Are roadies faster / easier than hybrids?

[Dayvo]

I was NOT being pedantic! If you read (again?) what I wrote you would see that I was asking for "clarification" because I myself was unsure. Is it important to get the terminology right? Well, I leave that for you to decide but it certainly assists in my understanding.

Grrrr....

Sorry yello!

Nothing personal, but it seemed ambiguous enough for me to (incorrectly) assume you were making a point!

 

[Blue]

Another thing.. its fitted with a comfort gel padded saddle, absolutely lovely for the short run, but after a couple of hours my arse is aching... why???..

It's due to the soft padding creasing and nipping at your @rse. A decent saddle is firm to prevent that. Many swear by a Brooks saddle - they don't have any padding, but mould to your shape over time.

 

[wafflycat]

It's due to the soft padding creasing and nipping at your @rse. A decent saddle is firm to prevent that. Many swear by a Brooks saddle - they don't have any padding, but mould to your shape over time.

Aye, big padded gel saddles are *not* the way to go for any sort of length of time in the saddle. If they were, that's what the pros would be using for they day-in, day-out many hours of cycling. And they don't use big soft squishy saddles, they use *supportive* saddles.

What is needed is a saddle that fits your 'sit bones' and one firm enough to *support* the nether regions without squishing them. A big soft saddle will squish bits you don't want squished, but you do want supported. Complicated by the fact that what one person finds a comfy saddle is sheer hell for a.n.other.

For me, I can be entirely comfortable on an all-day ride using a Terry's Liberator TiLite or RaceLite. *Bliss*

 

[peanut]

Hey big guy you haven't said exactly the sort of surfaces you ride on but assuming commuting as others have said there are probably two routes to what you want.
A hybrid bike with road equipment or a road bike with some `hybrid' equipment.
Nonclemature is a minefield here. Basically if you are commuting and spending 85% of your miles on asphalt then you don't need suspension front or rear.Unless you have some really rough stuff to traverse on route you don't need any MTB stuff on the bike.
Gears -wise you could fit a compact double chainset like the Shimano R600 or R700 together with a 12-27t cassette or 13t-28t and that should pretty much get you up any hill unless you are fully laden tourer going up a 1:4 !

Handlebars will be a matter of choice but probably straight bars would be more familiar and comfortable in traffic.
Once you have got rid of the suspension you'll probably find the saddle very comfortable.

Tyre -wise you would probably be best with a 25c-28c x700

If you let us know what sort of cycling you do through the week we can better advise you your options

 

[Tynan]

I'll stack London roads against anyone's for bad, my new steel road bike with carbon forks and carbon post and 23 tyres is way smoother than my old alu hybrid with 32 tyres

 

[briank]

A year or two ago I heard (on Radio 4) a spokesman for the Department of Transport explain that because of the advances in motor car suspension systems over the last decade it was no longer necessary to keep the road surfaces in as good a state of repair as had previously been considered essential, and in the current economic climate blah blah blah...
So that's all right then.

 

[Perry]

I went from a Hybrid to a Road bike - no regrets for me

 

[peanut]

I'll stack London roads against anyone's for bad, my new steel road bike with carbon forks and carbon post and 23 tyres is way smoother than my old alu hybrid with 32 tyres

steel is the real deal what frame have you got ? not aware of anyone offering steel except hand built

 

[Fab Foodie]

steel is the real deal what frame have you got ? not aware of anyone offering steel except hand built

Then you need to look at Condor Cycles then...

Or the Salsa Casserole
Or Aravis
Or Thorn... how could I forget Thorn?

 

[Abitrary]

I'll stack London roads against anyone's for bad, my new steel road bike with carbon forks and carbon post and 23 tyres is way smoother than my old alu hybrid with 32 tyres

Agreed. Light flexible road bikes are probably more comfortable than heavy hybrids, no matter what size tyres - these just increase weight anyway. A heavy bike bouncing around under you puts extra stress on your arms and backside.

The value of the heavier bikes is that they are more sure-footed over stuff like potholes, and you can put more weight in the panniers with confidence.

 

[bigguy]

The hybrid bike has never been off the tarmac.. I still have my old mountain bike which i re-equipped with knobbly tyres specially for off road riding.
The hybrid has an alloy frame, front suspension, suspension seat post, it is fitted with 700x38c tyres.... it has mountain bike gearing, albeit bigger wheels..... eg 28-38-48 front & 10 to 28 by 8 speeds on the rear.
I think i might try a brooks saddle.... I remember one I had on an old raleigh bike as a youth..... It never gave me any problems.

Probably, as my energy levels get better hills will seem less of a problem anyway..

 

[HJ]

The thing about hybrid bike is that the term hybrid is applied to a wide range of bikes, from sit up and beg "comfort bikes" to flat barred road bikes. Ultimately the thing that makes any bike go fast is the rider.

OK so the same rider can go faster on a high end road bike than a cheap hybrid, but then a well spec'd hybrid will be faster and more comfortable than a cheap road bike.

Don't expect a road bike to be comfortable, they are supposed to be built for speed not comfort. If you want a comfortable bike with drops, then get tourer, as the frame geometry is intend to make it comfortable when riding all day long.

 

[Bodhbh]

Out of interest, has someone worked out the physics? Running about on a hybrid bike vs a road one, takes up 5% more energy/calories, 10%, 30%?

Did recently rent a 'touring' bike for a holiday which turned out to be a hybrid with front suspension, fat tyres, etc. And it's seemed okay for a casual cyclist like me (50miles stretched over the day). Was also nice could handle forest trails etc.

I do find when having runs in the country the state of the roads is often the weakest link in terms of speed, when the road turns to crap, pot holes, inch play in height on the road surface, etc.. Don't this stuff mess up road bikes? It makes me wonder if the wheel will give in .

 

[twowheelsgood]

Hmmm, hi bigguy. I think what is being said here is largely true but needs quantifying.

I can only assume some people here have been riding some genuinely rubbish hybrids. I have several bikes but my hybrid is a Marin fitted with 28c Panaracer Pasela tyres, a longer, lower stem and a rigid steel fork. Suspension forks are utterly pointless on any road bike and tend to make then horrible to ride. It's about 2-3kph slower than my road bike. It also rides mich better than any road bike I've been on and the frame is aluminium. You can talk about steel all you like, it's the geometry of the frame, the longer wheelbase and the air and rubber underneath you that makes far more difference, then having a good saddle, bar grip and gloves etc. I've always believed those who extoll the virtues of steel massively overstate their case.

I also have a Kaffenback (which is steel) which is set up as a light tourer/audax. Really, the difference in performance is practically nill and it's far more useful than a pure road bike.

As a bigger guy myself I'd recommend this kind of bike. I don't see the point of living with the disadvantages of a typical road bike. Low spoke count wheels are not that commute friendly and will tend to break spokes. Why bother when a decent 36 spoke will be bomb proof and not necessarily much heavier? Road bike gearing isn't ideal for commuting either, the 28-38-48 is much better than a a typical road set up in the city. another thing that's often overlooked when giving advice to to a heavier rider is that 23c tyres fitted to most road bikes will only go up to around an 85kg rider when inflated to their rated pressure. I use 140psi on my road bike and live with the risk - really 25c or even 28c is better. An audax bike will also take mudguards and a rack if needed too.

What I'd do for now is ditch your suspension fork and go rigid steel - the Kaffenback fork is really flexy and gives a good ride. Then get yourself some 28c Paselas. this is about the most cost effective way for making your bike faster for the commute and still reasonably comfy. You'll also shed about 1.5kg of weight in the process too (my marin originally came with suspension and I'd say ditching actually makes it ride better because handling and braking are far more predictable).

 

[Tynan]

my road bike now is smoother than my previous hybrid which was a £500 Canondale Adventure, I'm assuming it's a combination of materials and riding position and increased fitness, the buzz and vibration I used to get from rough rough is gone

it's not a simple one or the other thing