Will a Hybrid Bike slow me down?

[MBosh]

I currently have a Giant Defy road bike and I can peddle for miles and go quite fast on it. However, I'm riding it on a long cycle path and the surface is pitted which makes for an uncomfortable ride at times. I can put up with this but I'm not sure it will do a road bike any good riding on this surface will it? I'm now looking to get a Boardman Hybrid cycle, but is this going to slow me down a lot? I did try using a Carrera mountain bike on this cycle path, but it slowed me down considerably and I found the pedalling hard work which surprised me. I thought a mountain bike would make light work of this track but it actually made me work harder unlike the road bike.

So what do you reckon? Do you think it's worth trying a Hybrid with thinner tyres? Also, would you say that Boardman make good Hybrids, or is there a better make of bike to help me fly down the cycle paths? Cheers!

 

[vickster]

Put some fatter tyres on the roadbike? Or thinner/slicker tyres on the MTB? Lock the suspension ?
Which Boardman? With/without suspension?

You shouldn’t be flying along a cycle path if it’s shared use however

Oh and it’s pedal/pedalling...that might be part of the problem if you’re needing to peddle along the way

 

[Smudge]

I have a Defy and a Carrera hybrid and i've rode the Boardman hybrid. The Boardman wont be much slower than the Defy, but it isn't as comfortable as the Carrera, which i agree is slow but speed doesn't bother me anymore.
I put 28c tyres on my Defy to make it better on canal paths & off road tracks, but no room left to fit full guards. With these tyres it seems to handle rougher ground ok.

 

[MBosh]

I'm looking at a Boardman 8.8 without suspension from Halfords (link below). Good to know the Boardman Hybrid won't be much slower then the Defy road bike. I do like the comfort of the Carrrera mountain bike, but I might as well jog rather then use it because it's that slow.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes/boardman-hyb-8-8-mens-hybrid-bike

 

[Smudge]

I'm looking at a Boardman 8.8 without suspension from Halfords (link below). Good to know the Boardman Hybrid won't be much slower then the Defy road bike. I do like the comfort of the Carrrera mountain bike, but I might as well jog rather then use it because it's that's slow.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes/boardman-hyb-8-8-mens-hybrid-bike

Nice bike..... only a 42T single chainring though, so you maybe spinning out on that on the road.

 

[Signum-GB]

For the very reason of the OP's post, ditched my road bike for commuting and moved onto a Whyte R7 Stirling. Runs on Shimano 105s and very fast!

 

[roadrash]

you could try some Schwalbe city jet tyres on the mountain bike and (if possible) lock out the suspension ,it would make a big difference, but yes the boardman would also be ideal

 

[vickster]

For the very reason of the OP's post, ditched my road bike for commuting and moved onto a Whyte R7 Stirling. Runs on Shimano 105s and very fast!

Good choice (although it's probably not the 105 groupset making it quick)

 

[HLaB]

What width of tyres have you got on the Defy @MBosh ? Perhaps putting wider tyres on it will be the first thing to try. A hybrid might be slower but the important thing is how it feels unless you have time constraints (then some compromise has to be made). I commute on a roadbike for 12miles before town but its well surfaced and wide, time is my biggest factor but if it wasn't smooth comfort would become more of an influence. I enjoy the road bike though so the first thing I would try are wider tyres.

 

[Mark pallister]

I’ve road and gravel bikes and usually average about 2to 3 mph less on the gravel bike if I use similar route

 

[Mike_P]

How pumped up the tyres are will affect the ride quality, I have 28s on my Defy and it copes well with most gravel tracks. Strap on down tube and seat mounted mud guards used when necessary.

 

[BigMeatball]

I'm looking at a Boardman 8.8 without suspension from Halfords (link below). Good to know the Boardman Hybrid won't be much slower then the Defy road bike. I do like the comfort of the Carrrera mountain bike, but I might as well jog rather then use it because it's that's slow.

https://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/hybrid-bikes/boardman-hyb-8-8-mens-hybrid-bike

How about a boardman adv 8.8?

Similar to the one you posted, but with drop bar and 2x at the front. Similar sized tyre. You can ride it at 60psi which makes it pretty comfortable

 

[MBosh]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I never really though about sticking some bigger tyres on this road bike tbh. I usually use it for rides on a weekend on flat surfaced roads though, so I didn't want to be slowed down by changing tyres. I use very thin Gatorskin tyres on this road bike and have never had a puncture, so I really like using this type of tyre for the roads. I will take a look at the other bikes mentioned. Cheers!

Edit: I usually have the tyres at 90 PSi.

 

[vickster]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I never really though about sticking some bigger tyres on this road bike tbh. I usually use it for rides on a weekend on flat surfaced roads though, so I didn't want to be slowed down by changing tyres. I use very thin Gatorskin tyres on this road bike and have never had a puncture, so I really like using this type of tyre for the roads. I will take a look at the other bikes mentioned. Cheers!

Edit: I usually have the tyres at 90 PSi.

Try 28s, they won't slow you down (assuming you're not racing, even the pros use fatter tyres nowadays?)

Gatorskins aren't that thin, they are pretty puncture resistant, not a race tyre?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I never really though about sticking some bigger tyres on this road bike tbh. I usually use it for rides on a weekend on flat surfaced roads though, so I didn't want to be slowed down by changing tyres. I use very thin Gatorskin tyres on this road bike and have never had a puncture, so I really like using this type of tyre for the roads. I will take a look at the other bikes mentioned. Cheers!

Edit: I usually have the tyres at 90 PSi.

Fatter tyres up to 28mm on a road bike will not be slower unless you constantly ride at 20mph plus.
All other things being equal, the main speed difference between a road bike and a hybrid is due to aerodynamics -mostly the rider sitting in a more upright position, but fat tyres and mudguards, suspension forks have an impact.