Journey20

I've noticed through my research of hybrid bikes that there seems to be at least two main types of hybrid bikes. The first type is a more road oriented hybrid with a rigid fork, flat handlebars, and maybe slightly knobby tires. The second is a more mountain bike oriented hybrid, with a front suspension, and even knobbier, wider tires. Using Trek as an example, they have the FX(Fitness) series which is the first type, and the DS(Dual Sport) series which is the second type. The first type seems to be a lower-end, flat bar version of a gravel bike, sometimes with slightly wider tires, and the second type seems to be a more lower end XC hardtail but with less fork travel and narrower tires. Both types seem to generally have lower end components than their gravel/XC brethren do as well.

A user who commented on another thread of mine seems to have the same idea that I might be right at least on the first type of bike.

Admittedly, my perspective is quite limited as a newb to this bike stuff, and so I may be ignorant to many things, including the possibility of other bikes that might be considered "hybrid" as well.

So are these hybrids just the lower-end versions of XC and gravel bikes or do they rightfully deserve their own categories for more than just being cheaper alternatives to gravel/XC bikes(Assuming that that is what they are)?

BookFinder 

I’m thinking hybrids were popular long before gravel bikes became the rage. So (in my view) it’s more along the lines of gravel bikes being a pricey spinoff of the affordable hybrids.

hokiefyd 

Hybrid bikes originally spun off conventional mountain bikes in the late 1980s. They took a mountain bike-like frame and swapped the 26" knobby tires for 700c slick tires. The result was a bike that rode sort of like a road bike (in terms of having a smooth and quiet ride on pavement), but didn't have the long reach or aggressive riding position of road bikes, especially those popularized by racing. I think it's safe to say they were a pretty instant hit, and bike manufacturers quickly added a hybrid bike to their lineup. To continue with your example of Trek, the modern day equivalent to those earlier hybrids is something like the FX. At the time, they were called "MultiTrack". Here's a picture of my 1997 model MultiTrack, just so you have a visual:



You can see that it's very much like an FX today. It has a fully rigid frame (that looks a lot like a mountain bike frame) with 700c wheels and tires. The riding position is relatively upright, though that can certainly be tailored to the rider's preference.

The hybrid niche has definitely opened up with time, with bikes such as the Verve, the DS, the FX, and others (to stay with Trek as an example). These bikes all have slightly different geometry and slightly different purposes in life. You can look at a DS and say that it's basically a mountain bike with shorter travel, but there are more differences than that. It doesn't have as much tire clearance as a true mountain bike, and its geometry is likely a little different as well. Its chainstays are going to be a bit longer (for better comfort on the DS, at the expense of maneuverability), and its effective top tube (basically, the length from the saddle to the handlebar) may be a bit shorter (for a more upright riding position). Additionally, its head tube angle is likely slightly different.

A bunch of small differences here and there can absolutely add up to a bike with a completely different personality and, thus, a different mission. A modern Trek FX might "look" like a flat bar version of a road or gravel bike, but there are generally other small tweaks here and there that make it more different than just a handlebar swap.

Speaking of gravel bikes, I think the popularity of them today can likely be compared to hybrids when they first started appearing on the scene. Hybrids started, more or less, as a different set of wheels and tires on a given frame, to create a different type of bike. That's sort of where gravel bikes started. Many of them started as road bikes swapped with 650b wheels and tires that have the same overall diameter of the 700c wheels and tires for a softer ride and more traction. Like hybrids did, gravel bikes are quickly gaining their own following, with all sorts of bespoke designs and parts. I think gravel bikes play the role of drop bar hybrid bikes. Hybrids have become the sort of do-it-all type of bike, with versatility that enables them to perform reasonably well in a variety of environments, while not being optimized for any one of them. This is where gravel bikes are going -- but with drop bars. Many people ride them on the road, off the road, on expedition, on commute, etc. They're not optimized for any one of those environments, but they perform reasonably well in all of them.

beachball42

It does seem like Hybrid bikes are a wide category. I am a Trek Verve 2 rider and I went with it over the others because of the type of riding I'm doing and I really wanted more of that comfort bike riding position. If I want to go ride trails then I can still jump on my MTB but I knew I didn't want a true road bike with drop bars. The older I get the more I like the upright riding position of my Verve. Easier on my back and wrists and since I am just primarily riding on MUP's and some road it fit what I needed. I have wondered what it would ride like if I put slightly different tires on it but I'm not looking for speed.

rumrunn6

it's good to know what kind of riding you intend to do before you buy a bike but once you have a bike you might looking for places to ride that either match the bike, or exceed it's limitations. for example, I got a hybrid but started using it as a mountain bike so I had to get a mountain bike to keep up the fun

Cyclist0108

Many of these terms are marketing terms or at least have arbitrary, mostly historical origins.

Gravel bikes in some sense are "hybrids" that combine the frame geometry and (usually) drop-style bars with wheels and tires (and sometimes gearing) that are often found on cross-country or light-duty mountain bikes. Some blur the lines further by introducing suspension. These tend to appeal to potential customers willing to spend a fair amount of money on higher-end components, wheels, frame, etc.

My wife has a "hybrid" which is basically a mid-range carbon road-bike with mountain-type bars and brake levers.

A lot of people who are unwilling or unable to spend north of $1K prefer the more upright hybrid geometry, so there tends to be a large number of "lower-end" options. There tends to be proportionately fewer higher-end options, mainly because those willing to spend $5K on a bike go for more specialized (not the brand) types of bikes.

So maybe "gravel bikes" are higher-end hybrid bikes for snobs.

fat2fit

I have the Dual Sport model from Trek and I've owned a hard tail mountain bike. The frame geometry is different, but for the most part yes- similar style but I wouldn't say cheaper version. My mountain bike wouldn't be good at what my Dual Sport does and my Dual Sport wouldn't be good in the mountains. The wide handlebars of the mountain bike, more aggressive posture position, and knobby tires suck on the road, not even accounting for suspension differences.

csrpenfab

I own one of each (Hybrid and Gravel), and I like them both! Some days it's the Trek FXS6 and others it's the Giant ALX gravel bike with bigger tires.

fietsbob

hybrid is mixing road and mountain straight bars with a not MTB wheel , but a wide range drivetrain..

more like its a bike that is popular for transportation..

and the many models made for many price points by each of the several brands..







....

PDKL45

There's a spectrum of hybrids, from flat bar road bikes (Giant Fastroad; Merida Speeder), often known as "Fitness" bikes, to the more traditional middle of the road hybrid (Giant Escape; Merida Crossway Urban), often called "City" or "Urban" bikes, through to near-XC MTB bikes, usually with 63mm front suspension forks (Giant Roam; Merida Crossway) often known as "trekking" bikes in Europe, "adventure" or just plain old "hybrid" bikes. I used Giant and Merida as examples, but a lot of companies also have a full range of hybrids. Note that Europeans like to tour on the near-XC MTB hybrids, or European type trekking bikes. Suntour seem to have the market cornered for those 63mm travel hybrid suspension forks, with their NCX line.

subgrade

Near XC MTB hybrids often are called cross bikes in Europe, while trekking bikes are, while similar, slightly different breed: fully equipped with racks, fenders, lights ( usually dynamo hubs), and may have more comfortable geometry.