Flipper_

Hi,
I've noticed that I get passed by road bikers on my comfort bike and I'm pretty sure that when I used to ride a cheap Hybrid faster than I'm going now, they were passing me then as well.

Is this the lot in life for Hybrid riders, watching these hunched over, aerodynamic, well-kitted and quiet assassins overtake with seeming ease and then build separation on limestone trails, which are my favorite haunts for non-MTB related activities?

Can it be overcome by investing in items designed to make a Hybrid act like a road bike? Willpower to ride at the edge of Zone 5 and STAY THERE? A fitness margin over the average Road Biker? Going electric?

Are there Road and Gravel bikers who are slow, relatively unmotivated or even lazy? Or really old? I suppose there could be dozens of them not passing me and I wouldn't really know it. In any case, they aren't slow enough to be passed by me unless they have a relatively slow girlfriend, are a relatively slow boyfriend, are under 14, riding a fatbike, stretching by the trail, relieving themselves deep in the woods or riding with a large family.

HTupolev

Depends on how big the performance difference is, what your setup is like, the particular geometry of the hybrid, and what sort of fit the rider would require from a performance-oriented build.

Taking a bicycle wildly outside of its intended usage is sometimes possible. For example, early-1980s Stumpjumpers were designed around a cruiser-like posture, but I managed to squeeze a road fit out of this one by slamming the saddle forward on a zero-offset seatpost and careful choice of bars and stem:



I also used some of the fastest-rolling wide 26er tires available, and very versatile wide-range gearing. Overall, it's within about a kph of my skinny-tired road bikes. The gap would probably be somewhat bigger if I was running any particularly aero road builds, but still, it's fast enough that I can take it to a spirited road group ride and usually end up hanging in the same paceline.

By and large, if you're riding a hybrid that's substantially slower than a road bike would be for you, the easier (and possibly cheaper) path would be to just get a road bike. The reason I built the Stumpy the way I did is that I specifically wanted a bike that would tolerate both spirited road riding and rough steep roads in the foothills.

t2p

zandoval 

Hey Dude.... I resemble that remark...

VegasJen

I am far from an expert in such matters but I've always believed in the right tool for the job. If you want to hang with the road bikers, then get a road bike. If you're still slow, then you've answered the question. I don't ride my road bikes on trails for a reason.

tempocyclist

Pedal harder.

koala logs

I often push myself to the limits on the trainer, breathing like a madman over 2 hours.

But on long solo outdoor rides, I take it slow or at least, I take it easy. After suffering for many days indoor training, I'd like to relax on outdoor rides.

LarrySellerz

Former flat bar assassin here, can you post a pic of your bike? Not all hybrids are created equal and some of the more "road oriented" or "performance hybrids" are actually pretty fast. They still accelerate rather poorly but once up to speed are faster than one might think. Obviously be anal about drivechain inefficiencies like a dry chain or anything making noises. Your real disadvantage is aero, but this can be fixed in part by body position. Your handlebars are too wide, so try and get low and hold the bars closer to the stem in plane with your shoulders. Try to get your forearms at a 90 degree angle and dont let your elbows flair out.

if youre into GCN (they are shills) ollie demonstrates what im talking about at 10:06 in this video Honestly though he could be doing a much better job, it looks like he isn't used to the bike. An even more aerodynamic position is that forearms on the bars with "puppy dog" hands that you see roadies do sometimes. Its aero, on par with a roadie in his drops, but sacrifices handling significantly. Ive experimented with homemade aerobars in an attempt to make the position safer and haven't had much sucess.
Aerobars - Imgur

Id maybe get some bar tape if you intend on doing the puppy dog position or you'll bruise your forearms.

At the end of the day I think you can push a well maintained "performance hybrid" to 90+% the efficiency of a normal road bike. Thats dependent on speed though, hybrids struggle at higher speeds due to the aero thing, you wont beat a road bike downhill even with the added weight.

Jax Rhapsody

Yawn...

indyfabz

When I ride my road bike I sometimes get passed by others riding road bikes. I’m ok with that.

hevysrf

I'm old, slow, and upright, but would appreciate an "On your left" or "Hold your line" before you blow past.

Koyote

News flash: riding on the MUP is not racing, no matter how much your ego says otherwise.

wolfchild

Why the **** do people get so stressed out and butthurt about getting passed by another cyclists ??....It's definitely an ego thing

Reflector Guy

Unless you're Larry. He'll be racing you whether you know it or not.

JohnDThompson 

I get passed by road bikers all the time, regardless of what type of bike I'm riding. Why should it bother me?

"Anything bike racers can use to go faster, I can use so I don't have to work so hard."

rumrunn6

agreed, happens in cars on the highway sometimes too. I try not to think about it. funny, tho it's often when I'm feeling strong & fast that someone else blows by me, seemingly w/ little effort. just have to giggle & admire their prowess

drlogik 

Flipper was a GREAT show. I remember watching it on our black and white TV when I was a young buy. I guess my main question to the OP is, what is your true motivation to ride? In my younger days I used to pass other road riders. My motivation then was competitive. My motivation today is to ride for enjoyment and stay in shape. I'm just as happy now as I've ever been riding my bike.

rumrunn6

reminds me of a time I was on a long paved trail. I had roadified a hybrid, w/ tires, saddle & drop bars. it was comfortable, I was healthy & about 15 yrs younger than I am now. at the time, a pretty efficient rider. anyway, I was passed & passed others. no big deal. but then I passed this one guy, who then caught up to me to pass me intentionally exclaiming: "I'm not gonna get passed by a hybrid, that's a hybrid, right?" as he looked at the front shock I locked out. then not long after, w/o extra effort, I passed him again

our speed is our speed. we're all built differently. he was considerably shorter than I am, maybe that had something do do w/ it as well? I have a relative that I hike/walk with sometimes. he's taller & seems to just stride faster w/ little effort, while I seem to require more effort to keep up. it's mildly annoying, but not for ego reasons, I have to work harder to keep up

at 63, the older I get, the more I get passed. sometimes have to remind myself if I can't deal w/ that, I've got to adjust my attitude

if I was in my 20s ...

rumrunn6

how about Sea Hunt? gosh TV was great back then

timdow

They are riding their ride. I am riding mine. They are riding competitive pace, I am riding "Partypace." No way your are going to find me in a paceline.

drlogik 

Oh, I used to wake up at 07:00 to watch Sea Hunt every morning, or was it once a week, I can't remember. You're right though, TV shows, including Lassie, Gunsmoke, The Virginians, etc were all really excellent....Bonanza, and Jonny Quest!! Funny that most people have never heard of Sea Hunt, but it sure was great! Lloyd Bridges was great in that.


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ted_major

*raises hand*

Not really old yet, but getting there as fast as I can…

Mojo31

There is an easy solution for you - ebike.

I get passed by old ladies casually pedaling ebikes all the time.

Flipper_

TRIED TO ADD PHOTOS BUT DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POSTS YET, WILL EDIT IN MY 2013 Sirrus Sport and 2013 Spec Crossroads
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Current:



Obviously, it's time for an addition. I got rid of the 2013 (maybe 14) Sirrus Sport because it had ridiculous 700X28 tires and riding it was like getting punched constantly in the groin and hands by someone holding a bike. Thinking Sirrus X, Trek Dual Sport, maybe the Sirrus 3.0. Was considering a Trek Verve but I think that Specialized Crossroads covers the times when I want to be upright and don't mind twist shifting.

I'm a bit limited by some past overuse injuries and hip surgeries so I don't think a Road bike or Gravel bike profile is in the cards but I wouldn't mind reducing handlebar width and will certainly watch the mechanicals as you mentioned. I also think that gearing is important and big steps make it tough to really get into the right cadence, looking preferentially at bikes running narrower range cassettes, ideally something in the 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 range.

I think it's something that happened in my childhood, perhaps was bullied. It's also possible that I have some kind of cramping issues that are hard to diagnose and related to genetics.

Do you think I should just harden the **** up?

indyfabz

I remember Sea Hunt. Jonny Quest, too, with his dog Bandit. Was not into the westerns except for Gunsmoke. Watched that pretty religiously.

Here is one for you. Korg: 70,000 B.C. Saturday mornings. Lasted only 19 episodes in '74 and '75. Burgess Meredith was the narrator.