Is a Hybrid kind of a cross between MTB & race bike ?

[chaparral]

Ok I know nothing about bicycles these days....

I own and ride a MTB bike but am looking for something that maybe a bit better for just normal road riding.
But I don't what a race bike with drop handle bars due to I sometimes suffer from bad back problems..

So would a Hybrid kind of bike be better then a MTB for riding on the road or could you recommend something better ?

 

[Schizo]

A hybrid is indeed a cross between a road bike and mountain bike,it might be worth going to a shop to see what suits you,the hybrids are good and would probably do you fine.

Have you tried putting slick tires on your mountain bike ?

I did this with my orbea h70 with 29" wheels,lovely smooth ride,in fact i like the mountain bike over my road bike.

 

[chaparral]

Thanks schizo for the reply..

My diamond back MTB bike has got badly rusty now so am just going look at splashing out for a brand new bike..

 

[Schizo]

Ok,a totally new bike then,do you have the option to use the cycle scheme ?

 

[Vonhelmet]

It's both and it's neither.

I've not got much to add, except to say that you can expect a brigade of roadies to turn up in a minute and insist you buy a road bike.

 

[lordrobs]

The term hybrid covers a very wide range of bikes that as you rightly said cross over between a MTB and a road bike. At one end of the scale you have a MTB with either no or short travel front suspension fork and road oriented tyres and at the other end you have a road bike with flat bars (sometimes called flat bar road bikes instead of hybrids by some retailers). Where you pick on the scale depends on the amount and type of off road riding you plan to do.

 

[chaparral]

Thanks for the replys guys

Ok,a totally new bike then,do you have the option to use the cycle scheme ?

Don't think we have anything like that over here in guernsey..

 

[PermaBanned]

Straight forks are generally a lot more efficient on the road, yes. Partly because they're considerably lighter, partly because you save a lot of energy by actually going forwards rather than up and down all the time.

Drop bars don't automatically mean a bike is racey or aggressive. There are a lot of bikes these days which give you a very relaxed, hybrid-like position but with the drops which are a lot more comfortable over longer distances (ballpark around an hour I'd say).

Naturally it depends a lot on your specific back condition and the geometry of the bike, but whatever you get it'd probably be worth going to a good local store where you can sit on the bike first, get a feel for how comfortable it'll be. Just bear in mind that that can only tell you so much about how it'll feel after a long ride.

What sort of budget did you have in mind?

 

[Big.Wayne]

Ok I know nothing about bicycles these days....

I bet you do, hardly anything has changed, just inched along slowly!

Yes a Hybrid is a cycle which lends itself to being "modified" for both tarmac and off-road.

I'm not sure I agree with Vonhelmet when he states "it's neither" as I've successfully modded a "hybrid" to be a very good "road" bike and also a reasonable "cross" bike. I agree with the sentiment though that a "hybrid" will never be quite as good as a dedicated "road bike" or a dedicated "off road" cycle but that doesn't mean it's neither? As I see it, in reality there is only a machine with two wheels we call a "cycle", depending on how you have it configured we give it a conceptual name, the marketing people are always coming up with new ways to keep selling people the same thing albeit with different hardware configs but they are all just cycles and people get a bit caught up in these conceptual ideas.

For instance I know some folk that think a road bike with disk brakes is not a road bike because to their minds a road bike does not have disk brakes. It's all conceptual followed by alteration to the hardware config so the machine can perform well in a given situation. I think the best config for the average commuter and enthusiast who mainly rides on tarmac in an urban situation is what would be called a "flat bar road bike" which as the name suggests is a cycle set-up to move quickly across tarmac but allows a slightly less aggressive upright seating position.
If you really want to get into cycling as both an enthusiast and as a geek I would suggest you choose the parts yourself and build your own cycle or pay a friendly wrench to do it for you then you will get exactly the machine you want.

a lot of folks here spec and build their own computers but then buy a prebuilt cycle, it doesn't make sense because the same principle applies to both?. There is hardly any difference between bike manufacturers, mainly lots of branding and a good paint job.

Just have a think about the use you will give a cycle then choose the parts and get it built, the end result will be a custom cycle that is both superior and nearly always cheaper than a pre-built.

 

[Armageus]

But I don't what a race bike with drop handle bars due to I sometimes suffer from bad back problems..

You don't have to ride down on the drops though - most of the time I ride on the hoods, and at times ride on the bars to change grip/rest my hands (although I can't then brake/change gear)

 

[Big.Wayne]

Can you brake while riding the hoods Armageus?

 

[lordrobs]

What often gets missed when talking about drop vs flat bars is the width difference. Flat bars tend to be wider which gives an elbows out position and a bit more control, drop bars are narrower which is better for aero as they force you into an elbows in position.

 

[Armageus]

Can you brake while riding the hoods Armageus?

Yes, although perhaps not with as much leverage as being in the drops, but never been an issue so far.

On the other hand, I struggle to change gear whilst in the drops.

 

[Big.Wayne]

What often gets missed when talking about drop vs flat bars is the width difference. Flat bars tend to be wider which gives an elbows out position and a bit more control, drop bars are narrower which is better for aero as they force you into an elbows in position.

I'm not sure if thats a thing? . . you can easily cut flatbars down to an exact fit?

 

[PermaBanned]

A lot of folks here spec and build their own computers but then buy a prebuilt cycle, it doesn't make sense because the same principle applies to both?. There is hardly any difference between bike manufacturers, mainly lots of branding and a good paint job.

Just have a think about the use you will give a cycle then choose the parts and get it built, the end result will be a custom cycle that is both superior and nearly always cheaper than a pre-built.

Not sure quite how that's relevant but the main difference is that building your own PC lets you get something faster, better quality for less money. Building your own bike costs a hell of a lot more than buying a spec bike, before you even factor in the cost of tools and labour. And what you end up with is generally a pretty sideways move, not an obvious jump in quality.

What often gets missed when talking about drop vs flat bars is the width difference. Flat bars tend to be wider which gives an elbows out position and a bit more control, drop bars are narrower which is better for aero as they force you into an elbows in position.

I'm not sure about this "more control" argument. It gives you a different kind of control, flats on a mountain bike let you flick the wheel quickly to avoid obstacles or change direction. But nothing is going to be as stable or give you as much control as the drops at speed in a descent, where you have a better grip on the bars, more leverage on the brakes, and a lower centre of mass which gives you more tyre grip.

 

[Big.Wayne]

Armageus, by your own words it seems like drop bars are a compromise, you say you can't change gears easiliy in the drops and you can't brake fully in the hoods ? . . . and can't do either while up on the bars!

I've personally yet to hear a good case for using drop-bars outside of long distance cycling and racing, I don't like the current STI system because its not one size fits all and you seem to have to compromise some?

The one feature I do like about drop bars is the "variety" of postures one can assume, on 200k+ rides this ability to alter your posture makes good sense, this is the only drawback of flatbars as I see it.

I did think about putting aero bars on my flatbar but the wrench/manager @ my LBS said he would ban me if I did that!

 

[Armageus]

Armageus, by your own words it seems like drop bars are a compromise, you say you can't change gears easiliy in the drops and you can't brake fully in the hoods ? . . . and can't do either while up on the bars!

Part of the problem is likely my small hands, but as you say, yes drop bars are likely a bit of a compromise i.e. jack-of-all-trades, master of none. But what they give is the flexibility that you can't get with a Flat bar.

I've personally yet to hear a good case for using drop-bars outside of long distance cycling and racing

It's nice to have options, whilst I don't use the in the drops position that much, it gives a noticeable aero advantage which you simply can't get with a flat bar. Even being on the hoods places you naturally further forward (and therefore lower down).

I don't like the current STI system because its not one size fits all and you seem to have to compromise some?

Unless you get everything sized appropriately or bespokely made, then yes I guess things are a compromise.

 

[FrenchTart]

As discussed about a billion times previously, riding up on the hoods is a better position anatomically and hence more comfortable. Of course if you have an incorrect setup then your experiences will differ.

With hydraulic discs I can brake absolutely fine on the hoods personally but even without those the sacrifice of having to move your hands a little in situations where you need to apply a ton of braking power (not very often) is more than worth it for the improvement in comfort (with the added bonus of better aerodynamics).

If you're riding technical courses where an MTB is appropriate then the twitchy steering you get with flat bars is the way you want to go. I actually can't think of any other situation where flat bars are better, unless you've got some serious back/posture issues - and a large percentage of people that claim they have those issues could resolve them by simply improving their mobility/flexibility, which would also make every aspect of their riding more comfortable.

 

[Big.Wayne]

Not sure quite how that's relevant but the main difference is that building your own PC lets you get something faster, better quality for less money. Building your own bike costs a hell of a lot more than buying a spec bike, before you even factor in the cost of tools and labour. And what you end up with is generally a pretty sideways move, not an obvious jump in quality.

PermaBanned, its relevant because chaparral the o.p is getting caught up in the conceptual ideas of others and not allowing himself to create his own perfect bike, he has some ideas in his mind of what he wants and doesn't want and is trying to match his idea to an existing concept . . . the point I am making is that the way one specs and builds a computer for their personal use is exactly the same as the way one specs and builds a cycle for their personal use.

I don't agree with you when you say " Building your own bike costs a hell of a lot more than buying a spec bike, before you even factor in the cost of tools and labour". What exactly do you mean by a "spec bike" and why are you assuming a custom cycle costs a "hell of a lot more"?

A custom "machine" doesn't have to cost more? this depends on how good you are at sourcing components surely?. If you are suggesting an economy-of-scales thing where the cycle manufacturer is able to sell the whole machine cheaper because they are making bulk orders of the parts then you have a point but to some extent this discount gets wiped out by a branding fee. I did all the research myself (thank you google) and paid a friendly wrench £60 to do all the tool work (bottom bracket, headset) and I did the rest, it's not expensive at all?

Have you ever built your own cycle PermaBanned because when you say " you end up with is generally a pretty sideways move, not an obvious jump in quality" I'm wondering if this is a theory of yours or based on actual experience?

If chaparral can research, spec and build a computer for his personal use then the same applies for a cycle for his personal use. If his end result is anything like my end result I would say its anything but a sideways move, how can it be? it's a "custom" cycle, custom trumps "spec" all day every day. He just needs to understand the different parts so he can choose whats right for himself.

You should try it yourself, I don't see any difference between a custom PC and a custom cycle and I'm saying to chaparral he can "invent" his own bike that is exactly what he wants and he doesn't have to subscribe to the conceptual ideas of others.

From the little he has said I think the "flat bar road bike" concept is what he is after, nice steel frame, large 700c wheels, not sure of his gearing requirements

 

[PermaBanned]

If you're riding technical courses where an MTB is appropriate then the twitchy steering you get with flat bars is the way you want to go. I actually can't think of any other situation where flat bars are better, unless you've got some serious back/posture issues - and a large percentage of people that claim they have those issues could resolve them by simply improving their mobility/flexibility, which would also make every aspect of their riding more comfortable.

I don't think it's a case of one being "better" than the other in absolutely all cases, it's more a personal choice to make based on uses, budget and experience, or trying different things out in the shop. Especially for short distance commutes flat bars can be a good trade off for many as they really reduce the cost of the bike, you're not going to notice much discomfort over a short (sub 30 minute?) ride and the more upright position can help you to see over traffic or to be seen by traffic if you're riding at peak times.