# Speed difference between hybrid and road bikes



## J1888 (30 Apr 2015)

Just curious as I've never had a go on a road bike.

I'm getting largely into the top 1/5 or 1/6 of riders on Strava on my Cannondale Quick4 Hybrid.

Would a decent enough road bike speed me up considerably dya reckon?


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## ianrauk (30 Apr 2015)

It's less the bike, more the engine.

I have seen cyclists on hybrids and flat bars on my commute cycling faster then drop bar road bike cyclists. It's horses for courses.


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## uclown2002 (30 Apr 2015)

J1888 said:


> Just curious as I've never had a go on a road bike.
> 
> I'm getting largely into the top 1/5 or 1/6 of riders on Strava on my Cannondale Quick4 Hybrid.
> 
> Would a decent enough road bike speed me up considerably dya reckon?



All things being equal then yes, you'll be certainly faster,


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## J1888 (30 Apr 2015)

Yeah, that's fair enough - I seem to do OK, but still get passed...mainly by serious looking folks in full lycra on road bikes.

I've been cycling a bit less than a year, so was hoping that a nippier, lighter bike would add a bit of speed to my ride.

Probably gonna get one anyway


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## Markymark (30 Apr 2015)

Bike will make some difference but these other guys n gals may well have been cycling much longer and are possibly much fitter.


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## uclown2002 (30 Apr 2015)

J1888 said:


> Yeah, that's fair enough - I seem to do OK, but still get passed...mainly by serious looking folks in full lycra on road bikes.
> 
> I've been cycling a bit less than a year, so was hoping that a nippier, lighter bike would add a bit of speed to my ride.
> 
> Probably gonna get one anyway


I statrted on a Boardman Hybrid 4 years ago and it's now been relegated to turbo duties.
IIRC I was certainly 1 mph, possibly closer to 2 mph faster over 40+ miles when I moved to a road bike.


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## J1888 (30 Apr 2015)

0-markymark-0 said:


> Bike will make some difference but these other guys n gals may well have been cycling much longer and are possibly *much fitter*.



Pah, not possible.

Yeah, you're probably right. 

I powered up a hill on my way home the other day, quite tired, flew past a couple of slower riders...then some cheeky git zooms past me without a care in the world. Grrr.


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## Markymark (30 Apr 2015)

There's always someone faster I'm afraid.


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## ianrauk (30 Apr 2015)

0-markymark-0 said:


> There's always someone faster in afraid.




This ^^^^


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## screenman (30 Apr 2015)

Why do you not try a proper race against proper racers, maybe a time trial with a number on your back. Anything else is will waving, sorry but that is just the way it is.


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## Globalti (30 Apr 2015)

My son and I ride identical bikes and although I weigh three stone more than him we thought we'd try a rolling test; we freewheeled down a local hill, long and straight, hands on the tops. We stayed absolutely close, perhaps because my greater weight was balanced by his smaller frame and lower wind-resistance. But as soon as I dropped down onto the drops, still freewheeling, I began to accelerate and within a few seconds I was fifteen or twenty feet ahead of him. That's what the difference in position does for you.


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## nickyboy (30 Apr 2015)

Weight difference and rolling resistance difference will make a road bike quicker. But the bigger difference (other than getting fitter) of a road bike will be a generally more aerodynamic posture on the road bike


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## J1888 (30 Apr 2015)

screenman said:


> Why do you not try a proper race against proper racers, maybe a time trial with a number on your back. Anything else is* will waving*, sorry but that is just the way it is.



Que?


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## Markymark (30 Apr 2015)

J1888 said:


> Que?


Think he means willy waving.....ie showing off.


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## Mo1959 (30 Apr 2015)

Probably notice most difference on a day like it is here at the moment. Wind is pretty fierce and it is definitely more difficult battling against it on a more upright hybrid rather than getting down on the drops and making yourself a bit more aerodynamic.


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## uclown2002 (30 Apr 2015)

Regardless, if there is ever a question posed and one of the options is a new bike then that is always the correct answer.


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## J1888 (30 Apr 2015)

0-markymark-0 said:


> Think he means willy waving.....ie showing off.



Ah yeah, that makes sense - thought he meant that going quick anywhere outside a race setting was dangerous, i.e. time to wave your will!


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## Rooster1 (30 Apr 2015)

I commute home with a colleague who has a hybrid, i'm on a road bike,

He has to work a but harder but he can keep up with me, and I can keep up with him. 

I find it both annoying and funny at the same time. Annoying, because my bike is designed to go faster, Funny, because I work with him and I can't really go zooming off into the distance.


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## Dogtrousers (30 Apr 2015)

screenman said:


> Why do you not try a proper race against proper racers, maybe a time trial with a number on your back. Anything else is will waving, sorry but that is just the way it is.


And racing isn't?

But back to the original question, you may find that once you've got used to a road bike then yes you will be able to not only go a bit quicker, but to maintain a bit more speed for longer. But only a bit. It's all down to the engine really.


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## w00hoo_kent (30 Apr 2015)

I'd expect you on a road bike of a similar quality to your hybrid would go marginally faster. You might also feel faster (which has knock on effects). It's pretty much all position on the bike as people have said. When I swapped between the hybrid and the road bike I was generally around 1 - 1.5 mph faster over my commute (12 odd miles) in average speed. Considering they were both 9 speed Shimano's (and arguably the hybrid had the fast top end with an 11 rather than a 12 on the top cog) on compact cranks they should have been pretty well matched. I put it down to less wind resistance, I'm a bit of a bloater so a very good sail, and just cracking on more on the road bike because it feels faster, so you go faster.

You could probably do similar by adding a cadence meter, crouching some more and just riding faster/more disciplined though.


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## mjr (30 Apr 2015)

J1888 said:


> Ah yeah, that makes sense - thought he meant that going quick anywhere outside a race setting was dangerous, i.e. time to wave your will!


It is dangerous to hammer around outside of races because I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for prizes, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you stop fakey-racing on Strava now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you. 

I suspect a lot of the "I was X mph faster when I switched to my road bike" is a mix of psychological and self-justification.

Now, just to confuse you all, would you like to explain why my 3-speed upright roadster is faster than my 3x7 "moderate" hybrid by about 1mph on my 5 mile commute into town? They weigh about the same, the roadster has 37-590 tyres and the hybrid has 28-622, both Delta Cruiser. I know what I think but I'd love other theories.


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## cyberknight (30 Apr 2015)

ianrauk said:


> It's less the bike, more the engine.
> 
> I have seen cyclists on hybrids and flat bars on my commute cycling faster then drop bar road bike cyclists. It's horses for courses.


Indeed, over my 10 mile commute my rigid mtb with semi slicks is only 3 -4 mins behind .


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## Arrowfoot (30 Apr 2015)

Any comparison has to be done using the same person (as in same engine). Hybrid will over a distance be slower due to rider's position providing wind resistance. The rider on drops racer has no choice but to be in a more aerodynamic position because of the drop bars. And that is exactly why the drops are there in the first place. The assumption is the bikes are identical except for the bars.

And by the way the reason why some people find that there is little difference when commuting using a MTB and a racer is that we automatically try to cover the same distance within the same time by applying more power. Something we do not realise. Not all but some will as they tend to leave at the same time.


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## cyberknight (30 Apr 2015)

Arrowfoot said:


> Any comparison has to be done using the same person (as in same engine). Hybrid will over a distance be slower due to rider's position providing wind resistance. The rider on drops racer has no choice but to be in a more aerodynamic position because of the drop bars. And that is exactly why the drops are there in the first place. The assumption is the bikes are identical except for the bars.


I tend to ride on the road on my mtb in a very similar position, in fact writs crooked over bars in a tt position ish or on the bar ends in a similar angle.


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## JMAG (30 Apr 2015)

I spend most of the time on the tops of my road bike. Does that mean I'm giving up any advantage over a hybrid?


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## mjr (30 Apr 2015)

JMAG said:


> I spend most of the time on the tops of my road bike. Does that mean I'm giving up any advantage over a hybrid?


Not if your road bike bars are 420mm wide and your hybrid bars are 600mm wide, which I think are the most common sizes. If you ride with your hands in the middle of the hybrid bars, there's probably not much in it.


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## Cubist (30 Apr 2015)

Ah, depends on the bikes and the riding involved....

I had a Boardman Hybrid pro... light, fast, agile. On my largely donwhill route to work I would estimate I was quicker than on my current roadbike in certain conditions. The Boardman was set up with flipped/slammed stem and high saddle, and I could flatten myself to the bars, the flat bars made for confident hooligan style steering round roundabouts and bends, and the disc brakes meant I could leave braking to the very last minute. The roadbike is not necessarily as confidence-inspiring in commute mode.


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## Cyclist33 (30 Apr 2015)

J1888 said:


> Yeah, that's fair enough - I seem to do OK, but still get passed...mainly by serious looking folks in full lycra on road bikes.
> 
> I've been cycling a bit less than a year, so was hoping that a nippier, lighter bike would add a bit of speed to my ride.
> 
> Probably gonna get one anyway



I had a quick 3. Put 23mm folding tyres on it. As fast as the road bikes.


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## Cyclist33 (30 Apr 2015)

Mo1959 said:


> Probably notice most difference on a day like it is here at the moment. Wind is pretty fierce and it is definitely more difficult battling against it on a more upright hybrid rather than getting down on the drops and making yourself a bit more aerodynamic.


In-board bar ends is the solution.


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## Beebo (30 Apr 2015)

99% of my riding is in london, my speed is dictated by the traffic lights and junctions. On the open road my hybrid is a bit slower, but only a little bit.
But what's the rush.


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## Moodyman (1 May 2015)

Beebo said:


> But what's the rush.



The way some people ride, you'd think they were going to get paid more for getting to work a couple of mins earlier.


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## MichaelW2 (1 May 2015)

Depends what you mean by "hybrid"
If you just mean flat bars vs drop bars, with everything else being equal, then it depends on the position of the bars.
Drops are usually set lower than flats, so are more aerodynamic, but you can set drop bars high (see any CTC outing) and you can set flats low (messenger style). 90% of aerodynamic drag is due to the rider, so whichever bar reduces frontal area most will be quickest. The flat section of tri aerobar is both flat and low.

Rolling resistance is mostly due to tyre choice, and most hybrid users choose tougher tyres with higher RR. With identical tyres, there is no difference.
Once you add heavyweight tyres and wheels, suspension forks, mudguards, racks and pannier and raise the bars, then you start to drop MPH at any watts.

RR is constant at all speeds (ref?) but aerodynamic drag is proportional to velocity squared. Double your speed and quadruple your AD.


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## Sittingduck (1 May 2015)

A lighter bike that puts you in a more aero position will be a bit faster - by how much depends on a bunch of different variables. Go and test ride a couple - what have you got to lose?


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## Dirk (1 May 2015)

I'm 3rd out of 1556 on one Strava segment around here.
I did it on my Giant Escape City - mudguards, rack and panniers - on my way home from work last year. I think that says a lot about something, but I'm not exactly sure what.
I keep meaning to blitz it on my Focus, but can't be arsed.


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## JMAG (1 May 2015)

Dirk Thrust said:


> I'm 3rd out of 1556 on one Strava segment around here.
> I did it on my Giant Escape City - mudguards, rack and panniers - on my way home from work last year. I think that says a lot about something, but I'm not exactly sure what.
> I keep meaning to blitz it on my Focus, but can't be arsed.



Maybe your GPS was playing up? 

I'm always in the lower end of most segments, but I smashed all my PB's when I moved from a Trek 7.2 FX to a Specialized Allez apart from one downhill section, but that was because I was stuck on the smaller front chainrings on the first run. 2nd run got all PB's again.


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## cyberknight (1 May 2015)

Dirk Thrust said:


> I'm 3rd out of 1556 on one Strava segment around here.
> I did it on my Giant Escape City - mudguards, rack and panniers - on my way home from work last year. I think that says a lot about something, but I'm not exactly sure what.
> I keep meaning to blitz it on my Focus, but can't be arsed.


Up or downhill?
Downhill the extra weight is an advantage especially if you tuck down enough .


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## Dirk (1 May 2015)

cyberknight said:


> Up or downhill?
> Downhill the extra weight is an advantage especially if you tuck down enough .


It was on the flat and I must admit I was going for it. 
https://www.strava.com/segments/8358849?filter=overall


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## Dirk (1 May 2015)

JMAG said:


> Maybe your GPS was playing up?
> 
> I'm always in the lower end of most segments, but I smashed all my PB's when I moved from a Trek 7.2 FX to a Specialized Allez apart from one downhill section, but that was because I was stuck on the smaller front chainrings on the first run. 2nd run got all PB's again.


GPS is fine. I'm usually in the top quarter on most segments and have been known to take the odd KoM at times.


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## Dogtrousers (1 May 2015)

cyberknight said:


> Up or downhill?
> *Downhill the extra weight is an advantage* especially if you tuck down enough .


Ah but is it? 

The extra gravitational force supplied by the additional weight is counterbalanced by the additional inertia due to the extra weight. 

Or perhaps it isn't. I could well be wrong. Hang on while I go and throw two bikes off the Tower of Pisa.


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## cyberknight (1 May 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> Ah but is it?
> 
> The extra gravitational force supplied by the additional weight is counterbalanced by the additional inertia due to the extra weight.
> 
> Or perhaps it isn't. I could well be wrong. Hang on while I go and throw two bikes off the Tower of Pisa.


All i know is on my rigid MTb i can go down steep hills quicker and heavier guys on a club run go faster freewheeling down hills .


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## Sittingduck (1 May 2015)

Heavy riders will definitely go faster downhill, assuming they dont sit up and catch a load of air and stay off the anchors.


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## Markymark (1 May 2015)

Sittingduck said:


> Heavy riders will definitely go faster downhill, assuming they dont sit up and catch a load of air and stay off the anchors.


....or stop to go to a donut shop.


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## Dogtrousers (1 May 2015)

I wonder why that is - assuming that two bikes have equal rolling and air resistance, but one is heavier. They'll both get the same acceleration due to gravity.

Not doubting it. And not claiming any special physics knowledge. Just musing aloud.

The heavier one will be harder to stop when you hit the T junction at the bottom of the hill, that's for sure.


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## cyberknight (1 May 2015)

Dogtrousers said:


> I wonder why that is - assuming that two bikes have equal rolling and air resistance, but one is heavier. They'll both get the same acceleration due to gravity.
> 
> Not doubting it. And not claiming any special physics knowledge. Just musing aloud.
> 
> The heavier one will be harder to stop when you hit the T junction at the bottom of the hill, that's for sure.


The heavier one will reach optimum velocity sooner at a guess.


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## Gravity Aided (5 May 2015)

0-markymark-0 said:


> ....or stop to go to a donut shop.


Einsteins' Theory of Relativity, as revised by Tim Horton.


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## slowmotion (5 May 2015)

I've been faster down hills on a clunking hybrid than I have on a road bike. I bottle out sooner with thin tyres and narrow bars. Besides, the rumble of big wheels blocks out the noise from the dreadful, pock-marked tarmac and reduces the terror.

I am whippet fast on the flat and on the hills, of course.........


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## Keith Oates (5 May 2015)

Moodyman said:


> The way some people ride, you'd think they were going to get paid more for getting to work a couple of mins earlier.



I don't think it's trying to get to work early as such, but a lot of people use the commute as part of their training schedule. At least that's what I do and I don't think I'd be alone in that category.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## bladesman73 (16 May 2015)

Ive cycled to work on various hybrids for years. It wasnt until i bought a road bike that i knew what real speed was.no competition imo.


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## MarkF (16 May 2015)

For me I don't think there was much difference at all, more that the road bike was more useful into headwinds. .


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## Simontm (20 May 2015)

Switched to a drop bar in November - albeit a Diverge - and I am definitely shave bout 5 minutes off the commute 

But...

That could just be me getting better


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## Mike! (21 May 2015)

Some of my Strava records are still held from 4 years ago when I commuted on a Specialized Sirrus but in general I am faster on my road bike with drops especially into the wind! (which is 99% of my rides at the moment it seems)


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## Gravity Aided (22 May 2015)

Sirrus is a hybrid, but with pretty racy geometry. I think it's also one of the lightest hybrids I've ever ridden.


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## Colnago Master (23 May 2015)

Ive never seen anyone fast on a hybrid. Maybe it's just the area I live.
I only see them in town where strava segments are short, never out in the country.
This is my best KOM. Can't see many hybrids beating this.
https://www.strava.com/segments/7242793


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## tommaguzzi (4 Jun 2015)

In my experence it mainly depends on who is riding . (same for any bike really)


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## ChrisEyles (5 Jun 2015)

Not quite a hybrid, but on my touring/commuting bike with carrying panniers and a few extra kgs I am maybe 1 mph slower than on my ten speed racer. Geometry plays a role here though, the BB is quite far forward on my commuter (or the saddle quite far back, depending on how you look at it!), meaning the back of the legs work harder compared to the slightly-forward-of KOPS position on the road bike. My friend calls my touring bike a hybrid, not sure if he is trying to wind me up  

"Hybrids" cover such a multitude of sins that it's hard to say if riding one makes any difference. Weight, geometry, tyres, and commuting paraphanelia (locks, panniers etc) certainly will make some difference, but as others have pointed out, not as much as changing the rider!


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## J1888 (6 Jun 2015)

Thanks for all the replies folks - I think my bike is relatively heavy - D-Lock doesn't help and the position isn't exactly aggressive, so I think that's where I might gain a bit of time, however small.


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## the_craig (7 Jun 2015)

Gravity Aided said:


> Sirrus is a hybrid, but with pretty racy geometry. I think it's also one of the lightest hybrids I've ever ridden.



So there's hope for me yet...


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## jonny jeez (7 Jun 2015)

J1888 said:


> ...then some cheeky git zooms past me without a care in the world. Grrr.


I'm sorry, I shall make a point of saying hello next time.


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