Originally Posted by Rolling15
My own two cents is that hybrids aren’t bad bikes but they are a compromise. If you want to tool around and you will be an occasional rider a comfort/hybrid bike would be fine. I own a hybrid and a road bike and I find that hybrids are really not a substitute for either a mountain bike or a road bike. For off road riding a hybrid’s geometry is too tall, the gearing is wrong and the suspension spells disaster. For on road riding the thicker hybrid tires require greater effort. The components on a hybrid such as brakes, de-railers, rims and gearing are (usually) not of the same quality of a true road bike.
Most people purchase a hybrid because of the straight handle bars and shifters. I believe that if you plan on riding for hours at a time (on road) I would personally go for a road bike with a more relaxed frame geometry and one that either comes or can be retrofitted with a straight bar and shifters.
I think this hits the nail on the head. For casual riding, hybrids are fine. but if you get more serious about either off-road or road biking, you'll probably be happier with a bike specifically designed for what you are going to be doing.
I did test ride a hybrid before buying my current bike. I did not like the locked-in-one-position feeling I got from the flat bars. By getting a relaxed geometry road bike and/or raising the bars, you can get just as upright putting your hands on the top of traditional road bars as you can on flat bars but still have the option of putting your hands on the the hoods or in the drops.
Dan