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want opinion on my decision to buy hybrid
hi all -- i live downtown denver, currently ride an MTB. i mainly use it for
city biking, and ride to work a few times a week - about 10 miles thru city/suburb streets. i've been pouring thru the group archives on google reading posts about the efficiency of road vs hybrid and the benefits of each one for different uses. i'd like a recommendation on a good hybrid to buy for my reasons below, and if anyone feels a road bike would be better i'd love to hear why: i ride on a lot on downtown city streets, lots of gravel and traffic, and hop curbs when needed. from what i've read a hybrid will be more suitable for this. from what i've read in a city enviroment (traffic and lights) i won't lose too much speed by using hybrid over road bike. i also prefer sitting up, and if i understand correctly in a heavy traffic area, like where i ride, this is a safer position. (and i could install drop bars on a hybrid if i wanted a lower position in the future) i occasionally take my bike on the bus (using outside racks), would a hybrid be better for the bumping and rattling? weight: a road bike is light, but a hybrid would be a heck of a lot light than the generic MTB i have now... and of course cost: i'm looking to spend $300-500 (if anyone can recommend something in that range). i use my current bike for lots of errands around my neighboordhood -like grocery store/pharmacy/bookstore - and live in a busy downtown area, so i don't care to spend $1,000 on a road bike and come out and find my seat or more missing. the posts i've read said MTB bikes on roads ride like "slugs", i'm not complaining, but i'm definetely ready to move to some slimmer wheels. i've been biking 15 miles a day a few times a week since october, so can i expect a decent improvement in speed? i'm going to try out some hybrids and road bikes this week. thanks for reading, an let me know what'd YOU would do! thanks - james |
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#3
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want opinion on my decision to buy hybrid
"Tune2828" wrote in message ... hi all -- i live downtown denver, currently ride an MTB. i mainly use it for city biking, and ride to work a few times a week - about 10 miles thru city/suburb streets. i've been pouring thru the group archives on google reading posts about the efficiency of road vs hybrid and the benefits of each one for different uses. i'd like a recommendation on a good hybrid to buy for my reasons below, and if anyone feels a road bike would be better i'd love to hear why: If it were me, this bike would be my commuting weapon of choice, no question: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/03/c...del-3VNBB.html , but being that it's a leftover 2003 model, you may not be able to find one. This is the *one* bike I have lusted after for over two years more than any other, but I cannot justify it's price on my budget (without giving up either my road bike or my MTB in exchange, and that ain't gonna happen anytime soon.) I believe they also had a 2001/2002 model of the same bike with a little different paint. This would be another choice: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/c...del-4FSBB.html , but I would add a nice suspension seatpost. (Yes, I am a Cannondale fan.) Actually, if it were me, I would get some 'cross or 29er wheels for my full-suss MTB so that I would still have a fully functional MTB for the evenings and weekends with just a quick wheel change. For real life, everyday commuting, I couldn't possibly recommend a regular drop-bar road bike over something else, simply because of the riding position and comfort issues. The only person I would recommend a road bike to would be to someone who is a racer that needs the miles for training. In that case, I think a road bike with some stout tires and wheels would be a good choice, but definitely not in your situation. Although, I was in the Performance bike shop yesterday, and they had a couple of nice looking road bikes with flat handlebars that would probably fit the bill, and they were under a grand. No discs or suspension, though. |
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want opinion on my decision to buy hybrid
"HardwareLust" wrote in message ... "Tune2828" wrote in message ... hi all -- i live downtown denver, currently ride an MTB. i mainly use it for city biking, and ride to work a few times a week - about 10 miles thru city/suburb streets. i've been pouring thru the group archives on reading posts about the efficiency of road vs hybrid and the benefits of each one for different uses. i'd like a recommendation on a good hybrid to buy for my reasons below, and if anyone feels a road bike would be better i'd love to hear why: If it were me, this bike would be my commuting weapon of choice, no question: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/03/c...del-3VNBB.html , but being that it's a leftover 2003 model, you may not be able to find one. This is the *one* bike I have lusted after for over two years more than any other, but I cannot justify it's price on my budget (without giving up either my road bike or my MTB in exchange, and that ain't gonna happen anytime soon.) I believe they also had a 2001/2002 model of the same bike with a little different paint. This would be another choice: http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/c...del-4FSBB.html , but I would add a nice suspension seatpost. (Yes, I am a Cannondale fan.) Actually, if it were me, I would get some 'cross or 29er wheels for my full-suss MTB so that I would still have a fully functional MTB for the evenings and weekends with just a quick wheel change. For real life, everyday commuting, I couldn't possibly recommend a regular drop-bar road bike over something else, simply because of the riding position and comfort issues. The only person I would recommend a road bike to would be to someone who is a racer that needs the miles for training. In that case, I think a road bike with some stout tires and wheels would be a good choice, but definitely not in your situation. Although, I was in the Performance bike shop yesterday, and they had a couple of nice looking road bikes with flat handlebars that would probably fit the bill, and they were under a grand. No discs or suspension, though. Sorry, I just realized that my two Cannondale recommendations are way out of your price range! |
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want opinion on my decision to buy hybrid
"HardwareLust" wrote in message .. .
"Tune2828" wrote in message ... (SNIP) For real life, everyday commuting, I couldn't possibly recommend a regular drop-bar road bike over something else, simply because of the riding position and comfort issues. The only person I would recommend a road bike to would be to someone who is a racer that needs the miles for training. In that case, I think a road bike with some stout tires and wheels would be a good choice, but definitely not in your situation. Although, I was in the Performance bike shop yesterday, and they had a couple of nice looking road bikes with flat handlebars that would probably fit the bill, and they were under a grand. No discs or suspension, though. I don't know that drop bars are an issue. The bike I've used most often for commuting is a hybrid, but I replaced the orignal rising stem and flat bar with a road stem and drop bar. I keep the handlebar height higher than most road riders, about half an inch below the saddle, and I find it very comfortable for long commutes, since I can shift hand positions. On the other hand, the wide 35c tires, which wouldn't fit on my road bike, are good for the rough sections of road on the way to work, and it is easier to mount fenders, too. |
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want opinion on my decision to buy hybrid
kcuspam (Tune2828) wrote in message ...
hi all -- i live downtown denver, currently ride an MTB. i mainly use it for city biking, and ride to work a few times a week - about 10 miles thru city/suburb streets. i've been pouring thru the group archives on google reading posts about the efficiency of road vs hybrid and the benefits of each one for different uses. i'd like a recommendation on a good hybrid to buy for my reasons below, and if anyone feels a road bike would be better i'd love to hear why: i ride on a lot on downtown city streets, lots of gravel and traffic, and hop curbs when needed. from what i've read a hybrid will be more suitable for this. Assuming you have a decent but not-high-end MTB now.. I would hybridize the current MTB. Put slimmer slicker tires on it. Possibly change the fork to a rigid one if it has suspension. You won't notice the weight difference of a new bike too much for city riding (unless you've got some pretty steep hills) If you're constantly spinning out the biggest gear on the MTB then maybe you want a more road like bike with bigger gearing (changing too many things on the MTB just gets too expensive) Especially since you are riding in the city where it will be locked up you don't want anything that will be too much of a theft target. Then with the money you've saved splurge on a nice mtn bike if you like mountain biking, or on a nice road bike you can use when you want to go longer distances and not have to lock it up. If you're really bent on getting a new bike for commuting, I think Cannondale actually makes bikes that they call commuters.. benefits of a road bike, more hybrid size tires, some extra comfort features (suspension seat post) etc. Their Road Warrior bikes have an upright position on a road bike http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/cusa/flavor/RW.html Touring bikes are good as commuters if you want to haul a lot of gear. The web site says their sport road bikes are a more "comfortable" version of the performance road bikes http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/cusa/flavor/SR.html I'm not very familiar with Cyclocross bikes but they look like a road bike (drop bars etc.) but are meant to handle rough terrain. So there are more flavors to bikes than just road, mountain and (traditional) hybrid. If you go to most bicycle manufacturers websites you'll get 6 or more choices of types of bikes to buy. |
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