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

kcuspam (Tune2828) wrote in
:
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 think a hybrid would be better for your style of riding. Yes, a road bike
would be faster, but if you're only riding 10 miles, the extra speed will
only gain you a few minutes total. A hybrid will have sturdier tires and
wheels for those city pot holes. The more upright riding position on a hybrid
will make you more visible in traffic and also give you more visibility. A
hybrid will usually have room and mounting points to add racks, fenders, etc.
that most commuters want.

Get a road bike when you start riding 50+ miles a day.

"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.

In article ,
kcuspam says...
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!

It sounds like you have all the right reasons for wanting a hybrid. I
like my road bike even in the city, but that's personal preference,
and I don't jump curbs. If you think you might like to try one, Fuji
has some decent entry-level road bikes in the price range you
mentioned above.


--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

"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
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.


Sorry, I just realized that my two Cannondale recommendations are way out of
your price range!

In article ,
says...
kcuspam (Tune2828) wrote in
:
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 think a hybrid would be better for your style of riding. Yes, a road bike
would be faster, but if you're only riding 10 miles, the extra speed will
only gain you a few minutes total. A hybrid will have sturdier tires and
wheels for those city pot holes. The more upright riding position on a hybrid
will make you more visible in traffic and also give you more visibility. A
hybrid will usually have room and mounting points to add racks, fenders, etc.
that most commuters want.

Most touring bikes will also have the mounting points for racks and
fenders.


Get a road bike when you start riding 50+ miles a day.

I would drop the threshold to around 25-30 miles per day, but the
principle is the same.



--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

David Kerber wrote in
:

In article ,
kcuspam says...
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!

It sounds like you have all the right reasons for wanting a
hybrid. I like my road bike even in the city, but that's
personal preference, and I don't jump curbs. If you think you
might like to try one, Fuji has some decent entry-level road
bikes in the price range you mentioned above.



I would try the Trek 7300fx or 7500fx. I have the 7300fx and like
it for the riding I do. I use 32c Panaracer Pasela TG tires which
really measure 28c and it rolls nicely.

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.

so just buy & mount some 1.5 or so 'street' tires and be done w/ it.
(since i just saved you $500, i expect a reasonable finders fee.)

"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.

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.