Originally Posted by
wonderbread
This stuff about hybrids limiting distance is getting kind of old. My wife and I regularly rode 50-60 km. (30 - 40 miles) last summer. She rides a Trek 7300 WSD and I ride a matching 7300. We didn't get tired, sore or discouraged at all. Actually we enjoyed these rides and plan to go further distances next riding season.
Furthermore there have been numerous posts about people doing self supported tours long distances on hybrids. So are we talking effeciency, time, or distance? I think those factors have a lot of bearing on the matter. Hybrids are never going to be as efficient as road bikes but that doesn't mean that centuries, for instance, can't be covered comfortably and in reasonable time. IMO it all depends on what one wants from the ride.
+1 It also depends on which Hybrid. The late model Specialized Sirrus is equally at home with drop bars as with flats. I saw a few on the MS150 so the whole not as a efficient over distances is patent horse hocky.
There are may be better purpose built bikes out there for road racing; however, if it was all I had I would drop bar my '07 Sirrus and use that. It also would work just fine for touring. I'm not going to differentiate heavy or light as I think the bike is capable of both. The only place I believe it would fall down is Cycle-crossing due to the geometry being too tight for fat (greater than 38c) tires.