I needed some advice and hoped to make use of the resources available on this site.
I have not ridden a road bike before; however, I've owned a few walmart quality mountain bikes (which got stolen despite the precautions). I am currently trying to incorporate some cardio into my lifestyle with a bike. I also happen to live in Austin, Texas and work on loop 360 which is a really nice bike ride.
Now I am not certain what kind of bike I should go for. I will be using the bike hopefully for commute and leisure. I live and work on the same road and would like to commute to work. It's a paved road going in between and over a few hills here and there. I will be carrying a backpack on my commute but not otherwise.
So my question is.. For a scenario such as this, what type of bike is better for me. Hybrid or a road bike. I am quite attracted to the Trek Pilot 1.0 but I am not sure if I should go with a road bike. Any words of advice?
A hybrid offers a little more in the form of comfort. You sit a little more upright, it's not as aggressive a riding position as you'll see on a road bike.
If all your riding is done on paved roads, then a road bike will be just fine. If you envision doing some dirt trails, then perhaps a hybrid is the better bike to choose.
If you envision yourself doing shorter rides for cardio (< 10-15 mi.), then you'll be fine on a hybrid. However, if you want to do longer rides than that, then a road bike will be better suited.
I'd urge you to test ride a hybrid in addition to the pilot and see which one you feel is more comfortable.
You mention that if the ride is longer then a road bike is better suited. Can you explain why this is so?
As I mentioned, a hybrid gives you a more relaxed position. This relaxed position isn't as efficient as the position on a road bike. But if you're just commuting to work, or enjoying a short ride, then you'll trade some efficiency for comfort.
But if you're doing longer rides, you want efficiency, and that's where a road bike comes in.
As I mentioned, a hybrid gives you a more relaxed position. This relaxed position isn't as efficient as the position on a road bike. But if you're just commuting to work, or enjoying a short ride, then you'll trade some efficiency for comfort.
But if you're doing longer rides, you want efficiency, and that's where a road bike comes in.
Thanks for the advice.
So the pro of riding a road bike is that it will be easier to do long distances. The con is that it's not comfortable.
The pro of riding a hybrid is that it's more comfortable. For short distances it does the trick and I can use it for trail biking as well? The con is that it's not as efficient when it comes to covering long distances in a short amount of time.
The efficiency thing and comfort too really, comes down to your body position on the bike. On the hybrid, you'll be more upright, think easier on your back and butt, but with your torso in the wind. On a road bike it's the opposite, you'll be in a more streamlined postion, which can put stress on your back, hands etc. Over a short distance, the extra energy it takes to move your upright body through the wind, is minimal, but more pronounced over a 20-30-50+ mile ride.
The actual energy it takes to move the bike itself (without the rider), is theoretically the same (work = force x distance) given that the bikes weight the same.
I commute the work in an urban and rural environment. I have two bikes, a hybrid for commuting and a road bike for pleasure. The hybrid has a rack on the back this I use to carry my clothes and work items. I prefer the hybrid in the urban area because I am higher and can see the cars around me much better. The rack keeps the pack off my back, otherwise I sweat a lot on the back.
The road bike is not very comfortable for the longer commutes with a backpack (talking over 10 miles one way with a 10 lb pack). I also feel the rough urban roads much more on the road bike. However, I prefer to ride the road bike for longer rides (no pack).
If you are going to get just one bike, I recommend the hybrid first for the commuting.
Yes, reading the posts on this thread and other threads in this forum I am leaning towards a hybrid. It would probably be a better starter bike for me.
I'll be visiting the local bike shop to see what I can get. Currently, they have a nice sale on a Trek 7300 FX. Good bike? The other option is Trek 7200 FX.
[font=Tahoma]As a beginner myself, I have found the hybrid (Specialized Sirrus) to be more than sufficient for my modest commuting as well as my fitness and endurance riding. The longest I've ridden at one time is around 65 miles. At some point I will probably add a regular road bike to my wish list. [/font]
I live in a hilly region so would a hybrid offer something over a road bike?
Not really. It will come with a lower set of gears, but I imigane that any road bike you'll select will most likely have a triple chain ring too. You can always change the rear cassette on the road bike to a combination that is as low as you need. For example a 50x39x30 and a 12x27 or 12x28 on rear cassette (the numbers are the # of teeth on the smallest and biggest cassette cogs respectivley). This will give you a 30x27 or 30x28 low gear. That's pretty low for a road bike. Just for comparison, I run a 44x32x22 on my MTB bike with either a 11x34 or 12x28, depending on the ride I'm doing. I rarely use the lowest gear combination of 22x34. The larger the spread of numbers on the cassette equates to bigger jumps between sprokets when you change gears. The closer the numbers, the smaller the jump between gears. This makes it easier to find the "perfect" gear for where you are riding. I run a 11x23 cassette on my road bike as I like the close spacing of the gearing. It helps to keep me peadling in my optimum cadance.
Most good bike shops will let you swap out the rear cassette when you buy it for one of equal value, that is in a range more to your liking. The hard part about this is you haven't ridend enough to really know what that is.
Not really. It will come with a lower set of gears, but I imigane that any road bike you'll select will most likely have a triple chain ring too. You can always change the rear cassette on the road bike to a combination that is as low as you need. For example a 50x39x30 and a 12x27 or 12x28 on rear cassette (the numbers are the # of teeth on the smallest and biggest cassette cogs respectivley). This will give you a 30x27 or 30x28 low gear. That's pretty low for a road bike. Just for comparison, I run a 44x32x22 on my MTB bike with either a 11x34 or 12x28, depending on the ride I'm doing. I rarely use the lowest gear combination of 22x34. The larger the spread of numbers on the cassette equates to bigger jumps between sprokets when you change gears. The closer the numbers, the smaller the jump between gears. This makes it easier to find the "perfect" gear for where you are riding. I run a 11x23 cassette on my road bike as I like the close spacing of the gearing. It helps to keep me peadling in my optimum cadance.
Most good bike shops will let you swap out the rear cassette when you buy it for one of equal value, that is in a range more to your liking. The hard part about this is you haven't ridend enough to really know what that is.
L
This is rather new to me. So as you said, I haven't ridden enough to find my range. So currently it seems a hybrid that fits me well should be good enough for my needs.
I take it hybrids are heavier than racing bikes? is this true?
I take it hybrids are heavier than racing bikes? is this true?
Yes. I wouldn't worry about it too much. The weight difference will make a slight difference going up hills, but it's not like your racing, so who cares if it take 10-30 seconds extra to make it up? Also, if they don't already do so, have the local bike shop switch out the knobby tires (if the hybrid comes with them) for slicks.
As for the gearing, when in doubt, I'd opt for the lower ("granny"😉 gearing.
Yes. I wouldn't worry about it too much. The weight difference will make a slight difference going up hills, but it's not like your racing, so who cares if it take 10-30 seconds extra to make it up? Also, if they don't already do so, have the local bike shop switch out the knobby tires (if the hybrid comes with them) for slicks.
As for the gearing, when in doubt, I'd opt for the lower ("granny"😉 gearing.
L
Ok I came across the words knobbly, semi slick and slick when describing tires. What's the difference?
A light weight Mountain bike with thin little 80 psi cop slicks will compares nicely to hybrids in speed and comfort. Plus, they work better if you feel like doing stunts. Only problem tends to be higher cost. If you are just looking for a cheaper mode of transportation, yes, get the hybrid.
The other difference (other than apearance) is "rolling resistance" which obviously decreases with the amount of knobbs and traction on road vs off road...
The other difference (other than apearance) is "rolling resistance" which obviously decreases with the amount of knobbs and traction on road vs off road...
L
Yes. I thought that the knobbly tires would provide more resistance. I'll be heading to the bike shop today to get fitted etc. Perhaps I'll get a bike today itself. Depends on how I feel about the purchase.
Thanks a lot for the information. It helped me a lot.
