Endurance Road bike vs flat bar hybrid road bike
#1
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Endurance Road bike vs flat bar hybrid road bike
Do you have a flat bar hybrid and a road bike, or have switched from road to flat bar hybrid road bike?
when do you prefer riding your hybrid and when do you prefer riding the endurance road bike?
when do you prefer riding your hybrid and when do you prefer riding the endurance road bike?
#2
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I started with Fuji Absolute and really liked it, but I was getting a lot of hand numbness. I added bar ends and that helped a lot, but I wasn't comfortable having my hands that far from the brakes in my standard riding position. Then I was in a local shop one day and they had a prior year Fuji Jari (drop bar gravel bike) at a great price. I took it out for a test ride, and I was hooked. I like the variety of hand positions combined with the ability to still run wide tires like a hybrid. I can ride for hours without experiencing any numbness now.
I still have a mountain bike, but I really only choose it when I'm riding very rough roads where the front suspension helps, or in loose material where the 2.1" tires are better. It's a fun bike, for sure, but after 10 miles or so I start feeling it in my hands. For roads and rail trails, I choose the gravel bike every time.
I still have a mountain bike, but I really only choose it when I'm riding very rough roads where the front suspension helps, or in loose material where the 2.1" tires are better. It's a fun bike, for sure, but after 10 miles or so I start feeling it in my hands. For roads and rail trails, I choose the gravel bike every time.
#3
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I have both and ride both. I have a 2013 Fuji Absolute 2.1 that got me back into riding, and my 1976 Motobecane Grand Touring I restored back in early 2018 (my father purchased it new, so it's got a lot of nostalgia for me). These vintage touring bikes were the endurance bikes of their day. Both still get a ton of miles. I often get dressed for a ride, head into the garage, and decide then which one I'm riding that day.
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Yes, have a Specialized Sirrus 4 and a Trek Domane SL5. Ride them both. Ride the Sirrus on shorter, less aggressive rides, and the Domane on longer more aggressive rides. The Sirrus has flat pedals and the Domane has clipless.
#5
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my fx3, is similar looking with the all black finish.
What group set is on the sl5 and sirrus 4? how are they different in the gear shifting experience and which groupset is more reliable?
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Domane has full 105. Sirrus is Sora with MicroShift shifters. Both perform equally well, and drive trains feel similar when riding. Haven't had any issues with either.
#7
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I have a Domane, Emonda and I converted my Trek CrossRip to a 1x flat bar road bike. I use the CrossRip for commuting or running to the store, or just running around on shorter rides.
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Brian | 2023 Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS | 2023 Trek CheckPoint SL 7 AXS | 2016 Trek Emonda ALR | 2022 Trek FX Sport 5
Brian | 2023 Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS | 2023 Trek CheckPoint SL 7 AXS | 2016 Trek Emonda ALR | 2022 Trek FX Sport 5
Last edited by jaxgtr; 11-17-20 at 10:15 PM.
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#11
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Usually if I am riding with my wife.. She is not a fan of super long rides, so, typically stuff less than 20 miles. But I have ridden this over 45 miles and it was just as comfortable as if I was riding 10. I replaced this seat post with a carbon post and put on carbon bars and that made a world of difference as far as removing some harsh buzz.
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Usually if I am riding with my wife.. She is not a fan of super long rides, so, typically stuff less than 20 miles. But I have ridden this over 45 miles and it was just as comfortable as if I was riding 10. I replaced this seat post with a carbon post and put on carbon bars and that made a world of difference as far as removing some harsh buzz.
Last edited by Awesomeguy; 11-18-20 at 09:04 AM.
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Much more comfortable these days. Attached are pictures of the Fuji after initial modifications,
and then recently with the addition of a Terry Fly saddle.
Best regards
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#14
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I actually went from a flat bar (Trek 7.4FX) to a roadie (Specialized Roubaix Expert) and back to a flat bar (Fjui Absolute 1.4) in early summer of this year. I find braking on the latter is easier for me! The more vertical hand position on a road bike causes me some difficulty due to grip weakness in my left hand/wrist(damaged a few years ago). Interestingly enough, I find shifting of the Fuji with Deore rear derailleur to be better/smoother than the Roubaix (with full Ultegra components) was (despite numerous adjustments)!
Much more comfortable these days. Attached are pictures of the Fuji after initial modifications,
and then recently with the addition of a Terry Fly saddle.
Best regards
Much more comfortable these days. Attached are pictures of the Fuji after initial modifications,
and then recently with the addition of a Terry Fly saddle.
Best regards
my current trek fx3 feels just fine, but for some reason, i get some tingling/sleepy ness in the left hand (very subtle), 20 -30 minutes into my rides, i have never had injury or anything in the left arm/hand, im still learning and adjusting and trying to better position myself
my concern was also breaking in the hoods as i would be riding on them most of the times, doesn't seem as strong as breaking in the flat bar, especially in sudden stops,or constantly slowing down in neighbor hood rides and i don't know if its worth spending the money if i'm unsure road bike will fix my left hand issues or make it worse argh.
Last edited by Awesomeguy; 11-18-20 at 09:41 AM.
#15
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Interesting, i feel like i may want to get a road bike down the road, i'm not really sure, if i will like them or not to be honest though
my current trek fx3 feels just fine, but for some reason, i get some tingling/sleepy ness in the left hand (very subtle), 20 -30 minutes into my rides, i have never had injury or anything in the left arm/hand, im still learning and adjusting and trying to better position myself
my concern was also breaking in the hoods as i would be riding on them most of the times, doesn't seem as strong as breaking in the flat bar, especially in sudden stops,or constantly slowing down in neighbor hood rides and i don't know if its worth spending the money if i'm unsure road bike will fix my left hand issues or make it worse argh.
my current trek fx3 feels just fine, but for some reason, i get some tingling/sleepy ness in the left hand (very subtle), 20 -30 minutes into my rides, i have never had injury or anything in the left arm/hand, im still learning and adjusting and trying to better position myself
my concern was also breaking in the hoods as i would be riding on them most of the times, doesn't seem as strong as breaking in the flat bar, especially in sudden stops,or constantly slowing down in neighbor hood rides and i don't know if its worth spending the money if i'm unsure road bike will fix my left hand issues or make it worse argh.
As far as braking when riding in the hoods (which is how I ride most of the time, also), I haven't found it to be an issue. Sure, it's not as much leverage as braking in the drops or braking on a flat bar, but it's plenty good enough to stop in pretty much every situation I've been in. And I ride a lot of steep hills. Of course that would be different if there is a medical issue involved, as someone else posted previously.
#16
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You could try putting bar ends like these on your FX3 and see if that helps out with the tingling. If that would do the trick for you, it's definitely a lot more economical than buying a new bike. The FX3 is a good bike, so no need to replace it if you don't need to. Like I said before, I was fortunate to find a good deal on my gravel bike. But with demand being much greater than supply these days, I doubt there are too many good deals to be found at the moment.
As far as braking when riding in the hoods (which is how I ride most of the time, also), I haven't found it to be an issue. Sure, it's not as much leverage as braking in the drops or braking on a flat bar, but it's plenty good enough to stop in pretty much every situation I've been in. And I ride a lot of steep hills. Of course that would be different if there is a medical issue involved, as someone else posted previously.
As far as braking when riding in the hoods (which is how I ride most of the time, also), I haven't found it to be an issue. Sure, it's not as much leverage as braking in the drops or braking on a flat bar, but it's plenty good enough to stop in pretty much every situation I've been in. And I ride a lot of steep hills. Of course that would be different if there is a medical issue involved, as someone else posted previously.
but i feel like for an hour ride, really shouldn't need bar end, its more type of handle bar that may or may not work for me (hoods vs riser/flat bar) or my fit
#17
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Try padded gloves.
#18
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I commute on a Giant Toughroad with Ergon bar-end grips or a Bianchi road bike. The bar ends add an additional position, but the hoods or drops still feel better for longer distances.
The biggest difference I find is the aero drag. Wide arms on bar ends turns your entire body into a giant parachute. With drop bars you get a more natural wrist position and significantly less drag.
As for braking from hoods, any modern groupset (2013+) should be able to toss you over the bars from the hoods with no problem. The manufacturers redesigned the ergonomics to make hood braking more natural. The braking on the older 9/10 speed Shimano stuff is garbage compared to the newer 10/11speed designs. And hydraulic brakes are in a whole different category.
The biggest difference I find is the aero drag. Wide arms on bar ends turns your entire body into a giant parachute. With drop bars you get a more natural wrist position and significantly less drag.
As for braking from hoods, any modern groupset (2013+) should be able to toss you over the bars from the hoods with no problem. The manufacturers redesigned the ergonomics to make hood braking more natural. The braking on the older 9/10 speed Shimano stuff is garbage compared to the newer 10/11speed designs. And hydraulic brakes are in a whole different category.
#19
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I commute on a Giant Toughroad with Ergon bar-end grips or a Bianchi road bike. The bar ends add an additional position, but the hoods or drops still feel better for longer distances.
The biggest difference I find is the aero drag. Wide arms on bar ends turns your entire body into a giant parachute. With drop bars you get a more natural wrist position and significantly less drag.
As for braking from hoods, any modern groupset (2013+) should be able to toss you over the bars from the hoods with no problem. The manufacturers redesigned the ergonomics to make hood braking more natural. The braking on the older 9/10 speed Shimano stuff is garbage compared to the newer 10/11speed designs. And hydraulic brakes are in a whole different category.
The biggest difference I find is the aero drag. Wide arms on bar ends turns your entire body into a giant parachute. With drop bars you get a more natural wrist position and significantly less drag.
As for braking from hoods, any modern groupset (2013+) should be able to toss you over the bars from the hoods with no problem. The manufacturers redesigned the ergonomics to make hood braking more natural. The braking on the older 9/10 speed Shimano stuff is garbage compared to the newer 10/11speed designs. And hydraulic brakes are in a whole different category.
What is the difference in mechanical disc and hydraulic? is one better at breaking than the other?
#20
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You may already know this, but I'm including it just because it was helpful to me when I transitioned to a drop-bar bike. There are (at least) four categories of road bikes:
- racing bikes - aggressive geometry, skinny tires (up to ~28mm usually)
- cyclocross bikes - aggressive geometry, wider tires (up to ~35mm usually)
- endurance bikes - relaxed geometry (not quite as relaxed as a flat-bar hybrid, though), skinny tires
- gravel bikes - relaxed geometry, wider tires (mine can take 700x42mm or 650x50mm)
Anyway, good luck with your choice.
#21
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I know what you mean, as that's the decision I made for myself also. I absolutely love my drop-bar gravel bike! But I'm just careful not to try to push everybody to the same choice. For one thing it's more expensive, and for another not everybody is comfortable with the different riding position. It sounds like you're leaning that direction already, though, so giddyup! You should be able to take one out for an extended test ride to see if you like it. Just make sure you have the saddle adjusted correctly before you do - both height and angle. I've found that if that's off by just a little bit, it completely changes the way the bike rides, more so than on a flat-bar bike.
You may already know this, but I'm including it just because it was helpful to me when I transitioned to a drop-bar bike. There are (at least) four categories of road bikes:
Anyway, good luck with your choice.
You may already know this, but I'm including it just because it was helpful to me when I transitioned to a drop-bar bike. There are (at least) four categories of road bikes:
- racing bikes - aggressive geometry, skinny tires (up to ~28mm usually)
- cyclocross bikes - aggressive geometry, wider tires (up to ~35mm usually)
- endurance bikes - relaxed geometry (not quite as relaxed as a flat-bar hybrid, though), skinny tires
- gravel bikes - relaxed geometry, wider tires (mine can take 700x42mm or 650x50mm)
Anyway, good luck with your choice.
Thank You.
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"Brakes" not "breaks."
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#23
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to be honest though my current trek fx3 feels just fine, but for some reason, i get some tingling/sleepy ness in the left hand (very subtle), 20 -30 minutes into my rides, i have never had injury or anything in the left arm/hand, im still learning and adjusting and trying to better position myself
I also have some tendency to get numbness in the left hand, especially if I brain fart and leave my hands in the same position for too long. If I remember to change my hand position occasionally, I do better.
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You never know....I went on a ride one day and came upon a group ride where I knew a few people in it. It was a special police escorted ride and the pace was fairly causal, 18 mph or less, and I ended up doing 76 on this bike that day. Was not planning on it, had to call my wife to let her know so she would not freak out. So see, you never know how each ride is going to turn out.
#25
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Interesting, i feel like i may want to get a road bike down the road, i'm not really sure, if i will like them or not to be honest though
my current trek fx3 feels just fine, but for some reason, i get some tingling/sleepy ness in the left hand (very subtle), 20 -30 minutes into my rides, i have never had injury or anything in the left arm/hand, im still learning and adjusting and trying to better position myself
my concern was also breaking in the hoods as i would be riding on them most of the times, doesn't seem as strong as breaking in the flat bar, especially in sudden stops,or constantly slowing down in neighbor hood rides and i don't know if its worth spending the money if i'm unsure road bike will fix my left hand issues or make it worse argh.
my current trek fx3 feels just fine, but for some reason, i get some tingling/sleepy ness in the left hand (very subtle), 20 -30 minutes into my rides, i have never had injury or anything in the left arm/hand, im still learning and adjusting and trying to better position myself
my concern was also breaking in the hoods as i would be riding on them most of the times, doesn't seem as strong as breaking in the flat bar, especially in sudden stops,or constantly slowing down in neighbor hood rides and i don't know if its worth spending the money if i'm unsure road bike will fix my left hand issues or make it worse argh.
I still get some buzzing in my left, but it is not outrageous at the moment, but it does bother me on longer rides, 40 plus miles. I figure I will eventually have to get a cortisone shot in the wrist to gain some relief or possibly have the surgery on it as well. When they did the ultra sound on my right wrist, they looked at the left as well and it was only about half inflamed as the right. Unfortunately, I am a programmer, so it is a side effect of the job.
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