Bar ends are a work around but not really a solution. Ergon grips with integrated bar ends are better still, though still not as versatile as drop bars which, if properly fitted, provide 5 basic hand positions to 2 with flat bars with bar ends.

You can ride a road bike over cobblestones, though I am wondering how many cobblestone roads and paths you will come across unless, of course, you live in Belgium or France. ;). I wouldn't ride a flat bar road bike through mud or sand. For that, you really need a mountain bike or fat bike.
a closer call is crushed limestone or dirt trails. Now, you certainly could ride a hybrid on that sort of terrain if you fitted them with the right tires, but then again, cyclocross bikes can handle everything a hybrid can, and can also be set up to go fast it you mount slick tires.

Sure, but how long does a ride need to be in order to fully utilize those 5 positions? Like I said, people do 200-mile rides on a flat-bar bike.

To [MENTION=375974]Devingirl[/MENTION], my own advice is to try and test-ride both flat-bar and drop-bar bikes to see how they feel. If you get the feeling that you will like a drop-bar bike, by all means, go for one. OTOH, if you do feel as though a drop-bar bike may be uncomfortable for you, don't be pressured into thinking drop-bars are the only way to go. Like I said, people can and do ride long distance on flat-bar bikes. Try to evaluate both options objectively.

You can make anything work if you have to, especially for a ride that is a one time event.

A guy showed up for a club road ride thus week riding an old steel mountain bike with suspension and trail tires. He had a mechanical problem with his road bike, so he brought out his mountain bike. When asked how it felt riding 40 plus Miles on a mountain bike, he smiled and said he missed his road bike.

I just couldn't imagine someone showing up at a 200-mile riding event on a hybrid because his/her drop-bar road bike was out of order.

I will stick to my advice for the OP, which I laid out in #28 .

That wasn't my point. My point was, you make due with what you have. That is what I would do if I already owned a hybrid and wanted to do the STP or some similar event as a one shot deal. I have no doubt plenty of young people probably can't afford a new bike, or can't justify the expense for a day or two of riding a year.

But ride with a road riding club and you meet people who live and breath cycling, year in and year out, and the majority of these folks ride drop bar road bikes. Not all, but most.

clearly, OP will pick what she wants.

So you're saying all those who ride flat-bar bikes on long rides do so based on compromise instead of choice. I disagree.

Just to be sure, you mean "drop-bar road bikes"? There are flat-bar road bikes. And "the majority" is not the same as "all."

Once again, I will stick to my advice for the OP that I laid out in #28 .

I began cycling on a hybrid bike because even though I did eventually want to do long distance rides, I was way too uncomfortable on a drop-bar bike. Luckily, the people who gave me advice here never pushed a drop-bar bike on me. They said if a hybrid felt better for me, I should go for one instead of forcing a drop-bar road bike on myself. Why? Because if I couldn't get used to a drop handlebar soon, I might give up on cycling altogether. Instead, they wanted me to find joy in cycling, on a bike that I felt comfortable with as the starting point.

And that advice worked.

Maybe I will change my view on this after I get back into riding for a while, but when it comes to speeds, I have always been much more concerned about improving my speeds at the low end where aerodynamics don't play as large a role and at the top speeds, have enjoyed the more upright riding positions where I can feel the air rush against my face and body.

But that is also because I am someone who will trade off some speed for significant increases in comfort, so the improved aerodynamic positions that a drop bar bike allows, is not that big of a deal to me, certainly not with how uncomfortable I feel when in that improved aerodynamic position.

Hi there, Devingirl! :)

As you can plainly see, we're in the hybrid forum, attempting to advocate for drop bar road bikes. That's quite a difficult task because there's an ongoing classical debate between "hybriders" and "roadies" (drop handlebar road bikers), concerning the cycling efficacies of each bicycle type.

Fortunately, you've found Bike Forums. Here you can peruse each Forum and determine for yourself as to which form of cycling might appeal more to your taste. Just like you'll have the opportunity to explore "Bike Forums", you'll also have the opportunity to explore the wide variety of bicycle types. At the end of the day, it will be your choice as to which bike type best suits your cycling needs. All we can do is attempt to arm you with more information with which you can use to make the best decision for yourself.

I've found that a hybrid works best when cycling for relatively short distances within an urban environment, in dense traffic, on uneven paved roads, and on dirt trails. I would not advise its use for long distance cycling. I'm quite certain that most road bike and touring cyclists will enthusiastically agree. Drop handlebars provide more options. They do make a profound difference when long distance cycling!

Hybrid bike for touring???? - Page 2
(checkout post #17 )

Hybrid vs Road Bike: What Is The Difference?

Bar ends are enough of a solution for me for being able to change up hand positions on my hybrid on a long ride. They aren't an equivalent to drop bars, but neither are they meant to be.

On the road and in standard trim, I suspect my hybrid does as well or better than most CX bikes I have checked out simply because the latter come equipped with the kind of tires necessary to deal with the kind of slop one encounters in that sport. That is to say, fat and knobby. I suspect those don't roll particularly well on pavement.

I don't need to ride through mud and sand. I do frequently ride on gravel paths and groomed woodland trails. The Hybrid handles those with ease.

i imagine they don't, but then again, most people who use a cyclocross bike for spring/summer/fall road rides would switch to a smooth tire, and save the knobbies for winter riding or cyclocross.

As for your point about bar ends, so noted, though it seems some here cite bar ends as some kind of panacea for the single hand position of flat bars. Bar ends help, giving the hands and wrists a break, allowing the rider to put her hands in a more neutral position, and also having a position that is more natural for aggressive standing climbs.

Me too. I will take the all day comfort of my relaxed geometry steel road bike over an aluminum hybrid any day.

It would be helpful for folks to put their cards on the table. Raqbal suggested people go both ways, as in, as many people move from drop bar road bikes to hybrids or flat bar road bikes as from hybrids to road bikes. But how old are the people moving towards flat bars?

As said before, hopefully OP will go to a bike shop and test ride different bikes and make up her own mind. We are just kibitzing.

I understand that this is a sore topic among those who love their hybrids and don't accept the notion of "moving up" to a road bike when the rider wants to either ride further or faster. (interesting, though, that this phenomenon doesn't appear to exist in the mountain biking community).

I posted this in another thread a few weeks back, so take it FWIW.
The reason a few of us suggest OP just start with a road bike is, many folks take the below path.
1. Cycling newbie walks into a bike shop looking to do a little riding, nothing crazy mind you, just a few times per week, maybe the occasional MUP, dirt or gravel trail. Not being an experienced cyclist, she gravitates to some sort of hybrid, which looks like a nice compromise between the serious road machines, and the super slow cruisers.
2. After a few months of riding her hybrid, cycling newbie is back at the bike shop, or bike forums, looking for ways to make her hybrid faster and more road worthy. Turns out she really likes road cycling and doesn't ride unpaved trails nearly as much as she thought she would, but her $500 Trek FX, Specialized Sirrus, Giant Escape, Cannondale Quick is just too upright, perhaps she is riding with a club or group of road riders, or now wants to consider competing in a triathlon and now realizes she should have gone with a road bike.
2a. Friendly bike shop employee/bike forum poster suggests swapping tires for something narrower that can take higher pressure, swapping/flipping the stem to get handlebars lower, and adding bar ends.
3. A few months, to a year later, newly minted cycling enthusiast is back at the bike shop shopping for a road bike, which is (maybe) what she should have bought in the first place. If she has room, the hybrid is now relegated to the garage as a spare bike, and if she does not, it is sold or traded in at a loss. Good deal for the bargain hunter or flipper.

Now, I know this doesn't always happen, but it happens enough to at least go into this with your eyes open. This only matters to OP if she wants to do longer distances (40 miles or longer) or possibly, competition. 35 miles or less and you will do just fine on most road oriented hybrids.

+1 ^ Ditto! :thumb:

...And that's all I'm say'n! :)

I would search out a LBS that would let you rent both a performance hybrid and a road bike, keep them each for a day or two and see which fits the type of riding you expect to do. Maybe they would apply part of the rental cost towards the purchase of your new bike.

I have both a hybrid and a road bike, at the average speed I ride at, 19-21 mph, I am not any slower on the hybrid. That is over a 36 mile loop.

Since I am dealing with carpel tunnel issues in both hands, the bars make no difference for me, my hands go numb with either.

Where did I say this? I said flat bars are an option and I said they work for a lot of people.. Now you are trying to put words into my month...


Here were go again with the drop bar bikes are superior type of attitudes.. They are NOT!

It would be a wee bit difficult for me to 'move up' from my current flat bar unless I wanted to spend 10k on a bike..

So everyone with a flat bar bike is a clueless n00b in your mind? WOW!

Where did this magical # come from? I guess the computer on my bike must be broken since it says I exceed this magical # daily, and without issue..

Bingo! This is exactly the type of advise that should be given.. :thumb:

I am speaking from my experience and observation, just as you are from yours. You are an experienced cyclist who went with a high end flat bar road bike, and I have no doubt that was the right choice for you. (not sure what Daihard's deal is. It appears that he is a relative cycling newbie who recently bought a Cannondale Synapse, which I thought was a drop bar road bike. But how old are you? (BTW, I am 48. Cycling as an adult for 17 years as an adult, except for a few years when my son was a baby and was busy with other things. Rode Schwinn and Nishiki 10 speeds as a kid, switched to a Bianchi hybrid for 12 years before switching to an old school touring bike, a 1985 Schwinn LeTour Luxe. Briefly went back to the hybrid after 2 years, then a brief flirtation with a Bianchi Milano IGH cruiser before buying my current ride, a Salsa Casseroll 2 years ago) Would you advise a fit 20 something female do the same as you? It is not my intention to provoke you. I have a cycling buddy who rides a cf Trek 7.9. It is, for sure, a beautiful bike. And it is the right choice for my friend, who is in his 70s. But it wouldn't be something I would recommend for a fit 20 something, even if she could afford it.

The thing is, OP has a max budget of around $800, so she cannot afford your ride, which, if memory serves, is a $3k bike. She is in the territory of either a mid range hybrid or an entry level road bike. So, a Sirrus Sport, FX 7.4, or alternately, Giant Defy, Jamis Quest Sport, or something similar.

I will be 49 next month.. I see 20 something and very fit females riding flat bars.. True more are on drops but it's not unusual to see them rollin fast on a flat bar either..

The MSRP on my bike was 5k but that's not really the point.. I dig flat bars and have rode nothing but them for the past seven, going on eight years..

I am not saying the OP should not consider a drop bar but a lot of assumptions are being made based on limited information that the OP provided. Yes she was clear in some areas but not so clear in others.

It's been said flat bars can't do distance and this is false. I am proof it's false. True I've never done a 250-300k ride and perhaps a flat bar would hinder me at these distances.. I've never done them so I can't say either way..

It's been said flat bars will cause numbness in hands and fingers and this is also a semi-false statement. For some it's true and for others like me it's false! I get no numbness even on my century rides..

It's been suggested that only n00bs buy flat bars and this is also false and I am proof of that!

Here has been my progression with bikes:

1) 2007: Bought a cheap Hybrid for commuting. Wanted to make sure it was for me so I bought cheap!
2) 2008: Upgraded to a better Hybrid after I found I was diggin it.
3) 2009: Retired and bought a more sporty flat bar road bike since I didn't need to commute any longer.
4) 2011: Bought a higher end flat bar road bike because I wanted something better..
5) 2013: Bought the mother of all flat bar road bike = The one I have now..

Not a drop bar anywhere to be found.. If I could not ride a flat bar, I think I'd know it by now..

I idea that only n00bs and people who don't know what they are doing buy flat bars is false..

As long as the OP gets the right bike for her then all this thread drama will have been worthwhile.. In the end, none of us can say with a certainty what bike the OP should get..

She might do fine on a flat bar or she might hate it.. She might do fine on a drop bar or she might hate it..

In my progression above you see my 1st bike was purchased cheap and my reason for buying cheap. If I had hated flat bar then my loss would have been minimal.

I hope you are not presuming to speak for me when you suggest that the responses of hybrid owners are motivated by some pouting resentment of the notion of "moving up" to a road bike.

I am actively looking to purchase a road bike at present, as I want to be able to participate in group rides at one or more local clubs, and work towards being able to carry greater speed over increasingly greater distances.

This does not mean that I consider my 'newbie bike purchase' of a hybrid to be a mistake. The hybrid was the perfect choice for its intended use, and if I could have only one bike it would be a hybrid as I would not want to sacrifice the off-road versatility that it brings to the table.

A road bike is a different tool for a different job - that's all. Of course you can do a 100km group ride on a hybrid - but a road bike is better suited overall to that specific task. Adding a road bike to my existing hybrid bike is not any kind of a sore spot for me. It will simply open up a different range of options for me to enjoy the sport / hobby of cycling. In fact, about the only negative that I can see in joining both the virtual and real road bike community is the obnoxious condescending arrogance of some of its members. Interesting, though, that this phenomeon does not appear to exist withing the hybrid biking community.

Had I bought a road bike "in the first place" I probably would not have become hooked on cycling at all, as what really got me addicted was starting my weekdays with crack-of-dawn woodland trail rides that can be easily accomplished any morning before going into work.

I would suggest the OP rent both types of bikes if seriously considering both. You cannot fully assess the styles based on a limited test.

I have only owned two hybrids in my adult life but have been tempted to get a drop bar road bike. Seems to be some debate over which is more comfortable, particularly over long rides. There also is a lot of differing opinions on whether a road bike is faster than a performance hybrid in the same price range.

I've noticed this as well but the topic is best left alone.. I will say that the Hybrid / Flat bar group and the Mountain Bike crowd are far more pleasurable to be around.. :p

Oh add in a large majority of the 50+ group to the laid back crowd as well.. :thumb:

But I digress.. Until the OP comes back and is a wee bit more specific on a few things I think bike recommendations are going to run wild..

It's been said many times but the best option for the OP is to ride a flat bar and ride a drop bar then decide. Even this is difficult unless the LBS will allow her to go on an extended test ride. She may think the flat bar is fine then on her 1st long distance ride discover it's not for her. OR she may think the drop bar is fine for her then on the 1st long distance ride find out a drop bar is not for her..

My LBS is pretty good about test rides. If your legs can stand it, you can spend all day test riding bikes.

The rental suggestion is a good one, and I have no doubt should you rent from them, my LBS would give you credit towards purchase of a new bike. And even if OP decides not to purchase, better to spend $20 or $30 to avoid an $800 or $1,000 mistake.

You know, I never even thought abut that. I wonder if my LBS does rentals? Not that I would use the service but now I am curious! :thumb: