Unsure - Drop bars or Hybrid?

[Daveb99]

I'm new here and looking for some advice on what type of bike to buy.

I've done a fair bit of cycling back in the 80's as a teenager, then had a break for the last 20 years whilst I went to university, got a job (and a career), had a family etc.....guess you know the score!

My last bike, which I still have, and did most of my cycling on, was a Peugeot Galibier road bike. Drop bars of course, in those days, and I was fairly serious about it, doing 30-40 mile rides most weekends and sometimes evenings. It will cut me up a bit when it goes!

Now, I'm 40 shortly and looking to get back into cycling - primarily for fitness, fresh air, and to take in the scenery more so than in a car. I have very fond memories from 20 years ago and it's something I used to seriously enjoy.

I'm looking at replacing my old road bike, which is actually in fairly good health, as a present for my 40th (parents want to chip in towards something major and I seem to have most other things I want nowadays!). I also have a Saracen Mountain bike (front suspension only) which to be honest I think I've ridden for about 2 hours in total - hopeless. We have young kids so I can't see the latter being used any more.

The majority of my cycling will be road-based, but I'm really unsure whether to go for a Hybrid, or a Drop Bar road bike. I'm hoping to join a local cycling club (or at least go on regular organised rides) so I'm not sure whether hybrids are common in that respect?

Budget is up to about £500, so I've been looking at things like the Boardman Comp Hybrid (and non-hybrid) as I could stretch to one possibly, or pick up a very lightly used one perhaps. It seems to get very good reviews. I was thinking that a hybrid would be good enough for fast road use, but also (hopefully) OK to use for short rides with the kids (my eldest has now binned the stabilisers but it will be a while before she is on the roads, riding with me).

If anyone could offer any advice, or your experiences with Hybrids v Drop bar bikes for general fast road use, including organised rides / club stuff, I'd very much appreciate it.

 

[HLaB]

I recommend going for a dropped bar bike. I came back to cycling in my late 20's when I lived in Ireland but my heavy hybrid was only used for commuting. I then moved home in my 30's and promised myself a decent bike, which I got a flat bar road bike but it wasn't quite as comfortable on group rides if there was wind and on longer rides isn't as comfortable on the hands (less hand positions). I now have a few road bikes and if I had my time again I would have bought a dropped bar road bike first off on returning home.

 

[Evil Rabbit]

I think it is a very personal choice. It just comes down to you and what you are comfortable with. You just have to test ride both IMO and make your own call.

Personally, I like drop bars for the greater range of comfort I can get with my hands/wrists, but thats just me.

 

[Norm]

All other things being equal, another vote for drops over flat bars from me.

The key is that drop bars have at least 5 different hand positions, from the fairly relaxed tops to the aero/aggressive drops, and moving between them will also use different muscle groups in your torso / legs.

Flat bars have one position.

At that price, I'd be looking at the top end of Carrera's range in Halfrauds, or something like a Giant Defy 4 or Specialized Allez 16.

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

I guess it depends what type of road bike you get. I have a Specialized Secteur that has more relaxed geometry than most. I also have a flat bar hybrid that is more or less a road bike with flat bars. The Secteur is just as comfortable to ride on the hoods as the hybrid and I have the choice of using the drops if I want. The Secteur is a little harsher as I have 23mm tyres on it compared to the hybrids 28mm ones. The Secteur has a more upright riding position that is easier for me anyway compared to other road bikes. If that is not your cup of tea try an Allez or Defy as mentioned above.

 

[mcshroom]

I have a hybrid and a tourer, and in general there isn't much difference, but over any distance the drop bars are more comfortable, to the extent that I've just fitted butterfly bars on the hybrid to give me some more hand positions. With respect to clubs, it does depend what sort of club you are looking at, but most club riders I've seen seem to be on drop bar road bikes.

If you're after a do-it-all bike rather than an out and out racer, then how about a tourer. Something like the Revolution Country Traveller from EBC?

 

[Nebulous]

I'd definitely get drop bars - but I'd also keep the mountain bike. My wife and girls have mountain bike and family rides are generally off-road on cycle paths, usually old railway lines or canal towpaths. I wouldn't take my roadbike to 90% of the places I go with them.

I had a roadbike in the early 80's - or a racer as we called it then. It got stolen and I've had a variety of sometimes second-hand bikes with mtbs for about 10 years. I did a lot of miles in a one week holiday last year, built up a head of steam and bought a roadbike. I've absolutely no regrets so far.

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

The only plus that I would add for a hybrid is that even one with cheap shifters will not be an issue as your hands are always in the same place for shifting. With a road bike and your budget you will probably be getting Shimano Sora or the one below it whatever it is called. With these you cannot change gear (well I could not) when using the drops. This irritated me and I upgraded to Tiagra shifters and they were very expensive. Just a thought although it is no big deal and most people probably make do with little problems.

 

[Moodyman]

I have a flat barred road bike with bar ends and a drop barred one.

Flat bar is much better for commuting (1 hour one way) on busy roads, but the drop is better for longer rides.

Don't notice difference in speed though.

 

[mrmacmusic]

Just to throw my twopence worth in.... I was in a similar position recently having sold my Trek mountain bike looking for something more road-orientated and was swinging between drop bars or flat. In the end I picked up a Ridgeback Flight for under your budget which falls into the "flat bar road bike" category (so I'm told), and added bar ends for a little hand-position flexibility.

Where possible I've been getting out for an hour or so every other day and have also started commuting a few times a week (28 miles round trip) – so far I'm really enjoying riding the hybrid and am riding faster than I was on the old MTB. The trouble is, every time I see a drop-bar bike on the road I can't help but feel I should have been brave enough to go for an out-and-out road bike, and I just know there will come a time when I fancy a blast through the muddy, hilly stuff and the old Trek will be long gone. No room in my shed for two bikes though and my pockets aren't quite deep enough

My advice? If you can, try before you buy!! It was a little over my £500-600 budget, but everyone I spoke to wanted to recommend the Specialized Tricross as a go anywhere, do anything sort of bike – drop bars, but sturdy enough to go off road, and maybe worth a look if you can pick up a bargain.

 

[mrmacmusic]

I have a flat barred road bike with bar ends and a drop barred one.

Flat bar is much better for commuting (1 hour one way) on busy roads, but the drop is better for longer rides.

Don't notice difference in speed though.

That makes me feel a bit better about having gone down the flat bar route!

 

[Norm]

With a road bike and your budget you will probably be getting Shimano Sora or the one below it whatever it is called. With these you cannot change gear (well I could not) when using the drops. This irritated me and I upgraded to Tiagra shifters and they were very expensive. Just a thought although it is no big deal and most people probably make do with little problems.

Conversely, I prefer the position of the switch on my Soras to that on my Tiagras.

It takes all sorts.

 

[MacB]

My gut reaction would be drop bars, but only if you test properly and are prepared to spend the right amount to get the shifters/hoods/bars that suit you best. Changing this stuff after the fact is expensive so worth finding a proper bike shop that will source the right setup or swap out bits if need be.

That said I've recently had to reluctantly give up on drop bars due to elbow issues, this is a pre-existing condition not something caused by the drop bars. I'd already been through a huge variety of handlebars and various setups with each. When working out what I wanted to change to I decided to try and accomodate the best bits, where possible, from all the bars I've had. Isettled on Jones H-Bars which allow me to replicate, and improve on from my perspective, all of the upper positions of a drop bar. They also give me the sweep angle of a North Road or Mary bar, the angle is key for my elbows happiness.

An important bit to be aware of are the diameters of various bars and the controls that fit on them. MTB and trekking bars tend to have a smaller diameter and thus their controls won't fit on road diameter bars.

My least favourite option would be straight flat bars, certainly over any reasonable distance, adding bar ends, etc, does help but there are other alternatives I prefer. Unfortunately the alternatives do tend to look old fashioned or geeky. Moustache bars, North Road style, dirt drops, H-Bars, Butterfly/trekking bars, extreme sweep riser bars.

For anyone that uses drop bars, but not really the drop parts, then I think there are alternatives that are superior. But if you use the drops then they are the best option. Speedwise Moodyman has it right, the drops only really benefit on a longer ride on open roads and if you get down in the drops. As I didn't I found I was just as fast on other types of bars as riding the tops of drops.

 

[Daveb99]

Wow! Thanks very much for all the replies so far, what a great response.

I'm leaning towards a drop bar road bike, but I haven't ruled out the hybrid / flat bar option yet. It won't be used for commuting though as it's a little too far (20-25 miles each way).

I've pretty much decided to keep the mountain bike for going out cycling with the kids. It seems to be worth only about £75 anyway (Saracen N-Yzme) so it isn't really going to contribute much towards a road bike/hybrid. Storing two bikes isn't an issue currently but could be next year though, as we're planning to move house, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I've spotted that the Specialized Allez 24 (2011) can now be had for £519 at various Internet suppliers. I guess I couldn't go too far wrong with something like that? I'm planning to go to my local bike shop at lunchtime to start to get a feel and hopefully arrange a test ride, they may even match prices if I'm lucky.

It looks like I'll need to get some SPD pedals and shoes, along with all the clothing, helmet etc (I really have nothing!). Should I budget approx £200 for all that (I'm thinking of the value end of the scale!) ?

 

[SquareDaff]

I use a Boardman Hybrid Pro for commuting. It's very almost as light as the drop bar equivalent and I love it to bits.....HOWEVER, if I wasn't commuting then I'd have got the drop bar and it would have been a no brainer! The hybrid is just the perfect choice for all the stuff I have to carry if I don't want to have a rucksack (which I don't).

If you shop around you can probably kit yourself out for £200 but you will be value end. Might be the place to start and upgrade to better stuff as and when you can afford it. I've done precisely that after an absense of about the same time as you.