Flat bar road bike vs Road bike for speed.

[markharry66]

Jus started commuting into work on old btwin flat bar road bike 520. Just wondering if a road bike would be faster as cant seem to get past average speed of 14.6 mph.

 

[johnnyb47]

I suppose it will do, but it's only going to be marginal over few miles

 

[Ming the Merciless]

How long is the commute?

 

[sevenfourate]

Don't forget comfort.

If your miles turn into leisure miles, or you use a bike a bit more - consider future useage too ?
Being racy in your head isn't alway the same in reality / on your body....

***I prefer Hybrids (Averaging between 13 and 15mph+ on upto 40 mile rides). For the sake of gaining XXX amount of extra speed i'm very happy and comfortable riding 'bolt upright'.

Your mileage may vary !!

 

[Andy in Germany]

Jus started commuting into work on old btwin flat bar road bike 520. Just wondering if a road bike would be faster as cant seem to get past average speed of 14.6 mph.

Being fundamentally lazy I tend to think less in therms of "more speed" and more in terms of "less effort". I find my drop bar bike is a bit less effort on my commute, despite the steel frame, hub dynamo, and all the other accoutrements I tend to haul around with me. I also find it more comfortable on a longer distance ride.

 

[sevenfourate]

Being fundamentally lazy I tend to think less in therms of "more speed" and more in terms of "less effort". I find my drop bar bike is a bit less effort on my commute, despite the steel frame, hub dynamo, and all the other accoutrements I tend to haul around with me. I also find it more comfortable on a longer distance ride.

And there you have it to the OP.

The 'issue' of asking opinions on the Internet !

***Just aswell we're not all the same hey. Otherwise bike manufacturers wouldn't have so many options

 

[Cycleops]

Pump your tyres up a bit more and try again.

 

[figbat]

How hard are you trying? 14.6 mph is a reasonable average over a long distance but factors such as topography, route, surface, load etc will be important to know if this is a limit or just a comfort level. When I commute to work I have to work hard because it is mostly offroad with some big climbs, so i arrive in need of a shower (which we have) and only a mountain or gravel bike is suitable (my journey time seems to be independent of bike used too). If you're just tickling along without breaking a sweat then a change of bike may offer a marginal gain but it depends on these other factors.

 

[Dogtrousers]

You could try getting up a bit earlier. Then you won't need to go so fast.

 

[Cycleops]

You obviously just want a new bike in which case everyone on here gives their permission for you to go ahead.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I've just watched a chap on YT doing a short test on a road bike vs a hybrid. He got 2mph more average speed on the road bike. Not very scientific though. The differences are going to be minimal. A bit like when I had a 125cc motorbike and fitted a new exhaust system. I thought I got 2mph more at the top end, but it wasn't worth £180

 

[Mike Ayling]

Don't forget comfort.

If your miles turn into leisure miles, or you use a bike a bit more - consider future useage too ?
Being racy in your head isn't alway the same in reality / on your body....

***I prefer Hybrids (Averaging between 13 and 15mph+ on upto 40 mile rides). For the sake of gaining XXX amount of extra speed i'm very happy and comfortable riding 'bolt upright'.

Your mileage may vary !!

You don't have to be bolt upright on a flat bar!

 

[screenman]

I switch and change around my bikes ( I have six) my average speed on a MTB is 2 mph slower than I get on a road drop bar bike.

 

[Alex321]

I've just watched a chap on YT doing a short test on a road bike vs a hybrid. He got 2mph more average speed on the road bike. Not very scientific though. The differences are going to be minimal. A bit like when I had a 125cc motorbike and fitted a new exhaust system. I thought I got 2mph more at the top end, but it wasn't worth £180

I definitely found a difference, but not as much as I expected. Maybe 1-2 mph faster over 15 miles, and I think that is probably as much down to weight as to shape, as my hybrid is over 4Kg heavier than my road bike. Though you do definitely get more wind resistance in the more upright position.

Overall, I just find my road bike feels nicer to ride than my hybrid, but again that is probably not all down to being a road bike rather than hybrid, it is helped by other factors, with the road bike being carbon frame, so more "compliant" where I want it to be, and it may also be better geometry for my shape.

 

[sevenfourate]

You don't have to be bolt upright on a flat bar!

👍…..which is why the term was in effective inverted comma’s / quotation marks 😎