# Hybrid or road bike for climbing hills



## Mick54 (28 Sep 2019)

Hi Folks,
Probably a stupid question but i respect a lot depends on the person and gears on the bike but on average which is more suited for climbing steep hills,road bike or hybrid


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## BurningLegs (28 Sep 2019)

Hybrid, assuming it has mountain bike gears on it.

Gears on a road bike are usually capable of higher maximum speeds, mountain bikes for steeper gradients on challenging terrain.

Are you planning a purchase? Feel free to post links to bikes you are considering if so


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## HLaB (28 Sep 2019)

All being alike gears wise the lighter bike and to a very small degree aerodynamic (matters more on the flat) road bike will be better it may allow you to get out more power but a hybrid may have a better range of gearing which allows you to spin up hills rather than grinding to a halt. The point between more efficiency and grind vs spin though as you suggest will vary by person and length of the steep bit, etc. You don't see any hill climbs won on hybrids (occasionally flat bar road bikes) but those folks are all super fit


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## vickster (28 Sep 2019)

BurningLegs said:


> Are you planning a purchase? Feel free to post links to bikes you are considering if so


Here  https://www.cyclechat.net/forums/bikes-buying-advice-what-bike.39/


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## Ming the Merciless (28 Sep 2019)

Either is equally suited to steep hills. Really steep hills and a mtn bike is better.


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## cyberknight (29 Sep 2019)

I have road bikes and a mtb based hybrid, all being equal i would take a road bike as the weight of the hybrid is a killer on climbs ,you can get road bikes with a compact chainset and a low rear gear like a 32 and you can climb a cliff.Another option is a road bike with a triple chain-set
decathlon comes with a compact and a 11-34
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc120-road-bike-grey-id_8554264.html


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## SkipdiverJohn (29 Sep 2019)

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned using a Touring bike with a triple chainset. They are definitely set up for climbing gradients, and if built around a high quality frame, may be slightly lighter than either a MTB or Hybrid.
On the subject of weight though, don't go too much on manufacturers figures - when a lot of the time those weights are quoted for small frame sizes with no mudguards or even pedals fitted. The weight that counts is the weight of a bike in real world running condition, fitted with all essential parts and any required accessories.
Bikes set up for practical use with mudguards, pump, and some basic first aid repair tools don't tend to end up much less than the high 20's pounds weight no matter what.


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## Bonefish Blues (29 Sep 2019)

YukonBoy said:


> Either is equally suited to steep hills. Really steep hills and a mtn bike is better.


Really steep hills and a bike without MTB tyres but with MTB gearing's the way to go, so that may be a re-shod MTB, hybrid (Pinnacle Lithium springs to mind) or touring bike with triple (x many).


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## CXRAndy (29 Sep 2019)

It is just down to gearing on a road bike. This doesn't mean its not possible to buy a bike or convert a bike to the necessary gearing. I run a triple Di2 with 48/36/26 chainset with either a 11-32 or 11-40 cassette on different wheelsets.

I can climb any gradient, keep a decent cadence whilst seated if I choose

There are a number of adventure cranksets Shimano GRX and FSA adventure cranksets are two. The GRX has 48/31 chainrings. FSA 48/32, 46/30


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## SkipdiverJohn (29 Sep 2019)

An MTB, even a quality rigid one made of butted tubing, will always be at a slight disadvantage because they tend to have heavier frames and especially forks, to stand up to off-road abuse. Likewise they will also run wider rims which still weigh more even if the knobbly tyres are replaced by road ones. But, they have the advantage of being very robust and cheap to buy secondhand and convert to road use.
Saving weight on bikes is akin to buying precious metals once the easy gains have been made (such as simply removing things not required). It is not sensible to become too obsessive about bike weight, especially if the rider could do with losing a few pounds themselves!


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## iandg (29 Sep 2019)

Road bike with a custom gear range. I prefer drop bars for climbing as you can move position from the hoods to the flats as you get in and out of the saddle and/or when the gradient changes.

A 'gravel' bike with road tyres may be another option?


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## Jimidh (29 Sep 2019)

Assuming you are not riding off road then I would say a road bike everyday of the week. 

A Compact chainset with a 11-32 will get you up most tarmac roads if you have a decent out of legs and lungs.


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## contadino (29 Sep 2019)

I tend to vary my hand position more on long hills so prefer climbing on a bike with drops.

Both my bikes have a 1:1 gear that can get me up anything.


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## Bonefish Blues (29 Sep 2019)

contadino said:


> I tend to vary my hand position more on long hills so prefer climbing on a bike with drops.
> 
> Both my bikes have a 1:1 gear that can get me up anything.


Why so high?


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## SkipdiverJohn (29 Sep 2019)

Bonefish Blues said:


> Why so high?



I suspect he means front and rear sprockets of equal tooth count. I have triples with a 28T inner ring combined with a 28T sprocket, giving me a 27" gear on 700 tyres. With that sort of gearing you are getting to the point where you can lift the front wheel if you hit a bump, rather than running out of leg power.


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## DCBassman (30 Sep 2019)

If one has the technical inclination, and wants a climbing road bike, build one up with a triple and an MTB rear gear set-up. Nice weight, super climbing ability.


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## Dogtrousers (30 Sep 2019)

It really depends what your objective is. To just get to the top with a minimum of discomfort, or to get to the top as quickly as possible.

If the former then it doesn't really matter what kind of bike it is as long as the gearing is low enough*. If the latter then weight of the bike may be a consideration - but in that case you need also to worry about the weight of stuff that you are carrying and also the weight of you.

* In this country at least. If the hill in question is an Alpine pass that goes on for many km then you might need to start worrying about your position on the bike and how you can vary it. But we don't have alpine passes.


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## Crackle (30 Sep 2019)

I wouldn't generalize, you'd need to look at the individual bike to see what gearing is fitted. Even different models of the same bike might have different gearing. There are some low and fast hybrids and there are some very relaxed road bikes.


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## Dogtrousers (30 Sep 2019)

Jimidh said:


> A Compact chainset with a 11-32 will get you up most tarmac roads if you have a decent out of legs and lungs.


11-34 FTW!


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## CXRAndy (30 Sep 2019)

Dogtrousers said:


> 11-34 FTW!



Or 11-36 SRAM cassette


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## GilesM (2 Oct 2019)

The road bike every time, just fit the right gears, and for normal cycling there really is no need for a triple chainring, my better half's road bike has a 28/38 mtb 11 speed double chainset with an 11 to 28 (11 speed) cassette , lowest gear of 27", and top gear of 93" with reasonably close ratios, 90 rpm in a 93" is 25mph.


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## buzzy-beans (3 Oct 2019)

In all these matters when it comes to climbing hills, IMHO the significantly most important factor is weight and by that I don't only mean the weight of the bike but far more importantly the weight and fitness of the rider.


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## Ian H (3 Oct 2019)

As above, it's down to what gearing you fit to your bike. 
'Hybrid' generally refers to some kind of utility bike. Better quality frames are usually labelled 'touring' or 'road', whatever kind of bars they have.


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## CXRAndy (3 Oct 2019)

buzzy-beans said:


> In all these matters when it comes to climbing hills, IMHO the significantly most important factor is weight and by that I don't only mean the weight of the bike but far more importantly the weight and fitness of the rider.



Exactly, I weigh around 100kg so I need extra gearing to keep my cadence where I prefer, I dont grind up hills generally around 85+rpm


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## SkipdiverJohn (3 Oct 2019)

Ian H said:


> 'Hybrid' generally refers to some kind of utility bike. Better quality frames are usually labelled 'touring' or 'road', whatever kind of bars they have.



Raleigh actively marketed their first Hybrid models as a genre of bike in their own right, combining MTB triple chainsets & gear shifters with frames that had generous tyre clearance, and in some cases, MTB-like BB ground clearance. And it isn't really down to frame quality, because I have hybrids with 531 mang-moly and 501 cro-moly frames just as I have a 531 Tourer and a 531 sports/training bike from the same era. Hybrids were not purely low-end gas pipe bikes in exactly the same way that there were all sorts of quality levels of "racers" sold.


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## rivers (4 Oct 2019)

I would go road/gravel with either a sub or super compact. I'll soon be fitting a 46/30 to my CX bike for a super low gear of 30-34. Hills, what hills?


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## Racing roadkill (4 Oct 2019)

Road bike with mountain bike gears would be ideal.


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## CXRAndy (4 Oct 2019)

rivers said:


> I would go road/gravel with either a sub or super compact. I'll soon be fitting a 46/30 to my CX bike for a super low gear of 30-34. Hills, what hills?



Hehe, thats not low 26 chainset-40 cog


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## rivers (4 Oct 2019)

CXRAndy said:


> Hehe, thats not low 26 chainset-40 cog



I'm used to a 34-28. So a 30-34 is going to be amazing!!


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## Ian H (4 Oct 2019)

Lower gearing is generally less amazing than you might imagine. You get used to the ratios and it soon feels as hard as before.


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## CXRAndy (4 Oct 2019)

Ian H said:


> Lower gearing is generally less amazing than you might imagine. You get used to the ratios and it soon feels as hard as before.



I tend not to use the 26 ring much unless the gradient goes above 10% but it always feels a great relief. I have used it on occasions when I feel shattered to drop down in effort to zone 2 and gently spin.


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## Ming the Merciless (4 Oct 2019)

CXRAndy said:


> Hehe, thats not low 26 chainset-40 cog



Or 22 / 34 for a very slightly lower gear for less weight. Old school mtn bike gearing from 15 years ago.


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## CXRAndy (5 Oct 2019)

YukonBoy said:


> Or 22 / 34 for a very slightly lower gear for less weight. Old school mtn bike gearing from 15 years ago.



I can't use that chainring. Im using a XTR Di2 triple front derailleur, which has a short-ish cage, Im using it to its limits accommodating 48t down to 26t. 

I really dont need any lower, as >25% are generally few and far and not long in duration. Im knocking on 100kg so a few grams nothing to worry about


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## johnblack (7 Oct 2019)

A road bike would always win for me uphill, I don't think a hybrid would come close. 39-28 is the lowest I've got on my summer bike, haven't had anything beat me yet but think I might move to 36-32 for my 50th, the knees are starting to complain.


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## delb0y (7 Oct 2019)

When I bought my first new bike about a dozen years ago (for the preceding 30 I'd been riding the same same Sun five speed I had in my teens!) the salesman in my LBS sold me a Claud Butler Roubaix telling me that the gears were low enough that I'd be able to get up "anything around here". Foolishly, I believed him. And half-killed myself failing to get up many of them. Eventually I took advice and put a bigger cassette on the back. Still couldn't get up some of the hills. Put a compact on the front. Nope, still found hills I couldn't get up. Then, about ten years ago, I bought the Tricross. Triple on the front, big cassette on the back, and suddenly _some _of the hills that I couldn't get up before I now could.

But still not all of 'em...

Last year- or was the year before? - I invested in a Giant Toughroad SLR2. Flat-barred touring / gravel / hybrid thing, and for the first time I've been able to get up all the hills I've put before it. These gears are low (19") but that's what I needed. You may be younger, fitter, lighter, stronger... But for me that's what I needed.

I've now put equivalent gears on the Tricross and it's like the best of both worlds - light (compared to the Toughroad) but with low gears. Only trouble is the brakes...


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## oldfatfool (7 Oct 2019)

Depenbds on ability and the gradient if the hill and the surface of the road/track


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## Mick54 (25 Oct 2019)

Many thanks for all the replies,opted for the Boardman as shown and a big improvement with gearing and tyres compared to my last bike


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