FastRod

Hi guys, I ride a cheap hybrid and it's pretty heavy, flat bar and not so skinny tires. I run toe clips on it and I average about 21km/h. I was wondering when you guys are pushing hard for 30km how fast are you guys averaging? just wondering cause I have thought of getting a road bike for long distances and pretty much for the speed =D.

ahsposo 

You can keep it upright going that slow?

Homebrew01

You will go a few mph faster on a road bike.
Someone else's "averages" will not apply to you ..... we'll pretend you didn't mention it.

caloso

I always recommend getting a road bike. You will go faster than on your hybrid. But more importantly, you will also have more fun.

roadiejorge 

Pedaling a road bike is the same as pedaling your hybrid. Now if you're wondering which one makes better use of the power you generate, well then a road bike wins.

pallen

You might feel a 5-10% increase in efficiency. For me, the best thing about going to a road bike was position. I immediately felt different muscles in my legs get sore (butt and back of legs), and that translated to more power eventually.

FastRod

I don't really get what you are saying

FastRod

That's was for the first comment, for the rest of you and appreciate your answers =]. The reason why I state 21 is cause I don't own a cycling computer so it's just a rough estimate.

10 Wheels

$5 bucks, free shipping, I use two of them.


https://www.dealextreme.com/p/sunding...edometer-24075

tntyz

The pedal stroke was significantly different for me when I switched from a hybrid to a road bike. Used more of my entire leg.

Go for it - it is more fun than a hybrid IMHO.

roadiejorge 

If you are looking to start riding distance and want to focus on developing your cycling fitness then a road bike will be a big improvement and the right tool for that kind of riding. Don't worry about average speed or what others are doing just start putting in your miles and timing yourself, you'll notice the improvements over time.

4.11

I think you might find a bike computer will have you editing this post to transpose a few numbers. That being said, for the effort, my road bike is faster and will travel farther. Plus I just love that it is lightweight =)

hhnngg1

It'll get you a bit faster, but don't fool yourself - you won't suddenly go from being a back of the pack speed rider to a front of the pack ride leader. If you're slow on the hybrid, you'll be slightly faster but still overall slow on the hybrid.

I was respectably fast on my first road bike having come from a heavy running background, and even on a $100 mountain bike I could outclimb nonracing roadies and even a lot of the racing ones who were on road bikes, and really only had problems hanging on 25+mph descents where I'd be maxxing out the mtn bike gears.

In short, don't expect any miracles.

FastRod

Thanks for all the advice guys, I used to own a cycling computer on my mountain bike and that's where I got my average readings from. I can attach an image of my bike in case you were wondering what kind of bike it is.

CIMG0043.jpg

The furthest I've done is about 60 but I said 30 cause that's what I do more often. I've caught up to some other road riders but I was picking up the draft from the back and because it's a single speed I do have limitations to how fast I can spin. Thanks anyway, I won't be getting a road bike soon till I start working and get a job. Doubt my parent's are going to spend 1000+ on a bike anyway...

ahson

It's a single speed hybrid, right? The chain seems loose though.

FastRod

Yes it is a single speed. The reason why the chain is loose is because from an article I read, it's better to leave your chain loose than tight, doesn't apply with fixies though. The reason for this is because you don't want the chain to pull the cog and the crank together as it doesn't allow the drive train to run smoothly. Plus, I have never had any problems with the chain coming off.

RookieRoadie

Hmmm, you can go too far the other way though, maybe a little tighter wouldn't hurt? In answer to the original question, I found the difference between my road and mtn bike to be like night and day (my old bike was pretty cheap though ) acceleration, in particular, was much greater and I discovered that riding up hills at more than a snail's pace was indeed possible! You might find less of a difference between a road bike and your hybrid, but I'd expect it to be faster all the way around nonetheless.

frantik

hey thanks for the tip on this now i will be able to know how fast (slow) i ride

triumph.1

A word of caution on becoming a roadie, there is the whole money pit of clothing and accessories that can lead you down a path of demoralizing financial ruin.

Don Gwinn

It can . . . but I've been riding a road bike for six years, and I just bought my first pair of clipless shoes yesterday. I have one pair of padde cycling shorts and a helmet; the rest of what I wear on the bike is just the shorts, pants, t-shirts and sweat shirts and golf shirts I would be wearing otherwise. Even my sunglasses and clear lenses are my shooting glasses.

Now, all that said, I did just buy those shoes, and I'm about to drop more money on cold-weather tights, shoe covers, and gloves. So, you know, maybe I should say you can hold out for awhile against the inevitable.

AdelaaR

Depending on what you now have and call hybrid, there's going to be a small or hardly any difference.
Most of the difference comes from body position, something that can be greatly enhanced on a hybrid too by simply lowering your handlebar and optionally getting an aerobar.
The bike itself has very little to do with it.
If you want to go fast: get lower and HTFU and pedal harder.
Getting better tires and improving cadence will also help.

grimwig

new poster here but have been lurking on the bf long enough to know that we all average at least 40mph ... into the wind ... going uphill ...

seriously, i started on a hybrid myself and getting a road bike was a really good decision for me. faster? a little bit ... it's really on you though (the motor) ... as others on the thread have said it works different muscles, kinda like starting all over again compared to riding the hybrid. for whatever reason i did immediately find it easier(?) to ride longer distances with the road bike ... don't know if this is the case for everyone ... could simply have been the excitement of having the new bike ... don't really know. but the increased mileage has "stuck" with me.

will say one thing for sure ... that the road bike definitely increased the "fun" quotient in my case. if you enjoy riding a bike on the roads ... go for the road bike.

FastRod

Haha, I use to ride a entry level mountain bike ( full sus ) before swapping to a hybrid. I never really took it off road though and climbing was torture even with gears and yes I do find it hard to climb, suspension was one thing and weight was another.

FastRod

Haha I agree, one reason why I didn't really want to go the road path but I was looking at a cheap road bike probably worth about 1000+ Aus? and just was thinking riding in plain clothes will do and not investing in jerseys and stuff because I don't really see the point apart from the slight aerodynamic part of it. Clipless maybe but the last time I went to the shops a hundred plus just put me off.

FastRod

Yea I usually just wear T-shirt and shorts when I ride and maybe in winter a jacket and long pants. I wouldn't really want to spend on anything else because riding is expensive and my dad is complaining on how much of an expensive sport it is. ( no one else in my family cycles )