Road Bike Versus Hybrid Bike
#1
Banned.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 172
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Road Bike Versus Hybrid Bike
I would like to ride 100 miles eventually, that involves plenty of training from where I stand now.
I currently commute on a mountain bike. I plan to improve my efficiency by getting something with 700C wheels, with skinnier and slicker tires. What performance differences are there between a road bike and a hybrid bike with the same wheels, and tires? What speed and air resistance, or other advantages are there with a road bike over a hybrid bike? How big a difference is this? How much better is it to ride a Road Bike 100 miles verus a Hybrid, with the same wheels and tires? How much heavier is a Hybrid over a Road Bike? Is the lighter weight that significant? Would you rather go with Trek or Specialized?
***
***
***
----------...---T--R--E--K---...----------
***
***
***
Is the cost of a Trek 1.2 over a Trek 7.2 FX really worth it?
Trek 1.2: $900
https://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/bikes...d/1_series/12/
Trek 7.2 FX: $550
https://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/bikes/2008/road/fx/72fx/
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
***
***
***
----------...---S--P--E--C--I--A--L--I--Z--E--D---...----------
***
***
***
Is the cost of a Specialized Allez Triple, over the Specialized CrossTrail or Globe Sport justified by the performance advantage? How much heavier is a Hybrid over a Road Bike?
Specialized Allez Triple: $900
https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32192
Specialized CrossTrail: $600
https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=34270
Specialized Globe Sport: $680
https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=34160
I currently commute on a mountain bike. I plan to improve my efficiency by getting something with 700C wheels, with skinnier and slicker tires. What performance differences are there between a road bike and a hybrid bike with the same wheels, and tires? What speed and air resistance, or other advantages are there with a road bike over a hybrid bike? How big a difference is this? How much better is it to ride a Road Bike 100 miles verus a Hybrid, with the same wheels and tires? How much heavier is a Hybrid over a Road Bike? Is the lighter weight that significant? Would you rather go with Trek or Specialized?
***
***
***
----------...---T--R--E--K---...----------
***
***
***
Is the cost of a Trek 1.2 over a Trek 7.2 FX really worth it?
Trek 1.2: $900
https://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/bikes...d/1_series/12/
Trek 7.2 FX: $550
https://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/bikes/2008/road/fx/72fx/
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
***
***
***
----------...---S--P--E--C--I--A--L--I--Z--E--D---...----------
***
***
***
Is the cost of a Specialized Allez Triple, over the Specialized CrossTrail or Globe Sport justified by the performance advantage? How much heavier is a Hybrid over a Road Bike?
Specialized Allez Triple: $900
https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=32192
Specialized CrossTrail: $600
https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=34270
Specialized Globe Sport: $680
https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=34160
#2
**** that
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: CALI
Posts: 15,402
Mentioned: 151 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1099 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times
in
30 Posts
a road bike will allow you to get a more aero-tuck position going, since the drops allow you to get down lower & out of the wind. and of course the drops offer more hand-positions than straight bars, so this is another advantage.
i say go for a road bike! i used to ride a hybrid, and it was OK, but for long distances the road bike wins.
i say go for a road bike! i used to ride a hybrid, and it was OK, but for long distances the road bike wins.
#3
Senior Member
The additional hand positions that a drop bar bike offers can really make a difference in comfort on longer rides. Decent size tires, 28mm minimum, are also a big contributor to comfortable long distance riding. Unfortunately the bike builders all seem to think that if you want drop handlebars then you must be a racer and only plan on riding hard narrow high pressure tires.
#4
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: SF Bay ARea
Posts: 19
Bikes: 2007 Specialized Roubaix
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The Specialized Sirrus is the Specialized hybrid that you should consider, not the CrossTrail or Globe. It is the equivalent of the Trek FX line. You can also add bar ends to the handlebar of a hybrid to get additional hand positions.
One alternative to try is to put slicks on your mountain bike. You will drop a couple of pounds and there is much less rolling resistance with slicks. Use this as your hybrid and get a road bike.
One alternative to try is to put slicks on your mountain bike. You will drop a couple of pounds and there is much less rolling resistance with slicks. Use this as your hybrid and get a road bike.
#5
cyclepath
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: "The Last Best Place"
Posts: 3,550
Bikes: 2005 Trek Pilot 5.0, 2001 Specialized Sirrus Pro, Kona Lava Dome, Raleigh hardtail converted to commuter, 87 Takara steel road bike, 2008 Trek Soho
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Above all, ditch any suspension pronto!
#6
Senior Guest
I would recommend a cyclocross/touring bike, it is almost a hybrid and almost a road bike. It gives you the toughness of a hybrid and versatility of a road bike. Plus when you start putting serious millage you would add a road bike anyway and still keep a cyclocross bike as family/trail/commuting/winter bike....You may even try one of those muddy cross races also. They are fun.
#7
Professional Fuss-Budget
Another vote for a road bike.
The rider position, skinny tires, lighter wheels, and absence of suspension will make a road bike faster than most hybrids. If you typically ride at, say, 14mph on your hybrid on calm flats, you'd ride at around 18 on a road bike, 17 on a cross bike.
I enjoy my cross bike and got it primarily for touring and 100+ mile rides. They're good all-around bikes, and reasonably affordable; I got my Surly Cross-Check for around $1000, including getting the LBS to set it up with a triple crankset. However, it does feel a tad slower than a full-on road bike.
Also, hybrids are usually comfortable for shorter distances, because you're sitting more upright. But you're putting a lot of pressure on your lower back and saddle, so some people find that a lot less comfortable after 50 near-continuous miles.
The rider position, skinny tires, lighter wheels, and absence of suspension will make a road bike faster than most hybrids. If you typically ride at, say, 14mph on your hybrid on calm flats, you'd ride at around 18 on a road bike, 17 on a cross bike.
I enjoy my cross bike and got it primarily for touring and 100+ mile rides. They're good all-around bikes, and reasonably affordable; I got my Surly Cross-Check for around $1000, including getting the LBS to set it up with a triple crankset. However, it does feel a tad slower than a full-on road bike.
Also, hybrids are usually comfortable for shorter distances, because you're sitting more upright. But you're putting a lot of pressure on your lower back and saddle, so some people find that a lot less comfortable after 50 near-continuous miles.
#9
Bye Bye
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Gone gone gone
Posts: 3,677
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
according to this thread, you can smoke roadies on a heavily laden hybrid! while commuting.
i think the answer is clear.
[its all about fit and what you plan to do with the bike - so buy the best that you can afford that fits and will make you want to ride. when you train up to hit 100 miles you'll know what works and what doesn't. if you find that the bike isn't working, you will have real world experience, personally tailored to you, about what works for you. then you can set up a new bike, or tweak the old, and tell everyone about it here. if you are new to riding, and want to train up for long distance, my money is on the engine needing more work and deliberation than the bike.]
i think the answer is clear.
[its all about fit and what you plan to do with the bike - so buy the best that you can afford that fits and will make you want to ride. when you train up to hit 100 miles you'll know what works and what doesn't. if you find that the bike isn't working, you will have real world experience, personally tailored to you, about what works for you. then you can set up a new bike, or tweak the old, and tell everyone about it here. if you are new to riding, and want to train up for long distance, my money is on the engine needing more work and deliberation than the bike.]
#10
Bye Bye
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Gone gone gone
Posts: 3,677
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
how many bikes do you think you need? how many bikes do you want? somewhere in there is the answer.
if you think you only need 1 bike you've either:
not really ridden much
have ridden thousands and thousands of miles and know your preferences and will work them into your dream bike
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 133
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
About 10 years ago I owned both a Trek road bike and a Cannondale hybrid. I couldn't justify both, so I sold the Trek. I believe I sold the wrong bike. Yes, for bopping around the city and short-distance commuting—say 20 miles or less—the hybrid is the right bike for me. The upright position is better suited for urban traffic jamming, and the thicker tires make you feel more confident over potholes and rough pavement.
But… once I approach 30 miles or so, I really miss the road bike. Not just because it's lighter and faster— which it is—but mainly because of the drop handlebars. The flat bars of the hybrid force you to be in one position, and one position only. After an hour or so, it gets very tiring. Road bars, on the other hand, afford you the option of three or four different hand positions, and even though you may spend very little time down low, riding the drops, it's the variety of positions that make drop bars so great.
Having flat bars is sort of like having to sit in a chair for hours without changing your position. Road bars let you stretch, sit upright, sit down low and everything in between. And if you're like most humans, it's not any one position, but rather the changing of positions, that makes the difference.
But… once I approach 30 miles or so, I really miss the road bike. Not just because it's lighter and faster— which it is—but mainly because of the drop handlebars. The flat bars of the hybrid force you to be in one position, and one position only. After an hour or so, it gets very tiring. Road bars, on the other hand, afford you the option of three or four different hand positions, and even though you may spend very little time down low, riding the drops, it's the variety of positions that make drop bars so great.
Having flat bars is sort of like having to sit in a chair for hours without changing your position. Road bars let you stretch, sit upright, sit down low and everything in between. And if you're like most humans, it's not any one position, but rather the changing of positions, that makes the difference.
#12
Banned.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 172
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Do road bikes have brakes for the down low bent position, and the upright, mountain/hybrid position? How does that work? /noob.
#13
Professional Fuss-Budget
You can own as many bikes as you want. If you are cycling all the time, it's not a bad thing to have a spare, in case the other bike breaks or if you want to cycle with a friend. You can also keep using the hybrid for commuting, errands, bad weather etc. and stick to the road bike for training, long rides, fast rides and so forth.
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Northeast NC
Posts: 109
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Road Bike...I was in the same position a couple of months ago. I actually bought the 7.2fx in February and traded it in on the Lemond Tourmalet in March...definitely not cost effective!! If you really want to get into it and ride you'll want the road bike in no time at all. Good Luck!!
#15
Banned.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 172
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Really? So I can keep my bike as a spare, then buy a new bike-a road bike? So do you think the Trek is better or the Specialized?
#16
Bye Bye
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Gone gone gone
Posts: 3,677
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
No, there's just one set of brakes, like on any other bike. (Well actually, sometimes you'll find "two" sets of brake handles: the regular ones on the drop portion of the bars—plus a set of small, cheap auxiliary handles—called "safety handles"—connected to the regular brake handles. These so-called "safety handles" can be reached from the upright "rest" position on the tops of the bars. They aren't very good and they're anything but safe. I don't even know if they're still around, but once upon a time they were quite common.)
Not quite true.
'Interrupter' or cross levers can be mounted on the bar tops. Many tourists / commuters use these, along with cx racers, and a friend who rides fixed and likes a brake in the upright position.
The brakes you speak of were popular on 'ten speeds' and worked by operating the main brake lever from the tops. Cross levers actually pull the same cable, and can be used as your primary lever.
#17
2nd Century TBD
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 145
Bikes: Felt F75, Trek 7.2 FX
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
+1 to the road bike. I had the same decision to make some time ago, ended up buying a Trek 7.2FX thinking a hybrid was a good 'all around' bike. The more I got into cycling, though, and wanted to longer and longer distances, the road bike was really the right tool for the job. I finally purchased the road bike last year and have barely touched the 7.2 FX hybrid since.
__________________
My Biking Blog: https://bikebeagle.blogspot.com
My Biking Blog: https://bikebeagle.blogspot.com
#18
Recreational rider
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 115
Bikes: 2007 Specialized Globe
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Herndon, VA
Posts: 914
Bikes: Giant OCR C2, Kona Jake the Snake, Scattante 650-R
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 21 Times
in
7 Posts
Higher bottom bracket, (possibly) shorter wheelbase, beefier wheels and fork. It's a road bike geometry that's built to take abuse.
__________________
2020 Giant Defy 2
Fuji Cross Pro
Scattante 650-R trainer bike
'06 Kona Jake the Snake
2020 Giant Defy 2
Fuji Cross Pro
Scattante 650-R trainer bike
'06 Kona Jake the Snake
#21
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 11,375
Bikes: '08 Surly Cross-Check, 2011 Redline Conquest Pro, 2012 Spesh FSR Comp EVO, 2015 Trek Domane 6.2 disc
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
6 Posts
Outfitted properly, a cross bike makes a fine road bike.
#22
Road Runner
By the way, I'm not sure that there's an industry standard for what various mfrs refer to by names such as "comfort bike", "crossbike", "fitness bike", "hybrid", "pathway bike", etc. It's confused me, and I usually have to just go and look at the real thing (as opposed to the web site) to really understand what it is that they're selling.
Last edited by DougG; 06-03-08 at 11:11 AM.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: new england
Posts: 748
Bikes: Wife Trek 7100, GT lola, specialzed Hotrock, Trek Grommet, dead Trek 5200(KIA rear derailer failed and brok frame), and Trek 720 (Died of neglect when the 5200 became a stable mate)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Maxx, 3 weeks ago i as in your exact position...
75% of my riding is fast suburaban short distance riding and out with the kids. But a few times a month i go on club rides at anyware from 25 to 50 miles.
My options i was looking at are the exacts same bike you are.
At the end of the day i went with a Fuji Touring. I am very happy with it.
Day to day utility check
Not droping the family check
light dirt trails check
dirt roads check
fast check distance check.
i am even doing a tri on it this summer and planning a weekend expedition on the same bike
a touring bike i think is the best all aroung bike.
sine tyou know traks and specialized the trek 520 and specialized Sequioa.
75% of my riding is fast suburaban short distance riding and out with the kids. But a few times a month i go on club rides at anyware from 25 to 50 miles.
My options i was looking at are the exacts same bike you are.
At the end of the day i went with a Fuji Touring. I am very happy with it.
Day to day utility check
Not droping the family check
light dirt trails check
dirt roads check
fast check distance check.
i am even doing a tri on it this summer and planning a weekend expedition on the same bike
a touring bike i think is the best all aroung bike.
sine tyou know traks and specialized the trek 520 and specialized Sequioa.
#24
Banned.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 596
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
For your recommendations, just go for specialized allez, or trek, trek used by tour france champions Lance armstrong. For your recommnedations, nnot buy this:
#25
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Rural Missouri - mostly central and southeastern
Posts: 3,009
Bikes: 2003 LeMond -various other junk bikes
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 78 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 43 Times
in
34 Posts
How much better is it to ride a Road Bike 100 miles verus a Hybrid, with the same wheels and tires? How much heavier is a Hybrid over a Road Bike? Is the lighter weight that significant?
You say you already commute on a mountain bike - so buy a road bike.