Did you change from Hybrid to Drop Bar Bike

[hoppym27]

You can get carbon fibre hybrids, and fit silly cl

- I was just about to post the same - drop bar or hybrid - makes no difference

It makes no difference to me...but i tried a club ride on the weekend with a club...the comment at the cafe stop was...you need to get a road bike before you come out with us again...dont know why, i pretty much kept up with the mall the way round!

 

[youngoldbloke]

Makes no difference to us on our club runs, but quite a few newcomers adopt clipless pedals after few rides, and some do change their bikes. On the otherhand there are members who ride straight bar bikes all the time. The people who find it difficult are those who roll up on MTBs with heavily treaded tyres - though we do get ultrafit types who find that no problem either.

 

[hoppym27]

Makes no difference to us on our club runs, but quite a few newcomers adopt clipless pedals after few rides, and some do change their bikes. On the otherhand there are members who ride straight bar bikes all the time. The people who find it difficult are those who roll up on MTBs with heavily treaded tyres - though we do get ultrafit types who find that no problem either.

I just detected a whiff of sniffiness cos I wasnt on a drop bar bike...even though I was communicating with them the night before via FB and they were saying a hybrid is fine and it would be a leisurely ride out.

Next morning they turned up on their carbon machines and there I was on my hybrid with panniers....away they went at speed...I did manage to hold my own though and just tagged on at the back....in the last half of the ride they just rode on though and got quite far ahead...they did wait but to be honest that comment in the cafe did it for me.....

 

[NorthernDave]

I just detected a whiff of sniffiness cos I wasnt on a drop bar bike...even though I was communicating with them the night before via FB and they were saying a hybrid is fine and it would be a leisurely ride out.

Next morning they turned up on their carbon machines and there I was on my hybrid with panniers....away they went at speed...I did manage to hold my own though and just tagged on at the back....in the last half of the ride they just rode on though and got quite far ahead...they did wait but to be honest that comment in the cafe did it for me.....

Didn't you do a turn on the front? No wonder they got a bit sniffy...

 

[Kefrider]

[QUOTE 4993670, member: 43827"]On your next post you say you struggled in the last half and they got quite far ahead.

If they said you couldn't ride with them without a road bike then that would be a bit rude and harsh if they had already said you could use a hybrid, but if they suggested you might find it easier to ride at their pace on a road bike that might be fair comment.

Personally I don't use clipless pedals but stick to my old toe-clips. It doesn't affect my ability to ride long distances or climb out of the saddle. I suppose it could lose me seconds per ride but that has never been a problem.[/QUOTE]

I used to have clipless on my road bike but fell down too many times and found that I froze every time I came up to a junction or a driver pulled out in front of me. I changed to flat and dont see a problem with it. I've done 90+ mile rides with no problem. Marginal gains... Thats all clipless are.. And a lot of hype. (my personal opinion)
Regarding hybrid vs road bike. You can't normally keep up with a road bike group ride on a hybrid unless its a real leisurely ride or you're super fit . I've ridden both in groups and solo. There's absolutely no comparison.

 

[hoppym27]

Well...i succumbed.. .I had a bit of an unexpected windfall last week so I've bought a Btwin Triban 500...love it..its a great bike!

 

[BSOh]

Have gone from flats on hybrid (well a modified mtb) to drops on a cross bike, and I cannot believe how much more comfortable the latter is. I feel far safer on the dropped bar bike. It could be because the new bike is junior specific (I'm a short ar*e) in its geometry and components eg short 155mm cranks, and narrow bars. So it could be the fit of the bike is better in general, rather than the improvement down to changing to drops . But also when on the tops and hoods I find that for me the hand positions are more natural when braking and changing gear than it was on the hybrid. The new bike is also tons lighter so this could also be a factor in the change I'm feeling. But whatever the reason, its been a massive improvement on riding experience for me.

 

[xzenonuk]

about 4 months ago i got a road bike with drops, figured if im gonna do something it needs doing right, loving my drop bars even though my first bike was a bmx in primary 1 then mtb's up too now, loving the drops.

so much room for comfort and changing positions, my right hand hurts quite a bit on the hoods though after a while (might be rsi from a mouse or arthritus from my gout) but the fact i can have several positions on the drops is awesome, only have 2 on my mtb bars or bar ends for slowly going up steep hills.

im converted to drop bars and im glad i never got a flat bar road bike, i do have my old mtb stem on the road bike (mtb has a adjustable stem) i think i might change that back at some point soon now that the drops are second nature

 

[xzenonuk]

Well...i succumbed.. .I had a bit of an unexpected windfall last week so I've bought a Btwin Triban 500...love it..its a great bike!

awesome you get the red one? or the 500se grey and blue? dad and i have both,

very good bikes for the price and struggle to tell a difference between them cept his is more for comfort out the shop with 25mm tyres and more comfy geomatry and cost 50 quid more, i have the se 23mm tyres and more racy geometary but i have a mtb stem on it see post above lol

took mine for it's free service and mentioned noises i was getting guy says if it does it again bring it back and ill get the bb replaced for free, the guy also asked permission to take it out for a ride, he came back about 5 mins later, im glad he worked there or some one had a free bike lol

dad took his in a week or 2 later no issues except a wheel was out of true so they done that for free as well

oh they messed with my gears and dads, got my front derailuer back to where i want it with a few twists of the gear knob wire tension thingy on the front derailuer, they got the back one spot on

 

[hoppym27]

awesome you get the red one? or the 500se grey and blue? dad and i have both,

very good bikes for the price and struggle to tell a difference between them cept his is more for comfort out the shop with 25mm tyres and more comfy geomatry and cost 50 quid more, i have the se 23mm tyres and more racy geometary but i have a mtb stem on it see post above lol

took mine for it's free service and mentioned noises i was getting guy says if it does it again bring it back and ill get the bb replaced for free, the guy also asked permission to take it out for a ride, he came back about 5 mins later, im glad he worked there or some one had a free bike lol

dad took his in a week or 2 later no issues except a wheel was out of true so they done that for free as well

oh they messed with my gears and dads, got my front derailuer back to where i want it with a few twists of the gear knob wire tension thingy on the front derailuer, they got the back one spot on

I got the 500 but in black and white, I wanted it for sportives and long club rides so the geometry suited me better

 

[xzenonuk]

I got the 500 but in black and white, I wanted it for sportives and long club rides so the geometry suited me better

Sweet same as dads one then just different colour I do find his comfier to ride it is a sweet bike

 

[yogiblair]

Decided to take the plunge after 3 months in the saddle. Starting to get a bit obsessed with this cycling thingy... My back injury is holding up so I am going to convert my Merida Speeder 200 - Flat Bar Road to drop bars. Parts on order and LBS is going to assist at the weekend. Very excited !

 

[DCBassman]

I've now decided to go the other way, and flat-bar my Scott road bike.

 

[Jimmyj84]

4 Years back cycling.
About 8500 miles.
All on a selection of hybrids.
Zero back pain.
Lovely comfy view of the world and much more fun than staring at an inch of tyre, scared you are going to be hit up the arse by some white van man simultaneously texting and vaping whilst you are trying to get KOM from Tesco Express to the kebab shop.

After reading this comment I am having second thought of buying a road bike.

Hope i have not made a mistake of going for a drop bar road bike as a complete first timer to cycling. I only needed a bike to ride to uni and around town.

I am expecting delivery for the bike today. Can some advise me if I should send it back or stick to it? It's the btwin 500se.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

No, I went the other way.