The Hybrid Bicycle Blog

Will be using as a commuter bike-half asphalt-half side walk-10 miles to work one way. I purchased a diamondback maravista-it did OK on my first day-if I decide to upgrade in 6 mos. anybody have any ideas??

check out KHS, Trek, Specialized, and Giant

stay away from Raleigh and Diamondback

There is no way to answer your question due to what works for me will not work for you.
Some will recommend from experience a thinly padded, narrow racing saddle. For me, it feels like I am sitting on a dull axe.
Some will recommend a leather saddle such as a Brooks. Again for me, I would rather ride without a saddle and stand the whole trip than try to sit on a leather saddle.
Due to your anatomy, one of the seats could be the best for comfort.
You just need to buy a saddle and give it a try.
I tried 7 different saddles on my tandem before I found one that would provide comfort for 4 to 6 hours in the saddle.
Good Luck
PS, I still own and use an old Spenco gel pad. It has saved me on many occasions.

I’ve got a Trek 7300 hybrid bike with Bontrager Invert HardCase, 700x35c tires. I rode over some rocks the other day and began wondering how harsh of a trail my bike can handle.

You can ride on dirt, but I would avoid anything with a lot of technical trail features–rocks, logs, roots mostly. The bike is not designed to handle well over this kind of stuff (geometry of the bike helps a lot in maneuvering around this). Do not take it off any jumps or drops, even a foot. These bikes are designed to handle paved and dirt paths, but not real trail riding. The welds may not be as deep at the joints and the geometry is not designed for aggressive trail riding.

If you are riding on dirt and find you do not have enough traction, you should get something with a little bit of knobby action…try some cyclocross tires in the 35mm range, since you know your frame can handle that, or if your bike can handle it, find some relatively skinny 29er mountain bike tires (maybe 1.5-1.75inch). These will likely run you at least $30 per tire. Make sure the tires do not rub the frame anywhere and you have plenty of clearance on the fork and the seatstays.

As for the wheels, as long as you avoid technical stuff and jumps, they should hold up fine. You may need to get them trued more often (straightened). Also make sure you have enough air in your tires so you do not pinch flat or bend your rimes.

brand and model, what is good for comfort and endurance, reliability

The best selling bikes are Walmart and other department store bikes but are the lowest quality. The best quality bikes are from bike shops brand is not important. The shop can help you chose the best bike for your needs and help you select the correct frame size. It will depend on what you want to do with the bike.

I don’t actually have a hybrid, but I could take apart a bunch of my other bikes and combine them into a hybrid.

In any case, you could put drop bars on a hybrid, but it would be somewhat of a pain. The biggest problem you’ll face are with the brake shifter levers. Typically, a hybrid will have separate brake levers and shifters. On a bike with drop handlebars, you will have combined brake/shifters. Putting separate brake levers and shifters on drop handlebars might work, but I suspect they’ll be pretty awkward. Thus, to put drop handlebars on your hybrid, you will probably need to get some combined brake/shifters.

Secondly, you may find the height and extension of the handlebars uncomfortable. This may necessitate a new handlebar stem and some additional spacers on the steering tube (if there is room) to make everything feel right.

Obviously, there issues are easy to overcome, but it may cost a good bit more than simply buying a drop handlebar.

Hope this helps.

Nothing beats the plush ride of a spring, but they’re not as versatile or efficient for pedalling unless you buy one of the expensive models. They’re heavy, too. They’re pretty indestructible, though. It can be a hassle to dial in the spring until you ride a few bikes and learn a little about spring selection.

Air shocks are great…..lightweight and very versatile. Most of them are much better quality than they were just 5 years ago, but they can still fail and leave you with a flat shock and no way to fix it. Springs very rarely break, so they’re dependable. With air, you can make them plush or stiff, your choice. I’d strongly recommend that you pick a model that has platform/threshhold dampening….that means that you can set the shock to stay a little stiff until you hit a bump big enough to open up a valve and let the shock sink into full travel. Shocks without that feature are pretty spongey and bouncy unless you set them up stiff. That can be ok if you don’t ride aggressively or have to tackle technical uphills, but otherwise it’s not as enjoyable to have your front end squishing and bobbing all the time (or to have a stiff fork setting that prevents that and at the same time makes you feel like you’re almost riding a ridid fork).

A good option for agressive riders that might take some abusive jumps is a coil/air model. It’s a good durable combination.

It’s up to you, just depends on your preferences and how you ride. Hope this helps some! )

I need a bike that is hybrid but want it to look sporty like a racer but with straight handle bars and these bikes are in my local shops so if anyone has any experience of these?

The bicycle business is so competitive today that any two bikes at the same price point are very likely to be equivalent values. The only thing that really matters is which bike fits best and feels best to you, the person who will ride it. Test ride each bike and pick the one that feels best to you. You can usually tell this very soon after sitting on the bike and riding it for just a few minutes. Buy the bike that feels best to you. It is the one you will use the most and enjoy the most.

HTH

What is the best hybrid bicycle for a 5’6" woman? Are there any brands that are the most durable? Any tips?

Durability is not determined by brand, it is more a function of price point. All brands except for low end department store house brands build bikes of varying quality. You can’t compare a $300 bike of one brand to a $700 bike of another brand. You need to get out to a few bike shops where you can see various bikes and compare them side by side.

I am a complete beginner looking to buy a decent bike which I would use on the roads to get fit and to also commute to work. There is the odd occasion where I might take it onto mud tracks, but not often. I like the Claud Butler Chinook or Levante (both road bikes) or a Claud Butler Urban 100 (a hybrid bike).

Apart from the obvious (road bikes being faster and unsuitable for off-roading and hybrids being abit of everything) whats the difference? And which would you reccommend??

Any advice on this would be really really appreciated! Thanks!!

I started the same way, and went for a hybrid with smooth tires (slicks). They have much less rolling resistance than knobbies. Your bike shop should do the switch, or you can do it yourself for not much $. I used by hybrid for several distance rides (Boston to New York) and did just fine. Hybrids are a good way to start.

I strongly dislike using my road bike for commuting. Road bikes get beat up on city streets with pot holes and debris. Sooner or later, a rim gets bent. Of course, they can’t do mud or trails.

That having been said, once I tried a road bike for distance rides, I never went back. The road bikes are lighter, faster, and require less work per mile. I recently gave away that 7 year old hybrid, it served me well, but got forced out of the garage by my four road bikes. (That’s another story.)

Which one is better? What are thepros and cons for both.Thanks

Hybrids are the middle ground between mountain bikes and road racing bikes.

Hybrid performance is for those who want a more upright riding position, but not too upright that you catch every bit of wind. These bikes have skinnier faster tires and perhaps lighter components than hybrid comfort bikes…. but not to the degree of a road bike. The skinnier tires let you go faster easier than with fatter tires. If you go on a long charity ride and don’t want to fall too behind the pack, get one of these.

Hybrid comfort is for those who want maximum comfort and are willing to give up a little speed and efficiency to get it. Fatter tires are slower rolling, but absorb more road vibrations. They have a higher more upright riding position. The seat is cushier. It might even have a suspension seat post. I have to disagree with the other gal about riding long distances…these bikes are not very efficient for long rides. A long time in a soft saddle will make your butt go numb. Hybrid comfort bike are good for 3 hour rides of 20 miles or so…max….then it gets real uncomfortable. But they are still great for short errands and fitness rides.

Spend at least $450 to get something decent.