Monstermash

Hi everyone!

I'm new here after a short time over on another bike forum. I hope my stay here is better than at the other place. There were too many elitists that would berate you if you didn't agree with everything they said or weren't around long enough to be considered an "insider".

Anyway, I hope this is the correct place to post this. IMO, a flatbar converted road bike is the ultimate hybrid! I really like the weight, speed, and overall feel of a road bike but I just don't like the feel of drop bars. I took some years off from riding bicycles to ride motorcycles, but now I'm back but after a pretty bad getoff (broken scapula) at the track on my race bike.

My return to bicycles had me trying a few different styles of bikes to try and find out exactly what I wanted. It started in the fall 2011 once I was healthy enough to ride after the crash. I bought a Trek 8.3DS from my LBS and found that it did the job, (got me on a bike and out riding) but it really didn't do anything very well. I rode it on and offroad and it seemed to be lacking in both areas. I guess when you buy something that isn't built purpose specific that's what one can expect.

I ended up listing the bike on Craig's list and someone offered me a nearly new Felt F85 road bike on trade. I did the trade but quickly found that I wasn't a "road" bike kind of guy. I mostly rode mountain bikes in my early adult years and the riding position of the drops didn't really feel comfortable for me. I considered selling the Felt and buying a more road specific hybrid but after the time I spent on the Felt I really wasn't finding anything that compared in terms of weight. After some thought, I decided to do a flatbar conversion on the Felt. It was simple enough but I quickly learned that Shimano mountain bike shifters are not compatible with road bike rear derailluers. Lol. I also learned that I needed "short pull" brake levers to make the brakes feel right.

Anyway, after doing some additional research, I found out what would work, and what wouldn't. I spend a great deal of time sourcing parts that matched the color scheme of the bike and I think the end result turned out pretty good.

Here are a few quick photos of the completed bike.






I have to say, I really liked the Felt. It was semi-light (19.2 LBS), handled well, and was pretty fast. The only problem was that I was getting pretty beat up riding it on the crappy roads in my area. I tried going to a 28c tire to soften it up a bit but the tires didn't really fit very well. So in an effort to add a little comfort, I decided to sell the Felt and buy a carbon framed bike. I ended up with a 2011 Specialized S Works Crux that I bought on Ebay for short money. Again, I ended up doing a flatbar conversion and sourced some newer Roval Pave' wheels and I was ready to roll.... or so I thought. I bought the bike at the end of last year and with work and the New England weather not really cooperating, I didn't have too many opportunities to ride it. When I finally did get a chance this spring, I realized it was a bit too big. :mad2: So, off to Craig's List with it. That worked out pretty well and I ended up making some money on it.

Here is a few photos of the Crux.





So, after all that...... I ended up with my current ride. A 2012 Ridley Noah RS that I purchased as a leftover and got a GREAT deal. Again, I did a flatbar conversion and the result is quite amazing if I do say so myself. And, I ended up making a little money after selling the parts that I removed.

Here is a list of the parts for the conversion and a few photos...

XT rear derailleur
XT shifters
XT SPD pedals
FSA carbon Team Issue crank
Ritchey Superlogic carbon Riser bar
Ritchey Carbon Matrix stem
Specialized grips
Mavic Ksyrium SL Anniversary wheelset
Specialized Espoir 25c tires
TRP R970EQ magnesium brake calipers (white to match)
Specialized Romin Evo Expert saddle


The bike weighs just a tick over 17 LBS.

Here's a few photos.









Let me know what you guys think..... Hybrid? Or no?

bikeguyinvenice

The definition of hybrid seems to change all the time. Personally I would call the felt and ridley flat bar road bikes, but the specialized seems to look a bit more like a different type of bike, with wider tires and what looks to be a more "relaxed" geometry.

no1mad 

It qualifies .

You probably would have saved time (if not money) had you just gone for any number of fitness bikes/performance hybrids/flat bar road bikes. Examples would be the top of the line Trek FX (7.7?), Specialized Sirrus, Giant Escape RX/Rapid...

And you'll not find me questioning your dislike of drops

Monstermash

Thanks!

I did look into those bikes as options but I really wanted a carbon frame. I realize the high end Trek FX and Specialized Sirrus come in carbon but they would have cost more than I have into this build. I actually really like the Sirrus Limited. It's built on the Roubaix frame but it's over $2K and come with crappy components. I have less than that into the Ridley..... after I sold the Ultegra components I replaced.

Not to mention the Ridley weighs in at a tick over 17 LBS.

martinus

CX bike, with a flat bar ...

giantcfr1

Here in Japan, when it comes to racing them, the category is simply "Flatbar". In those races all frames with a flat bar compete against each other eg. hybrid, road, MTB, cross, cyclocross. It doesn't matter what the frame, the category IS "Flatbar". I seriously think this forum should change the Sub-Forum title to FLATBAR, not Hybrid. Just my opinion to stop the confusion.

dolbydj 

Those pics are sweet!! Great color co-ordination and part choices. 17lbs is very good without sacrificing anything. The MSRP for that bike would be over $4000 here in Toronto

a1penguin

Hybrid is such a broad category. It seems to cover anything just north of mountain bike to just south of road bike. Personally, I consider hybrids to be bikes that are in a given price range because they have heavy frames and generally lower end components. These are consumer grade bikes that are priced accordingly. They are more practical and utilitarian. Mountain bikes and road bikes can cost thousands of dollars but the majority of hybrids are in the $300-800 price range.

I like your bikes, but I'm not sure they would fall into my definition of hybrid. But it doesn't really matter! They are your bikes and you have created a bike that works for you. I agree with the poster who says the Felt and Ridley look like flat bar road bikes and the Spec is more like a CX bike.

Sixty Fiver

The confusion is not likely to end soon.

If I saw the OP's bikes I would describe them as flat bar road bikes as even though they have been hybridized to a degree they are usually built for a rather specific purpose and don't think a rider looking for a hybrid will be looking for carbon fibre road bicycles with the steeper angles and higher performance tyres that these bicycles have.

My XC mountain bike has drop bars and like the flat bar road bike might be considered a hybrid but it is a drop bar mountain bike that was designed to traverse rough terrain at ludicrous speed and it just happens to be a pretty decent bike on the road when it is wearing the right boots. There is a long history of drop bars being used on mountain bikes, especially when a more aero position is beneficial like you get with XC riding.

The wiki page on hybrids now has a sub section on commuter bicycles... even they are confused.

The commuter bike is a hybrid designed specifically for commuting over short or long distances. It typically features derailleur gearing, 700c wheels with fairly light 1.125 inch (28 mm) tires, a carrier rack, full fenders, and a frame with suitable mounting points for attachment of various load-carrying baskets or panniers. It sometimes, though not always, has an enclosed chain guard to allow a rider to pedal the bike in long pants without entangling them in the chain. A well-equipped commuter bike typically features front and rear lights for use in the early morning or late evening hours encountered at the start or end of a business day.

Take a walk through the commuter forum and you will see that the range of commuter bicycles is as varied as they come because commuting is something you do and the tools for the job vary by region, environment, and rider preferences.

Astrozombie

hose are the sexiest hybrids i've ever seen!! I like how you found matching bars/grips/cable housings. Definitely leans towards "flat-bar roadie" as it's a fierce machine built for speed just with different bars.

Wanderer

Those things are gorgeous.............

giantcfr1

Funny you mention that. I commute every day on my MTB. My city has a dirt trail which runs the length of the city beside a river, and my crapper MTB and I have fun commuting.
My "hybrid" (mountain bike frame /rigid fork and components with 700x23mm tyres) I use for pleasurable mountain-road rides.