Road Bike VS Hybrid Bike

[paulb55]

Hi Fellow Mad Cyclists

I have a question that has been bothering me for a while now and especially when a lycra clad road biker goes past me on a hill whilst i struggle, so my question is what is the real difference between road and hybrid bikes

Are Road bikes faster than hybrids and if so why or is it tat road bikers are fitter

Is the gearing on road bikes better that the gears on hybrids

Are road bikes much lighter than hybrids and is that why they are so fast

I am just puzzled by this and as i have a Specialized Crosstrail Comp hybrid which is about 4 months old i have been debating with myself to get a road bike but at around £500 is it worth it to see the difference

This may seem a illogical question but i really need some feedback on this folks

Thanks Paul

 

[zexel]

It's not about the bike....

I was doing a 100 mile sportive on my road bike and going along nicely about 18mph and this person on a hybrid went past me doing at least 20mph. Does that mean road bikes are slower.

Fundamentally on a road bike one is using less energy for the same amount of work, eg, lighter, more aerodynamic. But it's not the bike doing the work.

 

[twowheelsgood]

Too many variables. There is no definition of what a "hybrid" is.

There are generally 3 things that govern the speed of a bike (in order of importance) riding position (aero), tyres and weight.

My hybrid has a longer, lower stem, the tyres are 25c and I live with the 2kg more weight. It's about 1-1.75kph slower over a commute to work (about 40 seconds) than my road bike

But then I don't have to live with the compromises, I can fit guards, a rack etc.

The reason most roadies will overtake you uphill is probably better fitness and technique and maybe lower bodyweight. The situation probably wouldn't change if you swapped bikes.

Personally, unless you are into cycling as a sport of for training for other sports, a roadie is a poor choice as an "only bike" but if you had more than one then I'd definitely have one cos riding them is more fun.

 

[lulubel]

Personally, unless you are into cycling as a sport of for training for other sports, a roadie is a poor choice as an "only bike" but if you had more than one then I'd definitely have one cos riding them is more fun.

I have to say, I totally disagree with this.

I ride purely for enjoyment and to keep fit (certainly not into racing), my road bike is my only bike, and I love it.

(Well, I say it's my only bike because it's the only bike I ever ride. I've got a mountain bike as well - bought it 18 months ago, and have ridden it 3 times I think.)

Rider fitness levels, bodyweight and technique are the biggest contributing factors in how fast you can ride up hills. Once you've improved all those to the point where you can't realistically improve much further, it's worth looking at the bike (unless you're riding a full-suss MTB with knobblies on the road, of course, but since you're not doing that ....)

Of course, wanting a road bike - just because - is another matter entirely. If that's what you're feeling, the only thing that will help is buying a road bike

 

[Norm]

What is a hybrid?

 

[Simba]

What is a hybrid?

A poor man's road bike

(can of worms opened)

 

[paulb55]

A poor man's road bike

(can of worms opened)

Cheeky Cheeky

 

[Zoiders]

It's a tool box.

Directly comparing a "hybrid" with drop barred road bike is always going to get confusing.

Equipment, weight and gears wise a lot of hybrids have much more in common with drop bar tourers and the two often get used in cross over roles, people commute on tourers and people tour on hybrids.

If you compare an actual flat barred road bike with a drop bar bike of the same spec, performance wise you are going to see little or no difference unless you are really going to be riding on the drops which can give you the edge into the wind or descending as you simply get more tucked and aero, not everyone is comfortable with that though so it's down to choice. I have seen guys running flat bar road bikes with tri bars like the cheap Profile Century looped bars and flat out they add a useful extra position.

As a case study

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/rapid/7844/45452/

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/defy.2/7842/45447/

Two of the lower mid range Giant bikes, a few spec differences aside both are going to offer very similar performance.

If what your really want is something that takes more equipment such as racks, guards, luggage, dyno lights, one of those fugly orange safety lollies that stick out like the indicator on a Morris Oxford, well then drops or flat's is simply a preference, you could even just go for butterfly bars which are popular in Europe.

 

[TheCharityShop]

A poor man's road bike

(can of worms opened)

Here we go, latent snobbery rearing its head, alot of road bikers turn their noses up at other cyclists and have appalling arrogance, constantly out to scalp the poor pleb on a hybrid or other

 

[paulb55]

Here we go, latent snobbery rearing its head, alot of road bikers turn their noses up at other cyclists and have appalling arrogance, constantly out to scalp the poor pleb on a hybrid or other

 

[gaz]

constantly out to scalp the poor pleb on a hybrid or other

Perhaps they are just faster?

 

[Simba]

Here we go, latent snobbery rearing its head, alot of road bikers turn their noses up at other cyclists and have appalling arrogance, constantly out to scalp the poor pleb on a hybrid or other

Sense of humour failure? I have respect for anyone that gets out on the bike no matter what they are riding. Unless they are breaking the law of the roads.

 

[Norm]

...constantly out to scalp the poor pleb on a hybrid or other

What's a hybrid?

 

[Norm]

Go on, then, Lee, define it.

 

[Mark_Robson]

It's a catch all term for a multi purpose bike. Now the question is.............. what's a multi purpose bike?