WVU_Engineer

Hi

I noticed that there is not a comfort bike forum and someone over in the Clydesdale forum suggested the hybrid forum for me. I don't see too much talk about them, does anyone else ride one?

giantcfr1

Yes, if it has a mixture of MTB and Road, then it's in here. Also, basically if your bike isn't welcome elsewhere on here, we will accept you. Like the lunchroom where the unpopular kids hang out. lol

badger1

+1 We are the 'broad church' of Bike Forums. Everything from flat-bar roadies (like me) who live in exile from Road Cycling, to those who verge on mtb (but never quite get there) and everyone in-between. All good.

Just one warning: don't ever say -- in response to a 'what bike to buy' question -- "buy a road bike" (as in drop-bar bike that looks like those bikes they ride in the Tore Day France). If you do, some of us will yell at you!

Panthers007

And it was quite a struggle to launch this forum, I'll tell you! I was one of the two people who pushed for it - and pushed hard. Being a political activist and organizer came in handy. So here we are. Like the Goth kids on South Park.

WVU_Engineer

Hopefully I dont get beat up for being seen here.

fietsbob

there is a fade area between cruiser and hybrids that is all sorts of shades... that is the comfort bike zone..


Yea, you may be shaken down for your lunchmoney ..

badger1

Not likely! We're a family of cycling outcasts here; all misfits welcome. Think of us as a mutual protection block society; we got our own muscle (a.k.a. logic, common sense, and an absence of delusion). We take care of our own.

badger1

Gheesh, give the game away or what! How we s'posed to keep this racket goin'?

Little Darwin

I see you found your way grasshopper... You have passed the first test.

Dirt Road

Hehe - I have a "comfort hybrid" or something like that. Welcome!

FLJeepGuy

<IMO>
_They_ hate on us because we have the most versatile bikes available! A hybrid can do 70-80% (or more) of what just about any other specialized bike can do. Wanna ride trails, got it for all but the most technical. Wanna go fast on the road, yep, hanging near the front of the pack. Touring, put on some racks and bags, check. Riding with the family at a relaxed pace, bingo! Comfortable riding position, of course!
</IMO>

I've been on the extreme ends of both the MTB and road worlds and now wouldn't trade my hybrid for either! Welcome to the club!

mrodgers

Just want to note, the Clydes/Athena forum and here in the Hybrid forum are the two nicest places of the forum that I have encountered. All threads are useful, informative, and helpful with very little to no snobbish drama.

I'll add in the 50+ forum also. I'm still 8 years away from 50, but I find myself loading up and reading through the 50+ forum as well.

Little Darwin

I would add C&V to the list of nice forums if you are into older bikes... but hybrids are too new for general inclusion there... except that vintage mountain bikes were closer to today's hybrids than today's mountain bikes.

And I participated in the 50+ forum before I was 50 too... they don't get snobbish, but it is kind of self-policing in all of the good forums, if you enjoy the atmosphere, the other participants don't care if you fit in to a strict definition of the forum title... the title is more of a guide to frame most of the discussions.

There are a couple of forums that have a much different "flavor"... if you stumble into one of them, you'll learn about that community's leanings toward more boisterous discussions very quickly.

WestPablo

Hi there, Engineer!

So what type of a comfort hybrid do you ride and what do you like or dislike about it?

I know that I personally love my TrekFX, probably one of the most popular hybrids in the U.S.

DowneasTTer

Yah we're kinda like the "group W bench". Welcome and pull up a saddle.

Fudgeurpizzy

I find riding my hybrid comforting.

Hybrid owners are the best and why you ask? Hybrid owners picked their individual bikes with commonsense and practicality in mind. we are the smart ones. Hybrids can do it all with style.

DorkDisk

Whatever, dude

Comfort bikes are great but they tend to be "outgrown" quite fast

WVU_Engineer

I got a Raleigh Venture basic trim, 7 speeds, rigid front fork, steel construction. For me it was a tossup between that and a mountain bike. The riding I plan on doing is around the neighborhood, on paved and unpaved trails and dirt roads so it seemed to make a lot of sense.

It is very comfortable, I have seen road bike snobs talk about how they wouldn't want to ride one more than a few miles due to the seat but I find the seats just fine (I am 6'5" 295 lbs). It would have been neat to have one with a suspension fork but that just didn't seem to matter that much when I test rode bikes. I think the 7 speeds is plenty, I calculated all of the gear ratios and on the 21 speed models only two of the speeds are outside of the range of my 7 speed. It cost me a bit more than $300 and I think it was a really good deal after owning it for a month.

Oh yea it is my first bike since I got a circa 1984 10 speed for Christmas when I was 10 years old and I like this much better.

badger1

All that matters ... all that matters ... is that you like the bike you have and it does what you want it to do. Your needs/wants may change, or they may not, but that has nothing to do with "outgrowing" what you have, or it being 'correct' by someone else's standards.

There is a lot of snobbery, elitism, and just plain stupidity surrounding cycling; you've already seen some of it no doubt. Funny thing is, re. "road bike snobs", most real road cyclists would never dream of criticizing or mocking anyone else's choice of bicycle. For example, you'll find harsher statements of negative opinion about comfort bikes, hybrids etc. in places on this sub-forum than you will on the 41 (the Road Cycling sub-forum).

ChiefTJS

Hybrid, comfort, whatever gets you out on the road and enjoying cycling!! Your Raleigh looks like a nice bike and if it suits your needs then you did good.

yashinon

Some great quotable words in this thread:

"we take care of our own".

"All that matters ... all that matters ... is that you like the bike you have and it does what you want it to do. Your needs/wants may change, or they may not, but that has nothing to do with "outgrowing" what you have, or it being 'correct' by someone else's standards."

"misfits"

Comfort bikes have been around much longer than I have been. Bikes evolved into "comfort", "cruiser", "hybrid", "MTB", "performance hybrid", etc. All in an effort to give people choice.

WestPablo

Hey! That's a beautiful bike! I love the Venture!

Raleigh has always made the very best in bikes. That Venture makes for one of the best urban commuters. That's especially so, if you live in a city like mine, with roads riddled with potholes and such. Those wide tires coupled with both rack and fenders could really come in handy. I'll just bet she gives a really smooth ride, too. Every Raleigh I've ever test ridden was a smooth ride. I just love Raleigh. It's my favorite bicycle company. My road bike is a 2011 Record Ace. That's how much I like Raleigh.

I'd say, you've done yourself well with that smart purchase. Now, I see why you like hybrids. There was no twisting of your arm with that beautiful Venture.

Ride that bike into the ground, my friend!

Good Luck!

ocelotito

I'm so happy to find this thread. I have been looking to buy something like a Trek shift-specialized expedition-cannondale adventure and started asking about it in the "recreation and family" forum. I was afraid to ask here . I'm still on the fence on the final decision (just between two versions of the same model0 but I guess I'll start putting my questions in this section of the forum.

WVU_Engineer

I rode the specialized expedition at the bike shop, it wasn't my size (XL, they had no bikes in my size btw) since a bike had to be ordered anyway I didn't want to spend the $200 extra for the Expedition, and decided against even the $100 extra for the Venture 3.0. The Expedition was beautiful, just riding it around the bike shop parking lot is what made me decide on a comfort bike. If I knew I would stick to riding the bike for years I would have popped for the extra but thought it might just be a passing obsession of mine so I didn't want to spend too much.

ocelotito

I have exactly the opposite problem, being 5' tall. I still manage to find bikes that fit me in certain models. I tried the Expedition but it was a tad big for me, even the smallest size. I tried the Trek Shift 1 and the size was much better and it handled better. I have issues with some bikes feeling a bit wobbly and making me feel insecure, especially at low speeds and it is the first thing I check. The shift felt great. It's a pity because I think the Expedition gave more bang for the buck, is better looking and the guys at specialized bike store are so much nicer. There are two versions of the Trek Shift I am considering, but some have advantager over the other. I want more speeds (Shift 2 had 21 vs Shift 1 only 7) but I don't want a suspension that doesn't lock. Ideally, I don't want suspension at all. But I can't afford the Shift 3. So I'm undecided. Plus I am waiting/hoping they put them on sale.