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roadbike v hybrid

Hye guys, i recently got a new bike, its a hybrid bike claud butler urban 300.with road tyres replacing the grippy ones it has on.i got a hybrid cause i live on the canal and i sometimes like to ride down there with my mrs on her MB....anyway i'm pretty pleased with it but i've recently been going out riding with a mate and his brother...all on road bikes (though of similar value 500-1k) anyway they totally leave me behind....i make it up the hills but they make it look effortless and seem to be able to have a turn of speed so quick it devastates my ride.



Now as i'm doing tri (and none of them would dare) i'm not too bothered long term as a few sprints is my goal for this year but i was wondering how much of a difference the bike is making and how much its just their 'bike fitness', i'm back on a pushbike for the first time in 25 years after all....btu could it be the bike??

Comments

  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Andy,



    I have a claud butler san remo 2008 15million tonnes in weight. I have altered it slightly but its still too heavy.

    I will testify that its the rider and the bike combination that makes the difference. eg sunday there I pased some carbon blings on my road bike so its the rider that can do the damage.



    I would say that if you spend time on the bike working away at technique, attacking the hills, interval training etc I bet you'd catch those folk easy.



    Save up, get a good road bike thus meaning good rider + good bike = good times.



    Bad rider + good bike = shit times



    bad rider + bad bike = go home.
  • willieverfinishwillieverfinish Posts: 1,381
    Depends on how much they ride, when, are they trying to blow you away, their gearing, your gearing,cadence, their fitness, your fitness ......( the list goes on and on)



    There is an almost infinite number of reasons why.



    A road bike will always be faster - ie - out you on one and you'll be faster than on your hybrid.



    I read your post and think to myself you finding a reason to go and buy a road bike......... do it and you'll love it. It is much much easier... then once you've had that for 6 months, you'll want another one, then comes the kit, then comes the new shoes, then come another bike.......



    go on, take the plunge

  • j27rtj27rt Posts: 102
    I would have thought it is probably a combination of the two. Obviously a fit rider on a non-racing bike could beat someone who is unfit on a top race bike.



    Basic fitness is the foundation to improving bike speed and a racing bike will further improve your speed. What size tyres do you currently have? A lot of hybrids have 25 or 28s as racing bikes generally have 23s.
  • ZacniciZacnici Posts: 1,385
    My first tri - I was pedalling like mad on my Halfords £60 MTB with knobbly tyres and these bods on road bikes were cruising by. Got a road bike - mega difference - got a tri bike big difference but not so great - changed gearing, marginal diffrence. See where I am going - diminishing returns. Yes a road bike will be faster as that is what it is designed to do but also fitness is of course a major factor.



    See my old thread here about choosing my tri bike

    http://forum.220magazine.com/tm.asp?m=14306&mpage=1&key=&#14306
  • andyb99andyb99 Posts: 229
    thanks for the reply guys, i do have to say they have all been riding for year and i'm very new...i think i will get a road bike but it will have to be next year cause i want a new R1 to replace my fireblade (which i can beat them on) this year aswell....lol.



    I just cant see how it can be that much faster because of thinner tyres and drop bars...my bike is not heavy at all..only slight lighter than one of the guys brand new bikes he got this weekend....is the gearing different?? making speed up hill easier??

    or just their legs??....i hope thats the case so i'll get better.
  • shadowone1shadowone1 Posts: 1,408
    Andy,



    A road is miles faster, look at formula 1 when the move to slick to intermediates, they slow drastically.



    At the end of the day the rider makes the difference. The bike can only do so much, its the effort that goes into the bike. My bike is really heavy but I'm still rattling out 30kph (depending on the course).



    The big thing is to chose the correct road bike that suits you and one that you'll like. At the end of the day you'll upgrade it anyway with better components that will marginally trim times, as zacnici says its the deminishing returns.

  • treefrogtreefrog Posts: 1,242
    GET A ROAD BIKE You will go MUCH faster and enjoy cycling more
  • SuperCazSuperCaz Posts: 54
    I have the same bike, because a year ago I was a complete novice. It was the first time that I had got on a bike since I failed my cycling proficiency!

    Yes, I am sure that you will go faster on a proper road bike, but I have used mine in three triathlons (sprints) and not done too badly. So I would say that it is a great beginner bike and I will continue to use mine when cycling around town etc, but I do intend to get a better bike for next season.

    Given what a complete bike numpty I am, I think I made the right decision when I bought it. The more substantial frame and wheels have given me the confidence to keep at it, whereas a better bike probably would have scared me more and put me off completely.
  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    all I can add is that having crashed around, not at all seriously, on a MTB for a few months, when I got my road bike (and that an entry level price wise, nothing bling) the description that it warranted is

    SEX ON WHEELS.

    do it.

    Just don;t feel dirty.... ;-)

    didds
  • clv101clv101 Posts: 45
    Around the same hilly route I can mange around 15mph over 8 miles on my mountain bike (front suspension, Al frame, Kona Blast) with slick tyres. On the carbon road bike it's more like 19mph average and I can sustain it for much longer.
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    Get a road bike. I paid less than £300 for mine of Ebay (got lucky and got a brand new bike that someone didnt want). Best purchase ever. It's also given me the impetus to get out there and train my arse off to improve my dismal cycling.
  • FlavadaveFlavadave Posts: 749
    Do it do it do it.

    Buy the best bike you can afford you won't regret it.
  • andyb99andyb99 Posts: 229
    well i did get the best bike i could afford.(i'm the OP in case you've come straight to the second page) ...and its not exactly a mountain bike (i had one of them and it was really heavy)....i've got the first tri this weekend then i'm hoping to get in boundry breeze (on reserve list) and then will be taking part in the NW tri which had quite a bit of trail riding....i think i'll stick with it and buy a road bike next year so i can have both.
  • cammykcammyk Posts: 36
    I was a non cyclist and I trained for two months on a 15kg mountain bike with nobbly tires. My best time trial on a 20K circuit was 48 minutes. I got a 7kg road bike and dropped it to 42 minutes and then got real cycling shoes and clip pedals and dropped to 39 minutes. Obviously still training in there as well so not down to the gear and not all down to just the bike as shoes/pedals made almost as much difference.

    A hybrid would obviously be somewhere in between but as you can see the differences are only in the 10%-20% range so its not twice as fast or anything. A lot depends on your budget and more importantly whether you'll keep it up. Its no good spunking a grand on a bike for just a season. I see a lot of folks splashing big cash on bikes and its clear that not everyone keeps it up.

    Its also a good idea to use new kit and upgrades as a motivational tool. don't try and buy a fast time. Get into the sport then grow into it gear wise. A gradual improvement over time due to a mix of training and gear upgrades will be much more rewarding and motivational in the medium to long term than buying everything up front. This is what a lot of folk do and when they plateau performance wise they get bored.

    It also gives you a chance to build a solid opinion on what you like and need as training will show you what your personal style is and what gear suits you best. Don't just go on the opinions of others, we are all different.

    As regards bikes. its a big investment and there is a lot of shiney metal out there looking to kill your credit card. so tread slowly.....

    I just bought a normal road bike as it looked less freaky for training on and I'd potentially just like to cycle sometimes. Second hand prices can be a joke and I found people looking for 60-75% of new purchase price for gear that was 18 months old.

    all the best
    Cammy
  • IronABSIronABS Posts: 66
    When i first decided to start taking on triathlons all i had was a hybrid a Cannondale BadBoy 08 - Now triathlon has well and truly got under my skin i somehow have become the owner of four bikes, i've still got the BadBoy for commuting, a Specialized Allez Elite 08 for training, a Cannondale F6 Mountain Bike for winter commuting & off roading & a Focus Culebro Tria for racing!!!! I just need a track bike to complete the set and have promised myself one if i ever get that accreditation at the Velodrome.

    Triathlon heaven for the soul, hell for the wallet!!!!
  • mumu Posts: 24
    I did my first couple of races on a hybrid, and it was great. After a few races I got a road bike so that I could do Ironman UK (They don't allow mountain bikes. Not sure about hybrids, but I though I'd better err on the side of caution). With about the same level of fitness, I immediately knocked 10 minutes off of my olympic distance race times.
    I put it down to a more tucked position, and less rolling resistance.
    And improving my pb with no extra effort (probably a little less), priceless!!
  • andyb99andyb99 Posts: 229
    Hi MU...dont worry about hybrids in IM....i wont ever make it to an IM....but i'm gonna stick with the hybrid for the 3 races i'm doing this year...and get a road bike next year if i'm building up to OD...or just riding with my mates more.
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