Did you change from Hybrid to Drop Bar Bike

[bozmandb9]

So often we see people who come on the forums here who are complete beginners, at least during adulthood, who are looking for a new bike. Often they feel intimidated by drop bars thinking that they aren't good enough for one or just think they look strange. They then set their mind on a hybrid or flat bar road bike.

Just wondering about those people that first bought a hybrid/flat bar road bike and how many of them have since converted to a drop bar version (for the purposes of the poll anything which isn't a drop bar counts as a hybrid ie slicked up moutain bikes, etc which are used primarily on road or towpaths - no mountain biking country included as that takes a much more specialised bike)

I've just converted to a road bike from a hybrid, but decided to keep my hybrid, since the drop bar bike is probably not ideal for dawdling family bike rides with my wife and kids! I think having both is probably ideal! Especially since I'm now sharing my hybrid with my father, so it's not taking up valuable garage space most of the time!

 

[Va Va Froome]

I've just converted to a road bike from a hybrid, but decided to keep my hybrid, since the drop bar bike is probably not ideal for dawdling family bike rides with my wife and kids! I think having both is probably ideal! Especially since I'm now sharing my hybrid with my father, so it's not taking up valuable garage space most of the time!

I've got the use of my brother's mountain bike and my road bike while I'm home for summer - multiple bikes is the way to go.

 

[Cupra]

I sold my hybrid bike and now only have a 2014 defy 1.

Only done a few miles so far but is looking good.

 

[themosquitoking]

I sold my hybrid bike and now only have a 2014 defy 1.

Only done a few miles so far but is looking good.

What colour?

 

[Cupra]

What colour?

Blue.

 

[themosquitoking]

Blue.

That's the one i would have chosen.

 

[mrBishboshed]

I've used flat bars on my hybrid for some time now and they feel great, but i have recently brought a road bike and was surprised to find the extra variations and flexibility for holding onto the bars in differing positions has greatly improved my ride comfort on longer distances.

 

[chernij]

I've got a bad back (lower end) and a bad knee. If I have the seat post too low my knee is fine but my back hurts. The opposite when the seat post is too high. I have the Giant Defy 1 '13 XL, I'm 6ft 2". I was going to get the L size but the XL seemed better because of the knee situation. Any ideas how I could ride without either hurting?

 

[themosquitoking]

Is the saddle in the right position, not with height but have you tried sliding t forwards or backwards slightly?

 

[GmanUK65]

I have been riding flat bar bikes for around 15 years on and off, mountain bikes first though used like hybrids, and bought a hybrid a couple of years back. I realised that hybrid bikes can just be used for getting from A to B sometimes with some effort as the tyres grip the tarmac. A week ago I paid for a road bike and I am collecting it from the shop tomorrow (a Merida Race Lite 904). Road bikes can be used for more than getting from A to B. Clubs can be joined to ride in groups, races and time trials can be entered, and probably other activities can be done also. I am still going to ride my hybrid for commuting and use my road bike as a hobby bike and take cycling a bit more seriously.

 

[Shipy]

I have been riding flat bar bikes for around 15 years on and off, mountain bikes first though used like hybrids, and bought a hybrid a couple of years back. I realised that hybrid bikes can just be used for getting from A to B sometimes with some effort as the tyres grip the tarmac. A week ago I paid for a road bike and I am collecting it from the shop tomorrow (a Merida Race Lite 904). Road bikes can be used for more than getting from A to B. Clubs can be joined to ride in groups, races and time trials can be entered, and probably other activities can be done also. I am still going to ride my hybrid for commuting and use my road bike as a hobby bike and take cycling a bit more seriously.

Similar here using my hybrid to commute to work and the new road bike for fun. It's on the turbo trainer for now, and the onto the road for some more serious training.

 

[crazyjoe101]

Up until now I've had cheap rubbish bikes, I now have a decent if slightly aged hybrid. I've lowered the flat bars as far as they go and will be adding barends to let me get a better position. I went out with the LBS club and although I was in the begginers' group (while I settle into group cycling) I noticed that on the downhill parts my bike was rolling just as well, if not better than some of the people with road bikes.

I like the hybrid as where I cycle there are often rough roads and I like the sturdiness when using it for commuting. I use the punture resistant version of the Schwalbe Hurricanes tyres and with them I am able to go around the local woods with my dog comfortably in the dry. With them at full pressure on the roads they are faster than the cheap slicks I had from Halfords before.

I really enjoy riding it on and off road, having said that I had a little go on my Dad's flat bar road bike and it felt fast, I'll be taking it out tomorrow due to my own bike's rear brake pads needing replacing.
I don't see the need for a drop bar bike until I'm doing serious distances regularly.

 

[Upstream]

I started off riding mountain bikes then made the switch to road. I have converted two hybrid bikes to road bikes (one just a few weeks ago) however I can't say that I'd recommend it (I did it partly out of having a load of spare parts and because it was something of a project).

As a few have mentioned here - there is quite a bit more to it than just swapping the bars over - especially if you're wanting to go a lot faster. From my experience;

Brakes / gears... Whilst it is possible (with a bit of messing around) to mount rapidfire shifters / brake levers onto drop bars, the only position in which you can get them to work properly is by placing them on the tops of the handlebars, close to the stem. The downside with this is that when riding in the dropped position, you wouldn't be able to grab the brakes in an emergency without first placing one or both hands back onto the tops. This made me feel a little less safe when riding my first conversion. This being the case I'd recommend changing to STI brakes / gears instead however this isn't without a few potential complications either as you'd need to refit and adjust brake and gear cables (which could be difficult if you're not used to doing this) and you'd need to ensure that the new gears were compatible (for example if your bike currently has 8 cogs on the rear cassette, you'd need to ensure that the gear lever was an 8 speed unit).

Wheels / tyres... Whilst there wouldn't be a compelling reason to change wheels, many hybrids have quite wide rims when compared to those of road bikes. One of the reasons why road bikes tend to be quicker is that they use narrower tyres (usually 23 or 25mm wide). If your hybrid has wide rims then you may not be able to fit narrower tyres therefore you'd still potentially have more drag which could slow you down so you could end up having to change wheels too.

Saddle... Due to the lower position that you can get into with drop bars, you could find that your hybrid saddle becomes a little uncomfortable so it may need adjustment (back or forward / and / or angle). It may otherwise need to be replaced.

My advice to anyone thinking of doing this would be to first - try a road bike out - just to be certain that it's for you. Then, unless you have lots of available parts or a frame that you're really attached to, perhaps sell the hybrid and purchase a road bike or as has been suggested, try out a pair of bar ends as they can usually be obtained pretty cheaply.

Having said all that - if you're pretty handy with spanners and might enjoy the experience - you can end up with something pretty light, fast and unique. I really like my recent conversion and have managed to go faster on it than on the road bike that it replaced - although some of my cycling friends think I must have a screw loose to have created such a monster ;-)

 

[Longshot]

OK, after being back on a bike for 18 months, I've made the switch from hybrid to road bike this last week. I orignally bought a Specialized Sirrus Elite - I went for a hybrid because of the perceived versatility and, partly, cost. I've done the Moonriders L2B, the RideLondon 100 and a couple of sportive events on it, so I'd say it's done me well.

I have posted on here a few times that, as the Sirrus had carbon forks and 28mm tyres, I didn't see a great imperative to make the switch to a road bike, especially as I'm not the most young or svelte of cyclists out there. Also, I liked my triple - I'm not great at hills (but getting better) and enjoyed the granny ring (not something I ever thought I'd say out loud) and the gearing it provided.

BUT... the whole time I've felt slightly second best to the people riding their sleek speed machines. I'd nod at the head-down crowd and feel like a bit of a fraud. Also, I am getting fitter and stronger but I've always wondered if there was an easy gain to be made in terms of speed and climbing by moving to a drop bar bike.

Well, last week, I did it. I bought a Trek 2.3. It still has a triple but it's a Shimano 105 version, it looks fast and it has some quicker looking wheels on it (I know, I know... they probably weigh a ton but I don't care).

I went out on it at the weekend and found my average speed up about 0.8mph on a route I know. It certainly accelerates much faster - that was the most notable difference. Oh, that and the fact the brakes are in the wrong place, which is a bit scary!!

So far so good - updates to follow!!

 

[_Jim]

I made the jump to a road bike a year ago and havent looked back with a second hand Giant scr, which for the money has been a fantastic bike.....I also switched to clipless pedals a few months ago.....had heard a lot said about it being tricky at first and problems with clipping out etc.....but has been fine. Now if I jump back on my old bike it seems so slow!