Did you change from Hybrid to Drop Bar Bike

[Wetdog]

I bought a Specilized Tri Cross as my first Bike last year and thought it was a good ride. At the weekend I obtained a Cannondale Road Bike and wow what a difference. I know it's not the drop bar v flat bar what this thread is about, but more about how good a road bike is v a tri cross or even a full blown mountain bike.
It's superb :-)

Mick

 

[davyboy]

I started riding with a Merida speeder 3 flat bar bike, but had to many aches and pains on longish rides.Changed to a Giant Defy dropped bar best move I ever made.Just go for it.

 

[BrynCP]

I started with a flat bar hybrid: Giant Escape 2. I got up to doing 50 mile rides with that for 6 months.

I then switched to a road bike with drop bars: Felt Z85. I had aches and pains at first while adjusting, plus adjusting to the shifters and the feeling you can get going downhill you're about to go flying, but so glad I did! The different positions, being able to get low in the wind etc. can make a ride more comfortable and enjoyable and today I can spend much of a ride on the drops.

However, was starting with a hybrid a waste of money? No, because had I started with the road bike, those aches and pains will have put me off probably. I still have the hybrid, it's good if the road bike is being repaired.

 

[Willo54]

Hi Doyler
I'm going through the same process, but am a bit further down the line. Just got my new drop handle bike at the weekend and will use my hybrid as a winter bike. What are you thinking of buying?

 

[digit]

I didn't vote, I started riding bikes as a kid with only hand-me-downs from by older brother, all had drops.
After a 40 year break from riding my current bike has flat bars. Not comfortable for me, I have tried adjusting them but
still doesn't feel right. Drops give you more options for hand/wrist position/angle which I think helps to alleviate cramp
and strain on your wrists.

Cheers
Digit

 

[steve50]

both my current bikes are flat bar, I have tried drop and once i got used to the "heads up" riding position I enjoyed it, the only issue I had is the bike only had 14 gears and I really struggled on the hills. The issue I have is finding a road bike with enough gearing to get up the hilly roads local to me at a price I can afford. I have to justify to myself and her indoors spending ££££'s on a bicycle.

 

[zee90]

Seems like mostly are using hybrid bike like me. Ever since I use bike, I've never use a drop bar. Maybe because since I was a kid my father always bought me the hybrid one and I already feel so comfortable using it.

 

[Tojo]

I prefer a bike with drop bars as I have nerve damage to my left arm at the elbow and neck/shoulder and have more options on grip change to relieve numbness and pins and needles as when I ride the left arm usually starts giving me problems always about 6.5 miles out.....

 

[NorthernDave]

I got back into cycling earlier this year after a 20 year break. As a kid I'd had several "racers" with drop bars, but the last bike I owned was a Raleigh Amazon MTB.
Fast forward to this February, and I bought a Boardman MX Sport Hybrid after looking at lots of different bikes.
I went for the hybrid as it offered a good balance of what I was was looking for, with the ability to go (pretty much) anywhere and I wasn't sure that an out and out road bike was for me.

I love that bike, have covered over 500 miles on it and still ride it regularly.

However, I wanted something faster, that I could build up to longer distances on and get some serious miles on. So when the Boardman Road Comp was on offer recently, with over £200 off, I took the plunge and bought a one.
It's so much faster and while I'm still getting used to it I can see me covering lots of miles on it. Riding on the drops is taking a bit of getting used to, it still feels very 'twitchy' compared to the hybrid ( but I suppose that should be expected), as are a few of the aches and pains due to the different riding position, but its a different riding experience to the hybrid.
I've been out on both bikes this weekend, for two different rides.
On the road bike I'd covered a good distance, set some PB's and improved my average speed.
On the hybrid I'd gone on and off road, nearly fallen off twice, got covered in mud and came back with a big silly grin on my face.
Both were fun in different ways and I'm glad that I'm fortunate enough to have both bikes.

 

[marihino]

My only bike is a BTwin Fit5, basically a road bike with flat bar. I definitely want to upgrade to drops, either by buying a new bike, or modifying this one, as that's the only thing I'm not very keen on about it.

 

[AlanManley]

I started cycling again 2 1/2 years ago. I had a full suspension mountain bike because I thought it looked cool. After 6 months of commuting it was killing me so I went throught the CycleToWork Scheme and got a hybrid (as like others mainly as I didnt know if I would like a drop bar) I have now decided to take the plunge and am in the process of demoing and hopefully then purchasing a drop bar bike.

 

[RegG]

Both me and my partner had mountain bikes with flat bars, fitted with road tyres but as we got more into cycling we treated ourselves to road bikes (Giant Defy 0 and Liv Avail 1) with drops. I wasn't sure how we would take to them but we both love the bikes and wouldn't go back to flat bars/hybrids.

 

[Total Longo]

I had "racing" bikes as a teenager, inherited a mountain bike when my dad passed away ten years ago. I used to go out sparingly on the mountain bike, but i never really enjoyed it as the bike was so heavy. So i bought a hybrid (Specialized Sirrus Elite) for commuting and general riding in 2012, loved it, but eventually i wanted to go to the next stage and have recently bought a Specialized allez Sport.
Easy enough to get used to the SPDs and cleats and once you do the difference is remarkable.

 

[RichardB]

I got back into cycling earlier this year after a 20 year break. As a kid I'd had several "racers" with drop bars, but the last bike I owned was a Raleigh Amazon MTB.

I still have mine! I had a 1990s Dawes Galaxy which I sold and got decent money for, but there didn't seem any point in selling the Amazon for £40 (what they were selling for on eBay) so I kept it. Now I am back into cycling again, I have treated it to the first proper clean and lube (probably the first proper service ever), new brake blocks, bearings, cables etc. It is still a really nice bike to ride, quite lively and with good gears, and the way it has survived 20+ years of neglect says it's pretty bombproof. I love it.

 

[Sbudge]

I started on standard flat bars and wanted to go to drops pretty quickly but an injury makes that too tricky. Managed to find a lovely compromise with a set of bull-horns using TT shifters. Bike otherwise is very much a drop-bar setup.