Road bike v. hybrid dilemma

mloc

I'm having a bit of a dilemma at the moment...

My girlfriend bought me a Giant Defy 4 (2010 model) for my birthday... a pretty great gift.

It's my first road bike, and truth be told a little intimidating coming from a hybrid/mountain bike casual background.

The primary use is a 2 mile commute, but also with a view to getting in a few longer rides at the weekend. The road conditions on the commute aren't fantastic, with a few ramps and dodgy surfacing here and there. With this in mind, I still have the opportunity to exchange for a similarly priced tourer/hybrid.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do...

mtbireland

Stick with the road bike.... 2 miles...? speed ramps??? welcome to every day commuting but multiple the distance by five and add in pot holes and much more.... hybrid will make no difference... stick with it... take the bike on longer spins and enjoy....

blorg

A road bike is well up to any road condition that exists in Ireland. If you want to do longer spins stick with it. If you don't want to do longer spins a hybrid might be better.

smacl

Out of interest, what specifically intimidates you about the road bike. Reason I ask is that when I came to buy my first decent bike earlier this year I also felt intimidated by a road bike and plumped for a hybrid. What got me was the drop handlebars and very thin wheels made the whole thing appear a lot less stable and more difficult to ride. Now I love my hybrid, but;

- You're slower than the equivalent road bike for similar work rates
- Some clubs, e.g. Orwell, won't let you join without a drop handle bar road bike.
- I'm told it's less comfortable on long spins, I certainly have a pretty sore a$$ after 100k+ spins.

Plusses are that it is stable, comfortable, and great for coilte forest tracks as well as roads. You can also climb up walls in the lower gears.

In your position, I'd get wider wheels and/or tyres (puncture resistent for the commute) and possibly a set of flat bars for the roadie to give it a more hybrid feel, while keeping future options open without having to change bike. I didn't think any of the above factors would be important six months ago; now they all are.

FWIW, my sister swapped from a Dawes hybrid to a Giant roadie a couple of months ago, and spins she was finding very tough going she now finds very doable. I reckon she's about 10%-15% faster and a whole lot more comfortable.

G rock

had a similar decision to make when i got my first bike two months ago.

went for a road bike and definitely don't regret it. using it for a shortish (20k) commute and spins at the weekend (up to about 80k now).

had reservations about how comfortable it may be for a beginner but in no doubt now that it's the best bet.

stick with the road bike

Jawgap

Road bike, especially if your intention is to push on to greater distances. I started with a hybrid and very quickly wished I'd opted for a road bike as the distances grew.

One point.....does your commute have to be 2 miles? Any way you could lengthen it? If you're going to get dressed up, you might as well have somnewhere to go:)

Good luck with it.

kenmc

Road bike.
I got a Giant FCR for similar reasons as already posted - "security" in traffic, quick access to brakes etc.
Very quickly switched the handlebars and gears to turn it into an SCR.

Canis Lupus

+1 for road bike (be brave and just go clipless as well). Initially they're a bit weird but you get accustomed in next to no time and once you do you'll appreciate the speed and control road bikes afford you.

You can also then legitimately shave your legs and wear ridiculously tight clothing.

briano

Get a set of Gatorskins for it. Those Kenda tyres are useless for commuting

kenmc

briano wrote: »

Get a set of Gatorskins for it. Those Kenda tyres are useless for commuting

Fixed

Highway_To_Hell

briano wrote: »

Get a set of Gatorskins for it. Those Kenda tyres are useless for commuting

The kenda tyres came standard on my Charge Plug, 9 punctures in 2 weeks forced a change to gatorskins.

BostonB

mloc wrote: »

...
I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do...

Try it for a month anyway.

funkyjebus

man up and use the road bike!!

Caroline_ie

I have had the same Kenda Tires on my fixie for the past 2 years and I have even cycled long distances on them and I think I've has less than 5 punctures on them. They're not that bad really.

BostonB

Some routes are worse for punctures than others. I think thats more of a factor why some get more punctures than others.

Road bike all the way, again and again I hear people voice the concern that road bikes are in some way fragile and that the mere sight of a pothole will cause them to fall to pieces. Absolute myth. I'd hazard a guess that your commute isn't as rough as this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSf3TWjL97U