Planemaker

So, i bought my Trek Fitness 7.4 in early March and really love it but, I am now hooked on this and I have been looking for a road bike (not sure why). I initially bought the fitness bike because it seemed more versatile than the Trek Verve (more of a comfort bike) and I could more serious about my desire to get in better shape. So, a few questions:

1. Why do I need both a road bike and fitness bike
2. I was looking at buying a road bike so I could ride in some group rides. Do I need a road bike to ride in group rides? If ride my hybrid and I keep up with group (the groups I have been looking at go between 15 - 17 mph)?
3. I realize that my hybrid is a little bit more versatile in that I can run on some crushed gravel and possibly put bigger tires on and do some cruising. What are some of other advantages of a hybrid bike?
4. What are the advantages of a road bike?
5. Am I just being stupid?

FYI - I found a Trek 1.1 that is less than 12 months old with less than 250 miles. I think I can get it for less than $400.

Is this a good price?
Is this a good bike?

FYI - I am learning this is an expensive hobby

qcpmsame 

Welcome to bicycling, where N+1 is the rule, not the exception. No you aren't being stupid, many of us started on bikes like your hybrid then as we got more fit and rode more as we realized we wanted to do more with cycling. A Road Bike will allow you the use of drop bars with the varied positions they offer. Makes a difference for most of us when we want to go in the drops for a head wind or descent and need the better position in the wind. Others swear the hybrid straight bars are fine for this, it depends on the person. Keeping the hybrid, if your finances allow this, will give you the different style of bike for more relaxed rides or light trail use. Only you know the answer to this, none of my business.

A group ride at 15-17 mph isn't too bad a pace, it is my pace right now and most can cruise at this for quite a while. Others feel better at 13-15 mph for rides. I'd make sure the group you chose to ride with is having a no drop policy to start out, just a peace of mind and morale thing. Have you tried a group ride at that speed? I'd want to know what that feltlike before I rode with a group, to be sure I wouldn't hold the group up or disrupt things for the group.

I am not familiar with your current bike or the 1.1 for that fact, so I won't pretend to tell you what they can or cannot do. I'd look for at least a Shimano Tiagra component level for the derailleurs and brifters, the crank should be a compact double or triple, depending on your area and its amount of climbing. Find a good LBS, if you don't already have one you use, and ride some different drop bar bikes and component levels and if you find a bike, they can/should be able to properly fit the bike for you, specifically. If the 1.1 fits you well, is in good condition, not needing a lot of work, maybe it will work, depends on how far you think it will take you.

Yep, it can be expensive if you let it go that way. road bikes have a sky high limit on prices, there isn't one, unless you set it yourself. Best of luck, this is just my thought, you did ask!

Bill

tsl

$400 is an excellent price for a gently used 1.1, let alone a near-pristine one. And yes, the 1.1 is a very good entry-level bike. I got 13 years out of its predecessor model before having to retire it due to crash damage from tangling with a Pontiac.

I wouldn't concern myself with component levels and suchlike at this stage of your learning curve. The 1.1 is specified in a generic enough manner that it should do just fine under almost any rider on almost any terrain. That's the whole point of entry-level bikes.

However…

Fit is key, especially with road bikes. There's a lot more to it than having at least an inch of clearance on standover. All cyclists are open to repetitive stress injuries, road cyclists more than others, and older riders even more.

The bike is no bargain if it doesn't fit. Fitting is the marriage of a bike that's slightly adjustable with a body that's slightly adaptable. In other words, while important, fit is not an absolute. There's a range. Even as a newbie, you should be able to determine for yourself if it falls within your range, but you should also plan on a fitting to fine tune things after you've ridden it for a while.

And you should also be prepared to chuck it if you find out new bike fever overcame you and it's not the right bike after all. (In other words, tuition in the School of Hard Knocks.) It will have been worthwhile to learn what doesn't work for you in addition to what does.

As for road bikes vs. hybrids, they each have their place and they each have their fans. Like many over-50 returning cyclists, I started with one, swayed by the versatility argument and unsure if I could undo decades of neglect in the fitness and flexibility department. Within three months, I knew I wanted a road bike, but it took another six months before I could own one.

In short, hybrids are just fine if your preferred riding style is slow and easy, and your distances no more than 10-15 miles at a pop. Beyond that, a road bike is worth considering. Personally, I don't see the need for both, but many other folks like having the choice.

As for your group's 15-17 mph speed, you'd have to be a real athlete to keep up on a hybrid. Bear in mind, group ride posted speeds are averages of the whole ride--including starting up from stops and coasting down to them again--when all is said and done. It's not the typical cruising speed on the flats between.

To achieve a 15-17 average on a 20-30 mile ride--in my condition and on my terrain anyway--I have to maintain an 18-20 cruising speed. This far exceeds what I can do on a hybrid, and it took me a few years to build up to that pace even on road bikes. (It goes easier for others, and some don't ever quite make it.)

It's a worthy, ambitious, and achievable goal. But don't expect that simply buying a road bike will make it happen. You'll need to work for--and earn--it. A roadie is the tool that will help make it happen.

NOS88

Responses are listed in the order of your questions.

1. You don't NEED both. However, why not have both? If you can afford it, you might find that you'll enjoy both kinds of riding.
2. No, you don't need a road bike to ride with a group. But as was pointed out above, a road bike will make hitting those 15 to 17 mph rides a bit easier.
3. I guess I'd describe the difference between a road bike and a hybrid as the difference between a mini-SUV and a rear wheel drive sports coupe.
4. I think there are several advantages of a road bike in your situation. First, they are typically lighter, more responsive and easier to ride at a faster pace. Second, you're less likely to get judgmental stares from others in the group you ride with. (I know that this shouldn't happen that it doesn't always happen, and that it shouldn't matter if it does happen. But life is easier when it's not part of what you have to deal with.)
5. I think it more than reasonable to question one's decision making process every now and again.

Oh, just one other thought. There are many mistakes in life that would be much bigger than buying a second bicycle.

Planemaker

Well the deal fell through. I asked the seller to provide proof of ownership and that I would call the LBS to confirm. As it happens the seller is the second owner of the bike which is less than one old and can't provide proof of ownership. The seller might be legit but, I would rather pass up a good deal than risk buying stolen property.

billydonn

Need? What is this "need"? Expunge that concept from your vocabulary ASAP. It's what you WANT that counts.

billydonn

Wha? I would own hardly any bikes if I did that.

bkaapcke

Keep riding the Trek for a while until you can sort out what you want in a road bike. If you find cycling really does it for you, taking a real step up could be the right thing to do. There's no need to hurry this decision. Test ride some bikes. bk