I've been happily commuting on my whyte stirling for the last 18 months and averaging 15mph , I'm just about to move to an office a five miles further away and while looking forward to the longer ride I'm not looking forward to the extra time its going to take. I was thinking a road bike may help speed up the journey but wanted to get an idea of how much of a difference it would make - does any one have any experience of moving from a hybrid to a road bike for a commute? I'm trying to gauge what (if any) time savings are likely and what kind of bike would be a good upgrade. All tips for reducing the cycle time welcome
Will a road bike be faster than a whyte hybrid over a 20 mile commute?
- Thread starter ZX1
- Start date
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RussellZero
Wannabe Stravati
- Location
- New Forest, Hampshire, UK
Yes
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
I rode a lightweight hybrid on my 5.5 mile (each way) commute for a couple of years across London in busy traffic. Switching to a road bike three years ago, I noticed that I was marginally quicker and more nippy, even in the rush hour. Not a lot, but it's a lot more fun to ride.
vickster
Squire
I'd say a bit but the sterling is a 9kg bike. Add thinner slicker tyres to it
Do you need to be able to add a fixed rack and guards as this will affect the choice of roadbike. Also budget which you don't mention.
May miss the super comfortable ride of the whyte and the disc brakes in the wet
I reckon you may manage an mph more or two more but when commuting traffic conditions are the big factor I find
Do you need to be able to add a fixed rack and guards as this will affect the choice of roadbike. Also budget which you don't mention.
May miss the super comfortable ride of the whyte and the disc brakes in the wet
I reckon you may manage an mph more or two more but when commuting traffic conditions are the big factor I find
Rustybucket
Veteran
- Location
- South Coast
Agree with this. Can get hectic so I prefer to be able to see what's going on and also being able to stop quickly especially when London taxis seem to make it their goal to knock me off
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
Stopping isn't a problem. Getting going is.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
Maybe a few extra minutes, but what will you do with the time saved?
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
Yes, but it might not be as comfortable!
As a recumbent rider I have a theory that roadies go fast to get off the damn bike as fast as possible.
As a recumbent rider I have a theory that roadies go fast to get off the damn bike as fast as possible.
Thanks to everyone who as replied so far, Kies, I know what you mean about the lights and traffic I did a test run to the new place on Friday and found once I got into the centre I spent as much time stopped as going anywhere. (this took 1h 20 - to make sure I'm back for my youngest bedtime I could do with getting this down to 1.10)
I have had a look at my route and the 20 miles breaks down to something like this.
7 miles on decent roads into Kingston
3 Miles through Richmond Park
3 Mile on okay road Priory lane - to Hammersmith bridge
1 Mile through Hyde park
6 Miles backstreets / traffic light strewn roads / traffic bound place (This is through Kingston, from hammersmith bridge to Hyde park and then the backstreets from Oxford street to bloomsbury)
So I theres about 14 miles where a faster bike could make a difference
vickster my bike weighs in at 9.5kg - although it has got a rack and guards and is currently running on 700 x 25 Armadillo's. I think I'd be happy moving away from the rack as I'm expecting to take the train it at least once a week so would be able (with some planning) to take most of the stuff I need then. My budget is pretty much what ever I could reasonably save by not taking the train everyday so upto 3600.
I have had a look at my route and the 20 miles breaks down to something like this.
7 miles on decent roads into Kingston
3 Miles through Richmond Park
3 Mile on okay road Priory lane - to Hammersmith bridge
1 Mile through Hyde park
6 Miles backstreets / traffic light strewn roads / traffic bound place (This is through Kingston, from hammersmith bridge to Hyde park and then the backstreets from Oxford street to bloomsbury)
So I theres about 14 miles where a faster bike could make a difference
vickster my bike weighs in at 9.5kg - although it has got a rack and guards and is currently running on 700 x 25 Armadillo's. I think I'd be happy moving away from the rack as I'm expecting to take the train it at least once a week so would be able (with some planning) to take most of the stuff I need then. My budget is pretty much what ever I could reasonably save by not taking the train everyday so upto 3600.
From Hyde Park > Marble Arch > go straight down Oxford Street with the buses and taxi's. Keep going straight and you reach Bloomsbury.
I do this section and it's better than the side streets. Buses can hold you up,but it's a single lane and they can't overtake. You will be faster anyway
I do this section and it's better than the side streets. Buses can hold you up,but it's a single lane and they can't overtake. You will be faster anyway
Study published in British Medical Journal suggests road bike won't make any difference. Here's the abstract -
Objective To determine whether the author’s 20.9 lb (9.5 kg) carbon frame bicycle reduced commuting time compared with his 29.75 lb (13.5 kg) steel frame bicycle.
Design Randomised trial.
Setting Sheffield and Chesterfield, United Kingdom, between mid-January 2010 and mid-July 2010.
Participants One consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care.
Main outcome measure Total time to complete the 27 mile (43.5 kilometre) journey from Sheffield to Chesterfield Royal Hospital and back.
Results The total distance travelled on the steel frame bicycle during the study period was 809 miles (1302 km) and on the carbon frame bicycle was 711 miles (1144 km). The difference in the mean journey time between the steel and carbon bicycles was 00:00:32 (hr:min:sec; 95% CI –00:03:34 to 00:02:30; P=0.72).
Conclusions A lighter bicycle did not lead to a detectable difference in commuting time. Cyclists may find it more cost effective to reduce their own weight rather than to purchase a lighter bicycle.
Objective To determine whether the author’s 20.9 lb (9.5 kg) carbon frame bicycle reduced commuting time compared with his 29.75 lb (13.5 kg) steel frame bicycle.
Design Randomised trial.
Setting Sheffield and Chesterfield, United Kingdom, between mid-January 2010 and mid-July 2010.
Participants One consultant in anaesthesia and intensive care.
Main outcome measure Total time to complete the 27 mile (43.5 kilometre) journey from Sheffield to Chesterfield Royal Hospital and back.
Results The total distance travelled on the steel frame bicycle during the study period was 809 miles (1302 km) and on the carbon frame bicycle was 711 miles (1144 km). The difference in the mean journey time between the steel and carbon bicycles was 00:00:32 (hr:min:sec; 95% CI –00:03:34 to 00:02:30; P=0.72).
Conclusions A lighter bicycle did not lead to a detectable difference in commuting time. Cyclists may find it more cost effective to reduce their own weight rather than to purchase a lighter bicycle.
Rohloff_Brompton_Rider
Formerly just_fixed
Excellent, do a research paper to be published using your mode of transport, I wonder if got funding towards this and ended up getting a free lightweight carbon bike?...
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
That study is about a lighter v heavier bike not dropbar v flat bar and its pretty unique to the two individuals, terrain etc The study should delimit it appropriately. My experience (again limited to me based on my early cycling days up north) dis-agrees; my heavier hybrid, average 13-14mph and if I really work about a 15.5mph limit with effort; my lighter hybrid would do 14-15mph and 16-17mph with effort. My drop bar bike is cruising around 15-16mph and would do 19mph average with effort and faster again now I'm fitter (but the earlier stuff where fittness levels, terrains were closer offer a better comparison).
More recent experience has been limited to a heavy drop bar bike v a light drop bar bike (coincidently also carbon v 13.5kg + steel) and whilst the difference wont be as extreme in town and/or on flat terrain the lighter bike is still faster (for me at least) mainly as its easier to get moving after a stop
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Your average of 15mph is already going some.
One way to improve on it would be a fast pedelec, an ordinary pedelec would probably slow you down.
Kalkhoff make such a device and the supplier, 50 Cycles, is near you:
http://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/endeavour-sport-fast/endeavour_bs10_400wh
Don't worry about lack of exercise, it's no moped so you would still be pedalling quite hard to average 18 or 20mph.
Couple of things against it:
Strictly, the fast pedelecs, also known as pedelec-s, are not road legal, although no one bothers about that and I don't think anyone has ever been prosecuted for using one on the road.
Secondly, you would need to charge the battery at work as well as at home - it would only do about 25 miles pushing hard to achieve the speed you want.
Alternatively, your hybrid could be converted to something equally quick for £1,500 or less.
Big Frank in Banbury is your man for that:
http://www.xipi.co.uk/
One way to improve on it would be a fast pedelec, an ordinary pedelec would probably slow you down.
Kalkhoff make such a device and the supplier, 50 Cycles, is near you:
http://www.50cycles.com/electric-bikes/endeavour-sport-fast/endeavour_bs10_400wh
Don't worry about lack of exercise, it's no moped so you would still be pedalling quite hard to average 18 or 20mph.
Couple of things against it:
Strictly, the fast pedelecs, also known as pedelec-s, are not road legal, although no one bothers about that and I don't think anyone has ever been prosecuted for using one on the road.
Secondly, you would need to charge the battery at work as well as at home - it would only do about 25 miles pushing hard to achieve the speed you want.
Alternatively, your hybrid could be converted to something equally quick for £1,500 or less.
Big Frank in Banbury is your man for that:
http://www.xipi.co.uk/
