Rubystar

Hi

New to Bike Forums. Need some useful advice please on what to expect from a road bike. I am a middle aged man who is a recent convert to cycling. I have a Merida Crossway 100 Hybrid bike with Schwalbe Kevlar tyres. I spend about 70% of my riding time on-road and 30% off-road. I use it for fitness and losing weight, and also for getting around local bird watching. One aspect of cycling I find enjoyable is the gradual increase in average speed over a single ride that I am experiencing. The increase in fitness is allowing me to appreciate faster speeds over prolonged distances.
What I would like to know is - What will I notice on a road bike in terms of speed gain for the same or similar effort? As a newcomer to modern bikes, I look at the different types around and think - what actual differences are there between, say, a hybrid bike and a road bike when it comes to road use? What is it (apart from thin tyres) that allows greater speed? Understanding basic info like this will help me to evaluate road bike choice.

Thanks
Rubystar

10 Wheels

Hey Rubystar,

Welcome to Bike Forums.

Take a road bike for a test ride..

practical

Rubystar,
I am a recreational cyclist - meaning that I don't compete and I don't worry about time trials and all that - but I do try to ride as much as I can. I ride at an average speed of about 15 mph and I use a flatbar. Dropbars were torture on my hands. I am not familiar with your bike but it looks like a nice one. Here are some suggestions. Go with a 28 smooth tread tire that inflates to 100 psi or higher. Lower your handlebars if you can. Many hybrid bikes come with mountain handlebars which are very long which slows you down. Move your shifters and brakes closer the center and cut off the excess handlebar at each end. I cut off about 2 inches on each side of my bar. You want your arms parallel to the bike frame (not spread out). Your hybrid probably has a slightly longer wheelbase than a road bike and this makes it smoother. A road bike's shorter wheelbase makes it more maneuverable but also more "twitchy" which will slow you down. Get a computer and find out what speed you're going now. You may be surprised about how fast you're going. Strong road bikers average about 20-plus mph; good road bikers somewhere around 18. If you find you're in the next tier below that, you may be very satisfied. Good riding.

Rubystar

Thanks for this useful answer. I have a Cat's Eye computer which shows my increase in average speed week after week. If I stay on-road and there are no hills, I average about 15 mph into a slight head or side wind (if most of a journey is into the wind), and 17 mph with a slight tail wind. Fastest I have managed on a flat road with no head wind is 30.1 mph but can only keep that up for about 30 seconds at most. The tyres are Marathon Plus Kevlar tyres about 37 - 38mm width. They are smoother (surface) and faster than the Merida knobbly tyres that come with the bike.
I can drop or raise the handlebars so will try dropping them a bit. The bike is only 10 weeks old from new so don't want to start hacking bits off the ends of the bars, otherwise any warranty will be invalidated. The other option is to buy a second flat bar and cut the ends off these. It would also be possible for me to buy a second pair of tyres at 28mm width with a smooth tread. The interesting thing would be to find out exactly what speed gain this will give me (2-3 mph on average and 6-7 mph top speed on the flat)? Merida make a series of bikes called the Speeders, which appear to be similar to what you are suggesting. I have noticed that the most expensive in the series have rim brakes rather than discs. I have also noticed that road bikes tend to have rim brakes. Do discs slow you down in some way?
So, from what I am sensing here, the only real points of difference in speeds between Hybrids and road bikes are tyre width and tread, how prone the rider is (the height of the hand position on the bars), and minimising the parachute effect by bringing your arms closer together. Of course carbon frames and stiffer points on a bike will permit a more efficient passage of power from the legs to the pedals, but for someone like me (even watching TV coverage of the TDF over the past few days gives me the familiar out-of-breath feeling), perhaps modifying my current bike can increase my speed (and maybe some form of indoor training bike machine for when the British weather is at its worst)

Rubystar

bikefoo

Road Bikes are different from hybrids in the way of geometry. Geometry allows for things like more aggressive (road) or more relaxed (cruiser) handling characteristics. Road bikes are more aerodynamically efficient due to their rider positioning. Road bikes, typically allow the rider to generate more power efficiently, due to bike geometry, rider position, and bottom bracket/frame stiffness.

Sit on a bunch of bikes and find what you like. I surprised myself and I chose a race bike. I love drop bars. It took me some time to get used to them and set them up how I like. I like the multiple hand and body positions they allow. And Road bikes look sexy. I currently ride a Specialized Tarmac, it came with a 4 degree by 100mm stem, the bars were way low and way far out, so I'm running a 40 degree by 90mm and it feels like I'm on a Hybrid when I'm holding on the Tops/Flats. But as soon as I need speed, the drops are there and comfortable, plus the Hoods are there for climbs. Really works for me. You should find what works for you. (Side Note: Some bars are not very ergonomic, I used cut tubes tapedto the bare bar to form the desired ergonomics, like fat palm swells and an indexing point on my drop bars, then I re wrapped them, a million times more comfy on the long haul.

Lacumo

Welcome to BF! A lot of the hybrid vs. road bike differences can be pretty subtle and can get down to comparing one specific bike to another (I mean the physical bikes---not the published specs). Other things that count are what kind of shape and condition you’re in, what your goals and expectations are, etc. If you’re >40 years old, in great condition, your BMI is >25, you’ll be doing serious cycling training and you have high expectations of your bike, you’ll need a high-end road bike. I’m an older, overweight, non-competitive recreational rider and so the differences aren’t the end of the world to me.

Road bikes will be more efficient but won’t handle off-roading as well as hybrids. Hybrids will be more forgiving and more comfortable. Everything is a trade-off. A cyclocross or touring bike might be an idea, as they’re on the hybrid side of the road bike range. Just don’t go tech-crazy when you’re starting out and pop an aneurism thinking about it all. Get a decent starter bike and have a good time riding it. A couple seasons from now, your riding style, needs and preferences will all be a lot clearer than they are today.

Rubystar

Hi Lacumo

I am >50 and overweight, but have already lost 17 lbs in 10 weeks due solely to my bike! I am out on it every day. I want to carry that on and get fitter at the same time. After looking into my bike in more detail, I have decided that modifying it is not the answer. The handlebars are already at their lowest setting, the rims of the wheels won't allow anything less than about 32mm tyres, which means replacement wheels. Problem there is I have discs.
So, I have now settled on the idea of having two bikes. The road bikes that I like the look of are -
1. Claud Butler Torino SR4 and SR5.
2. Giant Defy 0.
3. Merida Ride Carbon Comp 93.

Different prices but all within a price range which means I am getting a bike that will do what I want it to do, without spending needlessly on features that are meant for riders in much better shape than me. Don't know if anyone on the forum has experience of any of these bikes?