bars. As said, a hybrid is a bike that combines features that are normally considered characteristic of two or more of the traditionally recognized bicycle types. Since they are made for a special purpose cross bikes are usually considered to be a recognized bicycle type but they really are hybrids of older types so they are hybrids too. And that is the way of things, if a certain hybrid configuration becomes recognized as particularly suited to some riding niche it eventually becomes recognized as a bicycle type instead of a hybrid. I don't think the term hybrid was used when the MTB breed was born but looking at it after the fact we can see that it really started out as a hybrid too. It's design evolution in action.

Ken

Seems to me that they are really mountain bikes with some road-friendly updates (wheels, tires, solid fork option). They generally have mountain bike components which is the main thing that sets them apart from road bikes, e.g. Alivio, Deore, etc.

That being said, the crazy expensive hybrids like the Trek 7.9 FX have road bike components so they are essentially flat-bar road bikes.

There is no such thing as an exact definition of what a hybrid is.
Most bikes are "specialized" bikes that are meant to be exceptionally good at a certain thing.
Roadracebikes, for instance, are meant to race on roads.
Touring bikes, for instance, are meant to be comfortable on long travels.
Mountainbikes, for instance, are meant to ride on rocks.

Hybrids ... are by nature "unspecialized".
They are a compromise between many different possible riding situations and they try to be relatively suited for many things combined.

As an example I present you my beloved trusty hybrid:

http://i33.tinypic.com/2yyw2vq.jpg (http://i38.tinypic.com/16hj9lx.jpg)

Is it as fast as a roadracebike? No it isn't. But it comes pretty close. With the aerobar I get a nice and fast position and the tires are cyclocross tires that are more than fast enough for doing high speeds of 23mph on roads. The gearing is also both higher and lower than typical roadbikes.
I pass most roadies I encounter and they always stare at me in amazement when being passed by what they think is a mountainbike ;)
Is at as capable as a mountainbike on rocks? No it isn't. But it comes pretty close. The position on the flatbar is perfect for offroading and the tires have knobs on the sides for doing dirt or loose gravel. The frame and the wheels are sturdy enough for doing rocky tracks and the suspension in both the fork and the seatpost helps a lot when riding through forests or fields.

I hope that cleared it up :)

I've decided my old HT MTB is now a hybrid as I've replaced the stem, added mustache bars, and a stem riser to make the riding position more upright. The grips are now a good two inches above the saddle.

I think most hybrids are *supposed* to be dual sport type of bikes. A little road, a little trail but not excelling at either. They're probably a better choice for the majority of cyclists who are not dedicated to only one style of riding.

Some hybrids have suspensions, some have drop bars. As said, a hybrid is a bike that combines features that are normally considered characteristic of two or more of the traditionally recognized bicycle types. Since they are made for a special purpose cross bikes are usually considered to be a recognized bicycle type but they really are hybrids of older types so they are hybrids too. And that is the way of things, if a certain hybrid configuration becomes recognized as particularly suited to some riding niche it eventually becomes recognized as a bicycle type instead of a hybrid. I don't think the term hybrid was used when the MTB breed was born but looking at it after the fact we can see that it really started out as a hybrid too. It's design evolution in action.

Completely true.
Cyclocross is a hybrid sport and cyclocross bikes are hybrid bikes.
The very first and now traditional hybrids and that's why they got a name for themselves :)

I think most hybrids are *supposed* to be dual sport type of bikes. A little road, a little trail but not excelling at either. They're probably a better choice for the majority of cyclists who are not dedicated to only one style of riding.

Exactly.
But this won't happen because there is a huge sense of elitism in biking.
People want to ride whatever their favourite TdF riders are using and on top of that people want to brag that their bike is more expensive than some other guy's bike.

Hybrids are considered silly bikes for idiots, but don't let peer pressure make you believe other than that hybrids are in fact the best choice for allround use for everyday cyclists.

The progression seems to look like this, from road to mountain:

TT / Aero bike, 'standard' road bike, endurance road bike, cyclocross bike, hybrid bike, hardtail MTB, full suspension MTB.

City Bikes usually means a hybrid with comfort features (like a suspension seat and/or seatpost) and no real offroad capability beyond a flat, smooth gravel road. Dual-Sport bikes seem to be 29er MTBs that have 46 or 48T big chainrings, sometimes with deep knobs and other times with a semi-knob tire which is more street/path friendly.

Given that road bikes, hybrids and 29ers all use a 700c wheel, tire width clearance of the frame is another differentiator:
- Cyclocross bikes are road bikes and can rarely, if ever, use bigger than a 32mm tire and they lack suspension.
- Most hybrids can fit up to 42mm tires (not that there are many), and sometimes they have front suspension.
- 29ers whether marketed as MTBs or 'Dual Sport' can fit at least a 2.2" knobby, and usually their stock rim allows as skinny as 32mm. All but the cheapest have front suspension.

<snip>

Hybrids ... are by nature "unspecialized".
<snip>

My wife has a Specialized hybrid. A Globe Vienna to be precise... ;)

The progression seems to look like this, from road to mountain:

TT/Tri ,Aero bike, race road bike, endurance road bike, cyclocross bike, touring bike, flat-bar road bike, hybrid bike, rigid MTB, hardtail MTB, full suspension MTB, Downhill/Freeride MTB.
Added a few, and that's without even getting into the BMX-Flatland-Dirt Jumper MTB progression and Beach Cruiser - Townie - City Bike progression. Everyone else feel free to nitpick.

I feel like a lot of older rigid mountain bikes (early 90's Rockhoppers/Stumpjumpers) would today be classed as 26" hybrids (most can fit 700c rims with skinnier tires), especially since most of them don't even have disk brake mounts but have rack/fender mounts. I'm currently building up an older Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo with trekking bars as a commuter, and have been thinking a lot about the "proper place" for a hybrid, and have to agree with AdelaaR's assessment, especially for novice cyclists who have themselves not become "specialized" yet. Myself, I currently ride an alum/carbon road bike (position 3 on the list), and being comfortable with riding drop bars/brifters in traffic, I would most like a touring/cross bike for my next everyday ride; the person I'm building the hybrid/rigid for is simply not comfortable with drop bars, and most beginning cyclists are not either.

The progression seems to look like this, from road to mountain:
TT / Aero bike, 'standard' road bike, endurance road bike, cyclocross bike, hybrid bike, hardtail MTB, full suspension MTB.

There isn't just one linear progression ... there is a whole realm of possible progressions in many directions.
Some hybrids can have dropbars or aerobars ... the possibilities are nearly endless.
My bike, for instance, has front suspension, flatbar, wide knobby tires and triple chainring ... that would make it a mountainbike style hybrid.
It also has a highest gear of 52/11, oval shaped semi-aero tubing and an aerobar ... that would make it some sort of weird TT-bike.

Exactly.
But this won't happen because there is a huge sense of elitism in biking.
People want to ride whatever their favourite TdF riders are using and on top of that people want to brag that their bike is more expensive than some other guy's bike.

Hybrids are considered silly bikes for idiots, but don't let peer pressure make you believe other than that hybrids are in fact the best choice for allround use for everyday cyclists.

I´ve never come across such a perspective in any kind of riders group. But, discussions go high when the hybrid folks imply their bikes are just as good as roadbikes in performance. Of course any strong rider on hybrid can overtake weaker/not competetive/uninterested riders on fully spec´ed roadies. I can overtake any bike, but not any strong rider.

Ambitious and competetive road riders will always, with exceptions here & there, chose a roadie to get the most out of their riding. And I cant see why this stirs up such a drama? I think the hybrids hold its own - no need to compare.

...But, discussions go high when the hybrid folks imply their bikes are just as good as roadbikes in performance...

I've never seen or heard that perspective expressed. What invites debate from me is the notion that a road bike with drop bars is necessary for performance riding. You have good reasons for preferring drop bars and you haven't suggested that a hybrid can't be ridden fast. When someone does express the opinion that a road bike is the only choice for fast riding, I will sometimes express a differing opinion. :)

I think the discussion goes "high " when a roadie posts in the hybrid forum that hybrids are not suitable for spirited riding, not when a hybrid rider claims hybrids are as fast as road racing bikes. I don't recall seeing the latter.

You've ridden 300k on a flat bar hybrid. Very small percentage of road bikes will ever go that far in one day. It's the indian, not the arrow.

Competitive road riders will always chose a road bike because they will not be allowed to compete, with exceptions here and there, without one.

I've always thought a hybrid is a 50/50 road/mountain cross, which is definitely what mine is:

Road stuff:
Sora rear derailleur
Road 9 rear casette and larger than mountain front chainwheel (I think around 50 teeth)
700 / 28 tires

Mountain stuff:
Deore front derailleur and shifters
Flat bar
V-brakes front, disc brake rear (no disc mounts on the front fork)

Middle:
Front fork - it IS suspension, but it's a headset style suspension fork, rather than a full mountain style suspension fork.

For me, when I think of hybrid, I think of a bike that looks very similar to mine. Some of the 'hybrids' I've seen posted here look just like mountain bikes to my eyes.

I've never seen or heard that perspective expressed. What invites debate from me is the notion that a road bike with drop bars is necessary for performance riding. You have good reasons for preferring drop bars and you haven't suggested that a hybrid can't be ridden fast. When someone does express the opinion that a road bike is the only choice for fast riding, I will sometimes express a differing opinion. :)

I think the discussion goes "high " when a roadie posts in the hybrid forum that hybrids are not suitable for spirited riding, not when a hybrid rider claims hybrids are as fast as road racing bikes. I don't recall seeing the latter.

You've ridden 300k on a flat bar hybrid. Very small percentage of road bikes will ever go that far in one day. It's the indian, not the arrow.

Competitive road riders will always chose a road bike because they will not be allowed to compete, with exceptions here and there, without one.

Well, I for one have seen numerous of "when I rode faster than a roadie" in hybrid forum, and to me thats the wrong way to assess the hybrid advantages. Since I ride several bikes, have a decent amount of experience, know quite a few within the bike industry I´m convinced that the hybrid bike wasnt created to be the new substitute for hard core road riding. The constant comparison to road bikes rather underscore the notion of hybrid riders seeing themselves as something less than roadies. You dont see many comparisons in relation to MTB´s or CX´s, still hybrids are often refered to as such.

I cant see why competetive riders couldnt go on hybrids, but they wont due to their comparetive experiences.

And yes, i´m all about the indian - thats been my core message all the way. And thats why I do 300 km on flatbar bikes:thumb:

I have several bikes and I like to ride in the morning for exercise. I am not a pro athelete by any means. But I have a time slot in which to ride before work, and I log my workouts with an application on my smartphone. Subjectively, I know how much effort I've put in during a given 30-45 min ride, and I think we all know that we have good and bad days based on our rest, stress level, how hard we rode the previous day, etc.

Long story short -- whoops, too late for that :D -- it is very, very easy to see that for a given amount of time and a similar (not same!) amount of effort I go faster and farther on a road bike than my hybrid and my hybrid is faster than my MTB. Tire width, tread and bicycle weight is a massive factor. My MTB has 26x2.2 Speed King tires and they are slow and noisy on the road. My hybrid has 700x35 Cyclocross and they are much better on the road, but not nearly as good in serious dirt. My road bike has 700x23 slicks and they are a different world... plus the bike weighs less than half what the MTB weighs.

Well, I for one have seen numerous of "when I rode faster than a roadie" in hybrid forum...

I don't think those posts are about hybrids being faster than road bikes. I think they are about hybrid riders being faster than road bike riders despite our inferior machines. :)


The constant comparison to road bikes rather underscore the notion of hybrid riders seeing themselves as something less than roadies.

Quite the opposite in fact.


...know quite a few within the bike industry...

This may have something to do with your problem recognizing the superiority of hybrid bike riders. This fact is the last thing the bike industry wants you to know. :)


And yes, i´m all about the indian - thats been my core message all the way. And thats why I do 300 km on flatbar bikes

Also because you can. You are strong like hybrid rider and don't need no stinking road bike to complete a 186 mile ride in one day!


I cant see why competetive riders couldnt go on hybrids...

It is against the rules to ride flat bar bikes in road races.

qmsdc15: 1) In Sweden you may ride hybrids participating in sportives (non-elitist race). 2) Since I´m mainly a C & V rider I never have to be a blind follower of the industry standard, including hybrids, but that doesnt make me ignorant to other obvious conclusions (I also enjoy my hybrid all year round so I´m pretty content with my own conclusions). 3) I would do long and hard sportives on folding bikes if I considered it wise - but I dont. I´m a clever apache! 4) "Stinking road bike"? Yeah, I do them too. More people should. Including skilled riders like yourself. Its about riding. The rider makes the bike.

If you look @ the 7.5 fx or the Jamis Allegro I think you could make the case that the gap between roadies and hybrids is closing - meanwhile most hybrids are more off-road ready than the original steel forked MTB's.

Road bikes make the case that they are basically ready to be raced right out of the box, but from what I've heard racer organizations restrict the components allowed anyways.

I agree with Adlar up above (again). Its a kind of eliteism....why else do companies make drop-bar bikes and flat bar bikes but not the components to easily swap between the two? Why wouldn't a cyclocross leauge allow people to compete on cheaper 'mountainbike' rigs?

A hybrid basically means some sort of bike you don't intend to compete on. Whether that be a $2000 off-weather 'trainer', or a modestly priced commuter, depends on where you started from.

If you bike out to some of the trails near me you'll see mostly hybrids & hard-tails on the canal path, roadies on the parell road 60ft away, and mtb's on the trails. Big Bicycle wants all of us owning 2 or 3 different bikes, but the hybrid is no less "specialized". Its just specialized at doing it all. If there were true multi-terrean races 'performance hybrids' would be much more expensive but not very much different. In my mind, at least.

MY bike's a hybrid (I think) although it's marketed as an Urban Bike .
It can't be an MTB because it has 700c rims not 29ers and I was told the frame is 2-and-a-half cm longer than your "standard" MTB if that's possible.
It can't be a cyclecross bike because it doesn't have drops (although here in Japan cyclecross events allow all bikes to enter)
Most definelty not a road (race) bike!!
It must be a hybrid.
BUT by swapping the wheels easily to 26" (discs) it can be used on single track.

All in all, it's a fantastic bike to ride for me, no matter what it's called.

edit.
Oh Oh...photo chance....

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f266/orbeamitis2/Cannondale%20Bad%20Boy%20Disc/CA331366.jpg

All in all, it's a fantastic bike to ride for me, no matter what it's called.

That's the spirit. :D
Ride what you need and want to ride ... regardless of what anyone calls it or thinks about it.

I think the general idea is that a hybrid is a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. But, I think hybrid might be just a marketing name. I contacted Bikeman.com and they told me that the closest to a hybrid frame is a touring frame. And I read that bikes with touring frames, flat bars and slightly wider tires (like 700x37, 700x38 or 700x40) are called trekking bikes in Europe.

So, maybe a hybrid is really a trekking bike.

So, maybe a hybrid is really a trekking bike.

A hybrid can be a trekking or touring bike bike.
It can also be a mountainbike with fenders and lights.
It can anything you want :)

A hybrid takes the best of what a road bike and a trails bike has to offer and be made into a bike that addresses a number of issues people have with either of these specialized purpose bike.

A trails bike typically offer a more upright position since you need to see ahead but they usually have 26" wheels, whereas road bikes have a more aggressive riding geometry with handlebar height usually set lower than the saddle height to leverage bigger riding gears, but they have 700c wheels. Bigger wheels carry momentum better and an upright riding geometry afforded by the trails bike geometry gives more comfort to the neck, shoulder and hands in expense of less leverage. So if you're cycling along with decent pedaling effort, be faster, but be able to see trees rather than asphalt or someone's rear wheel or butt, the hybrid is the compromise. 700c wheel rolls and maintain better momentum than 26" and that is the reason why hybrid was born. Now, there are minor changes to the hybrid design to favor more performance vs comfort, but the main idea to incorporate the best of both is the reason why hybrid was conceived.

There is a debate whether hybrid is just as fast as a road bike. Well, that is the function of the rider, NOT the bike. A strong every day rider rides any bike faster than a typical weekend warrior. You can tell if the rider rides his or her hybrid fast by just looking at the height of the handlebar. If it's lower than the saddle height by say about 2 to 3 inches, then you know he can push bigger gears. Some people like riding hybrids simply because of the flexibility and extra comfort level. I personally set up my hybrid a little similar to my road bike, but the handle bar drop isn't as low as my road bike. This allows me to leverage bigger gears, but not as effective as my carbon road bike. However, now I enjoy the trees, green grass, and the everything else around me at a much more relaxed upright posture. That's the compromise. Riding a bike is not always trying to make a century averaging 35 to 45 KM/H on a group peloton all day long seeing only someone else's wheel, rear brake or butt!

The thread title sums it up for me.

A hybrid is nothing exactly. It is everything generally.

Thank you, pacificcyclist, for your lovely insight in the world of hybrid bikes :)

is the most distinguishing feature of all hybrids the flat bar with a taller head tube for a more upright posture?

i recently bought my first official hybrid bike (Scott Sub 10 Men), but i hate the flat bar, so i will be switching it out for some bullhorns as soon as the right grip size diameter bullhorns are in stock. and i also had to get a longer adjustable stem and angle it downwards to get a lower, more aero riding posture. when i finally put the bullhorns on, will that mean i no longer have a hybrid bicycle because i will have a non-flat bar bike with a more forward, aggressive ride posture?

A hybrid is certainly not limited by anything and definately not a flatbar.
Personally I don't want my flatbar for a more upright posture at all.
I want a nice 'n aero posture to go fast and that's why I have an aerobar.
The flatbar comes in handy for doing tricky tracks through fields or forests because of it's superior handling.

I would say you've built a cyclocross bike, considering you don't have a suspension fork. Although you do have MTB drivetrain.. that sounds hybrid.

I had 2 interesting conversations about this regarding my own bike. On one hand the guy in my LBS where I bought my bike informed me a couple weeks ago that I shouldn't consider taking my Utopia out on some more aggressive trails at a state park. oops, I already had! And it did great. In fact I think it performed better then the mountain bike I originally learned to ride off road with 15 years ago. I know my dinky dual sport fork performed better then the low end rockshox that was on the old bike. And I had no problems with my 700x38 that would not be considered mountain bike like tread.

On the other side, I took the same bike on a club ride of 37 miles and managed to keep up with the slower group. I just did the whole thing with my fork locked. The ride leader was amazed that I kept up so well and kept saying he didn't think my bike was a hybrid, he thought it was a mountain bike. Now granted I am faster on my road bike and with the same group of people I am usually up closer to the front of the pack on my roadie but it isn't like I blow them away by switching bikes, I am still pretty much slow on either I just ride with a slow group ;)

So I have one bike guy telling me I can't ride my hybrid on real mountain bike trails yet I did and enjoyed it and I have another bike guy saying it's not really good for road rides but yet I ride it mostly on the road and find it almost as efficient as my road bike. I think this is a great example of how it really is the rider not the bike and hybrids can really fit in anywhere in the middle ground of the sport. I wouldn't be able to race it either on road or off road but I can keep up with the slow guys and still have fun in either venue.

is the most distinguishing feature of all hybrids the flat bar with a taller head tube for a more upright posture?

i recently bought my first official hybrid bike (Scott Sub 10 Men), but i hate the flat bar, so i will be switching it out for some bullhorns as soon as the right grip size diameter bullhorns are in stock. and i also had to get a longer adjustable stem and angle it downwards to get a lower, more aero riding posture. when i finally put the bullhorns on, will that mean i no longer have a hybrid bicycle because i will have a non-flat bar bike with a more forward, aggressive ride posture?

Steely Dan,

You are working your way in reverse my friend. Why not just buy a road frame that has a proper road geometry that fits you and then customize it to your specs. There are plenty of companies out there that sell great road frames.

The height of the handle bar is determined by frame designers with a combination of the top tube and seat tube lengths and angles. If you try to mucked it around with wierd stem angle and length to try and get to the forward lower aggressive riding posture, it just won't feel as right as a properly designed road racing frame. There is no rule that you can't put a flat bar, riser bar nor a mustache bar on a road bike, but make sure you have all the riding posture angles right.

Hope this helps.

I had 2 interesting conversations about this regarding my own bike. On one hand the guy in my LBS where I bought my bike informed me a couple weeks ago that I shouldn't consider taking my Utopia out on some more aggressive trails at a state park. oops, I already had! And it did great. In fact I think it performed better then the mountain bike I originally learned to ride off road with 15 years ago. I know my dinky dual sport fork performed better then the low end rockshox that was on the old bike. And I had no problems with my 700x38 that would not be considered mountain bike like tread.

On the other side, I took the same bike on a club ride of 37 miles and managed to keep up with the slower group. I just did the whole thing with my fork locked. The ride leader was amazed that I kept up so well and kept saying he didn't think my bike was a hybrid, he thought it was a mountain bike. Now granted I am faster on my road bike and with the same group of people I am usually up closer to the front of the pack on my roadie but it isn't like I blow them away by switching bikes, I am still pretty much slow on either I just ride with a slow group ;)

So I have one bike guy telling me I can't ride my hybrid on real mountain bike trails yet I did and enjoyed it and I have another bike guy saying it's not really good for road rides but yet I ride it mostly on the road and find it almost as efficient as my road bike. I think this is a great example of how it really is the rider not the bike and hybrids can really fit in anywhere in the middle ground of the sport. I wouldn't be able to race it either on road or off road but I can keep up with the slow guys and still have fun in either venue.

It takes good balancing skills to do trails with a road bike; especially those with a background in BMX (I did ride that) and can do track stand, bunny hops and wheel drops with ease. Sadly though, even mountain bikes these days come equipped with like 8 inches or more suspension. You don't really need any bike handling skills and balancing expertise to do that. Just bomb down the hill, so sales people are now trained to sell people these bikes. But they had forgotten that 2 decades earlier, we use rigid bikes to do almost the same things. Suspension? Legs and arms and core strength and lots of guts!!

Sadly, that's the way it is now.

Great rider you are!

I would say you've built a cyclocross bike, considering you don't have a suspension fork. Although you do have MTB drivetrain.. that sounds hybrid.

No, my Scott sub 10 has an alfine 8 IGH, so that's not a MTB nor cyclocross drivetrain. It also has hydraulic disc brakes which is definitely MTB.

Steely Dan,

You are working your way in reverse my friend. Why not just buy a road frame that has a proper road geometry that fits you and then customize it to your specs. There are plenty of companies out there that sell great road frames.

The height of the handle bar is determined by frame designers with a combination of the top tube and seat tube lengths and angles. If you try to mucked it around with wierd stem angle and length to try and get to the forward lower aggressive riding posture, it just won't feel as right as a properly designed road racing frame. There is no rule that you can't put a flat bar, riser bar nor a mustache bar on a road bike, but make sure you have all the riding posture angles right.

Hope this helps.

I already have a proper road bike that I use as my main commuter, I bought the hybrid with IGH, hydraulic discs, and wider tire clearances/room for fenders to serve as my winter/foul weather commuter. I didn't see any road frames out there that can do all three of those things, so I went hybrid even though I knew the head tube was too tall for me and that the flat bar would have to go. Once I find the right bullhorns that can take MTB diameter levers, I know I'll be much happier with the ride posture.

And besides, it's just my winter/back-up ride. If I want to shoot for a new personal best, it certainly ain't gonna be on this bike.

I already have a proper road bike that I use as my main commuter, I bought the hybrid with IGH, hydraulic discs, and wider tire clearances/room for fenders to serve as my winter/foul weather commuter. I didn't see any road frames out there that can do all three of those things, so I went hybrid even though I knew the head tube was too tall for me and that the flat bar would have to go. Once I find the right bullhorns that can take MTB diameter levers, I know I'll be much happier with the ride posture.

And besides, it's just my winter/back-up ride. If I want to shoot for a new personal best, it certainly ain't gonna be on this bike.

How do you like your Alfine 8 IGH thus far? Like yourself, I've been eyeing a winter bike substitute for my current touring bike which I'm going to limit its wear and tear from the road salt, so I'm kind of in the same situation as you.

Like my performance hybrid, I had to drop the handlebar low enough just to make it more comfortable for my riding posture, but it was a great compromise between speed and comfort. I want to stick with my fast road buddies, it ain't gonna be on this hybrid.

How do you like your Alfine 8 IGH thus far?

I really like it. I haven't had a chance to test it in winter conditions yet (when I think it will really shine), but so far, I'm won over to the IGH cause.

Of course I'll always have a dérailleur-equipped road bike around because for fairweather riding nothing beats the lower weight and greater efficiency of a dérailleur drivetrain (well I suppose SS/FG is the ultimate in that regard, but not practical for my daily wind-driven commutes along the lake Michigan shore).

Where does a comfort bike fit in? They look so much like Hybrids.

Where does a comfort bike fit in? They look so much like Hybrids.

A comfort bike is a hybrid bike.
There is no clear definition of what a comfort bike is, none that I know of at least.

My opinion: Comfort Bike = tall stem, springer seat, suspension seatpost. Low-entry top tube is optional. Most of them have 700c trekking tires on them, some have 26" balloons.