Road bike or Hybrid??

jennifur

jennifur

Cathlete
Hi Everyone,

I'm sure there are some serious cyclists out there. i am new to cycling and have been riding an old crappy mountain bike on the local trails. I would like to step it up and get a bike for the road. I live in a very hilly area that attracts a lot of serious road cyclists. I'm trying to decide which would be better a hybrid or road bike. I'm hoping to train for some century rides. The one thing I need to overcome is the fear I have of losiing control on a steep downhill. I feel like a have a decent level of fitness between spinning and heavy leg work so I don't feel like my fitness level is really a big factor. i'm just a bit of a chicken on the road.I'd rather slug it out on a brutal uphill than come speeding down. I have heard differing opinions. Many people have said that initially I'd probably prefer a hybrid but once I got comfortable I'd probably want to up grade to a road bike. I'd hate to spend $1000 on a hybrid only to want a faster bike in 6 months. I'd REALLY appreciate any thoughts or ideas. I'm really torn ( but excited to get a bike too). Thanks!! Jen
 
I have a hybrid. I have never ridden one of those specialized bikes. If you only want to do road work I think you should get a bike meant for the road. I don't blame you for being scared, I'm not up to those intense downhill grades either. Its funny, most people walk uphill and ride downhill. I'm the opposite. I ride uphill, and walk downhill.
 
Do you have local bike shops near you that carry both road and hybrids? I highly recommend trying both of them out and see how they feel. I bought a Trek hybrid a few years ago and primarily ride on paved trails but have serious road bike envy. My rides are usually around 25 miles and I'll be riding hard on the trail while people on road bikes pass me up with little effort:mad: IMHO, if you plan to train for some century rides, I would get a road bike.
 
Thank you both so much for responding to my query.I just came back from a ride on my mountain bike. I have never ridden it on the road before and decided to figure out my level of fear with it on the road.I am amazed at how much more I preferred being on the road even on a mountain bike! I am going to the bike shops in a little while, but I feel like that ride answered it for me.My main concern was that i would have road bike envy if I got a hybrid, although I was looking at the Trek hybrid and it looked really nice. I think I'm going with the road bike. Rapid Breath- I laughed at the riding up the hill and walking down- that definitely sounds like me! Thanks again.
 
If you want to get serious and do century rides, etc. definitely go with a road bike--you will love it! :D
 
you mentioned that you would like to do century rides. you should opt for the road bike. check w/ your LBS and make sure you get them to fit you for the bike. I bet they have some local group rides you could join. you will want to learn how to ride in a group before you attempt a century, in addition to the training of course! if descending is still an issue for you, see if there are any clinics offered on basic bike handling skills. and watch other riders...what they do. if the descent isn't too long you could probably stay in the saddle, but most often you will want to stand on the pedals, chest forward over the bars and weight over the bottom bracket. there are a lot of things to cover...i bet you will find someone who can work with you one on one. have fun! cycling is addicting!!
 
i went to my LBS and spent about an hour with such a helpful guy.Before I went to the store I tried my mountain bike on the road (prior to this I only took it on trails)to see how I felt sharing the road with cars. Even on that heavy old bike I realized that road riding could be so much more fun. I went to the bike store knowing that I'd want a road bike. We found a really nice Trek that was the right size.I realized that when a bike is the proper size it is much easier to be in control of it( duh!!) The shop has rides 3x a week, with a 25-30 mile ride every Saturday. I'll have to build up to that, but I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime.....i'm waiting til next week. The bike is going to be a birthday present from my husband. The first time in recent years I've wanted my birthday to come quicker :) Thanks for the info. I'm excited to have a new goal.
 
Congrats on your new bike purchase. Cycling is so fun! I was going to tell you that not all road bikes are created equal. I first bought a used road bike that was a good road bike and it was the right size but SO fast it was just scary as H-E-double hockey sticks. Then I got a Specialized Sequoia...perfect for me...suspension seat post, handle bars are not below the seat level....way way way more comfortable and a bit less fast. I know some serious cyclists say this type was a starter bike for them, but I love mine and plan on keeping it!

What kind of Trek did you get?
 
The bike is for my birthday which is a week away!!!! So I haven't actually gotten it yet.......anticipation is fun. I know that my husband is getting it( the kids confirmed it)It's a Trek Lexa S or SL Trek makes different levels of the Lexa I think the S is the second one up. It's a new line for 2011 which replaces the Trek 1.5- they just renamed it. I'm really excited to get it. I've been looking at all kinds of cold weather gear and getting advice. I'm one of those strange people that enjoys cold weather just as long as I've got the right gear. We are all supposed to run the local Turkey Trot that day, that's going to be hard for me to do with a new bike waiting to be ridden.I just might have to do both:p:p.
 
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