I had 2 people at a bike shop today tell me that hybrids are a waste of money and that they do nothing well at all. I rented a mountain bike to see if I'd rather have that and told them about my dilemma on which to get and they looked at me like I was crazy for considering a hybrid. I don't know why people say this. Hybrids are pretty popular are they not?

Yep, I love mine - and I used to ride drops for a LOT of years.

It's about trends and perceptions. To some people, riding a hybrid makes you a "casual" cyclist rather than having a specialized (not the brand) bicycle built for a specific purpose like a road bike or a mountain bike. Owning a specific bike for a specific purpose shows how "serious" you are about cycling but owning a "do-it-all" bicycle makes you a weekend rider. That's the perception i've experienced, not my personal opinion.

Riding a hybrid is generally about being outside on the bike, exercising, having a good time. Road cycling is much more competetive and people view it as a sport rather than a recreational activity, same goes for mountain biking. Which is not to say that roadies and mountain bikers arn't having a good time, but there's an air of competition around those activities that dosen't really exist around hybrids.

Hybrids fill a middle ground, they're not a road bike or a mountain bike so if you have neither... they're great.

I have a road bike and rode my son's MTB over the winter. I live on Long Island and there are no mountains but I wanted something i could do single track, some hills, bridal paths, MUP, ride into town and do errands.

I chose a Trek Dual Sport because it has a suspension fork and 38mm tires but it's not too rugged to ride on pavement. I got it with dual sided pedals that are flat on one side and SPD cleats on the other.

It meets all my criteria, but if I want to do a century ride, i'll take my Emonda.

I think they may say things like that because they don't understand that a hybrid is dual-function; A hybrid is good for road use, but not as adept as a road bike. A hybrid is good for trail use, but not nearly as adept as a mountain bike. A good hybrid is a jack of all trades, but not ideal for either road or trail. For me, a hybrid bike is perfect. I mostly ride on pavement, but I don't want a road bike. I hate dropbars and have no need for a super, high performance road cycle. On the other hand, I will occasionally go off-road, but it's not like I'm going downhill over rocks and stumps. Hybrids are a nice tradeoff.

Oh, also, I see many, many mountain bikes being ridden on paved surfaces. And they are largely inefficient on pavement. A hybrid WAY outperforms a mountain bike on a paved surface. So, it makes sense that if most of your riding is on pavement you should shift away from buying a mountain bike and go more toward a hybrid.

There used to be a poster over in Commuting who once said that hybrids should be illegal.

You want to see some real venom,go to a motorcycling site and watch the crotch rocket vs Harley flame-fests.

Perfectly stated!

First you shouldn't care what anyone else thinks when it comes to YOUR money. Whatever is best for you is a good decision.

I ride my hybrid as if it were a road bike. I have tried road bikes on a couple of occasions recently and I just prefer the flatbar over the drop bar. I started riding on a dropbar back in the 1980s when there were no flatbars, but once I had a flatbar bike, I never went back. I ride my flatbar as well as riders of my level ride their dropbars. I ride distance as well. I predict that the flatbar will be a bigger and boigger share of the market as years go on.

I'm tired of the name Hybrid. There's a wide variety of bikes that could be classified in this category. Some are tanks, and some can be just as efficient as a drop bar road bike.

Handlebars alone do not define a bike. Flat bar road bikes and drop bar mountain bikes come to mind.

Me too.

A couple years back I bought a drop bar road bike and really tried to make it work, because you know, so many insist that it's the only/true/bestest way to go. Two years, many adjustments, and a few hundred miles later, I finally sold it for half what I paid for it. So I guess for me the "road bike" was a waste of money.

Ride what you like, enjoy it and be proud!

"I ride my hybrid as if it were a road bike."

I also treat my hybrid as a road bike. Heck it is a flat-bar road bike! I am not a speed demon and get to look around while riding. Hybrids are probably the most popular line of bikes.

Any bike purchase is NEVER a waste of money!

The only bike that's a waste of money is the one that never gets ridden.

I have had one bike shop discourage me from buying a road bike. They would not recommend a mountain bike either. Instead, they steered me towards the base-model Specialized Crosstrail because it is the most suitable for the road conditions in my area. My hunch is that those sales people are wanting you to spend more money by getting TWO bikes instead of ONE. Or, they are wanting you to focus on a more specific type of terrain so they can sell you a higher-priced mount. With money to burn, then yes, it would make more sense to buy a road bike for the paved bike paths and a mountain bike to hoist on top of your 4-wheel drive SUV to take to the hills.

If anyone tells you hybrids are worthless, don't talk to them anymore because that's just plain stupid. Hybrids are tools just like any other bike, and there are certain tools that do certain jobs better. I ride around some of the city here, bike paths, sidewalks, parks, trails (on and offroad). A road bike wouldn't be a good choice for that. A mountain bike could, but wouldn't be as good on the paved stuff as my hybrid. For my purposes a hybrid is the perfect kind of bike.

I got a hybrid bike and although it's a real inexpensive one, I'm loving the upright position plus the ability to go off of the pavement on occasion. That being said, I recently took the bike on a very soft dirt trail and the tires sunk in a lot and I wished I'd had a mountain bike. The majority of our riding is on pavement but some of the bike paths we go to have dirt sections, limestone, bridges etc. I could really care less what other people think but I have noticed a little "attitude" from the drop bar full on road bike guys. I just smile and keep riding. I'm now threatening to get a recumbent just to be different

That would be my hybrid after a couple hundred miles. I should take some pictures and sell it. I'm lusting after a Ti bike :-)

I ride my bike mainly around the park which are surrounding by a skate park, tennis courts, kids playground. I like the sense of community riding there. I hardly see a road bike doing laps like me. Those riders are mainly dodging traffic which they can have all to themselves while I just chill.

Just bought my first Hybrid last week after riding a $80 Schwinn mountain bike for the past 10 years. Wanting to do more riding to get fit, upgrading to a hybrid was a no brainer really. In fact, when I walked in my nearest LBS all the road bikes were near the back and all I could see was rows of Hybrids front and center. Since I mainly just ride around my development (15mile roundtrip) and around the bigger lakes and parks, a road bike would be overkill for me. I haven't ventured out onto the main roads yet and since I live in Florida where we have some of the worst drivers in the country, doubt I ever will!

I would suggest that Hybrid riders are the true bicyclists....... and the others, by use of specialized bikes, are the casual riders...... True do it all bikes, like bikes of old!

Pretty much agree with Grey on this one. Plus people strongly tend to be myopic into my way is the only way. Same mentality that you haven't bought a "real" bike unless you spend a few thousand $$$. Mostly, it is about being insecure that they may be wrong, or could be missing something.

Personally, I ride what I want when I want. I have a hybrid, mountain, and road bike. Ride whichever I like for the type of riding I do that day. Love them all, just where am I going and doing THAT day. Someone don't like my bikes, or they are not good enough for them... I care what they think why????

If you are happy with your bike, then

QT

Some well stated points in this thread.

Specialists and/or elitists in any realm frown upon anyone who doesn't embrace extremism.

If you want to do serious mountain biking, then you should probably buy a mountain bike. If you want to ride fast on group rides or do centuries, you might be better suited with a road bike. Otherwise, buy whatever you want, and don't worry about people that don't understand your choice. It is a limitation in their mindset, not yours.

If you haven't really thought about what you want, the issue is yours... whether your decision is a mountain bike, a BMX bike, a road bike, a recumbent, a hybrid etc... Buying any bike based solely on other people's opinions is apt to get you a garage queen instead of a beloved steed.

I've said many times the hybrid is the best choice choice for most people who are looking for a bicycle for recreation and exercise. It's the roadies and the mountain bikers who are the fringe element. They are also the most dedicated riders and spend the most money so they largely drive the bicycle market. Thus are the Grant Petersen's of the world made.

Oddly enough, his road bikes appear to have more in common with many hybrid's, than one sees in the road bikes from the big manufacturers.