Hybrid or road bike for climbing hills

[Mick54]

Hi Folks,
Probably a stupid question but i respect a lot depends on the person and gears on the bike but on average which is more suited for climbing steep hills,road bike or hybrid

 

[BurningLegs]

Hybrid, assuming it has mountain bike gears on it.

Gears on a road bike are usually capable of higher maximum speeds, mountain bikes for steeper gradients on challenging terrain.

Are you planning a purchase? Feel free to post links to bikes you are considering if so

 

[HLaB]

All being alike gears wise the lighter bike and to a very small degree aerodynamic (matters more on the flat) road bike will be better it may allow you to get out more power but a hybrid may have a better range of gearing which allows you to spin up hills rather than grinding to a halt. The point between more efficiency and grind vs spin though as you suggest will vary by person and length of the steep bit, etc. You don't see any hill climbs won on hybrids (occasionally flat bar road bikes) but those folks are all super fit

 

[vickster]

Are you planning a purchase? Feel free to post links to bikes you are considering if so

Here https://www.cyclechat.net/forums/bikes-buying-advice-what-bike.39/

 

[YukonBoy]

Either is equally suited to steep hills. Really steep hills and a mtn bike is better.

 

[cyberknight]

I have road bikes and a mtb based hybrid, all being equal i would take a road bike as the weight of the hybrid is a killer on climbs ,you can get road bikes with a compact chainset and a low rear gear like a 32 and you can climb a cliff.Another option is a road bike with a triple chain-set
decathlon comes with a compact and a 11-34
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/rc120-road-bike-grey-id_8554264.html

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned using a Touring bike with a triple chainset. They are definitely set up for climbing gradients, and if built around a high quality frame, may be slightly lighter than either a MTB or Hybrid.
On the subject of weight though, don't go too much on manufacturers figures - when a lot of the time those weights are quoted for small frame sizes with no mudguards or even pedals fitted. The weight that counts is the weight of a bike in real world running condition, fitted with all essential parts and any required accessories.
Bikes set up for practical use with mudguards, pump, and some basic first aid repair tools don't tend to end up much less than the high 20's pounds weight no matter what.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Either is equally suited to steep hills. Really steep hills and a mtn bike is better.

Really steep hills and a bike without MTB tyres but with MTB gearing's the way to go, so that may be a re-shod MTB, hybrid (Pinnacle Lithium springs to mind) or touring bike with triple (x many).

 

[CXRAndy]

It is just down to gearing on a road bike. This doesn't mean its not possible to buy a bike or convert a bike to the necessary gearing. I run a triple Di2 with 48/36/26 chainset with either a 11-32 or 11-40 cassette on different wheelsets.

I can climb any gradient, keep a decent cadence whilst seated if I choose

There are a number of adventure cranksets Shimano GRX and FSA adventure cranksets are two. The GRX has 48/31 chainrings. FSA 48/32, 46/30

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

An MTB, even a quality rigid one made of butted tubing, will always be at a slight disadvantage because they tend to have heavier frames and especially forks, to stand up to off-road abuse. Likewise they will also run wider rims which still weigh more even if the knobbly tyres are replaced by road ones. But, they have the advantage of being very robust and cheap to buy secondhand and convert to road use.
Saving weight on bikes is akin to buying precious metals once the easy gains have been made (such as simply removing things not required). It is not sensible to become too obsessive about bike weight, especially if the rider could do with losing a few pounds themselves!

 

[iandg]

Road bike with a custom gear range. I prefer drop bars for climbing as you can move position from the hoods to the flats as you get in and out of the saddle and/or when the gradient changes.

A 'gravel' bike with road tyres may be another option?

 

[Jimidh]

Assuming you are not riding off road then I would say a road bike everyday of the week.

A Compact chainset with a 11-32 will get you up most tarmac roads if you have a decent out of legs and lungs.

 

[contadino]

I tend to vary my hand position more on long hills so prefer climbing on a bike with drops.

Both my bikes have a 1:1 gear that can get me up anything.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

I tend to vary my hand position more on long hills so prefer climbing on a bike with drops.

Both my bikes have a 1:1 gear that can get me up anything.

Why so high?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Why so high?

I suspect he means front and rear sprockets of equal tooth count. I have triples with a 28T inner ring combined with a 28T sprocket, giving me a 27" gear on 700 tyres. With that sort of gearing you are getting to the point where you can lift the front wheel if you hit a bump, rather than running out of leg power.