Cheap Hybrid Bike vs Expensive Road Bike

[philipgonzales3]

Just wanted to share that it's not the bike, it's me!!! As in what's holding me back. I'm halfway joking but kind of funny I see virtually no difference between the two rides 😅.

Wednesday - $250 used aluminium hybrid bike (retail value is actually closer to ~$900 or so). Approx 30 pounds. Ghost Square Cross 1.8.

Thursday - $3500 carbon fiber road bike (Original MSRP, not what I paid for it). Approx 20 pounds. 2022 Trek Domane SL5.

Turns out more money does NOT = more better!

I'm not sure I buy the big difference in average power. Not sure how these numbers even get calculated. I think the effort felt the same to me but not sure.

To be fair the saddle height on the new road bike is too tall. A good 2.5" or so, maybe more. Waiting for the shorter seat mast to come in. I also know the road bike can reach much faster speeds on the open road, going downhill and is easier to climb with. So maybe not enough room for the Domane's legs to stretch in my neighborhood? Lol.

I do plan to upgrade to better tires on the Domane. I installed Schwalbe Marathon Almotion tires on the hybrid bike. I'll likely want to install the fastest road tires I can on the road bike but can't swing that at the moment. Already over budget with this new hobby. Lol.

Anyway, I mostly just found this interesting. Any thoughts? Advice? Insults? Etc.

 

[Punkawallah]

You’re not ‘over budget’, you’re just ‘under resourced’.
Good luck with the madness!

 

[Jameshow]

If you in the same position on the bike the drag from your body will have a greater effect than any aero / efficiency/ weight gains from the bike imho.
I would suggest you need to tune your position and get used to it to gain meaningful improvements.

 

[Peter Salt]

The route is holding you back. What difference do you expect pootling at 20 km/h around a flat housing estate, stopping at junctions, even doing U-turns?

 

[Jameshow]

The route is holding you back. What difference do you expect pootling at 20 km/h around a flat housing estate, stopping at junctions, even doing U-turns?

True go out tomorrow morning turn right into a major road, right, right, right, until you get back to your house!

 

[ColinJ]

To be fair the saddle height on the new road bike is too tall. A good 2.5" or so, maybe more. Waiting for the shorter seat mast to come in.

Saddle height is normally lowered by adjusment of the seatpost position not its replacement! Does the bike have a crazily long post which won't go any lower?

How did you decide what the correct height should be? Many inexperienced riders think that the saddle should be low enough to be able to comfortably get their feet on the ground when sitting on the saddle. Nope - that is way too low!

 

[DRM]

The route is holding you back. What difference do you expect pootling at 20 km/h around a flat housing estate, stopping at junctions, even doing U-turns?

This is true, a more open route will show a difference between the two, it’s no good when you have to keep stopping and starting at junctions and traffic lights

 

[raleighnut]

A good hybrid shouldn't be far behind a road bike. Not sure about that model of Schwalbe tyre but they (Schwalbe) have a reputation for being a bit 'draggy' you also don't say what width the tyre is. I run Marathons on my nice hybrid but they're 28's and I run em pretty hard 80psi front and 95psi rear, check the 'MAX' pressure rating on the tyre wall before going too far and blowing them up too hard though.

 

[philipgonzales3]

The route is holding you back. What difference do you expect pootling at 20 km/h around a flat housing estate, stopping at junctions, even doing U-turns?

I did do a more road orientated route on Monday. First time venturing out of the neighborhood. It was pretty hot and humid and TBH it was pretty sketchy. Not sure I want to be riding on the shoulder of a highway (speed limit 70mph traffic of course drives faster) and then the farm roads have no shoulder and I'm too slow to take the lane (speed limit 45mph but again ppl usually drive faster).

 

[philipgonzales3]

True go out tomorrow morning turn right into a major road, right, right, right, until you get back to your house!

I did do a more road orientated route on Monday. First time venturing out of the neighborhood. It was pretty hot and humid and TBH it was pretty sketchy. Not sure I want to be riding on the shoulder of a highway (speed limit 70mph traffic of course drives faster) and then the farm roads have no shoulder and I'm too slow to take the lane (speed limit 45mph but again ppl usually drive faster).

 

[philipgonzales3]

Saddle height is normally lowered by adjusment of the seatpost position not its replacement! Does the bike have a crazily long post which won't go any lower?

How did you decide what the correct height should be? Many inexperienced riders think that the saddle should be low enough to be able to comfortably get their feet on the ground when sitting on the saddle. Nope - that is way too low!

Basically yes. Only crazy long for me because my inseam is proportionally shorter than average. I am 6'2" with an inseam of 32.5" (maybe 33"). My wingspan is 6'4".

I believe due to the rear iso speed the seat post esentially only goes to the umm angular bar thingies coming from the rear wheel as far as bottoming out.

The bike as a proprietary seat mast that must be swapped to get the seat lower. Not sure which one is pictured but they have a short one and a long one (they also come in two offsets). My bike came with a long one due to my frame size.


I found the starting point for my saddle height by taking my inseam and multiplying by .883. So for me the saddle height needs to be a little over 28.5" measured from the middle of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat.

 

[cyberknight]

ok a bit of back and forth calculating seat height , based on your figures gives me 29" for your seat height or 74 cm . You really must be short legged for your height as im 5 foot 7" and my saddle height is 68.5 cm or close enough to 27 "
another method is measuring to the pedals , not the bottom bracket ( x 1.09 ) , for your inside leg that gives 91. cm or near enough 36 "
the above methods both give near as dammit the same number based on 175 mm crank arms ( mine are 170 )
Most basic way is heel on pedal which pretty much gives me the same method as .883

 

[HLaB]

Just wanted to share that it's not the bike, it's me!!! As in what's holding me back. I'm halfway joking but kind of funny I see virtually no difference between the two rides 😅.

Wednesday - $250 used aluminium hybrid bike (retail value is actually closer to ~$900 or so). Approx 30 pounds. Ghost Square Cross 1.8.
View attachment 732551

View attachment 732553
Thursday - $3500 carbon fiber road bike (Original MSRP, not what I paid for it). Approx 20 pounds. 2020 Trek Domane SL5.
View attachment 732552

View attachment 732554
Turns out more money does NOT = more better!

I'm not sure I buy the big difference in average power. Not sure how these numbers even get calculated. I think the effort felt the same to me but not sure.

To be fair the saddle height on the new road bike is too tall. A good 2.5" or so, maybe more. Waiting for the shorter seat mast to come in. I also know the road bike can reach much faster speeds on the open road, going downhill and is easier to climb with. So maybe not enough room for the Domane's legs to stretch in my neighborhood? Lol.

I do plan to upgrade to better tires on the Domane. I installed Schwalbe Marathon Almotion tires on the hybrid bike. I'll likely want to install the fastest road tires I can on the road bike but can't swing that at the moment. Already over budget with this new hobby. Lol.

Anyway, I mostly just found this interesting. Any thoughts? Advice? Insults? Etc.

I think its been pointed out but you'll see a bigger difference I suspect on a less technical (stop/start) route

 

[cyberknight]

I think its been pointed out but you'll see a bigger difference I suspect on a less technical (stop/start) route

I will add also fitness ? road bike can be a lot faster but you do have to have the fitness for the aero advantage to kick in to be able to ride at speeds where its going to make a big difference .No offense to @philipgonzales3 but 11 mph your not going to see a big gain .

 

[philipgonzales3]

I will add also fitness ? road bike can be a lot faster but you do have to have the fitness for the aero advantage to kick in to be able to ride at speeds where its going to make a big difference .No offense to @philipgonzales3 but 11 mph your not going to see a big gain .

For sure, I am a couple months in only. So still lots of fitness to be had! Longest ride so far was 21.5 miles. Longer than I ever thought I would be able to ride TBH but I know this is still pretty short in comparison to what is possible and at a pretty slow pace at that.