Rolla

When you're done putting words in my mouth, try to understand that the overwhelming majority of people who purchase hybrids are more casual riders. There's nothing wrong with that, and it's nothing to get angry and defensive about. All I meant was that I've sold a lot of bikes over the years, and I know who their target market is.

Eric F

I put together a "townie" bike from an older road frame for my daughter to take to college (thankfully, she left it at home). I was impressed with how zippy it is. The BMC I posted earlier in this thread is probably an absolute rocket. In contrast, the hybrid my sister bought in the mid-90's was kind of a slug. It was a low-mid level Trek with "go anywhere" tires. If it got a total of 1,000 miles on it before she gave it away, I would be surprised - a mediocre bike for a mediocre rider.

badger1

I think that is about right; I also think "flat bar road bike" is a more accurate -- or at least useful -- descriptor than 'fitness bike': a bicycle designed for people -- like me -- who like road cycling* and 'road bikes' but who prefer their bicycle** to have flat rather than drop bars.

*I don't ride in order to attain/maintain/improve 'fitness'. The 'fitness' thing is a nice by-product of the activity, but I ride because I love cycling -- have done since I was a kid.
** Current bike shown in post #24 this thread.

rje58_too

I am neither angry nor defensive, although I used to get annoyed when people would find out I was a cyclist and they'd either a. start treating me differently or b. ask "you're not one of those... club riders... or whatever they call them... are you?" I just chuckle to myself now... I'm used to it. And while I don't appreciate such behavior, there are times when it seems to get validated to one degree or another. Most stereotypes and cliches', fair or not, don't just get dreamed up or created out of thin air. That doesn't mean it's right, or fair.

Seems that many people have this stereotype of cyclists being some kind of arrogant, clique-ish, "yes as a matter of fact, I am better than you" types? Not fair, is it?

Rolla

The acerbic sarcasm of your earlier post suggests otherwise, but sorry if I misinterpreted.

Maybe it comes with my age, but I don't much concern myself with stuff that's out of my control. I'm certainly not going to embark on a crusade to rectify unfair stereotypes. You do you, of course.

Kapusta

Most things we call hybrids are not really hybrids of anything. They are just normal bikes. The fact that they fall between MTBs and paved road racing bikes in a few metrics does not make them a “hybrid” any more than an average height person is a hybrid of a tall and short person.

rje58_too

We agree more than we disagree, I think. I am not tilting at windmills or going on some useless crusade. But as a cyclist, or hiker, or male or any other group that I am a member of, I actually appreciate it when someone points out to me if I am doing or saying things that tend to validate some negative stereotypes about - say for example - men. I don't want to be "that guy".

As for age, surely you can't be older than me!

wolfchild

Majority of bike users around the world do it as a hobby, they ride for fitness and recreation, commuting and for fun. The ones who ride for sport or performance and the ones who ride out of necessity are both in a minority

wolfchild

Agreed, especially winter commuting which takes cycling to a much higher level of seriousness.

wolfchild

Agreed.

Eric F

You state that with a lot of certainty. Do you have any data?

Does riding for performance/sport exclude having fun? That's not how I remember it.

wolfchild

Not at all....Some people get fun from competing and chasing numbers, some people get fun from commuting, some people get fun from off road bikepacking or loaded touring, some people get fun from riding singletrack on their mountain bike others get fun from going on a casual ride on an MUP. To each his own.

wolfchild

You were the one who said that majority of cyclists in this world ride out of necessity. Do you have any data to support it ?

Eric F

I'm unclear on why you separated out performance/sport riding from other kinds of non-necessity riding. My intent with the use of "sport" before was encompassing of all non-necessity bike use - casual, fitness, commuting (by choice), competition, etc.

indyfabz

Some of you must be new around here.

Never imagined the “serious” comment would have such legs.

Eric F

I also said "probably", because it was an estimate based on my current mediocre understanding of bike use in areas that are significantly different that the one I live in. The small amount of information I have seems to indicate that there are many highly-populated areas (primarily in Asia) where travel by bicycle is a primary mode of transportation for a whole lot of people (necessity, not recreation). I'm not saying you're wrong. Your statement just came across as very sure, and a direct contradiction to my current thoughts. I'm just wondering if you have some factual data on the subject so that I might expand/improve my knowledge.

t2p

Can't we all just get along ... lol

70sSanO

I think a serious cyclist is more of a hybrid. Not worthy of being considered a professional but more than just a hobbyist.

John

Lombard

I think this thread answers that question pretty well.

sjanzeir

There's this Asian expat worker dude who delivers orders on his decrepit BMX wannabe bicycle out of a neighborhood supermarket near where we live, and he asked me a couple of times if I had an old bike that I was willing to let go that he could use for his job (sadly, I did not.) I'd rather go out riding with him on his day off than with Chris Froome (but he probably wouldn't want to be out riding on his day off.)

wolfchild

The way I see it, riding for sport or performance means racing and competing against other riders or training to achieve some competitive goal. All other non-competitive forms of cycling are just recreational cycling, casual cycling or commuting.

sjanzeir

It sounds to me like you're saying that hybrids and serious riding are mutually exclusive. And yet your remark about hybrid bikes being the worst choice of bike would imply that you've been spending a lot of time riding a lot of hybrids. You must take your cycling very seriously, then.

sjanzeir

You put it as though those people have a deficiency of some kind and you'd rather be seen with the "serious" ones instead.

sjanzeir

It's a mathematical fact that I'm six times as serious a cyclist as you. Here's mathematical proof: You have your FX2, while I own (and ride - occasionally, that is) not one, but two Trek 7.6 FXs. So

Either of my 7.6s ÷ your FX2=3

Since I have two 7.6s...

3x2=6!

sjanzeir

Despite what the detractors might have you believe, fitness bikes are not flat-bar road bikes. Far from it, actually. Since you brought up the FX, Trek had an actual flat-bar road bike range in their lineup - the short-lived Zektor, as it was called - back when the general thinking in the industry was that the flat-bar road bike was going to be the next bike thing (turned out it was so-called "gravel" bikes that were the next big thing.) Despite the fact that the both feature flat handlebars, the Zektor and the FX were very different bikes.