aTastyNoob

I know this may be in the wrong section but I just need some help
Thanks.



Hi, I have this old MTB and I plan to get a new bike. But I was looking around and I read some stuff about Road Bikes and Hybrid Bikes. Here are places I usually ride on. I also usually like to ride 15+ miles with my bike. Unless of course it is to school.

*Roads LOL

I mean I did hear hybrid bikes are faster than MTBs BUT they aren't as fast as Road bikes. I LIKE FAST. I can ride pretty fast on my MTB at around 10-12 but I like to go higher. Thing is, road bikes are pricey. What do you think I should get? A hybrid or a road bike?

Btw, this is the store I go to. If you have the time, PLEASE help me find a good deal on a bike.
My cash range is $0-400 (500 if its REALLY good)

https://www.greggscycles.com/

THANKS.

pgsandiego

Heck, put slick tires on your MTB and you'll pretty much have your hybrid (and you'll save $$$).

sfrider 

Yeah, is a hybrid anything other than a hardtail MTB with slicks and a discomfort saddle?

daoswald

Having owned a hybrid in the past, I think the answer to any question where a hybrid is one of the possible answers, the correct answer will be the other choice. Here is my incomplete list of gripes:

* A hybrid doesn't offer as many hand positions as a road bike's handlebars. My left hand would often go numb past 10 miles, and I would have to let go and shake it out.
* A hybrid is not rugged enough for real off-road use, yet it's also not optimal for road use. So what's it good at?
* A hybrid doesn't put the rider in an aerodynamic position. Supposedly it puts the rider in a comfortable position instead, which may be true if you're only interested in rides of less than 10 miles. But if that's all you're after, maybe get a beach cruiser.
* A hybrid is generally heavier than a road bike.
* Most hybrids I know of use lower end componentry to appeal to price-point conscious individuals instead of performance-minded individuals.

If you want a mountain bike, get one of those. If you prefer riding on the road but want something more durable, there are 'touring' bikes, and 'cross' bikes with drop handlebars that may be good choices for you. If you're into performance, just get a road bike and be done with it. (You're never totally done.)

unabowler

A hybrid is good for cruising around the neighborhood and for riding with the kids. Maybe for short distance commuting, too. For those purposes it has the same function of a "comfort" bike, but a hybrid is cooler.

To the OP, if going fast is what you want to do, get a road bike.

eyeclan

Only problem is, $400 to $500 just isn't enough to get a new road bike. Prices start at a bit under $700. Also, it might not be such a great idea to leave an expensive road bike on the school rack or put it up against the rigors of commuting.

I'd get a used road bike in this case, unless you need a bike in an uncommon size (like me). It'll give the true roadie feel and it'll be cheap enough that you won't mind a few scratches.

fairymuff

I ride a hybrid, and I do 50 mile rides. In fact, I'm leaving for a short tour later today. 150 miles in 4 days. My hybrid takes racks and panniers, has low gearing that you don't generally find on road bikes, and doesn't cost the earth like many touring bikes. It suits me fine, though I have just changed the saddle as the stock one gets uncomfortable after 40 miles. Oh, I've stuck some bar ends on it as well for an additional hand position.

StanSeven

This pretty much says it. To that I'll add a road bike is faster. For the same amount of hard effort, you'll move along 3-4 mph faster. It's also more fun descending and cornering.

Thi nk of it like this. A mtb is like a Jeep or SUV - you can ride cross country in the dirt. A hybrid is like a mini van and you can arry things in it. A road bike is like a touring or sports car.

NDAngel

I had the exact same dilemma 4 years ago. I had an old MTB which I used for one summer to lose some weight and ended up getting the cycling bug. That next spring I bought a Trek 7.5 FX as the notion of an actual road bike still scared me a little. Wimpy, I know. I had great fun on it for 2 years, it got me used to more speed and more miles but I ended up buying a road bike earlier this year. I still love to take the hybrid for a spin now and then and it was a great transitional bike; without it I wouldn't have had the confidence to go on group rides and take the plunge to move up to a road bike.

I personally needed that in between stage but, if you don't, just get a road bike now. You'll only be wanting one later anyway.

MDfive21

whether it's fast or not depends mostly on you. get the road bike now and save yourself some $ and hassle.

EDDIE1963

Buy a Road Bike if you are going to ride in group rides 20-50 miles or riding long distances period. I a made mistake this year and purchased a nice Specialized Sirrus Hybrid. I was getting left behind on group rides when riding with Road Bikes. Installed bar ends and 700X25 tires and still did not help me. I was lucky to sale that bike and purchase a Road Bike which I love.

chasmm

aTastyNoob,

You've gotten some great advice here. I bought a hybrid last winter when I decided to get back into cycling. It's a great way to get used to a bike, and it will certainly go faster than your "pure" MTB. If you're going to riding alone and/or doing shorter rides, then you probably won't have any issues with a hybrid.

However, if you start riding longer rides or riding with a group, then you'll find why most riders usually end up with a road bike. They're just better suited for that type of riding. Hybrids put the rider in a less aerodynamic position and they don't offer as many hand positions, even with bar-ends.

I'm not unhappy that I bought my hybrid...I still use it for quick rides around town, or to ride with my family on occasion. However, if I'm going to be riding in a group, or for any distance, I pull out my road bike.

Charles

TheGefish

Seattle being a big city, I wouldn't be surprised if it had a lot of vintage/classic/used (take your pick) bike flippers in the area. I'd say that at at price point of ~$400 you would get the best bang for the buck getting an older bike. If you can find a reputable bike flipper in your area then you can pretty much be guaranteed on the quality rebuild, contrary to the Wild West feeling of Craigslist.

But if you're commuting to school a really nice looking road bike can and will attract thieves so I'd be careful about locking it up and make sure to spend some money on a quality U-lock and chain combo.

GSmith

I say either go used (road bike), or new (hybrid). I say this because, as others have said, road bikes are a little bit more expensive at entry level - $400 can get you a very solid decade-old road bike (newer even, but being from a big city myself, I like to include the stealability factor as well - go older and the changes if it being cut off a locking post is lessened). $400 will also get you a worthy hybrid if you spend a bit of time hunting for sales (fall is a good time to get those, here at least it is). Of course, you could also put slicks on your MTB and perhaps put a couple fresh parts on it (saddle, handle bars/grips, a computer, maybe, etc) for a small amount of money.

The difference is in durability - if you know that you absolutely do want to be able to ride trails at all, a road bike simply won't so that, generally. I made the decision to go road with both of my bikes because I decided I prefer road over trail any day, so I was okay with losing the option of doing the latter.

coasting 

i think with cycling you either love it or hate it and you know pretty quickly. if you like it you will inevitably want more. for some it is speed for others it is distance. whtever you want more of, will lead you to a road bike with drop bars of one kind or another. i would skip the hybrid.

Wanderer

Hybrids are wonderful "do it all" bikes.