Fifty Plus (50+) - After Hybrid What?

Hello.
When you returned to cycling did you start with a hybrid or has there been a hybrid in your 50+ experience?
Have you gotten another bike since the hybrid?
Would you tell a little of what and why?
Thank you.

Hello.
When you returned to cycling did you start with a hybrid or has there been a hybrid in your 50+ experience?
Have you gotten another bike since the hybrid?
Would you tell a little of what and why?
Thank you.

No hybrid. Went from Mtn Bike w/slicks directly to road bike and then bought another road bike.

Wife went from mtn bike to road bike, also, but she didn't like the road bike so we bought her a hybrid, which she doesn't like either, and it is presently her indoor trainer set up in the family room. Now she always rides the mtn bike, but may try the hybrid again in the future - she got some muscle cramps while riding it, but is not sure if the cramps are associated with the hybrid.

Hello.
When you returned to cycling did you start with a hybrid or has there been a hybrid in your 50+ experience?
Have you gotten another bike since the hybrid?
Would you tell a little of what and why?
Thank you.

I can see a reason for a Hybrid, but it is neither one nor the other. If you want to use it on the road, then it is a more comfortable bike for use for people of our age group, particularly if you are returning. If you are going to be be solely on the road, then a road bike is better, and they can be made more comfortable. For off road use, then a mountain bike is more suitable, even if it is only on the unmade cycle tracks that are springing up everywhere. Don't go for a full suspension one though unless you have plenty of money to spend on a good one. The cheaper ones are like a pogo stick. I would even suggest that a full rigid is appropriate, unless you are going off road. Even then, a good bike that costs will be preferable.

I've laid out my thoughts, But I am a mountain biker that does go off road. A hybrid will not be suitable for my use, so I am biased.

What sort of riding will you be doing?

I've never had a hybrid, but over the years, I've come to accept that I'm not a 25-year-old kid anymore. For me, that means raising the handlebars to deal with some back issues and getting a low granny or bailout gear. As suggested above, you can do this with a road bike. In fact, I've had the same road bike for 21 years. I've been able to make the above changes by switching out parts.

Hey, I'm only 48yo. I ride mountain bikes and hybrids. I prefer the mountain bike off road, the hybrid is better on the road. My hybrid is not really a hybrid. It is called flat-bar road bike. One difference is rear dropout spacing (130 vs. 135) so it can take road wheels, I forget the rest. Look at bikes in this catagory, they are light, fast and put you in a more efficient position than a true hybrid, I love mine. If you plan to become a real biker, you don't want to be propped upright on a big stuffed saddle. The flat bars address the concern Blackberry raises about older backs, but not to the extent of "comfort" bikes. But it all comes down to what you want to do. If being comfortable is the primary goal, comfort bike might suit you. You won't go fast or very far (unless you have a long time), but you will get some fresh air and exercise. I would recommend a more performance oriented ride though. Fast hybrid like my Marin Mill Valley, road bike, or mountain bike and hit the trails. I hardly ever ride pavement for recreation, mountain biking is where it's at for me. Hmmm... If you can only have one bike maybe cyclocross? If I put knobbies on my marin it could go off road. I wandered into Rock Creek park once and was having a blast on road tires until I slipped and banged my knee on the handle bar.

Ok, yes get a flat-bar road bike. It will go anywhere with only change of tires. Or a cyclocross bike, or a road bike with triple chainring, or hybrid, or mtb, ok?

Thank you.
I'm interested to see if there is a general progression to certain other types of bicycles.
Just curious.

Sure, I think most people here get nicer, more expensive bikes as they get more into cycling. Most riders will go for road or mountain bike depending on the type of riding they find they prefer. The other reponses indicate it is usually a roadie. I can't really speak for mature riders returning to the sport, I'm only 48 and never grew up. I'll let you know in 1 1/2 years, but I bet I'll still prefer the dirt trails to the paved ones when I'm 50.

I used to commute to work on an old mountain bike. When it got old and rusty from too many winters of salty slush, I replaced it with a hybrid. The hybrid was great for commuting, since it could still take knobbies and fenders. It was also more comfortable than the MTB. It was a little bit faster than the MTB it replaced, but still noticeably slower than my then-road bike.

I've since gotten rid of my road bike, and picked up several recumbents. Like you, it started getting harder and harder to be comfortable on the road bike, or even on the hybrid. The hybrid is by far the slowest bike I own now. It's relegated to winter riding only, and short rides at that.

Sure, I think most people here get nicer, more expensive bikes as they get more into cycling. Most riders will go for road or mountain bike depending on the type of riding they find they prefer. The other reponses indicate it is usually a roadie. I can't really speak for mature riders returning to the sport, I'm only 48 and never grew up. I'll let you know in 1 1/2 years, but I bet I'll still prefer the dirt trails to the paved ones when I'm 50.

Once a mountain biker, you stay a mountain biker. I only contemplated turning into a roadie when I wanted to keep riding ,but do it easier. A lack of fitness after a couple of operations meant that I was getting slower up the hills, so my initial thought was cut out the hills. Did a road ride with the MTB on slicks and decided to get fitter instead. That was four years ago, and at 58, don't want to turn into a boring old slow roadie. I'd much rather get covered in mud, massage my back on the fast downhills, and get my heart rate way up on technical, steep off road climbs.

I'm fifty one and I have four bikes: a Dean Ti custom built road bike, a Trek 7000 mtb, an old Bianchi road touring set up, and a Giant OCR touring bike with Marzochi shocks and Rock Shox seatpost.

When I started riding 4 yrs ago I purchased a Mountain Bike thinking it would be the most versatile as I could ride it both on and off the road and it would be all I ever needed. I found I enjoyed venturing away from home on the roads and discovering new areas around the community a lot more than riding trails. I replaced the knobbies with inverts to make riding on the roads more efficient and picked up my average speed by about 10%. In fact one of the last times I was riding off road on some trails I wound up going over the handlebars down a hill and decided I'd stick with taking my chances with the cars on roads as it looked like I was going to break my neck on the trails.

About that time, one of my buddies called me at work and told me a local bike shop was going out of business had some nice road bikes at ridicously low prices. I wound up buying a pretty decent road bike for an incredible price and really enjoyed the even faster ride. Seems like I'm now averaging a new road bike every year as I'm on my third road bike as my last one had to be replaced because of some frame issues. After 12,000+ miles I'm still very interested in continuing to experiment to see how I can keep going further and faster!!

I started riding canal/rail paths on a lower end front sus mtn bike that was really my "hybred". I'd ridden road years ago, but didn't want to ride the roads in NJ. After a couple of years, and venturing off-road, I invested in a high quality (Titus Racer-X) mtn. bike. I love it. But, over the last year, I just wasn't getting the conditioning from riding here and there, and decided to get a road bike to up the miles and level of conditioning. It's been love at second sight. I've been riding 1-2 times per weekend, and will be riding more when days get longer. Since Oct., I've gone from C clubs rides to B club rides, to riding with A riders. Really getting excited to up my level of conditioning. 50 mi. today felt like a breeze. (well, a cool one). I have to drive a ways to get out into the country, but on days like today - bluebird skys, rolling countryside, good people to ride with - it's certainly worth it.

We got back into riding 9 years ago because my company needed someone to fill the 50+ slot in a Corporate Challenge bike race. At the same time my wife for a b-day present asked for a bike to ride through the neighborhood. I bought her a new Trek hybrid. On our first ride together I was on a borrowed racing bike along side her hybrid. She was working really hard pedalling like crazy trying to keep up while I was coasting and occasionally turning the cranks. We took her hybrid back to the dealer who gave us full credit toward a road bike for her. Since then she has moved up to a full carbon racing bike, her 4th road bike, and participates in the Senior Olympics. And I have built my 4th road/racing bike, and have kept 3 of them.
It all goes back to the 50's when I was a paperboy in the Ozarks. I hated hauling papers up those hills on heavy slow bikes. And I hated gravel roads. Now I ride light bikes on paved roads.

Al

I"m pretty much the same as Al1943. Started road riding 20 years ago when my second car finally died and I decided to ride to work, only 6 miles away in DC. This was about 5 years before mountain biking became popular, and road bikes with drop handlebars were what every serious cyclist got. I've stayed a roadie. You can still go anywhere on a nice roadbike, faster and more efficiently than any other type of bike. You can put fenders on those with eyelets brazed on the drop outs, easy gearing with triple chainrings, and 25C tires for more comfortable riding over long distances.

There's a new wrinkle in design technology called "comfort bikes" that just came out to address the recreational road bike market. Their designs are like the old touring bikes of the 70s, largely abandoned when mountain biking became popular, then hybrids appeared as an "all purpose" bike. The fact remains, roadbikes are superbly adapted to the roads. They're light, responsive, go fast, and are great fun over long distances, with advantages for aerobic conditioning and overall fitness. Hybrids are heavy, put too much weight on the seat, have handlebars that leave your wrists numb over long distances, and don't go very fast, or far, without alot of effort. Mountain bikes can be light weight, and with slick tires pretty fast, but they're undergeared for road riding, and present the flat handlebar, one hand position problem that hybrids do.

The new "comfort" road bikes have drop handlebars mounted at about saddle height, so you don't have to hunker down to reach the bars and crane your neck to see, but can change hand positioning to avoid strained wrists, and stretch the back and upper body. These bikes aren't quite as light as true racing bikes, but they're more durable, with stronger wheels and stouter bars and frames, and they're at lower price points. Most of the ones I've seen have eyelets for rack and fenders. Their lightweight carbon and aluminum frames are tuned for resiliency and comfort, but they still handle efficiently like a racing bike.

I work weekends at a local bike shop, and typically, older people want a true road bike about a year after they get fit riding a hybrid. These people might have skipped the hybrid if they knew the advantages of road bikes at the outset.

I work weekends at a local bike shop, and typically, older people want a true road bike about a year after they get fit riding a hybrid. These people might have skipped the hybrid if they knew the advantages of road bikes at the outset.

But now, they have TWO bikes!

So far it looks like people change road, mountain, recumbent in that order and within five years. Thanks. Keep it comin' if you're willing.

After hybrid what?
Lowracer.
Trust me.
Biking will never be the same.

I went from road to recumbent. There was no looking back.

I started back at my 49th birthday with a walmart comfort bike $99 bucks.
One year later I got a nice treck hybred. This year I just got a sun usx recumbent trike, and after only 87 miles I can ride alot longer than I ever could before, with no pain, and I see alot more sky ,birds, cliffs ,etc and alot less of the road in front of me. I am going slower in speed , but I see alot more stuff, and my enjoyment factor has gone through the roof.

I started back at my 49th birthday with a walmart comfort bike $99 bucks.
One year later I got a nice treck hybred. This year I just got a sun usx recumbent trike, and after only 87 miles I can ride alot longer than I ever could before, with no pain, and I see alot more sky ,birds, cliffs ,etc and alot less of the road in front of me. I am going slower in speed , but I see alot more stuff, and my enjoyment factor has gone through the roof.

Would you like to say a little about why you chose a trike over a two-wheeled bicycle or two-wheeled recumbent?

I live in a valley, and with the big hills, I thought it would be fun to climb the hills without having to think about my balance. Last year my wife was riding on the path, and a large dog barked and she fell. Her ribs hit the handlebar, and she hurt for several months. I really enjoy the stability of the trike. It is heavy at 65 lbs. I find I can still climb the big hills, although slower, but my max speed is much higher. My average is lower, but I still only have a few miles on the bike. I figure I will build up my bent muscles on it this year, and maybe next year go for a sporty tadpole type. When my dad visited last year we tried to ride, but his balance was poor, and I was afraid he would fall. That may also have played into my decision. I took my hogrider chopper bike and put a trike kit on it. That makes for a pretty cheap trike. That is what I ride when my wife rides my usx.(that is the only bike she will ride now). So I guess we are a delta trike family, and I am looking forward to a fun year of riding.

I have four classic road bikes and an old school mountain bike. To reduce the chance of taking a spill, I ride either the mountain bike or the Peugeot UO-8 (27x1-3/8" tyres) when road, traffic, and/or weather (including wind) conditions are less than ideal. The Bianchi is an absolute blast to ride, but it is strictly a fair-weather friend, and I find it a bit spooky or twitchy in a strong crosswind, which probably says more about my abysmal physical coordination than about the bike itself. As I get older, I do find myself riding the Bianchi less and the other bikes more.

I live in a valley, and with the big hills, I thought it would be fun to climb the hills without having to think about my balance. Last year my wife was riding on the path, and a large dog barked and she fell. Her ribs hit the handlebar, and she hurt for several months. I really enjoy the stability of the trike. It is heavy at 65 lbs. I find I can still climb the big hills, although slower, but my max speed is much higher. My average is lower, but I still only have a few miles on the bike. I figure I will build up my bent muscles on it this year, and maybe next year go for a sporty tadpole type. When my dad visited last year we tried to ride, but his balance was poor, and I was afraid he would fall. That may also have played into my decision. I took my hogrider chopper bike and put a trike kit on it. That makes for a pretty cheap trike. That is what I ride when my wife rides my usx.(that is the only bike she will ride now). So I guess we are a delta trike family, and I am looking forward to a fun year of riding.


Thank you for your response.

When I started back in biking, I bought a "holdover" comfort bike in 2000. I thought it was good, but it went to college with one of my boys. Went and bought a Trek 7500 Hybrid, also a model year hold over form 2002. Like letting the dealer take the first year depreciation, and loved it. Suspension seat and forks, but the bontregar select wheels and tires and higher gearing made it soooo much faster and more fun to ride. I was concerned about my weight on those low spoke count wheels. I weigh a "round" 260. Bought both from a good dealer and he assured me no problems with holding my weight, and he has been right so far. Now that one is in college also, I have a really well educated pair of bikes and none to ride. Now I am in lust with a sweet looking trio of Italians. Bianchi Velope, Axis, and Brava. Deciding is a great winter sport; I'm thinking the Velope. However, there is this siren in the Trek store, 7700fx and I hear its song with those sexy carbon fiber forks and rear stays. Ah, to dream.

Hello.
When you returned to cycling did you start with a hybrid or has there been a hybrid in your 50+ experience?
Have you gotten another bike since the hybrid?
Would you tell a little of what and why?
Thank you.
Save for high school and my undergraduate college years, I have been bicycling since I learned (in 1945), and that's a lot of years and quite a few bicycles. Right now I own 7 bikes including road, cyclocross, touring, and mountain models. However, given the choice, I almost always choose a fixed-gear bike I built up. I get plenty of exercise in a short time (no coasting) and hills are challenging, both up and down. Oh, and maintenance is minimal with no derailleurs.

Admittedly it takes some getting used to, but once you try a "fixie" you just may get hooked like I did.

Jim

So far, life after or not hybrid (plus or minus):
Ten road bikes
Five mountain bikes
Three recumbents

scottogo, I started riding 20+ years ago on road bikes and have never owned a hybrid or a mountain bike. However, after prostate surgery a couple of years ago, I found out about recumbents. I currently own 2 of the high-racer variety and have sold all of my road bikes. Here's a pic of one of my high-racers:

It has twin 650c wheels, titanum frame, carbon fiber seat and cranks, and Ultegra derailleurs. We're talking speed AND comfort. :)

-Dennis

http://home.insightbb.com/~dtresenriter/aeroS.jpg

scottogo, I started riding 20+ years ago on road bikes and have never owned a hybrid or a mountain bike. However, after prostate surgery a couple of years ago, I found out about recumbents. I currently own 2 of the high-racer variety and have sold all of my road bikes. Here's a pic of one of my high-racers:

It has twin 650c wheels, titanum frame, carbon fiber seat and cranks, and Ultegra derailleurs. We're talking speed AND comfort. :)

-Dennis

http://home.insightbb.com/~dtresenriter/aeroS.jpg

Wow that actually looks quite light compared to some other 'bents. How is it on hills?

Wow that actually looks quite light compared to some other 'bents. How is it on hills?

Hills in my area tend to be short and steep, rarely longer than 2000'. Depending on the hill, I climb as well on my bents as I ever did on my road bikes. When the slope gets really steep, though, the granny gear is a must. :) I ride a tandem upright and they are very similar; they fly on the flats and downhills but can take a little extra work on the hills.

-Dennis

Thank you.
I'm interested to see if there is a general progression to certain other types of bicycles.
Just curious.

- - No "progression" yet for me; I want to see how long my beloved Univega can last. Maybe, if I outlive my bike, OK then a recumbent will be next.

When I got back into cycling in the spring of 1999 (54 years old) I bought this (http://home.mindspring.com/~rhorne/smRaleigh-right.jpg). No hybrids here!
Then in the spring of 2001 I bought this (http://home.mindspring.com/~rhorne/Litespeed03.jpg) and the Raleigh became this (http://home.mindspring.com/~rhorne/Raleigh2.jpg).
In 2003 my employer closed up shop and I spend the next two summers riding the Litespeed almost every day. :D
Then in the fall of 2004 I got another job (at the "ripe old age" of 59) and the Raleigh became this (http://home.mindspring.com/~rhorne/Raleigh4.jpg).
After a few months of commuting on Atlanta's crappy roads on a road bike, I sold the Raleigh and got this (http://home.mindspring.com/~rhorne/Jamis%20001.jpg) for my 60th birthday to use for commuting; a cyclocross bike. :beer:

Like I said, no hybrids here!!!

Three years ago, I decided to get back into cycling after a 10+ year layoff. The hybrids really appealed to me because of the more upright riding postion and the wider handlebars that I figured would be more stable than drops. I also didn't know if I wanted to be a mountain biker or a roadie. I bought a Gary Fisher Utopia hybrid and it fit my needs wonderfully. It was fast enough to take on the road and rugged enough for light trail use. At the end of my first year back, I decided that my preference was for the road and I ran across a great deal on a Bianchi Veloce (my wife actually talked me into it!). I absolutely love my road bike - I found that I like the drop bars better than the flat on on my Utopia and I can go soooo much faster. That being said, it's great to have 2 different bikes. I use the Utopia in the early season when there's a lot of crap on the road, or when the weather's sketchy, or when I'm riding with my wife or other friends who have hybrids. When I want to fly, I get out the Veloce. It's the best of both worlds. To sum up, I think a hybrid is a great way to begin or to get back into cycling. Many will be satisfied with them and stick with them. Others will use them like I did to figure out what kind of riding you want to do predominately. I guess the most important thing is to just start.

So a little further, life after or not hybrid (plus or minus):
Twelve road bikes
Five mountain bikes
Five+/- recumbents

hybrid-->back to mountain bike-->whizzer (motorbike)-->now a folder, I love the fact that I can transport the folder so readily. I carry it everywhere so I am biking now more than ever.

I originally bought a coaster-brake cruiser as a re-entry bike after 30 years away from cycling. After burning some fat, I sold the cruiser and I've now an Electra "Townie-21" as my errand and fat-maintenance bike. It is well made and comfortable for up to 15 mile trips. I also have two road bikes that are more comfortable (and much easier to pedal) for up to 50 mile trips. Three is too many, so I'm selling both of my current road bikes on e-Bay and buying a low-maintenance, disc-braked road bike in their stead.

When I started riding at age 45 (only rode a few times as a kid) I bought a mountain bike. My husband didn't think I should start out with a hybrid because of the more narrow tires and we didn't know how my balance would be. I loved that mountain bike but finally wanted something a little faster and smoother so I bought a Specialized hybrid, which I still have. I rode a lot of miles on that one too. Then my husband decided I needed a better bike and tried to talk me into have a titanium bike made to fit me. I went to a bike shop that deals in high end bikes and the guys there said it wouldn't be a problem getting a touring frame and putting mountain bike components on it. I never rode a road bike before with drop handlebars so I didn't want to go in that direction. I pondered over getting the bike made for about a year and a half because of the price $3500 and the fact that I wouldn't be able to ride the bike before it was built (obviously). No one makes high end bikes that are like a hybrid, so there were none out there for me to try first. Finally I gave in and had it built and I am glad I did -- I love it! It's very comfortable and I love the fact it is so light (18 pounds). I wish now I had done it sooner. This will probably be my last bike, hope it last forever or at least another 20 years.

My bike shop steered me into a hybrid as a return-to-bike-riding-commuter, saying that would give me the greatest possibility of success.
In hindsight, I agree.
They steered me right.
The Hybrid covers the broadest range of conditions, allows a reasonable riding position, and I rode it all the way through winter, rain and snow.

I presently ride a Bianchi Pista fixed gear track bike and I love it.
I won't go back to gears unless the weather or my health force me to do so.
However, the gears on my Hybrid made it possible for me to work up to this, and I really appreciate its design and functionality.
That bike took me through everything.
Thanks, bike. :)

When I moved to Ohio from Sunland California 13-years ago I purchased a Hybrid because the roads here are way too narrow to ride safely so I figured that I would be doing some ruff riding. It was true. The Cannondale H400 did its job until I started to find the bike paths. Then I got the Cannondale R300 road but found I needed something that can take off-road and street so I just got a Trek 1000c and loving it.
The wind is a killer here on Ohio. My commute is now mostly bike paths next to a river. Howver, the Bents look so nice. I have a few years of commuting left so it will not be long before I get on a Bent. Not at all sure of the make or model but that kind of bike is what I dream of.

My wife got me a Specialized Crossroads hybrid for my birthday. It mostly languished in my garage until I got a new job in a place where parking was nearly impossible to find. A light went on, and I started riding it to work.

After three years and 8,000 miles of commuting on it, I decided that it was not well suited to this use. It lacked what I considered to be necessities: fenders, a chainguard, kickstand, internal gears, and a generator. In winter sand and salt, the rim brakes wore out the rims quickly. The derailleur was affected by ice and required too much maintenance, and the whole thing was just too fragile for normal use.

After much searching, I found a German commuting/trekking bike that was more appropriate for my needs. The hybrid returned to sitting in my garage, but it is now my backup bike, and I once again enjoy riding it.

I think that hybrids are so inconvenient for practical use that they must discourage many people from commuting. In the US, I think the needs of the commuting cyclist were better served in the 1950s and 1960s, when one could easily buy an "English Racer" 3-speed at any bike shop. Hybrids have the practical disadvantages of road bikes without the speed. However, my hybrid got me riding, and I feel I owe it, and my wife, a debt of gratitude.

Paul

I started with a hybrid as a return-to-bicycling commuter because my local bike shop said it would give me the highest probability of succeeding.
In hindsight, I agree.
They advised me well.

After a year or so of day in day out commuting and otherwise staying out of cars, I began to train specifically for a fixed gear bike.
This required considerable discipline, thought, and the help of a physical therapist.
I presently ride a fixed gear Bianchi Pista, and, in general, I blast past the roadies who formerly blasted past me. :)
As long as I have my health, I will not go back to a geared bike.

Still, I could never have gotten to this point without a bike that enabled me to ride in all conditions, day and night, rain, sleet, snow and hail.
My hybrid made that possible.

So, I went from hybrid to fixed gear.

Unscientific tally so far:
Road 16
Mtn. bike 7
Recumbent 6
Single/Fixed 2
Folder 1

Oh, I posted twice in this thread without realizing it.
What do they say about the second sign of old age? :)

What kind of trekking bike did Paul get, and does he have a link to their site?
I find trekking bikes fascinating.

Ken:

Here is my bike:
http://www.amazonpuzzles.com/1869.html

...and in use

http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3078447

The Yellow Jersey is now a US dealer.

Paul

What a cool bike Paul has.
Despite some mechanical differences, in general configuration it looks like the hybrid commuter that got me through this last winter.
I wonder what makes a hybrid a hybrid.
I mean, the fact that someone commutes on a bike makes it a commuter, but what makes a hybrid a hybrid?

Thanks, Ken

I checked Sheldon Brown's site (www.sheldonbrown.com) to see what makes a hybrid a hybrid. His definition surprised me:

Hybrid bicycles, also known as "cross" or "fitness" bicycles are a cross between a mountain bike and a touring bike. The best of them have the handlebars and control levers of a mountain bike, with the frame, gears, wheels and brakes of a touring bike.

My bike is a trekking bike, which is a cross between a commuter (or city) bike and an touring bike. These have fenders, chainguard, lights, and racks. However they are typically geared more like touring bikes. They can have either derailleur or internal gearing. The goal is to provide a bike with the features of a city bike, but which is suitable for longer trips.

I think the trekking bike is the European analog of the hybrid. The differences reflect the attitudes of the two groups of riders. The hybrid is typically naked, because Americans are expected to ride mainly in good weather, not mind wearing special clothing when riding, and view cycling primarily as a sport. They want the bike to be, and look, as light and sporty as possible. Europeans are more interested in a bike that is as convenient as possible for everyday use and are less (or even not) interested in performance.

Paul

Thanks, Ken

I
I think the trekking bike is the European analog of the hybrid. The differences reflect the attitudes of the two groups of riders. The hybrid is typically naked, because Americans are expected to ride mainly in good weather, not mind wearing special clothing when riding, and view cycling primarily as a sport. They want the bike to be, and look, as light and sporty as possible. Europeans are more interested in a bike that is as convenient as possible for everyday use and are less (or even not) interested in performance.

Paul

Two types of rider in Europe, or at least the UK. The regular rider, that does it as sport, a way of keeping fit,or as Fun, but they do it on a regular basis. In general they have a bike that is fit for the purpose they are using it for. Then there are the Casual riders. The bike sits in the shed 50 weeks of the year, goes out one weekend when the sun appears, then gets put back in the shed about 2 weeks later when it has accumalated another layer of rust.

Then there are another type of rider. They use it on a frequent basis, either commuting or their prefered form of transport, or their only form of transport. These are the ones you never hear about, to them a bike gets them from A to B and that is it. The type of bike they have is irrelavent, providing it will do the job. It does not have to be of the latest type, and generally has a bit of age to it.

The UK hybrid is road bike with straight handlebars, and is not a good road bike, nor is it very good at trail work (Mainly due to they do not sell very well so are just a cheap form of bike) The trekking bikes mainly follow Moubtain bike build, generraly steel rigid's with Mudgaurds. Not very popular, and the last one I saw was in France about 30 years ago

My hybrid has a straight bar with bullhorn type bar ends.
It puts me in a riding position half way between the full drop of racers and the full erect position of beach cruisers or comfort bikes.
I have a triple ring derailleur (24 gears), fenders, a rear rack with saddle bags, two ten watt lights and a rear-view mirror on the handlebar, and a large battery mounted in the water bottle cage on the down tube.
I have a set of studded tires mounted on spare wheels, and I have bicycle specific clothing for the really cold and wet weather.
I mount 700X35 tires on both sets of wheels.
I think if my bike had a chain guard it would come close to Paul's definition of a trekking bike.
Since I ride amost exclusively in an urban setting, I like my relatively erect riding (neither fully erect nor all the way down) position because it seems to make it easier to look around and keep track of the traffic.

As an aside, in preparation for my fixed-gear bike I did strip my commuter hybrid of all its accessories, which meant no fenders, rack or saddle bags, and surprisingly it changed the character of the bike and the way I rode it more than I anticipated.
I have since restored the bike to full uban-trek confuguration and I hold it in reserve for the most abominable weather.

That sounds like a great bike, Ken! Got a picture? It seems that, because hybrids are not optimized for any one use, they can easily be adapted to the mission at hand. I think that is one of the strengths of hybrids.

Also, because they make good "backup bikes", one never has to say "goodbye" to that old friend.

Paul