Yep. Me too. It is basically a slow road bike.

I like my Trek 750. Sturdy, versatile. Not fast, but works well for the 50 to 60 mile rides I do on weekends.
On a typical ride, like this past weekend, I'll be riding roads, mup's, gravel trails, single track and rough city streets. Wouldn't want to try it on most road bike.

That said, I have started eyeing some of the road bikes at my LBS.
Soon be time for a new toy.

Who gives a crap? At least we're all riding, and not driving!!! Eh????
Billbass

I think hybrids are a great idea for at least one important factor: the price point. And honestly, they are easy to ride. Most nowadays are being labelled as "commuter" bikes, rather than hybrids anyway.

I think he probably figured out an answer nine months ago

Someone must like hybrid bikes. There sure seem to be a lot of them out there. I love mine.

i like hybrids. personally i don't see myself speeding on the roads where i live with all the careless and reckless drivers on the road (i live on long island). i go slow and am in no rush to get where i am going with my bike
also the cheapest road bike in my local bike store is 600+ dollars whereas i bought my hybrid for 300.

Heh, I had a hybrid stolen from me. I can't thank that thief enough; I enjoyed cycling way more afterward.

Either get a MTB with some slicks, a road bike, a Dutch-style city bike, or a cruiser. Them hybrids just don't work. IMHO. YMMV. HTH. HAND.

Mountain bike frame with skinny 700c wheels. A little faster than, but not as upright of a riding position as bikes normally labeled "hybrid":

The only hybrid that's worth a damn.

a bicycle not quite sure of its purpose in life. it can't decide on whether to be a road bike, or a mountain bike, so, instead it decides to be an inept and worthless waste of space that is good at nothing but taking money from people's pocket in return for craptacular service. ^_^

what frame is that?

Nowadays they basically cover two categories rather than one. 'Fitness' bikes tend more toward the road bike, whilst 'Comfort' bikes are more akin to the mountain bike with road tires.

I'm riding one of those 'comfort' bikes, as I've mentioned in the 50+ section. It's a bit more upright, about 5kph or thereabouts slower than a road bike and, whilst you wouldn't go on an 'A' group ride with it, it's plenty good enough for more liesurely rides. I'm planning to take it touring later in the year.

By the way. With the fatter tyres on the thing I'm chuckling every time the road bike crowd coo-ees out about a little spot of gravel on the road or somesuch

Looks like a Cannondale Bad Boy Disc.

I have a C'dale Road Warrior 500, Cannondale's "fitness" bike. It works for me, I ride when I can and for what I do, it works great. To each his/her own. Just get out and ride...isn't that what its all about?

What we call a "Duck" - Swims adequately, flies adequately.

What this guy said:

Its frame has roots in their mountain bike line; it's also got MTB-like gearing.

I would define a hybrid bicycle as being a mix of parts from road and mountain bikes but other than cutting through some grass or riding on gravel I don't think most hybrids were designed for off road use.

I personally like my hybrid as an all-around utility bike.

I have a Sport Comfort Bike which is a hybrid, flatbars & 700c wheels and a front suspension. I bought this bike for a purpose, I wanted a bike that I could take on the C&O canal and other crushed gravel bike trails, as well as ride on asphalt around my town when I wasn't in the mood to drive 30 minutes to the bike trails.

I realize that I will eventually need a road bike to go longer distances, but for now I'm riding up to 15 miles/session. Sure there are faster bikes, and better mountain bikes but I would never take my hybrid on a singletrack either. I use it for what I feel its best designed for, <20 mile road rides and crushed gravel bike trails that are in decent shape.

I have a felt racing bike and an old Giant hybrid. I've owned a Mtn bike, but sold it because it seemed heavy and slow on the roads, even with slicks. These days, I prefer riding the hybrid for it's comfort and solid ride, and I can haul a lot of stuff. It doesn't get all twitchy and nervous when there's gravel in the road, either. Different people like different things.

Oh, and you think my hybrid is slow now? I'm getting ready to slap a free radical on that sweetie-pie!

I'm also thinking about adding a Surly cross check for the bike I'll use when I'm not hauling groceries--not exactly a hybrid, but not exactly a mtn bike or road bike, either...

When I bought my Trek 7.5 hybrid, I wanted street gears but I didn't want to bend over because of my gut. Now I've lost the gut and now realize even with "street" gears I don't have a prayer of keeping up with racers, but I can ride my hybrid on the sidewalk in certain parts of town when I nervous about the drivers.
But as soon as the pockets permit I'll be buying a nice racer so I can go on the long rides with the big boys.

"Hybrids" are the mother-of-all bicycles. Just look at the oldtimers. Everything else - road bikes and mtb's - are offshoots. Road and mtb's are merely specialized "hybrid" bikes.
Anyone who doesn't like them either hasn't ever ridden one, or they are too proud and snooty to do so.

Here are some reasons why I think that a hybrid is not a waste of space:

1) My commute to work is mostly on roads, but also crosses a dirt path (cuts off a significant portion), roads under repair, and sidewalks/pavements/grass to get to my building through the middle of campus. A mountain bike is simply not efficient enough for my mostly road commute, and a road bike will not make it through the non-road portions of the commute.

2) I have to worry a lot less about the way I go to work. Whatever the surface I may likely encounter, my bike can handle it. I am not going to encounter terrain that will require mountain bike capabilities.

3) I prefer to take the hybrid (with its rear rack and occasional milk crate) on errands to the post office, store, for recreational rides through the restaurant area, parks, etc.

4) I prefer the hybrid's more upright position in heavy traffic on the way to/from work.

5) Since I have a hybrid, I don't have to even think about putting anything extra on my road bike (racks, etc.). I suspect the same people who think hybrids are a waste of space would be the first to ostracize someone who puts a rack on a road bike.

6) Having a hybrid, I don't have to leave my nice, relatively expensive (at least for me) road bike outside at work or at the store. It would suck to get the hybrid stolen, but it would suck a lot more to get my road bike stolen.

7) I can take my hybrid when I go camping in national/state parks, when most of the riding is on pavement, but sometimes may be on hard packed trails, gravel, wood chips, etc.

8) I have no interest in hardcore trails or mountain biking. If I did, I would get a mountain bike. I have no expectation to be able to use the hybrid as a full mountain bike.

I guess what it comes down to is this: If you think of the hybrid as a bike that's trying to do it all, it will always be considered a hopeless failure. I don't need to use the hybrid as a road bike - I have a nice road bike already. I don't need it to go over roots and tree stumps. I just need something that is relatively efficient on the road at a moderate speed but on occasion will handle other terrain like gravel, dirt, unrepaired roads, grass, or sand.

You are right. I just sold my 2007 Bianchi hybrid to my cousin after buying it brand new in June 2007. I replaced it with a 2009 Motobecane Fantom CX. I am very happy with my purchase. If I could do it all over again, the 'cross bike would of been my first choice.

photo here

Different handlebars on a road bike.

I thought they were a name for a road bike with straight bars...

However I do sorta run a hybrid... a nice 199x steel frame with slicks...