"hybrid"

Andy Koppe said:

When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?

Andy

When mountain bikes came out, about 1986 ?. Folk liked the low gears, flat bars, thumbshifters
offered by a mountain bikes but disliked the fat tyres. I blame Gary Fischer. ;-)

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"Andy Koppe" <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?

Andy

Not mine, they are a cop out for people who don't like road bike or mountain bikes ! Ok I've got my
helmet on now !

Graham

Quoted message said:

When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?

It's not vacuous. It describes my hybrid rather well - it's distinctly a hybrid between a mountain
bike and a road bike.

Cheers, helen s

~~~~~~~~~~
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"Andy Koppe" <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
| When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
| medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?
|

Alternative suggestions for a name (rather than 700c bicycles with flat bars and
medium-width tyres)??

Budgie

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"Budgie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Andy Koppe" <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
| When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c

bicycles

Quoted message said:

| with flat bars and medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?
|

Alternative suggestions for a name (rather than 700c bicycles with flat

bars

Quoted message said:

and medium-width tyres)??

Crossbreed? Fusion bike?

Budgie said:

"Andy Koppe" <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
| When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
| medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?
|

Alternative suggestions for a name (rather than 700c bicycles with flat bars and medium-width
tyres)??

How about "bike". (Not original I'm afraid, Mike Burrows, ISTR). Things that aren't plain "bikes"
get distinguished with an adjective such as "folding", "racing" or "mountain".

Peter

wafflyDIRTYcatLITTERhcsBOX said:

Quoted message said:

When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?

It's not vacuous.

Vacuous in the sense that it could mean a cross of anything with anything.

Quoted message said:

It describes my hybrid rather well - it's distinctly a hybrid between a mountain bike and a
road bike.

And here's my main objection to the term: this type of bike was actually there first. Take a look
for example at the "Pneumatic-Tired Safety" from 1898 on the following web page:

pedalinghistory.comPHbikbio.htmOpen ↗

Apart from the shaft drive and a rather peculiar saddle position it's striking how similar it looks
to current bicycles. If you wanted to apply today's terms to it, you would certainly classify it as
a "hybrid".

My point is, this type of bike has been around for ages. Road and mountain bikes were developed
later as special-purpose variations on the same theme. It just doesn't make sense to describe the
original as a hybrid of its own descendants.

Andy

"Budgie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Alternative suggestions for a name (rather than 700c bicycles with flat

bars

Quoted message said:

and medium-width tyres)??

a VTC.

"bike for all paths".

Simon Mason said:

Quoted message said:

Alternative suggestions for a name (rather than 700c bicycles with flat bars and medium-width
tyres)??

Crossbreed? Fusion bike?

No, both are just synonyms of "hybrid", with the same problems.

Andy

Peter Amey said:

How about "bike". (Not original I'm afraid, Mike Burrows, ISTR). Things that aren't plain "bikes"
get distinguished with an adjective such as "folding", "racing" or "mountain".

I agree with MB. The current hybrid is basically a minor evolution of what used to be called a plain
old "bike" back in the 70s. Then they would probably have a Sturmey 3 speed hub rather than 3x7+
derailleurs, and not quite so chunky, but aside from that remarkably similar AFAICT. At that time
the other parent would more likely have been a roadster where now it's an MTB, but since that still
meant more upright seating and flat bars it still leads to a similar end product. You could call
them "general purpose bikes", but might as well just snip that back to "bikes" with extra info as
suggested by Peter above where it's useful.

Note that I've seen plenty of *bikes* with 26" wheels, and especially on smaller frames they make a
lot of sense.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

(wafflyDIRTYcatLITTERhcsBOX) said:

Quoted message said:

When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?

It's not vacuous. It describes my hybrid rather well - it's distinctly a hybrid between a mountain
bike and a road bike.

Hang on, when I was a kid there were lots of bicycles with sturdy frames, big wide tyres, and
trigger shift gear levers on the (straight) bars. My very first bike was one such - a second world
war army issue soldier's bike with 28 inch (yes, really) wheels. Was it a 'hybrid'? No, it jolly
wasn't, it was just a 'bicycle'.

They died out, of course, because they weren't as efficient as drop handlebar bikes over any
distance, and they weren't as convenient as step throughs around town... and now a new generation
has to learn that all over again.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; lovely alternative to rice.

Budgie said:

"Andy Koppe" <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
| When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
| medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?
|

Alternative suggestions for a name (rather than 700c bicycles with flat bars and medium-width
tyres)??

'safety bicycle'?

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; lovely alternative to rice.

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 15:54:13 +0100, Andy Koppe <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a

c . u k said:

And here's my main objection to the term: this type of bike was actually there first. Take a look
for example at the "Pneumatic-Tired Safety" from 1898 on the following web page:

pedalinghistory.comPHbikbio.htmOpen ↗

Apart from the shaft drive and a rather peculiar saddle position it's striking how similar it
looks to current bicycles. If you wanted to apply today's terms to it, you would certainly
classify it as a "hybrid".

This is a picture os a roadster (other than the shaft drive.) It looks as much like a moder "hybrid"
as it does a modern mountain bike.

Quoted message said:

My point is, this type of bike has been around for ages. Road and mountain bikes were developed
later as special-purpose variations on the same theme. It just doesn't make sense to describe the
original as a hybrid of its own descendants.

Well, the name is confusing but a modern "hybrid" is not the same as a classic roadster. It has
developed from the technologies of both road racing bikes and mountain bikes. It isn't a direct
descendant of the roadster, it is a hybrid of two descendants of early bicycles. Some sort of
multuple inheritance going on!

Colin

Peter Amey said:

Quoted message said:

Alternative suggestions for a name (rather than 700c bicycles with flat bars and medium-width
tyres)??

How about "bike".

Makes some historical sense, but then "ordinary" riders might want to claim the term as well 🙂 .

And of course all other types are bicycles too, so a "bicycle" section would look rather unhelpful
in a bicycle catalogue.

Most types are named after the application or terrain to which they're best suited: racing, touring,
mountain. "All Terrain", "All Road" and "Multitrack" are all rather OTT. How about calling it a
simple "town bike"?

Of course that's not supposed to mean that one can use it only in town, in the same way that one can
ride a touring bike without panniers and a mountain bike on flat roads.

Andy

Andy Koppe said:

And here's my main objection to the term: this type of bike was actually there first. Take a look
for example at the "Pneumatic-Tired Safety" from 1898 on the following web page:

<snip>

Quoted message said:

My point is, this type of bike has been around for ages. Road and mountain bikes were developed
later as special-purpose variations on the same theme. It just doesn't make sense to describe the
original as a hybrid of its own descendants.

But it makes sense to have a name for a general-purposes bike signifying that it's intermediate
between more specialized designs. Why should someone buying a bike care whether the name reflects
the historical sequence of development, rather than what he might use the bike for?

My 1995 Dawes has to serve as a commuter/shopper/day-expedition/light-
tourer/fitness-cross-training/towpath-coaching bicycle, and for such a hybrid of purposes a hybrid
bike has worked very well. Which isn't to say that I wouldn't like a more specialist road bike too.

Andy Koppe <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k>typed

Quoted message said:

When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?

About 1988. I bought a Kuwahara Pacer in 1989, reduced in price as it wasn't selling. It was a
transport of delight, flat bars, 700x35c tyres, Columbus tubing, Shimano indexed gears (6x3) and a
Biopace chainring. Nothing I had started or stopped as well as that machine. I sold it to a
colleague who loves it but is rather upset that replacing the worn components will cost more than
a new bike.

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden] Edgware.

Peter Amey <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Budgie said:

"Andy Koppe" <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
| When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c bicycles with flat bars and
| medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?
|

Alternative suggestions for a name (rather than 700c bicycles with flat bars and medium-width
tyres)??

This type of bike seems to be a sort of jack-of-all-trades, fairly good at most things but
not specialising in any function in particular.So perhaps "all purpose bike" would be a good
term for it.

Quoted message said:

Alternative suggestions for a name (rather than 700c bicycles with flat

bars

Quoted message said:

and medium-width tyres)??

<mischief mode>

How about Hibrid?

</mischief mode>

Vernon in Leeds

"Helen Deborah Vecht" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Andy Koppe <a n d y @ d c s . e d . a c . u k>typed

Quoted message said:

When did the rather vacuous term "hybrid" come into use for 700c

bicycles

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with flat bars and medium-width tyres? And who's fault was it?

I am going to call my 700c medium width tyred wheeled pedal device a Hugely Yuseful (sp) Bicycle
Ridden InDiscriminently or HYBRID for short and live witrh the consequences of public disapproval.

Vernon in Leeds