road or hybrid

hod65 said:

riding trek hybrid with suspenion back and front, 1st question are road bikes much less comfortable to ride ,are they much faster with less efert ,whats average speed on flat, would love to get bit more speed on road ,max on trek about 24 mph pushing hard....but am i spoilt for comfort with trek any opinions please....🙄

I am transitioning from a Giant Sedona to a DBR Podium 1.

The road IS less comfortable, but man, it's just night and day - when I took it for a test ride, the DBR felt like it jumped forward with each push of the pedal. Climbing is WAY easier due to the responsiveness and light weight. And all things being equal, it's easier to ride farther distances.

As far as the comfort issue, let me get into that a bit further - it's really quite a matter of just getting used to a different riding position, mostly. After a breaking-in period of a week or so, I took the DBR on a 25 mile ride, and was fairly comfortable. 2 weeks after that I took a 60 mile ride, and I held up well, for the most part. So once you get used to it, the comfort issue will be less of a factor - I feel comfy on the DBR now, and when I hop onto the Giant it IS more comfortable, so that makes it a bit of a treat. Of course, then when I go up a hill or go any notable distance, I wish I was on the DBR. 😉

vrry tempted to invest in decent roadbike ,hav to get the bucks together soon hopefully.......

hod65 said:

riding trek hybrid with suspenion back and front, 1st question are road bikes much less comfortable to ride ,are they much faster with less efert ,whats average speed on flat, would love to get bit more speed on road ,max on trek about 24 mph pushing hard....but am i spoilt for comfort with trek any opinions please....🙄

If you ride on the road, buy a road bike. It will be faster and you're not enjoying more comfort on your hybrid - that is, while you're riding on the road.

There's a big difference between a road bike and a hybrid. It's like night and day.

To someone not used to it, a road bike will seem uncomfortable at first. It's a very specialized machine which is ridden seated more forward on the bike and bent down lower (although it doesn't have to be dramatically so). This is where the ability to sustain a faster ride comes from. Sitting a bit more forward and a bit higher gets more of your muscles involved in producing power on the pedals, and having your torso down a bit more helps slice through the wind (both real wind and your own air displacement). This gets very significant very quickly if you ride a lot, and you don't park the bike on windy days.

But once you do get used to it, there's no going back. Riding anything else will feel so clunky and heavy that you just won't want to bother. The road bike will allow you to go farther and faster. Instead of thinking in terms of 10 mile rides, you will easily want to do 30 or more just as a regular daily ride.

It's not necessarily about speed. Quite often, I'm riding along at a comfortable cruising speed, and someone on a hybrid will swoop past me. But the difference is that they are going all out, pedalling really hard, while I'm just cruising. I can easily sustain that pace for 30-40 miles, while the hybrid or mountain bike rider will putter out not too far up the road. It doesn't take long to tire out with the more upright riding position.

But it does take some adaptation, and it helps if you don't have too much of a fat abdomen to get in the way. A road bike takes a certain amount of dedication. It's not the right kind of bike for occasional leisure rides. To enjoy it, you have to get fit and keep fit by riding regularly. Otherwise it will end up like most of the super expensive carbon-fiber framed racing bikes people unwisely buy, an object to look at and admire in your living room.

That being said, a road bike does not have to be set up as an aggressive racing bike. Look at some road bikes that will allow you to get into a more moderate riding position, with the top of the handlebars about an inch below the saddle. These are often marketed as being of "relaxed geometry". It just means you can get the handlebars at a more sensible height in relation to the seat, and a bit longer wheelbase provides a more stable ride.

hod65 said:

riding trek hybrid with suspenion back and front, 1st question are road bikes much less comfortable to ride ,are they much faster with less efert ,whats average speed on flat, would love to get bit more speed on road ,max on trek about 24 mph pushing hard....but am i spoilt for comfort with trek any opinions please....🙄

It depends on what you are trying to do. A road bike is much faster, lighter and responsive. You can (with a little practice) achieve 22 to 25 MPH on a steady pace and 18 to 20 MPH as your "normal pace". Of course you can go faster if you train and are in shape. It is also important to look at the terrain you want to ride... very hilly? rolling? flat? this will impact the number of teeth and speeds in the cassette you want.
I moved from a hybrid to a road bike about 4 years ago and have never looked back. Comfort is very important, so pay close attention to bike fit; especially reach and handlebar drop (from saddle to bars). Check how your weight is distributed; some suggest a 55% on rear wheel and 45% on front wheel; others 60/40. Make sure you can swap stems until you get it right ( it will take a few days of riding). The same goes for the saddle; my LBS changed the stem 3 times and saddle twice. If you feel any soreness, make sure you tell your LBS and make the correct adjustments. In general, I have found the longer rides will test your upper body and core strength. As you ride longer, don't neglect strenghtening your upper body and abs. Biking is a great way to get your whole body in shape.
For overall comfort you can use less tire pressure (I ride at 100 PSI vs 125 PSI-suggested tire pressure).