Hybrid 'V' Mountain Bike

[Mr Pig]

Remember that the term hybrid covers everything from MTB with slick tyres to a road bike with flat bars.

Yes, good point. It's more the former I'm looking at, ones with the 700C wheels and a lockout front fork, or maybe no suspension fork. I think they'll do the job too but I am a bit worried about the slightly bigger, narrower wheels not being robust enough.

 

[Brock]

I think the problem is this field you're talking about, why not just get a road bike and go round it, probably be faster that way

 

[wafflycat]

Well ok, maybe the roads wouldn't kill, them but you're not going to tell me that you can ride a road bike across a field are you? I also hate the riding position, narrow bars and high stance of road bikes. I've also noticed that when doing the Glasgow-Edinburgh bike ride it's really only road bikes that you pass at the side of the road not working any more! ;0) Man those tyres know how to burst.

I thought a hybrid might be more comfortable, less agressive riding position, and faster along the flat stuff, bigger wheels and chain ring. I know I can change some of these things on a mountain bike but it's extra money. What is an XC bike?

I have, indeed, ridden a road bike across a field. What do you think folk did before moutian bikes were invented? Cyclocross has been around long before mountain bikes: it's what roadies did in the winter and especially in the early days, they used 'road' bikes. Admittedly I wouldn't be using my offspring's Cervelo P2C as my bike of choice for doing the odd spot of off-road, but I've cycled round forest tracks on my road bike (tourer).
Amongst my uprights I've got a hybrid, tourer & entry-level race bike. 99% of my cycling is done one the tourer. Steel frame - lovely bike and *strong* I think the problem you describe is one of folk not pumping up their tyres rather than a problem somehow inherent with road bikes, especially since I've assisted several a MTB rider with punctures over the years...

 

[Trillian]

Well ok, maybe the roads wouldn't kill, them but you're not going to tell me that you can ride a road bike across a field are you? I also hate the riding position, narrow bars and high stance of road bikes. I've also noticed that when doing the Glasgow-Edinburgh bike ride it's really only road bikes that you pass at the side of the road not working any more! ;0) Man those tyres know how to burst.

I thought a hybrid might be more comfortable, less agressive riding position, and faster along the flat stuff, bigger wheels and chain ring. I know I can change some of these things on a mountain bike but it's extra money. What is an XC bike?

XC- cross country, they'ree usually a lighter mountain bike, still able to take the punishment given out by off road use but not doing large jumps or downhill on a regular basis

regarding the forks on your hardrock, are they the ones that came with it?
if so they've perhaps just worn out, mine did on my hardrock when I had it, i can do 4 foot drops on my cross country bikes without bottoming out.

regarding road bikes and fields, it's quite good fun really, you have to pick your route a little but I can happily take my road bike along most bridal ways i've used (except in the lake district where there's one that is a river bed!) and after a year of owning and using my road bike i've yet to get a puncture - it comes down to tyre choice and keeping them pumped up.

cyclo cross bikes are a bit tougher built, you could even fit flat MTB bars to it if you prefered, they also have slightly wider tyres than normal road bikes.

 

[Mr Pig]

What do you think folk did before moutian bikes were invented?

Fixed bicycles a lot? Just a hunch, as it might explain why you don't see folk riding around fields on road bikes much these days. Not the brighter folk anyway ;0)

It's a pretty basic fork on the Hardrock and I bottomed it out when it was brand new. It's no big deal, just an indication of the kind of hit the bike gets now and then. Not often, but it doesn't have to be that often if the wheels don't take it.

Thanks for your advice guys. I still don't know what to do but your input helps. Well except the advice to get a road bike! ;0)

 

[bonj2]

tell me what forks they are on the hardrock and i'll be able to tell you if they shouldn't be bottoming out.

 

[Tharg2007]

what about a 29er?

 

[bonj2]

not as much choice of tyres/tubes

 

[Steve Austin]

How much choice do you need in tubes?

 

[Tharg2007]

not as much choice of tyres/tubes

I have a spare wheelset for mine with open pros/23mm tires, plus the wheelset that came with it would take a wide range of tires too.

 

[Tharg2007]

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=22750

 

[wafflycat]

Fixed bicycles a lot? Just a hunch, as it might explain why you don't see folk riding around fields on road bikes much these days. Not the brighter folk anyway ;0)

It's a pretty basic fork on the Hardrock and I bottomed it out when it was brand new. It's no big deal, just an indication of the kind of hit the bike gets now and then. Not often, but it doesn't have to be that often if the wheels don't take it.

Thanks for your advice guys. I still don't know what to do but your input helps. Well except the advice to get a road bike! ;0)

Yes, fixed bikes quite a bit. I have a most excellent tutor in my husband, who is my personal bike mechanic. My previous comments on cycling are tongue-in-cheek with more than a grain of truth.

A mountain bike really, really isn't essential if the vast majority of cycling you'll be doing is either on road or off-road cycle tracks...

Hybrids can be good all-rounders, as can tourers. Cyclo-cross bikes are designed to be ridden off road, over *rough* terrain, mud... Certainly you don't particularly want to be using a high-end carbon race bike doing a technical off-road downhill section in the Cairngorms, but don't make the mistake of thinking 'road bikes' are delicate. What do you think folk road before the advent of MTBs - cyclocross *has* been around for donkey's years and is a popular part of cycle sport during the winter months to this day - and they don't use mountain bikes to do it.

 

[Mr Celine]

I'd go for a hybrid. I have a Specialized Sirrus which is at the flat bar road bike end of the hybird scale but I do occaisionally take off road short cuts, which it copes with fine but at a much reduced speed compared to a MTB.

If you think road bikes aren't tough, have a look at some clips of Paris - Roubaix, for example this one.

 

[Mr Pig]

Maybe I wasn't very clear.

I don't want a road bike.
A road bike isn't something I want.
The main reason that I don't want a road bike is that I don't like them, that is to say that of all the different kinds of bike I've ridden I liked road bikes the least.

I believe God put the human head higher up than the backside for a reason and I for one am not brave enough to question his wisdom. Maybe some kind of transference of function takes place when ones butt is above ones brain, I don't know, but the evidence is compelling! ;0)

Only kidding guys, I know some very nice people who ride road bikes. Just that I'm not one of them. Nor do I wish to become one of them.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

The fork on the Hardrock is a Rock Shox Jett, which is the same internals as the Judy but with lighter stanchions. It doesn't bottom out easily but you can do it. The next bike I buy will either have no suspension fork or one with a lockout, and hopefully be better quality than the Jett.

What is a 29er? I hope it's something to do with bicycles! :0.

 

[bonj2]

ah, well they're better than rst/suntour/anything else spinner, but still only the entry level rockshox.
29er = bike with 29" wheels. No real reason for them.