This is actually my first post here. I've been biking to work in the city for 6 months. I'm currently riding a Kent Del Rio, which is a 7 speed cruiser. It is very comfortable on my 2.5 mile commute and the wide tires worked well even in the snow. I enjoy the bike but I would like to invest in a second bike that I could use to keep up with other riders. It could be me, maybe I'm slow, but I feel that my friends who ride fixed gears and road bikes with slick tired are able to move well faster than me. I am interested in getting a Giant Escape 3. I work for the city Fire department and bikes upwards of $500 are out of my price range. I want the Giant to be a more for fun bike. So I can bike around the city more nimbly and keep up with my friends. Will there be a noticeable speed difference in moving from a cruiser to a hybrid? Will a hybrid keep up with my friends on fixed gears? I'm not a bike expert, I'm more or less new to biking sans my recent commutes to work. Any help is appreciated.

In my opinion, the term "hybrid" is both loosely used and vague. It can mean so many different things. But in terms of a Giant Escape 3, I would think it would quite a bit quicker than your current bike and assuming your level of fitness is similar to the people you ride with, you should be able to easily keep up with people on fixies, if not run circles around them.

If you look at my two bikes, my older Jamis has front suspension, a spring in the seat post, 100psi 700 x 32mm tires and 3 x 8 gears. My newer Giant no suspension, 120psi 700 x 28mm tires and 2 x 10 gearing. Both of these bikes are considered hybrids. The Jamis being more of a "city" bike and the Giant more a "sports fitness" bike. Even though the size and geometry of the two bikes is very similar, I can assure you they are very different bikes and the Giant is the much "faster" of the two bikes. The first couple times I rode my new Giant, it shocked me how easily it gained speed when going down any sort of hill.

I've always been told that fixies are supposed to be faster. Which never made sense to me, the weight loss from the gears, derailer, and in some cases brakes would be marginal (I would assume). Then they wouldn't get the benefit of gears to help them climb hills or lower their cadence while maintaining or gaining speed. Again, I'm new. I really do appreciate the help. I had read that the giant still had a more upright position. I wasn't sure if the wind resistance would still play a major role on slowing the bike down. (I understand I can lean down to help with this).

I think your level of fitness is more important than riding position or wind resistance in regards to speed, unless you are solely a speed oriented rider riding full out road bike with drop bars. I've tried bikes with drop down bars. I actually have an older one. I can't make them work for me. At 55 years old, I need a more upright position and I simply need to work around any other issues. I ride my bikes for exercise and to be outside. The more comfortable I am the more I ride and the more exercise I get.

I could see where in a highly unique set of circumstances a fixie could be faster but for the vast majority of riders in the widest range of riding situations, I do not agree that a fixie would be faster.

If virtually all of your riding is your 2.5 mile commute, you need to put in more miles as the key element to riding faster. I ride 6 miles each way, and get warmed up well, but then the ride is over (unless I extend the ride)... Don't get me wrong, every mile is good.

A more aggressive bike will help reduce wind resistance once you get above a certain speed (12-15 mph) but will have little impact otherwise, same with the wider tires (depending on surface...

I personally don't have any interest in fixies, but if two people are equally fit, I can't imagine someone on a fixie riding faster than on a geared bike unless the route is dead flat and the fixie rider has dialed in their perfect gearing.

yeah, toss that cruiser

I 100% agree. SS's are best for flat surfaces.

just about any flat bar fitness bike will be faster than your cruiser

Best on flat surfaces IF the gearing of the bike is TOTALLY TWEAKED to the rider's fitness and ability.

This morning I took my new Giant out. I have a 6.5 mile loop that I do which is a combination of flat and modest hills. There are no significant hills on the route but I am sure I shift gears at least 20-30 times. Even though I am far from the picture of fitness, I pass everybody else out there fairly easily. Unless Greg LeMond or Lance Armstrong show up on my route, I cannot imagine someone on a fixie riding it faster.

Well i solve the problem by reversing the stem and and on the handlebar rotate it to its lowest level and cut 2" on both sides. As you can see the handlebar now is lower(lost abt 4 inches in height)than my seat and i can even lower my body by extending my arm by using the boxer bar end. Before this set-up i only average 14-15 now a significant increase to 17-18mph(plus a tight cycling jersey of course).


My tires are still pretty new and fat at 40c.. Cant wait to replace it by a thinner 35c.

Very cool. I had no idea you could reverse the stem...

Not that I would ever use that riding position. I've tried...

Yup.. And if you are Crazy rotate and reverse the handlebar itself.
Before

After

See the difference!?
i am planning to buy a dedicated Gravel bike come tax refund next year.. I thought that tweaking this bike would help me in transitioning to a drop bar.

Good thinking. Nice work Mav.