Will a Hybrid Bike slow me down?

[Racing roadkill]

A hybrid will almost certainly slow you down, at a given power output. However, it will almost certainly make you a stronger rider in the long run.

 

[Mike_P]

Also is their a noticeable weight difference albeit from experience a heavier hybrid is flipping quick downhill

 

[Lucabike]

Not much, but, (this is an opinion) its a lot more fun on a hybrid and way more versatile. As everyone is saying, you could put fatter tires on. But you'll still feel the bumps, just a little buffered. I've had both and really, I love hybrids

 

[SuperHans123]

I’ve road and gravel bikes and usually average about 2to 3 mph less on the gravel bike if I use similar route

WTF Is a gravel bike?

 

[SuperHans123]

I converted an old drop bar bike to flat bars and am considerably slower on it now (perhaps 2mph).

I put it down to wind resistance (surprised only one poster has mentioned it)

The "drag" from an upright body I find quite considerable.

Much comfier than your back being in half after every ride though.

 

[Mark pallister]

WTF Is a gravel bike?

Google it

 

[SuperHans123]

Google it

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Also is their a noticeable weight difference albeit from experience a heavier hybrid is flipping quick downhill

Depends, hybrids can be just as light as drop bar bikes but usually aren't as more robust components are fitted.

 

[SuperHans123]

Some decent light hybrids here:-
https://www.roadbikerider.com/best-hybrid-bikes-for-2019-these-flat-bar-road-bikes-are-fast/

 

[vickster]

Some decent light hybrids here:-
https://www.roadbikerider.com/best-hybrid-bikes-for-2019-these-flat-bar-road-bikes-are-fast/

I don’t think the OP is in the US? Models might vary

 

[SuperHans123]

I don’t think the OP is in the US? Models might vary

Yes they may well do.
More of a 'general idea what's out there' kind of post

 

[Mark pallister]

View attachment 497312

Your loss

 

[SuperHans123]

Your loss

Nah, don't think so pal

 

[Shadow121]

Get a bike that can take wider tyres, even tyres that have some grip,
you will enjoy your ride much better.
keep your road bike for the weekend rides or rides on good surface.

It gets to be a lot of work if you put on fat tyres on your road bike and
find the need to change them for road runs, even a second set of wheels
take time to change, best have bikes suited to the different journeys.

Try the bike if at all possible, I have a flat bar with 28mm tyres, yet my
drop bar road bike on 25mm tyres is way more comfortable, and a bit lighter.

 

[Twilkes]

I currently have a Giant Defy road bike and I can peddle for miles and go quite fast on it. However, I'm riding it on a long cycle path and the surface is pitted which makes for an uncomfortable ride at times. I can put up with this but I'm not sure it will do a road bike any good riding on this surface will it? I'm now looking to get a Boardman Hybrid cycle, but is this going to slow me down a lot? I did try using a Carrera mountain bike on this cycle path, but it slowed me down considerably and I found the pedalling hard work which surprised me. I thought a mountain bike would make light work of this track but it actually made me work harder unlike the road bike.

So what do you reckon? Do you think it's worth trying a Hybrid with thinner tyres? Also, would you say that Boardman make good Hybrids, or is there a better make of bike to help me fly down the cycle paths? Cheers!

A l

A hybrid will almost certainly slow you down, at a given power output. However, it will almost certainly make you a stronger rider in the long run.

That's kind of where I've got to - on my commute, even where I have half a mile or more of free riding, a road bike is faster but not life-changingly so. I can generally do the same speed on both bikes but the road bike takes less energy to do so. And that's comparing to a hybrid with a Weeride child seat and a pannier on the bike - so 10kg plus rider and Pirelli Endurance tyres vs 16kg plus rider and Marathon Plus tyres.

I've also noticed that the upright further-from-the-road position of the hybrid and its sluggish acceleration feels a lot slower, but it actually isn't - like the difference between a Range Rover and a go-kart at 30mph, the latter will feel faster but the speeds are the same.