Originally Posted by
robyr
For what its worth, a road triple front chainring setup will be geared almost exactly like a MTB/hybrid setup. My Raleigh road bike with a triple is actually EASIER to climb with than either my Specialized hybrid with a double or my Diamondback MTB with a triple.
I agree with the other posters, 15mile one way on a cheap hybrid? No thanks. My commute is 7 miles one way and my hybrid began to hurt me fairly quickly. Now that I have my road bike I am far more comfortable on long rides.
EDIT: Remember, you dont HAVE to use the drops all the time. All bars are flat on top, and with interrupter levers you wont even be away from the brakes.
This has
alot to do w/geometry and weight distribution moreso than gear-inches. Loaded drop-bar touring bikes are
designed to flatten those climbs. Dedicated roadies aren't designed to function well under load beyond a certain weight limit.
Agree 100%. Get a
good ride as little equipment annoyances will mount up into
big frustrations and you'll end up either quitting or spending more money to upgrade w/t combined cost of
both bikes...been there, done that.
This is true of
most modern road and CX bikes. The 'interrupter levers' are
way better than the 'suicide levers' on the bike boom rbs of the 70s and 80s. They're cheap, effective and 'newbie' friendly. I've got a set on my commuter/utility bike and find myself using them much more than I thought I would.