Speed difference between hybrid and road bikes

[uclown2002]

Regardless, if there is ever a question posed and one of the options is a new bike then that is always the correct answer.

 

[J1888]

Think he means willy waving.....ie showing off.

Ah yeah, that makes sense - thought he meant that going quick anywhere outside a race setting was dangerous, i.e. time to wave your will!

 

[Rooster1]

I commute home with a colleague who has a hybrid, i'm on a road bike,

He has to work a but harder but he can keep up with me, and I can keep up with him.

I find it both annoying and funny at the same time. Annoying, because my bike is designed to go faster, Funny, because I work with him and I can't really go zooming off into the distance.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Why do you not try a proper race against proper racers, maybe a time trial with a number on your back. Anything else is will waving, sorry but that is just the way it is.

And racing isn't?

But back to the original question, you may find that once you've got used to a road bike then yes you will be able to not only go a bit quicker, but to maintain a bit more speed for longer. But only a bit. It's all down to the engine really.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I'd expect you on a road bike of a similar quality to your hybrid would go marginally faster. You might also feel faster (which has knock on effects). It's pretty much all position on the bike as people have said. When I swapped between the hybrid and the road bike I was generally around 1 - 1.5 mph faster over my commute (12 odd miles) in average speed. Considering they were both 9 speed Shimano's (and arguably the hybrid had the fast top end with an 11 rather than a 12 on the top cog) on compact cranks they should have been pretty well matched. I put it down to less wind resistance, I'm a bit of a bloater so a very good sail, and just cracking on more on the road bike because it feels faster, so you go faster.

You could probably do similar by adding a cadence meter, crouching some more and just riding faster/more disciplined though.

 

[mjr]

Ah yeah, that makes sense - thought he meant that going quick anywhere outside a race setting was dangerous, i.e. time to wave your will!

It is dangerous to hammer around outside of races because I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for prizes, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you stop fakey-racing on Strava now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

I suspect a lot of the "I was X mph faster when I switched to my road bike" is a mix of psychological and self-justification.

Now, just to confuse you all, would you like to explain why my 3-speed upright roadster is faster than my 3x7 "moderate" hybrid by about 1mph on my 5 mile commute into town? They weigh about the same, the roadster has 37-590 tyres and the hybrid has 28-622, both Delta Cruiser. I know what I think but I'd love other theories.

 

[cyberknight]

It's less the bike, more the engine.

I have seen cyclists on hybrids and flat bars on my commute cycling faster then drop bar road bike cyclists. It's horses for courses.

Indeed, over my 10 mile commute my rigid mtb with semi slicks is only 3 -4 mins behind .

 

[Arrowfoot]

Any comparison has to be done using the same person (as in same engine). Hybrid will over a distance be slower due to rider's position providing wind resistance. The rider on drops racer has no choice but to be in a more aerodynamic position because of the drop bars. And that is exactly why the drops are there in the first place. The assumption is the bikes are identical except for the bars.

And by the way the reason why some people find that there is little difference when commuting using a MTB and a racer is that we automatically try to cover the same distance within the same time by applying more power. Something we do not realise. Not all but some will as they tend to leave at the same time.

 

[cyberknight]

Any comparison has to be done using the same person (as in same engine). Hybrid will over a distance be slower due to rider's position providing wind resistance. The rider on drops racer has no choice but to be in a more aerodynamic position because of the drop bars. And that is exactly why the drops are there in the first place. The assumption is the bikes are identical except for the bars.

I tend to ride on the road on my mtb in a very similar position, in fact writs crooked over bars in a tt position ish or on the bar ends in a similar angle.

 

[JMAG]

I spend most of the time on the tops of my road bike. Does that mean I'm giving up any advantage over a hybrid?

 

[mjr]

I spend most of the time on the tops of my road bike. Does that mean I'm giving up any advantage over a hybrid?

Not if your road bike bars are 420mm wide and your hybrid bars are 600mm wide, which I think are the most common sizes. If you ride with your hands in the middle of the hybrid bars, there's probably not much in it.

 

[Cubist]

Ah, depends on the bikes and the riding involved....

I had a Boardman Hybrid pro... light, fast, agile. On my largely donwhill route to work I would estimate I was quicker than on my current roadbike in certain conditions. The Boardman was set up with flipped/slammed stem and high saddle, and I could flatten myself to the bars, the flat bars made for confident hooligan style steering round roundabouts and bends, and the disc brakes meant I could leave braking to the very last minute. The roadbike is not necessarily as confidence-inspiring in commute mode.

 

[Cyclist33]

Yeah, that's fair enough - I seem to do OK, but still get passed...mainly by serious looking folks in full lycra on road bikes.

I've been cycling a bit less than a year, so was hoping that a nippier, lighter bike would add a bit of speed to my ride.

Probably gonna get one anyway

I had a quick 3. Put 23mm folding tyres on it. As fast as the road bikes.

 

[Cyclist33]

Probably notice most difference on a day like it is here at the moment. Wind is pretty fierce and it is definitely more difficult battling against it on a more upright hybrid rather than getting down on the drops and making yourself a bit more aerodynamic.

In-board bar ends is the solution.

 

[Beebo]

99% of my riding is in london, my speed is dictated by the traffic lights and junctions. On the open road my hybrid is a bit slower, but only a little bit.
But what's the rush.