My hybrid bike is MUCH harder to pedal compared to my friend's road bike
 

Hi guys. I don't really know what you guys have to say about this, but about a week after I got my bicycle I fell down. The next time I cycled again, I felt slower but I'm not really sure if it was just my imagination or not.

I was going pretty fast when I rammed into an object really quickly, causing me to fly off my bicycle and my bicycle to fall. My bicycle fell to the right, and upon inspection I noticed the rear-derailler was slightly damaged. On top of that, I could hear some slight rubbing noise whenever my peddles turn past a certain point. When I went to the shop, the shop people also mentioned that my front wheel was not seated properly.



Anyway, today I went cycling with this female friend of mine. She has a road bike with full-slick tires pumped up to 120 psi, while I'm using a hybrid bike with cyclocross tires at 80 psi.

Now here's the strange thing. We are barely even cycling at 15km/h or 10 miles/hour, but I find myself really struggling to keep up with her road bike at times. I can also feel my knees hurting from each pedal stroke I make.

I asked her if we could swap bikes for awhile and she agreed. It felt MUCH easier on her bike and at the same speed, it barely felt like I was using much effort at all. At the same time, I was having absolutely no trouble at all keeping up with her now. In fact I had to make an effort to coast pretty often because if I had continued peddling, I'd have easily passed her. Lastly, I was no longer feeling the pain in my knees when I cycled.

Another thing, when I was riding my bicycle, I felt really tired and as if I couldn't really go much longer and I had to coast pretty often. However when I rode her bike, I suddenly felt like I'm good for cycling another hour+. Also I attempted going 1 round around the roads at her house. On her bicycle, it took me 80 seconds to cycle 500m round. On my bicycle, it took me 95 seconds to cycle the same distance, but on my bicycle I could feel the pain in my knees, tons of fatigue, and had to coast a few times during that 500m round.


Now I'll just like to confirm, I don't think slicks vs cyclocross tires could make such a big a difference right? And if so, is there any way for me to check if there's anything wrong with my bicycle? I swear it takes much more effort to peddle then hers, but there's nothing to really measure it other than "feeling"

http://www.backcountry.com/images/it...VIT0023/SI.jpg

http://www.cheapbikeparts360.com/images/b/7617.jpg

Any help would be appreciated, thanks. :)

With slick tyres it is easier to pedal on pavement (compared with knobby tyres) but there could be other factors.

Did you use the same (or very close) gear ratios on both bikes?

Did you check your bike wheels to see if they rotate freely? The wheel hubs can be seized or the brakes can drag.

Is your seat height adjusted correctly?

riding effort on smooth pavement should be noticeable between those two tires, IMHO.

There might be a number of things going on, all of which affect how hard your bike is to pedal for a given speed.

1) The tire tread really does make a difference. Each time a nub hits the ground on a cyclocross tire, you give up some energy. It's like riding on gravel always. If you don't need the offroad capabilities of a cyclocross tire (and very few people do need it), then it's best to just have slicks on your bike.
2) Tire pressure makes a difference, indirectly. Lower-pressure heavier duty tires take a bunch of energy to flex the sidewall, and generate heat in doing so. A higher pressure tire usually has a lower rolling resistance, just from reduced sidewall flex.
3) Less air resistance. Hybrids have a more upright riding posture, which puts more of the engine (you) into the wind, increasing drag. The drop handlebars on a road bike allow you to get lower and therefore more aerodynamic.
4) Bike weight. Hybrids are heavier, and therefore harder to pedal, especially uphill.
5) You could have a brake pad rubbing the rim, or some other damage from your fall. That's a sure way to feel like you're pedaling through mud. Turn the bike upside-down and spin the wheels- they should spin easily for a long time (like minutes).

All things being the same, it sounds like at the least your hybrid doesn't fit you properly. Knee pain is something you absolutely don't want and shouldn't put up with. There are a number of things you likely can adjust on your hybrid to make it fit better, but if you want road-bike performance and fit, you'll need to get a road bike that's fitted to you. Your LBS will be happy to help you do it- your friend seems like she's knowlegeable and experienced, so see if she'll go with you bike shopping. Beware of shops that will just "sell you up" on the latest/greatest carbon-fiber whiz-bang; walk away from them. Look for a shop where the salesperson does a lot of listening, asking what you intend to do with your bike, whether fitness, group rides, trips to the store, commuting, etc., then shows you a range of bikes and explains the difference. The best price/performance ratio for a beginner is "Tiagra" shifters on an aluminum framed bike with a carbon fork. If you want to upgrade later, the Tiagra-level bike is easy to sell for not a great loss. But, make sure a "fitting" comes free with the bike- most good shops will do that now. At least get fitted to the hybrid- it will be the best $100 you ever spend.

Two separate issues here: the condition of the bike after the crash, and possible fit issues.

The crash: you should have your bike inspected and re-adjusted by a competent bike shop. If you are feeling that much difference chances are one of your brakes is dragging, wheel is way out of true, bearing is improperly adjusted, etc. Lots of things can happen in a crash. They can also check for frame/fork damage to make sure your bike is even safe to ride.

Fit: Your knees should not hurt. Two common causes: the saddle is too low, or you're pedaling in too high a gear. It sounds to me like it is possible that your hybrid does not fit you. Road bikes are faster on pavement than hybrid and mountain bikes, but not by enough that you should be experiencing pain or fatigue in such short distances.

First thing, have the shop (or a genuinely knowledgeable cyclist friend) check your bike for damage after the accident, or some other mechanical problem. Your rim could be bent and rubbing on the brake, your derailleur could be damaged and not shifting, tires less inflated than you think, etc.

Next, have the shop adjust the bike to fit you as well as possible. And make sure that when riding, you are choosing the gear that has you pedaling around 80 rpm (glance at your watch, in 15 seconds your legs should have gone around 20 times). Bad fit or pushing too-high a gear can cause knee pain. You want to take knee pain seriously - don't ignore it and keep riding for days and days.

See, your hybrid is indeed slower and less efficient than your friend's road bike, but it should't be that dramatic at the speed you described. Knobby tires, fatter tires, lower tire pressure, less aerodynamic and efficient position, lower quality components, heavier bike - it all makes a difference - but at just 10 mph your bike should still be pretty much effortless to ride.

Unless of course, you are climbing a grade, in a grossly wrong gear, fighting a considerable headwind, carrying a major load, or something else you haven't mentioned.

hi,
Inen lager where is the front chain wheel, pedal resistance to check, if the chain is the correct one, if can pedal when the bike standing on a stand.
good luck

jaslynn, your experience is what I would expect. There is an obvious difference between a road and hybrid bike; some more than others (you didn't mention difference in quality or price between the bikes). Every difference you mentioned, plus the possibility your hybrid is pounds heavier than your friend's bike, makes the road bike more efficient and therefore easier to maintain a higher speed ; that's why they don't race on hybrid bikes. Tires can make a hug difference. I have two very similar road bikes and the primary difference is the tires, similar to what you described. The bike with the knobby tires always feels like I'm riding through mud. You may have some other issues like fit and crash damage, but I doubt they would account the difference in the feel and speed. I have a fixie bike and a cruiser; they are both one speed but the fixie is much easier to peddle faster than the cruiser. I also get fatigued faster with knee and back pain on the cruiser, where I have done centuries on my fixie with comparatively much less fatigue and pain. Road bikes are about riding fast on the road, hybrids are about versatility.

That is perfectly normal. It is exactly what you should expect to happen. That's why people get road bikes.
It's also why people put high pressure smooth tires on hybrids and MTB's.

Tires make a world of difference!!!
Assuming you have 700c sized tires, put on some 26-28MM tires and you'll be thrilled.
IF you have 26", get some 26X 1.25". Ditto.

Also look for tire rubbing the frame.

Make sure your bike is properly fitted to you, in proper working order with everything lubed and adjusted, and put some less aggressive tires on it, say something like 28mm all weather road tires and run them near the top of their pressure range. That way you know you're getting the most you can out of your hybrid. Roadbikes are intended for the road, but even saying roadbike leaves a lot of room. A steel touring bike with 28mm touring tires is going to feel heavy and slow compared to a carbon fiber road bike sporting 23mm wide road slicks.

You asked if there was anything you could do to check to see if there was anything wrong with your bike. First, closely inspect everything for damage. Look for things bent, out of alignment, or otherwise damaged. Pick up each end of your bike and spin the wheel. It should spin freely with no brake drag. Look for wobble or out of round. Check to make sure you don't have any broken spokes. With the back wheel off the ground, spin the crank by hand and feel for any drag, grind or unevenness. Passing those quick checks, you can always get it inspected at the LBS to be sure.

Uhhh... what? Fit is EVERYTHING. Drop the saddle on your bike all the way and try pedaling.

Brakes rubbing can be a huge drag load, not to mention whatever else could be wrong with the bike after a crash.

Knee pain is normal? Stuggling to maintain 10mph is normal? No, there is something wrong with the bike or the fit. I can ride a MTB with knobby tires at 10mph and I am no athlete.

I commute on a MTB with slicks but loads of gear (fenders, lights, racks, bags), probably weighs 35 lb. 10 mph is still effortless. Yes, my road bike is 5 mph faster at the same level of effort above 15 mph, but at 10 mph there is almost no difference. If OP has accurately described her situation, then I think something is wrong with her bike.

A hybrid and a road bike are pretty much the same except the handlebars unless your tires are different. sounds like they are. If your struggling on your hybrid then something is dragging like a brake or an issue from the accident. Put it on a bike stand and pedal it to see if there is any rubbing. Look to see if wheels are out of true. When was the last time you lubed bearings? Get some 700x23's and you will keep up with your girlfriend. Hopefully this is one of those real hybrids that is around 25 lbs and not a mountain bike with 26 inch wheels that weight over 30lbs. If it is you will never go as fast as a road bike. Get one.

I would say you are overly concerned about the crash. The OP said, When I went to the shop, the shop people also mentioned that my front wheel was not seated properly. Why do you assume the LBS mechanics were somehow incompetent because they found nothing glaringly wrong with the bike?. Like any competent LBS mechanic, he probably did a simple safety check; meaning he checked the handlebars and stem were tight, the brakes were functioning and of course picked up the bike and spun the tires. In doing so the mechanic discovered that the front wheel was not seated in the drop out properly and supposedly remedied the problem. Why would you assume something else was drastically wrong with the bike?

As far as fit goes, I did not make a blanket statement that fit was unimportant as you seemed to imply. I simply said that fit was probably not a major factor when the OP said it was easier ridng a bike specifically designed to be ridden on the road as efficiently as possible with one that is compromised for off road riding. The OP said that as he was trying to keep up with the road bike on his less efficient hybrid it resulted in him over extending himself that resulted in him experiencing fatigue and knee pain, which would be expected; he never said he usually experiences these issues riding his hybrid bike at his normal pace.

I'm trying to warp my brain around your reasoning and I think your wrong. But again, that's just me..http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=242828http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=242829http://www.bikeforums.net/images/misc/pencil.png

Perhaps the OP level of fitness at 10 MPH is the same as your's at 15 MPH..

When I switch from my road bike to my mountain or cross bike, it feels like I'm moving in molasses.

I borrowed my friends hybrid once for a short ride and felt like I was going to puke trying to keep up going uphill.

All I have used for a while is a sub 16 # carbon road bike so I just forgot how much more effort it takes to pedal a cheaper bike.

Is this your bike? http://www.bicyclesonline.com.au/201...eore-30-speed/

Kind of an obvious question, but do you lock out your fork for road use?

OP stated that there was visible damage to the rear derailleur and a rubbing noise when the pedals were turned. The LBS found that the front wheel wasn't aligned properly in the dropouts in addition to those problems if I'm reading correctly. What I'm wondering is why the OP didn't ask questions about the other problems at the LBS rather than posting here. Did the mechanic that checked the bike have anything to say about the derailleur or pedaling problems?

Hybrids are not "road" bikes though some lean that way more than others. In general a hybrid will always feel slower than a roadbike of comparable quality, ie, an entry level hybrid Trek will not be as fast and agile as an entry level Trek road bike. Hybrids are by their very nature a compromise. That said, you shouldn't be struggling to maintain a 10 mph pace on your hybrid when it feels like "barely any effort at all" on a road bike. The road bike will obviously take less effort, but a decent hybrid shouldn't feel like you a riding in wet concrete. My steel flat-bar touring bike weighs around 30 lbs and has 28mm touring tires. My aluminum road bike weighs 22 lbs and has 25mm road tires. When switching to the heavier bike, I lose about 2 or 3 mph for similar effort on rides where I average 15 to 18 mph over 30+ miles. I have ridden my touring bike along side people on road bikes on novice level group rides. I probably was working a little harder, but it wasn't night and day.

I should have been more specific. The huge difference in effort between those bikes would be normal. It sounds like the OP is just starting riding. That makes it hard to know the details, but,yes the knee thing is not normal. Who knows how strong the OP is? The less experience riding, makes the difference between the bikes seem bigger. Especially side by side riding.

There may be something mechanically wrong with the hybrid bike, but you comment that your knees hurt when riding at moderate speeds is a major red flag! This often indicates your saddle is too low, and having to low of a saddle makes riding much more difficult.

You need to go to a bike shop with staff experienced with fit issues. Get them to check out the bike for damage at the same time. Also make sure your tires are pumped up to their maximum pressure before you go for a ride on the road. I ride a hybrid with CX tires and, while it is not as fast as my road bike, it is not a struggle to keep moving at 10 mph nor does it make my knees hurt.

I am a bike builder. I have road bikes and hybrids. I have tested both. the only real difference in a road bike is the drop down bars that put you in a lower position that puts your legs in a better position for power. Other then that your frames, tires, are the same. I mostly ride up on top of bars on a road bike, so with my style there is no difference. Road bikes give you a few different hand positions, which is nice. Maybe you should just get a road bike. I have a Trek 790 multitrack that is one of the better hybrid steel bikes that is pretty close to trek 520 road bike geometry. Most hybrids made out of aluminim seem bulky
and probably not as smooth as the old steel bikes http://velospace.org/files/paxton1990trek1.JPG

^Nice Trek bike.