Hybrids, they don't exist!

[mickle]

I contend that there is no such thing as a 'hybrid' bike. And, consequently, no such thing as a 'hybrid tyre'.

What cycle industry folk refer to as highbreeds are simply city bikes/ town bikes/ street bikes.

What used to be called, before mountain bikes came along, simply: bicycles.


Please everyone, stop refering to hybrids, there is no such thing.



Tune in next OP for 'Clipless pedals, they don't exist!'

 

[Hilldodger]

I contend that there is no such thing as a 'hybrid' bike. And, consequently, no such thing as a 'hybrid tyre'.

What cycle industry folk refer to as highbreeds are simply city bikes/ town bikes/ street bikes.

What used to be called, before mountain bikes came along, simply: bicycles.


Please everyone, stop refering to hybrids, there is no such thing.



Tune in next OP for 'Clipless pedals, they don't exist!'

Ahem! They should be called Safety bicycles.

Proper bicycles have one very large front wheel and a small rear one

 

[HLaB]

LOL,

I'll have to tell John Franklin that; I finally got round to reading cyclecraft last night and it seems to be a good all round book, he splits hybrids and city bikes/ town bikes/ street bikes in to two separate categories.

 

[tyred]

Hybrid


–noun


1.
the offspring of two animals or plants of different breeds, varieties, species, or genera, esp. as produced through human manipulation for specific genetic characteristics.
2.
a person or group of persons produced by the interaction or crossbreeding of two unlike cultures, traditions, etc.
3.
anything derived from heterogeneous sources, or composed of elements of different or incongruous kinds: a hybrid of the academic and business worlds.
4.
a word composed of elements originally drawn from different languages, as television, whose components come from Greek and Latin.
–adjective
5.
bred from two distinct races, breeds, varieties, species, or genera.
6.
composite; formed or composed of heterogeneous elements.
7.
composed of elements originally drawn from different languages, as a word.


Can any of this be applied to bikes? The term hybrid bicycle uses hybrid as an adjective so I suppose you could argue in favour of number 5, it is "bred" from some sort combination of road bike and mountain bike.

 

[mickle]

Mountain bikes were 'bred' from American cruisers and European touring bikes, with a bit of BMX thrown in - so they must be 'hybrids' too.

 

[Moodyman]

So which hybrid bike have you got Mickle?

 

[raindog]

They're called clipless because they don't need toe-clips

If we don't call hybrids hybrids, how will anyone know what we're talking about?

 

[Norm]

It will surprise few to hear that I'm with Mickle on this one.

**spit** hybrid **spit**

 

[Zoiders]

I don't like the term either.

It just reinforces the weird road/non-road thing which baffles and and intimidates new cyclists.

The universe will not come to an end if you ride a drop bar bike wearing 3/4 length MTB shorts and SPD shoes instead of lycra and look cleats.

 

[HJ]

It is all marketing...

 

[Davidc]

Mickle's right, and I'd like to extend the ban on the term to so called Hybrid Batteries. They're Low Self Discharge

No problem with its use to describe roses though.

 

[Piemaster]

I've had a lbs tell me my Giant Escape isn't a hybrid because they have 700c wheels. (It's an older 26" wheel version). Not what Giant were saying when I bought it though. To me it's just 'the grey bike'

 

[I like Skol]

I have bought just such 'hybrid' a bike a few months ago. It's a GT Traffic 1.0 but to me as a lifelong MTB'er it is just a tough road bike with flat bars.

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

I contend that there is no such thing as a 'hybrid' bike. And, consequently, no such thing as a 'hybrid tyre'.

What cycle industry folk refer to as highbreeds are simply city bikes/ town bikes/ street bikes.

What used to be called, before mountain bikes came along, simply: bicycles.

Please everyone, stop refering to hybrids, there is no such thing.

Tune in next OP for 'Clipless pedals, they don't exist!'

A crusade!?

Before deciding joining in (no prospect of success would never be a reason to deter me!), Mickle what do you propose we call those millions of modern flat-ish bar bikes that are not hardtail mtbs (assuming calling mtbs mtbs is ok, since you referred to them)? If they are city bikes/town bikes/street bikes as you indicated, are these labels interchangeable (if so why aren't two labels superfluous), and if not what are their distinctions and are there others? and how are they distinct from a hardtail with rigid fork? If it is the knobs on the tyres what size counts/don't count?

Without further enlightenment, I must say hitherto a murky name appears to suit, in what seems to be a murky segmentation...

 

[MacB]

Take a trip to an online store, Edinburgh Cycles for example and you begin with a top menu of bikes, then:-

BMX/Jump Bikes

Commuter/Leisure Bikes - clicking this link will give you Commuter/Leisure - Classic, Commuter/Leisure - Cross, Commuter/Leisure-Folding/Electric, Commuter/Leisure - Comfort, Commuter/Leisure - Single Speed and Commuter/Leisure - Speed

Kids Bikes

Mountain Bikes

Road Bikes

Touring Bikes

Womens Bikes

That's 7 main menu categories and 6 sub categories under commuter/leisure, there will probalby be crossover between some of the classifications. Considering I think EBC are a good company, especially for decent builds at reasonable prices, you'd think they'd make it a little easier for the newcomer.