hybrid v road bike - distances and options

[gillelive]

Apologies now for the longish post....

My ride is a Specialized Crosstrail, see here: http://www.evanscycl...ampaign=froogle

I use the bike for my work commute, a 20 mile round trip on mixed roads, some are pretty rough. I spent a bit extra about 6 months back getting the higher spec bike which I like. I enjoy the ride and I also make good use of the bike when out with the family, you know, bit of forest, canal paths etc. I am still newish to cycling after many years not going near a bike but I would consider myself reasonably fit.

My problem is that my thoughts are now taking me towards a road bike. What I want to do is to build up my distances, I have done a few 20 mile rides but on relatively flat ground. My goal is a 35 mile ride from Liverpool to Mold, North Wales (to my sisters). I guess you can ride anywhere on anything e.g. 100 miles on a £50 full suspension mtb but god know what state you would be in by the end of the ride if in fact you made it.

My questions:

1. what distance would you consider riding on a hybrid like mine (on the road) and is there a distance where you would say best to be on a road bike for comfort, speed, gearing etc.

2. when talking about a road bike I am getting confused with all the options. If I was to keep the crosstrail for the work commute, what road bike would best suit my needs? I know this is not easy to answer. I am not looking to go touring, or laden the bike down with bags etc but would like to eventually do some weekend runs, my goal being 35 miles then building from there - the budget would be up to £700 if anyone has any recommendations.

 

[HLaB]

I've done slow pleasant cycles with mates on bikes like that in the region of 30-50, unless you want to break the speed barrier it'll comfortably handle that distance and you can always roadify a bit (slick tyres, lock the forks) and it will be more comfortable although I wouldn't really if I had the choice to go further than 60ish miles on it; time wise.

WRT to road bike it all really depends what you want to do; if you are looking to race go for something with a tighter geometry but if you are looking for something more for enduance, sportive type bikes are good; the one that seems to be championed on the fourm in the spesh secteur ( I think that has eyelets for a rack, but check which would make light touring an option if you ever considered it).

 

[gillelive]

thanks for that, i am not looking to go racing but felt a road bike would be better suited to longer distances, i had my eye on a specialized secteur but don't know if i am barking up the wrong tree - may pop in to my lbs for advice

 

[lanternrouge]

gillelive, i'm in a similar position but the other way around. i have a road bike and am looking for a hybrid or mountain bike for use with the family. i need a bike to take a child seat, will handle gravel paths etc and still reasonable on tarmac.

I have a road bike, 901 Merida which does the job, nothing special but got me into cycling after being a lazy g*t for years. i think will find the difference between your current bike and a road bike enormous in terms of speed. you do however ride it quite differently and this does take some time in getting used to.

 

[HelenD123]

The bike you have will be perfectly fine for riding to your sister's. I've ridden by Giant hybrid much further, 108 miles, in a day, albeit with no hills. The gearing on yours looks fine for hills. In fact you might find the gearing on a road bike not so easy unless you choose carefully. If you have the money though and fancy a road bike go and test ride some to find out whether you like them.

 

[ianjohnson67]

I guess each person has their own limit of what is comfortable on each type of bike and the type of terrain covered.

I personally have covered up to about 30 miles on my hybrid, the part I found uncomfortable was too much padding on the seat and flat bars with a lack of holding options. The seat has been changed (Brooks B17) and I'm looking at bar end grips now. How far these modifications, when completed, will extend my range has yet to be seen but I'm hopeful. Another upgrade that has brought some unexpected extra comfort was changing my tires to Schwalbe Marathon Plus. Originally bought for puncture protection they have a slightly lower psi rating than my previous tyres thus taking a bit of the 'sting' out of the road.

I had a couple of road bikes years ago and don't fancy the rigid hard ride (120psi tyres) they had again, certainly with the condition of some of the roads now. That said, technology has come along way since then. I have my eye on a couple of options for the future that may be similar to your query:

1. Light Tourer/Audax
2. Cyclocross

Each would appear to have their own merits depending on intended use but you could probably fit a rack for longer distances to each if requied.

You mention whether to keep the Crosstrail, I guess this might dictate what you go for. Personally I'd keep it for it's current use and have 2 bikes, which ever option you go for.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Here's the rub: Road bikes (drop-bar) do what it says on the Tin. They're primarily designed to cover tarmac quickly and effortlessly. They put you in a position to deliver maximum power with minimum wind resistance. They come in a wide variety of compromise designs for comfort, distance or load-lugging.
Overall you will go further, faster and with less effort on a drop-bar road bike than any hybrid, city-bike or slicked-up MTB.
Modern road-bikes are lively fun things, as HelenD says, try a few, they'll feel odd as first but you'll soon fall for their charms!
Beware though, as stated, gearing will not be as low as you're used too ... but you'll get used to it.

Think about whether you'll need mudguards, or a rack as they'll affect your choices.