Blackfeathers

I've been looking to get a hybrid bicycle, but I'm facing decision paralysis and I wonder if I'm just expecting too much from a hybrid bicycle.

I want to commute to work nearly 5 days a week, while using a trail-a-bike or trailer for my daughter. Should be pretty simple, right? Road focused hybrid commuter. I was 90% set on a specialized sirrus sport.

But also there's local group that does "Urban Assault" mountain bike runs similar to this youtube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-n7W...e_gdata_player
And that looks like a lot of fun.
So, I was thinking a Jamis Allegro X Sport or similar with the wider tire and front fork would be better.
But going from road to curb and vice versa frightens me with a non dedicated mountain bike.

Will I be able to do my commute at a zippy pace and this Urban Assault riding with a hybrid bike or am I asking too much of one ride? especially at entry level? Or should I jump to craigslist and get a used hybrid for road and a used MTB for urban assault? (I don't know why but I can't stand the thought of a drop bar road bike.)

big_al

I dont know of one hybrid that could take that kind of riding. You are better off buying a hard tail mountain bike either specialized or trek

FunkyStickman

There are plenty of bikes that can do everything you want, but they will not be "fast" in the sense of a road/racing bike. Speed is highly overrated anyway, get something that will work well and last and don't worry about being "zippy."

I can put 26x2.0's on my Surly LHT and it will do absolutely everything those guys were doing, and then some, no question. Then I can swap wheels/tires on it and ride with roadie group rides on the weekend.

A lot of guys I know who want a "do-all" bike will get a 29'er MTB and an extra 700C road wheelset for it.

Talldog

A good mountain bike would serve you much better for that type of riding. But don't do what they do in that video. What they are doing and where they are doing it is irresponsible and thoughtless. Gives cyclists a bad rep.

giantcfr1

I agree, if it were some hipsters on fixies doing it, there'd be an outcry. Keep on the trails.

In relation to your bike choice, I suggest a decent hybrid with discs so you can just swap your wheels from 700mm (city riding) to 26" for the single tracks etc.

CYCLINGISMYLIFE

If you want something that can handle the stuff in the video you might want to look at the trek ds series or something with lockable suspension.

kevrider

^^^this. rigid. it need not be a trek or spesh. the extra wheelset (29er wheels not roadie -- diff hub) can come later. just put on some cx tires and go.

giantcfr1

I agree with your post, although road rims do fit on an MTB hub. My bike came standard with that combo.

SlimRider

I saw nothing in that video that would challenge a Jamis Coda Sport. Any well-seasoned urban rider would have no problem with that trek, even on a road bike. Of course, as usual, you'd have to finesse the curbs, manuever around potholes, street debris, and such...

A MTN bike would be overkill. MTN bikes are for rocks, roots, crevices, and more diversity in terrain with greater inclines. Of course, if you're just doing XC, that's kinda mild too...But it's not that mild!

- Slim

PS.

You guys need to see bike messengers manuever in cities like Chicago, New York, and Miami. Most of them would never think of riding MTN bikes! Many ride fixies!

giantcfr1

Most here in Kyoto have moved on from fixies. Almost every one has changed back to road bikes or cycle-cross.

4.11

How about a cyclocross, it would handle everything you want to do.

https://www.performancebike.com/bikes..._20000__400306

IMHO bike suspensions are overrated for all but the most challenging off road trails. Didn't have time to watch the entire video but looks like it was 75% street, with some grass, and a few curbs, you need a full bore mountain bike for that??

mi77915

I mainly ride road bikes but I too am looking to expand where I can ride. I am looking at the same bike as you (Jamis Allegro X Sport - mans frame) because of the tough gravel/dirt roads around my area. I feel that a "fitness" bike, like the Trek FX series is too close to my current type of bike (Giant Road bike). What would I gain going from a road bike to a Trek FX type of a bike?

Blackfeathers

Thanks for all of the responses. It seems a bit mixed, just like in my mind. Think I'm going to go ahead and get the Allegro X sport, since it will cover 95% of the type of riding I want to do. Then after I get commuting and my health more in order, I'll look more towards a dedicated MTB for rougher fun rides.

I'd like to get a cyclocross, like 4.11 suggested, but They all seem to be at least 200 over my starting budget.

Blackfeathers

Tom, to be honest, if I liked road bikes, I probably wouldn't go for a fitness hybrid.
A fitness hybrid is close and even desc ribed by a couple bike sites as a flat bar road bike. You'll get slightly relaxed geometry, a lot of newer ones have dampeners to soften minor bumps and are wider to accomodate bigger tires, where a road tire seems to be 23-28. Fitness bikes range 28-38. With some hybdrids (I think specialized crosstrail) going up to a 45c tire stock. And the fatter the tire, the mor likely it will have more MTB like features, a front fork knobbier tires.

SlimRider

Hi there Blackfeathers!

I'd just like to say that I think you're headed in the right direction here. The only thing I'd like to add is that, the Jamis Coda Sport has a better drive train than the Allegro. The Allegro Comp has the same drive train as the Coda Sport. The Coda Sport is chromoly-steel. It will last for decades, if kept dry. You could ride the Coda for the rest of your life and possibly even pass it on to your grandkids!

- Slim

ColinL

Speaking from experience, I agree 100% with Talldog. 29er MTB all the way-- if you look closely at their bikes at the beginning, they are mostly on MTBs. Expensive MTBs too... saw a white Cannondale Flash 29er Lefty, that's $2200+.

And it doesn't take a lot of money to get a set of road-focused wheels. Disc brakes will be the worst part of it.

AdelaaR

You do not need an actual mountainbike, which is made for mountains as the name implies, for such simple riding around the block like in that video. No offence to the guys in that video as I'm sure they had a lot of fun, but what they do is basicly kidsstuff.
What I think you need is a cross hybrid.
Something like mine:




Bikes like this are both fast and able offroad ... as you can see I ride it through bare fields sometimes or through forests but I also go fast on it ... a lot faster than most people on roadbikes.
In fact ... I just took exactly this bike on a training group ride with my fellows from my new triathlon club. All of those guys had nice roadbikes and not only was I able to keep up but I was in front pulling most of the time even.
For going fast it's very little about the bike ... get one that's versatile

stonefree

Nice bike and the best obvious solution, however having said that, MTB's are routinely used here as urban assault vehicles and there's not any mountains in the vicinity. Unsuspecting potholes and other miscellaneous paving surprises are usually solved by the front suspension.

Blackfeathers

I considered the coda sport, but it only has pull brakes, unless you get the elite. The allegro X sport has disc breaks. But I get your point on the steel bike.

Talldog

Exactly ....

hybridbkrdr

Wow, I just watched the video and realized that could be another way of touring cities where you don't usually get to go. You could just do it until you get arrested I guess. haha

robberry

Maybe a cyclo, and a set of slicks for commuting?

Doug64

Pretty irresponsible. A bunch of "adults" acting like clueless 12 year old kids. They need to go to a cyclocross race and see what real skill is and how it is done responsibly.

SlimRider

Hey there Stonefree!

I think this is one of those cases where you'd rather have too much, than not enough.
I mean, the curbs, the potholes, both seen, and unseen, can all be better handled by a MTN bike. However, these are things that urban commuters deal with on a daily basis.
I used to ride my Nishiki Sebring all over the place, even before I truly understood what a MTB was all about. I remember, thinking..."All right! This is going to be really interesting!", as I went downhill in the park, dodging everthing set before me, in my pathway. It always seemed like a breath-taking, death-defying, experience doing that crazy downhill stuff, on a mid-1980's road bike. I guess a front suspension would have been just right for the downhill stuff, but too much for the ordinary road.

- Slim

justfitme

+1 ..any off-on-road oriented Hybrid would do that course. Any CX bike.
May be i did not watch that video in details but I did not get what was the point?