Can I keep up with a road bike on a flat bar road bike or hybrid?

[Big Nick]

What was the average speed?

16.6mph

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Are you sure of that Hipster? He might be an excellent pro' road cyclist but aren't they only used to the tools of their trade? Him on a knobbly tyred mountain bike would be like a champion jockey on a shire horse maybe?

I'd be pretty positive. Did you see the Cycle Show recently where the presenter did downhill on a full suss MTB and then they gave the instructor a skinny tyred road bike to beat him on?

 

[buttonnine]

Did a 69 mile charity ride last year on my Giant Escape and managed to keep up with loads of roadies, until the last ten miles when I 'bonked' and took nearly an hour to complete those last ten the consequence of hauling an alu framed bike round for five hours, this year its different cause I'll be a roadie!.

 

[CopperCyclist]

Everyone's already said it. Depends on the rider of the road bike.

 

[oliglynn]

I'd be pretty positive. Did you see the Cycle Show recently where the presenter did downhill on a full suss MTB and then they gave the instructor a skinny tyred road bike to beat him on?

Would like to see the opposite of this -a road race with a Pro roadie on a beat up poor fitting steel frame MTB with knobblies, wearing flipflops, vs amateur roadie with decent carbon road bike.

 

[Hacienda71]

There is a bit in Tyler Hamiltons book The Secret Race where he chases down two weekend warriors on road bikes when he is riding an old utility bike. I wouldn't fancy trying to outpace a pro if he was riding a flat bar bike and I was on a road bike. I know I would get my butt kicked in no uncertain terms.
I quite often ride a full suspension Stumpjumper when I go out with a mate who only rides occasionally, he rides a road bike and it gives us a bit parity without thinking about it.
As said already the main factor is fitness.

 

[jarlrmai]

There was a segment on Belgian TV a good amatuer cyclist (also a postman with a postie bike which the of course uptalked) had an moderate uphill race against a pro (WC Philippe Gilbert). The amatuer was riding a top of the range pro road bike and gear and the pro was riding the posties bike and postie outfit.

Probably a bit of showmanship going on but it;s interesting anyway.

http://road.cc/content/news/95883-e...-takes-belgian-postie-one-bike-swap-race-link

 

[Ian H]

I recall Michael Hutchinson mentioning that a serious looking roadie wasn't at all happy at being passed by a fellow in civvies on a Brompton.

 

[MacB]

If you assume equality of fitness, gearing and bike weight then the only differences will be aerodynamics and to a far less extent braking. If you look at time trial bikes then it would suggest that a flat bar bike can be plenty aero enough.

 

[jarlrmai]

Any speed difference after equality of fitness will be mainly position based, both aero on the rider profile and position enabling better use of the of leg muscles.

 

[Fab Foodie]

As you go faster body aerodynamics become the issue, that's why road bikes tend to be faster all other things being equal as the human power unit is in a more aerodynamic position. On climbs, aerodynamics count for little but weight matters.
That's it really.

 

[thefollen]

Find hills much more pleasant on the road bike. On the roadie I like the leverage of the hoods, the legs simply feel as though they have more as a result of the 'hammer' grip. Perhaps due to positioning, perhaps psychological.

 

[MacB]

Find hills much more pleasant on the road bike. On the roadie I like the leverage of the hoods, the legs simply feel as though they have more as a result of the 'hammer' grip. Perhaps due to positioning, perhaps psychological.

I think that's quite normal as plenty of people indicate a preference for bar ends when climbing

 

[Oldbloke]

I had a Boardman hybrid on which I managed similar average speeds to my road bike, probably because I loathed it and couldn't wait to get off it!

 

[MacB]

I had a Boardman hybrid on which I managed similar average speeds to my road bike, probably because I loathed it and couldn't wait to get off it!

Now I find this comment strange, and I know it was probably at least partly in jest, but I've seen similar comments on the relief and night/day differences moving to a road bike make. I've ridden with almost every variation of cockpit you could think of and I haven't 'loathed' a bike yet. I've found variations in comfort and gradually worked out setups that would give me maximum comfort while still being reasonably efficient.