Arjimlad
Tights of Cydonia
- Location
- South Glos
This..
What is a hybrid bike meant to be called?
- Thread starter cycleman
- Start date
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This..
but not all hybrids have fat tyres - the specialized sirrus elite hybrid has 23mm tyres
Peteaud
Veteran
- Location
- South Somerset
Cant see the problem in Hybrid myself.
I think that alot of the time its snobbery value to slag them off.
Mine is not a road racer, its not a mountain bike. its a bit of both, a moad bike, a roain!!!!
I think that alot of the time its snobbery value to slag them off.
Mine is not a road racer, its not a mountain bike. its a bit of both, a moad bike, a roain!!!!
This is the problem, hybrid means so much that it means nothing.
Evans' site for instance, includes the Pashley Poppy and Princess and Guv'nor.
It includes the Pinnacle Cobalt One (which has front suspension) and the Charge Tap, which would not be too comfortable away from the tarmac.
They list the Cannondale Bad Boys, a rigid MTB with 26" tyres, alongside the Specialized Sirrus Limited on its 700x23c rubber.
Recommending a "hybrid" means nothing and helps no-one, however good the individual bikes might themselves be.
Back to the OP, the obvious distinction is into road and off road - flat-barred road bike for the Charge Tap and Sirrus Elite, rigid MTB for the Bad Boys. Other bikes which are amusingly classified as "hybrid" could be a cruiser for the Pashley Poppy, hard tail for the Cobalt One, retro for the Guv'nor.
Another way of looking at it would be to imagine the confusion that would arise from someone who is planning a road / canal path commute heading off to buy a hybrid and ending up with a Guv'nor. Fantastic bike, truly fabulously lustworthy but, as an off road commuter, probably not the best option.
If only anyone had slagged them off, then we could all jump on that bandwagon.
Dave Martin
New Member
- Location
- Doncaster,South Yorkshire
Mine is basically a road bike with flat bars and mountain bike gearing.
You know a hybrid if your off road riding shakes your teeth out and the roadies STILL blow you away on the tarmac yet for some strange reason you still love being in a class of your own
Dave
You know a hybrid if your off road riding shakes your teeth out and the roadies STILL blow you away on the tarmac yet for some strange reason you still love being in a class of your own
Dave
Peteaud
Veteran
- Location
- South Somerset
points taken.
But, it is the same with "mountain bikes"
XC, downhill, 29er, rigid, full sus, hardtail etc etc.
Road bikes now have triple, compact, standard etc.
Then you get touring bikes, recreational bikes etc e.
To my mind there is 3 types
Road - fast light
Mountain - Chunky tires and suspension
Hybrid - stuff thats a mix of the above.
I agree its just an advertising con, look at the car market, SUV, mini SUV etc et.
Where do you stop.
But, it is the same with "mountain bikes"
XC, downhill, 29er, rigid, full sus, hardtail etc etc.
Road bikes now have triple, compact, standard etc.
Then you get touring bikes, recreational bikes etc e.
To my mind there is 3 types
Road - fast light
Mountain - Chunky tires and suspension
Hybrid - stuff thats a mix of the above.
I agree its just an advertising con, look at the car market, SUV, mini SUV etc et.
Where do you stop.
Dave Martin
New Member
- Location
- Doncaster,South Yorkshire
I'd agree it's mostly a name for advertising rather than a true mix.
While the road style hybrid will probably get me from a to b faster than my mtb style one did and the extra gears still come in handy for the odd few hills as my rides get faster /longer I find myself wanting a full blooded road style bike more and more .
I must ask how many of these bikes once the rider has evolved will be kept as a second bike for the occasional family ride down to the park.
It's a bit like having a motorbike with a sidecar on , there's still a use for it but it just doesn't feel the same.
I think these so called hybrids are truly just leisure bikes and should be branded as such instead of trying to fool the unknowing novice like myself that you are buying the best of both worlds when you are buying your bike .
Dave
While the road style hybrid will probably get me from a to b faster than my mtb style one did and the extra gears still come in handy for the odd few hills as my rides get faster /longer I find myself wanting a full blooded road style bike more and more .
I must ask how many of these bikes once the rider has evolved will be kept as a second bike for the occasional family ride down to the park.
It's a bit like having a motorbike with a sidecar on , there's still a use for it but it just doesn't feel the same.
I think these so called hybrids are truly just leisure bikes and should be branded as such instead of trying to fool the unknowing novice like myself that you are buying the best of both worlds when you are buying your bike .
Dave
I've got a couple which most would probably class as "hybrids".
One, my son's Sirrus, is a flat-barred road bike with 700c wheels, guards and rack and a very relaxed ride on tarmac, but a bit slow to respond on mud.
The other is a Giant Cold Rock, a 22-year old rigid MTB, with 26" wheels, sharp handling from steep headstock and short wheel base and also guards and rack.
I love them both but they have very different uses and I'd be disappointed if I wanted a relaxed road bike and ended up with the Cold Rock, or if I wanted a bike for paths and trails and ended up with the Sirrus. I'd find either of them more limiting if they were my only bike than the "CX-style" Tricross.
If someone said they wanted a road bike, I'd be wondering if it was for 10 mile TTs or 100+ mile audaxes, if it was for posing around town or touring around the continent... etc. The market has, IMO, so many wonderful niches as well as so many bikes which cover several bases, that the choice seems to be limitless. And I love that.
One, my son's Sirrus, is a flat-barred road bike with 700c wheels, guards and rack and a very relaxed ride on tarmac, but a bit slow to respond on mud.
The other is a Giant Cold Rock, a 22-year old rigid MTB, with 26" wheels, sharp handling from steep headstock and short wheel base and also guards and rack.
I love them both but they have very different uses and I'd be disappointed if I wanted a relaxed road bike and ended up with the Cold Rock, or if I wanted a bike for paths and trails and ended up with the Sirrus. I'd find either of them more limiting if they were my only bike than the "CX-style" Tricross.
This is all true, but I think it's a reason to be more specific than to be sloppy and use the H word.
If someone said they wanted a road bike, I'd be wondering if it was for 10 mile TTs or 100+ mile audaxes, if it was for posing around town or touring around the continent... etc. The market has, IMO, so many wonderful niches as well as so many bikes which cover several bases, that the choice seems to be limitless. And I love that.
