desertdork

They spend nearly all of their saddle time in the draft of other riders. When they're at the front, where they can't find protection from the wind, they will often get in the drops.

badger1

As I said, "specific situations aside" -- that's one of them. If those leading a group are facing a headwind, then yes -- of course; but you will note that the rotation cycle picks up pace as well in that situation -- the "pulls" are of shorter duration. My original point stands: pro riders do not spend extended periods of time in the drops.
OTOH, I suppose one could subscribe to the 'Rivendell' point of view, and place drop bars so high that riding in the drops is about the same (aerodynamically) as riding on the hoods; I suppose then one could indeed ride hour after hour 'in the drops' -- but what's the point? The advantage re. headwinds, sprinting, or lower centre of gravity for fast descents is rather negated.

Standalone 

I just did a local century ride. Spent about 6 miles in a paceline. The rest was solo. And in 20 years of road riding, that was my first paceline riding. My "training" is on hybrids or folders with occupied kid carriers or trailers on 7-10 mile hilly on road commutes. Hence the no pace line riding... in my limited experience, they're too slow once I drop the kid off, ditch the 'brid and get in the drops!

I don't ride on the hoods all that much b/c my thirty year old $40 thrift store road bike doesn't have any hoods on the brake levers!

OP, I think you've evolved in riding beyond the limits of a hybrid.

The time going to come when you decide on a whim to do more than just a 25 mile ride one fine day. Even if most of your riding could be done on your hybrid, having a road ride is worth it.

Here's my gear philosophy: what ever makes you ride lots is worth it-- if having a certain bike will guarantee that you're riding a lot, that's where speed, experience, and enjoyment come from. A fat tired folding bike was that gear for me. It allowed me to ride to work year round using the train. Not a fast bike, but it made me fast by allowing/encouraging me to ride all the time.

RJM

There is just no reason you cannot complete longer journeys on a hybrid.

meanwhile

People have cycled huge distances on flat bar bikes. Ergon grips are a nice upgrade if you're putting in the miles. They reduce pressure on the palms and wrist bones; everyone here who has tried them loves them. Marathon Supreme tyres to reduce rolling resistance would be another good choice, and again they seem regret free.

meanwhile

This misses an important point: a Rivendell set up drop bar will still be more aero than a tolerable flat bar set up, because the reach will be longer. This is possible because using a flat bar forces your carpal bones into each.

badger1

Hmmm -- I would agree that the 'Riv set-up' would be very slightly more aero, but not necessarily as a result of reach; one slight aero advantage (any drop bar) comes from the typically narrower bar (e.g. 420 or 440mm. vs. 580 or 600).

As to reach -- well, once again it all depends, it seems to me. A properly-designed 'flatbar road bike' has a longer top tube than one designed for drops in an equivalent size; ideally, the 'bar end' position should pretty much mimic the hoods position (more or less). Think an xc race bike. That, at least, is how I have had both my hardtail mtb and now Sirrus set up, with about an inch drop from saddle to bars.

As I've said before on this thread, though, my view is that whatever works is 'right', for any given cyclist.

khutch

I've been following this thread for a while and thinking about it. I guess it comes down to this, if you are going to intensively do one type of cycling primarily or exclusively and only want one bike then it makes sense to get the bike optimized for that purpose. If you do a variety of riding and still want only one bike your options can be widened out. In reality any type of bike can do any type of riding to an extent. You can do light duty off roading on a road bike, a cruiser, or a folding bike. You can do road riding on any bike. The point of a hybrid, I think, is that it does road riding better than a mountain bike and rough riding better than a road bike and commuting tasks better than either one. It is very well suited to people who like variety and want only one bike. If you are that type of person then stay with the hybrid. If you really only want to do things that a road bike can do quite well then get a road bike.

The handlebars on any type of bike can be changed, if that is the only thing that you dislike about your present bike for the purposes to which you put it.

Ken

Sixty Fiver

I have a bad back and cannot sit upright on a bike for any distance... I know many individuals who suffer from similar issues and ride in a more forward position and can ride in the drops.

Conversely, some people with back issues need a very set back upright position.

From a design perspective hybrids are all rounders although even these are becoming more specialized as we have comfort and performance oriented models.

meanwhile

The above is only true if neither bike is set up correctly. Which hybrids especially usually aren't. In fact, both bikes should be set up that the riders hands are about a shoulder width apart (assuming the flat bar is being set up as a fast road bike.)

Yes, but if total reach is set the same as drop bar then the flat bar rider is going to take damage to the carpals. Loading your weight on to compressed carpals is dumb and it will result in medical problems. So no, my xc race bike - a hardtail from the years when MTBs were built for a really long and low riding position - doesn't put me as low as my cyclocross bike. And it still puts more strain on my wrists.

badger1

Well, you've lost me there (on both counts). We'll just have to agree to disagree.
First, the correct width drop bar for me is 420mm (centre to centre); I can't for the life of me imagine using a flatbar that width, even if shifters/brakes/grips/bar ends could somehow be squeezed on.
Second -- well, guess I'm "dumb" then (if by dumb you mean slightly obtuse/a bit thick etc.. As I said earlier in this thread, I've been riding essentially the same setup now for going on nine years, averaging around 7000kms/year, and have had no problems whatsoever with either ulnar or carpal issues. OTOH, I find the 'hoods' position with drops very uncomfortable (on the hands) -- and yes, I did work with it/fitting, etc. etc. Just didn't work for me.

meanwhile

Back when I was a courier I rode with about a 46cm flat bar. These days I use 46cm drops. But if I was fitting bar extensions I'd leave an extra 1.5 cm at each end of my flats. (Hmm - I've just measured my MTB's bars, and they're set at 46cm without the extensions.) Most of the people I road with had narrower shoulders so they used narrower flat bars.

Yes. That's probably because you're not stretched as far forward as you would be on a drop bar, even on the hoods. As I said, my very aggressive (for a flat bar) MTB doesn't have me as forward and flat as my (not very aggressive for a drop bar) crosser. This was the point I was making - drop bar bikes can be design so that even the hood position would be painful to your wrists on a flat bar. If you rode a flat bar bike this aggressive, your body would soon complain - and you would be an idiot to continue. But I'm fairly certain that you don't.

People differ. And some hoods are more comfortable than others - I'm happy riding Campagnolo hoods with bare hands, but with some others I'd want gel palmed cycling gloves.

Standalone 

I don't think it's a matter of "cannot contemplate," but rather that longer rides are more pleasurable/faster/more comfortable/possibly more likely to be taken more often if one has a road bike at one's disposal.

I have both a road bike and a hybrid. Road's in the shop, and I've been pretty much stuck local. Ride ride I want to do from New Haven to the Mass border ain't happenin until I'm back on my road bike. I'm also missing a local crit that I was considering checking out as a cat 5. No way am I going to ride that on my hybrid! :-)

IME, A road bike opens doors and distances and a level and duration of exhilaration unavailable on a hybrid. A hybrid gets you inexpensively back into cycling and then, if you have room, sticks around to pick up the beer with a big rack on the back. Speaking of which, I'm going to crack one open. Cheers!

AdelaaR

Standalone, there is no reason why a pure roadbike should be better at doing long distances.
There is also no reason why a hybrid should be inexpensive. Maybe yours is and maybe that is why you don't like to do long distances on it?
You're probably just more into roadbikes ... but that doesn't mean there aren't more expensive and better and faster and more comfortable hybrids than your roadbike.
To each his own

no1mad 

Q: What can a road bike do that a hybrid can't?
A: Cost more.

Well, used to be anyways. Thought that I would post a couple of links that compared the pricing of a road bike that is available in both drop and flat bar variants. Same everything, except for the bars and the respective bar specific controls. Price difference is now about $20. Used to be at least $100...

madfx

UPDATE... Last sunday I spent the afternoon at the LBS riding various road bikes from trek,jamis and fuji.

that night I drove 50 miles to look at a 2001 Giant TCR2 on craigslist, Rode it around the parking for around 15mins and new that was what I wanted, so I handed over the cash, loaded it up and treked home.. I swapped the seat and stem to dial it in, bringing it to get fitted tomorrow, just to be sure its all in line, but the bike feals great to me.

I have upped my daily ride excersise from 10 miles 45min to 15 miles about 62min, love the feel of the road bike, the biggest difference is how my hands feel, I have had NO pain or discomfort in them, after 5/6 miles on flat bars my hands would tingle, I tried a few different grips ending up with ergons with short side stems, these were the best I tried but the results were the same.

I have not used the drops but a few times, mostly ride with hands centered or on the hoods, I feel I can ride faster and longer on the giant. Very happy with the change, though i have not sold my hybrid yet, I maye soon. Thanks...

Sixty Fiver

My hybrid is a pretty close match to my touring bike when it comes to speed... I can tick along at 30 kmh pretty comfortably on either bike.

My road bike idles at 30kmh.

qmsdc15

Sure it does. Glad you're feeling better.

Sixty Fiver

It's all good until I stand up...

MWS

I bought a 7.5FX a week ago. The LBS owner said it the best, "the 7.5 is not a hybrid, its a flat bar road bike. If you wanna ride offroad get something else." I just started riding in April. The bike trail I ride daily was half dirt, half pavement. In April I bought a Trek 4300 because thats what I needed for this trail. Two weeks ago the city finished paving the trail. I wanted something lighter and faster now that I'm riding all pavement. I'm 55 and didnt want to bend over a lot. I think I chose the perfect bike for where I ride. The 7.5 is fast and light. The second day I owned it I rode 24 mi and stopped because it was dark. I just ordered bar ends for it. I'm sure the bar ends will make a great bike even better. I have had 2 heart surgery's and I have Lupus, but I believe I could ride the 7.5 all day if I wasnt in a hurry. I'm sure there are road bikes that are a few pounds lighter and the drop bars would be great in a strong headwind, but at my age with the health problems I have comfort means a lot more than speed. If I live long enough I will probably own a road bike, but I'm not selling my 7.5 to purchase one.

nanan

Road cycles can go faster, that is about it, if you are not trying to keep pace with racers and do 18-20 mph avg then a hybrid is likely the way to go.

If you are having problems going more then 10 miles either your bike is not setup properly or you have a medical condition. I am/was suffering from both at the start, my bike was all out of whack, after having the LBS guy get my bike in place my back and knees stopped hurting, I still have wrist/palm pain but that is because I refuse to get carpal tunnel surgery.

I have no problem doing 30 miles at a 15.5 mph avg pace on my 08 Trek 7.3fx.

Tom Bombadil

Actually there is. A road bike will put the rider into a more aerodynamic riding position, which will decrease the amount of effort needed to ride a long distance. You can ride a long distance on a hybrid, but it will take longer or take significantly more effort to ride at the same speed as a road bike. Touring across the USA is something that thousands of people do every year, very few of them elect to do it on a hybrid, because it is more difficult.

Tom Bombadil

Your LBS owner is wrong. It is a hybrid, Trek says it is a hybrid. It is simply a fitness / performance hybrid, more oriented to road & bike path riding, instead of being a 50-50 design where it can handle roads or light duty off-road. The frame geometry is not that of a road bike, the gearing is not that of a road bike, the derailleurs, shifters, and brakes are not that of a road bike. The weight is not that of a road bike. The differences are much more pronounced than the simple replacement of the drop bar handlebar with a flat bar handlebar.

That said, it's a nice bike in its own right. It is definitely faster than a typical hybrid. I've known several people who purchased FX-series bikes, started riding a lot, and then moved to road bikes.

AdelaaR

You are thinking of typical hybrids like a 7.2fx or something basic like that.
I would definately NOT tour around anything on a roadbike and I'm very confident my hybrid is as fast er even faster than 99% of roadbikes.
In general, yes, roadbikes are indeed faster than hybrids ... in general.
But as I said: ther's no reason why a roadbike SHOULD be better at doing long distances or going faster ... in general it will ... but it doesn't have to be.

rumrunn6

to the OP ~ yes, go with a road bike