Hybrid or road bike for climbing hills

[DCBassman]

If one has the technical inclination, and wants a climbing road bike, build one up with a triple and an MTB rear gear set-up. Nice weight, super climbing ability.

 

[Dogtrousers]

It really depends what your objective is. To just get to the top with a minimum of discomfort, or to get to the top as quickly as possible.

If the former then it doesn't really matter what kind of bike it is as long as the gearing is low enough*. If the latter then weight of the bike may be a consideration - but in that case you need also to worry about the weight of stuff that you are carrying and also the weight of you.

* In this country at least. If the hill in question is an Alpine pass that goes on for many km then you might need to start worrying about your position on the bike and how you can vary it. But we don't have alpine passes.

 

[Crackle]

I wouldn't generalize, you'd need to look at the individual bike to see what gearing is fitted. Even different models of the same bike might have different gearing. There are some low and fast hybrids and there are some very relaxed road bikes.

 

[Dogtrousers]

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

11-34 FTW!

 

[CXRAndy]

11-34 FTW!

Or 11-36 SRAM cassette

 

[GilesM]

The road bike every time, just fit the right gears, and for normal cycling there really is no need for a triple chainring, my better half's road bike has a 28/38 mtb 11 speed double chainset with an 11 to 28 (11 speed) cassette , lowest gear of 27", and top gear of 93" with reasonably close ratios, 90 rpm in a 93" is 25mph.

 

[buzzy-beans]

In all these matters when it comes to climbing hills, IMHO the significantly most important factor is weight and by that I don't only mean the weight of the bike but far more importantly the weight and fitness of the rider.

 

[Ian H]

As above, it's down to what gearing you fit to your bike.
'Hybrid' generally refers to some kind of utility bike. Better quality frames are usually labelled 'touring' or 'road', whatever kind of bars they have.

 

[CXRAndy]

In all these matters when it comes to climbing hills, IMHO the significantly most important factor is weight and by that I don't only mean the weight of the bike but far more importantly the weight and fitness of the rider.

Exactly, I weigh around 100kg so I need extra gearing to keep my cadence where I prefer, I dont grind up hills generally around 85+rpm

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

'Hybrid' generally refers to some kind of utility bike. Better quality frames are usually labelled 'touring' or 'road', whatever kind of bars they have.

Raleigh actively marketed their first Hybrid models as a genre of bike in their own right, combining MTB triple chainsets & gear shifters with frames that had generous tyre clearance, and in some cases, MTB-like BB ground clearance. And it isn't really down to frame quality, because I have hybrids with 531 mang-moly and 501 cro-moly frames just as I have a 531 Tourer and a 531 sports/training bike from the same era. Hybrids were not purely low-end gas pipe bikes in exactly the same way that there were all sorts of quality levels of "racers" sold.

 

[rivers]

I would go road/gravel with either a sub or super compact. I'll soon be fitting a 46/30 to my CX bike for a super low gear of 30-34. Hills, what hills?

 

[Racing roadkill]

Road bike with mountain bike gears would be ideal.

 

[CXRAndy]

I would go road/gravel with either a sub or super compact. I'll soon be fitting a 46/30 to my CX bike for a super low gear of 30-34. Hills, what hills?

Hehe, thats not low 26 chainset-40 cog

 

[rivers]

Hehe, thats not low 26 chainset-40 cog

I'm used to a 34-28. So a 30-34 is going to be amazing!!

 

[Ian H]

Lower gearing is generally less amazing than you might imagine. You get used to the ratios and it soon feels as hard as before.