Entry level road bike

[Tigerbiten]

The trouble with 14mh on a hybrid is that you've hit the speed where wind resistance starts to ramp up badly.
So it take a lot more energy to go a little faster.
The 1-2mph faster you'll be on a road bike will be mostly down to better aerodynamics letting you go a fraction faster before hitting the aero wall.

The 11-34 cassette isn't bad if it was a 10-11 speed block.
But on an 8 speed block all the steps between the gears are on the wide side, so making it hard to spin each gear up before shifting up.
It may be a case of starting with 2 cassette and combining them to give you one with the exact sprockets you want.
12-13-14-16-18-21-24-28 from a SRAM 11-28 and 12-25 doesn't look to bad.

Luck ...........

 

[Tommohawk]

My average on my Giant Escape hybrid was about 14mph and is now about 16mph on my Giant Contend road bike.

 

[fossyant]

A lot of the speed increase is tyres - you can get a better position on a hybrid by adjusting it - drop the stem. I ran my old MTB on 1.2" Hutchinson slicks, and my word it was quick on road. Moved to a fixie with panniers, Faster, but I was fitter. After a broken spine, I'm now commuting 13 miles along a canal on my old MTB referred to earlier, but on an off road tyre with a central run of rubber, so it rolls fine on tarmac. Get's me to work in less than an hour. My 'winter tyres' add about 5 minutes.

Even on a road bike, some tyres are noticably slower if you commute each day, then 'change'. Horses for courses.

MTB tyres - I have some fast cross country tyres, but they have rubbish grip when things go sideways, so I run tyres that just grip anything - they drag on flat and climbs, but anything technical, then I just let the tyres do the job, they grip, and I'm faster. I use these all the time now.

No simple answer really.

PS trying to save the OP money.

 

[I like Skol]

Yes, tyres and position are key. Never really noticed much significant difference between my hybrid and drop bar bikes, maybe 1mph at most. Perhaps I am just particularly aero? I was using a set of stubby bar ends on the hybrid to allow me to move forward and lower, coupled with rigid forks and appropriate tyres, although maybe much of those benefits were undone by me wearing loose clothing and running permanently with mudguards and panniers.

 

[Enlightenedwaistcoat]

Anyway - all this said, if you still fancy a road bike and it fits your budget, then why not? I had a largely unused hybrid that I really didn't get on with, bought a road bike and I've never looked back. You'd be better off putting your budget, plus photos/links and specs plus age of anything you've seen here though for people to help you better, as well as what you're intending to use it for (it would be good to know if you need a rack/guards or any other luggage).

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I dont expect to be flying along, an ave of 14mph must be soul destroying for cars behind me.
It's a carrera crossfire 2

You're faster than I am these days, an interesting story from my younger and faster days, the lorry driver at a place I worked used to pass me most mornings and would often complain that I was difficult to pass as i was "too fast", then my average was 16 - 17mph, stop worrying about the car drivers, just make sure you know what they're doing and get on with your ride.

 

[nuttyboy]

Thanks for all your tips and advice everyone, all useful feedback. Based on your comments I think I'll continue with what I've got unless a complete bargain or a fixer upper lands on my lap.
I'm out on a cycle path tomorrow. Hopefully it will be relatively quiet and I can work on getting my legs moving that bit quicker.......maybe theres nothing wrong with the bike and I'm forgetting I'm not a kid anymore lol.

I repair garage equipment for a living so no doubt I'll be back on here saying I've got a complete basket case that had been buried at the back of a workshop for years .

Thanks again folks

​

 

[nuttyboy]

Anyway - all this said, if you still fancy a road bike and it fits your budget, then why not? I had a largely unused hybrid that I really didn't get on with, bought a road bike and I've never looked back. You'd be better off putting your budget, plus photos/links and specs plus age of anything you've seen here though for people to help you better, as well as what you're intending to use it for (it would be good to know if you need a rack/guards or any other luggage).

Budget is low.....very low
I aiming to need a rack and luggage nearer the autumn. What you got for me?

 

[Brandane]

Car drivers see everyone on a bike as slow, and a certain type of driver sees anyone in a 'lesser' car as slow as well. Basically, a lot of drivers hate everyone including other drivers. Better to just block them out and crack on 🫠

Exactly this. Even when you're pedaling down a hill at 30+ mph in a 30 limit, they aren't going to sit behind you. You are on a bike and therefore a lesser being and must be put in your place!

 

[Enlightenedwaistcoat]

Exactly this. Even when you're pedaling down a hill at 30+ mph in a 30 limit, they aren't going to sit behind you. You are on a bike and therefore a lesser being and must be put in your place!

To prove my point, I was on a slight downhill yesterday and managed to hit just over 50km/h thanks to the tailwind - so just over 30mph, and someone still overtook me. It was a 30 limit. So yeah - bike =slow, apparently, but when you meet the same car at 3 different sets of lights, is it really slow? 🤔

 

[Deleted member 1258]

To prove my point, I was on a slight downhill yesterday and managed to hit just over 50km/h thanks to the tailwind - so just over 30mph, and someone still overtook me. It was a 30 limit. So yeah - bike =slow, apparently, but when you meet the same car at 3 different sets of lights, is it really slow? 🤔

And how many drivers obey the speed limits? I've been sat at the 30mph speed limit in the car and been overtaken, last summer I was driving at the 50mph limit on the Fosse Way and got overtaken, a lot of drivers take no notice of speed limits.

 

[GeekDadZoid]

I have found the easiest way to reduce time on the commute is to reduce faff at either end. So having things ready eg. at work having a lock in place or at home, bike at the front of the shed.

The difference between me riding all my different bikes is not that great.

 

[Alex321]

And how many drivers obey the speed limits? I've been sat at the 30mph speed limit in the car and been overtaken, last summer I was driving at the 50mph limit on the Fosse Way and got overtaken, a lot of drivers take no notice of speed limits.

Speed limits as such don't apply to bicycles.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Speed limits as such don't apply to bicycles.

That is correct, but I'm talking about driving my car not riding my bike. Most bicycles don't have speedometers so you can't enforce a speed limit, but what happens when you fit bike computers and GPS devices that display the bikes speed?

 

[Alex321]

That is correct, but I'm talking about driving my car not riding my bike. Most bicycles don't have speedometers so you can't enforce a speed limit, but what happens when you fit bike computers and GPS devices that display the bikes speed?

Speed limits only apply to "motor vehicles". I suspect the original reasoning may have been down to lack of speedometers on bikes, but the wording of the law makes no mention of such.

Although you were talking about cars, it was in response to a post where the poster was commenting on being overtaken by another bike, so seemed to be implying that car drivers were also breaking the law.