cellery

So, like, just mountain biking then.

corwin1968

I still consider the hybrids of the mid-90's to define that term. As others have stated, they were literally a hybrid of a road bike and mountain bike and they were designed to be ridden on pavement and on relatively modest off-road terrain. They even had names like "Multi-Track" and "Crossroads". I consider today's gravel bikes to be more sophisticated and higher level evolutions of those bikes, including more tire clearance and drop bars, which many people prefer for longer distances.

I prefer good old MTB bars for just riding around and the Jones bar for longer rides. This bike is functionally identical to my 1995 Trek 730 Multi-track, with the exception of having more tire clearance and a much longer front end.

prj71

The head tube angle leans toward the downhill aspect and the shorter suspension travel leans toward XC. That's how it works.

Metieval

Hybrids used to be uncool, apparently they still are with some people. I for one welcome them. If I could have my 90s hybrid with thru axle, disc brake, carbon bars , wheels, seat post, 1x , that fits at least 2.35.
I'd rock it!

I built this 1991 Schwinn frame. (Made by Giant) it was a fun bike although very flexible, that fork was interesting to ride.

Trakhak

Reminds me of the Jerry Seinfeld episode where he keeps protesting: "It's not a man purse! It's a carryall!"

Edit:

Go to the "Hybrids" section here and click on the earliest page ("Last Page"). There's a very long thread there that preserves a (sometimes bitter) debate over whether the lowly hybrid deserved its own subforum. Pretty hilarious.

Just checked. It's the thread at the bottom of that page. Well worth a read, for as long as you can stand it.

plumberroy

If it gets someone out riding and makes them smile, who cares what you call it? At 61 and almost 40 years of construction and industrial maintenance work catching up with me , drop bars don't work for me anymore so are all my bikes hybrid? My "gravel bike" is a Bikesdirect Gravity 29 plus it what I ride when I know there is a lot of dirt and gravel to cross. If it gets someone out riding it's good bike

base2 

A gravel bike is a hybrid thats suitably optimized for all roads. Road bike like performance, speed & aerodynamics with mountain bike like gearing and tires for rough surface textures on steep roads.

As opposed to the historical term "hybrid" which is best applied to bikes intended for flat, smooth paved paths and recreational uses; Bikes with low mountainbike like gearing for untrained/weak legs to traverse neighborhood hills and upright geometry for those uninterested in speed, aerodynamics or hours upon hours spent in the saddle. "Flatbar non-mountainbike" is perhaps a better descriptor.

Gravel bikes and "hybrids" of yesteryear have very different intended uses.

zandoval 

Flat Bar Gravel? Oh... No... Its a Mountain Bike!


ebay: 1980's Vintage Mountain Specialized Stumpjumper 19" Frame 3x6 XT Chromoly

zandoval 

I think extending the versatility of just about any type of bike is not so much in changing the bars but by simply getting a secondary wheel set.

My Frankenized bikes have meticulously similar wheel sets with various tire to rim configurations. In just a matter of minutes I can exchange my wheel set for my impending terrain on each of the bikes.

They become not so much a Hybred but rather a Chimera... Ha

mstateglfr 

tFUnK

I've been on BF for 20 years and never thought to poke my head inside the Hybrids forum until you mentioned it. Turns out it's actually quite relevant to my interests 😁👍

Metieval

I'm surprised they don't make a legalistic section with subsections. Example, the length of someone's socks.
Another subsection on how snouty is snouty enough?

Hahaha 😂

Trakhak

No kidding. It's incredible how much condescension toward hybrids and their owners is recorded in that thread. People here sure love their subdivisions of specialty bikes and hate hybrids, aka the minivans of the bike world.

Compare the hybrid forum wars to the one-and-done process for the early brifter bikes subforum. One person made the suggestion, and boom.

badger1

That condescending attitude has been endemic here on teh Biek Formz for ages. I recall a few years back a number of folks popping into the 'hybrid' forum quite regularly to lecture 'us' all about the deficiencies of the sort of bicycle 'we' preferred. Got to be quite a bore after a while. Seems to have died down of late.

Oh well! Anyway, this gives me an excuse to post my 'hybrid'! Flat-bar; crabon frameset; suspension device (FS); 1x; etc. etc. I use it as my road bike -- 32mm road tires -- but a quick tire change (clearance to 40mm) and ... flat-bar 'gravel' bike.

wolfchild

I would just call it a flat bar gravel bike.

wolfchild

I remember a while ago there was a thread in General Forum about the " proper sock length " and also about the " proper sock color "...

Inusuit

I don't know what to call this and don't care. Works for me on pavement, dirt roads, light gravel, ranch two tracks, MUPs, etc. Yes, I know it's a "mountain bike." About $150 in narrower tires and shorter stem. Bike was $50 on Facebook Marketplace. A new bottom bracket, chain rings, chain, and crank arms at no cost due to Shimano crank arm recall.

unterhausen

Doesn't sound right to have a sock height thread in General. Road maybe. UCI hasn't been enforcing their sock height rules, and riders are abusing that to wear aero socks that are almost knee high
Moving General was a mistake, lots of rif-raf in there now. It's still better than having those same people in A&S, which is where they used to cause trouble.

badger1

I could and did -- in a way -- but I can't really see the point. To me, it's just 'my bike.'

campfire

Is that a Crosscut?

Metieval

Yes it is, it kind of hurt to strip the original paint. But that bike had been beat up pretty bad with a chain in a school bike rack before I bought it.

Eric F 

To me, this looks like a manifestation of all the good things that the hybrid concept was intended to be, built very intentionally with a high quality frame and a thoughtful blend of parts, suited to the specific preferences of this individual user. That is a sweet bike. It's not one that fits in my current stable, with the way I ride, but I can see how this would be awesome for some riders.

campfire

Nice! I had a 90/91 Crosscut in that paint scheme. I'm now riding a 93(ish) Crosscut:



With the "Glen Bar" and aerobar combination, it doesn't feel or ride like a traditional flat-bar hybrid anymore. And I use it for gravel, so I tend to call this a gravel bike.

Metieval

This, I say "gravel bike" and people are like oh where do you go ride gravel? As in if gravel bikes can only be rifldden on gravel, or something.

BMC_Kid 

My hybrid, flat bar, city-gravel bike got some new shoes!