Cycling- Road or Hybrid?

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#1211432 9-Jan-2015 22:15

Technofreak:
tdgeek: FITTING

I think I read that if you have the right frame, and the seat height set correctly, that you will be on tippy toes when stopped at the lights. To ensure the riding knee bend is efficient.
Is that ballpark?

From memory I think so.

No! Don't use that as a measure.

You will quite likely be on tippy toes on a lot of bikes. But, that's not the fit.

Technofreak

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#1211433 9-Jan-2015 22:17

I hope you can learn from my mistake.
It's way too heavy,
I spend most of the time compressing and releasing the rear suspension ( which I can't lock out)
and the suspension isn't the advantage i thought it would be with the tarmac tyres.
As a mountain bike it's "ok", as a road bike it's miles to heavy

I'll second the heavy statement. I picked up one of my nephews mountain bikes a while back, it was smaller than either of my bikes BUT noticeably heavier. I was quite surprised at the difference.

I see people riding these sorts on bikes on the likes of the Taupo or Taranaki cycle challenges and wonder how much harder it is for these riders. Long rides with some good hills, it's hard work on these bikes, I never know whether to pity or admire their efforts.

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Technofreak

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#1211446 9-Jan-2015 22:39

JWR:
Technofreak:
tdgeek: FITTING

I think I read that if you have the right frame, and the seat height set correctly, that you will be on tippy toes when stopped at the lights. To ensure the riding knee bend is efficient.
Is that ballpark?

From memory I think so.

No! Don't use that as a measure.

You will quite likely be on tippy toes on a lot of bikes. But, that's not the fit.

Remember tdgeek said ball park not an exact fit.

Actually, one site infers exactly what tdgeek mentioned when discussing size and setup. A common mistake is for people to think that they should be able to sit on their seat and still plant their feet firmly on the ground. Riders should come off their saddles and straddle the bar when stopping the bike. If you can sit on the seat and touch your feet to the ground other than on tippy-toes, your seat is too low. http://bicycling.about.com/od/howtoride/ss/Frame_size_2.htm#step-heading

Take a look at this site to get an idea of what size you need. http://www.ebicycles.com/bicycle-tools/frame-sizer

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andrewNZ

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#1211456 9-Jan-2015 23:07

I didn't read the full thread, and it's been a long time since I've ridden a bike, but I used to have one as my sole transport for around 10 years.

Higher tyre pressure means a harder ride, but also a FAR easier ride. I used to run 80 psi most of the time, my best tyres ran at 100 psi. Your butt will get used to it.

Full suspension sucks all your power and makes for a very difficult commute. I used to ride 10km to work, 100m on a full suspension bike had me stuffed

Kevlar tyres are AWESOME, significantly less punctures. There is a product that helps reduce punctures in a standard tyre, it's a plastic strip that runs between the tyre and tube. The one puncture I had with that stuff actually destroyed the tyre too.

Carry spare tubes. You don't fix punctures when commuting, just hook out the tube, find the glass that caused it (you need to find it or it'll just hole the next tube), bung in a new tube, pump it up and go. If there's a servo close, minimal pumping is required.
I had 4 - 5 tubes and rotated them as needed.

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#1211765 10-Jan-2015 21:15

I have a Trek Wahoo - a hard tail '29er'. 29ers are designed as hybrid on and off road bikes. I use it for commuting to work and riding easy-medium grade off road tracks. I found that the bike is not really suitable for anything too intense - for example Makara Peak in Wellington put my bike under lots of pressure, needed brakes replaced after a few rides up there and a few other minor issues. Since getting it repaired I've stuck to the river trails etc and it's perfect. Only cost around $600 too.

http://www.trekbikes.com/nz/en/bikes/2013/archive/trek/wahoo/#/nz/en/archive-model/details?url=nz/en/bikes/2013/archive/trek/wahoo

blackjack17

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#1211861 11-Jan-2015 08:12

As far as tires go, I used to get flats every week or so. Since getting these nearly two years ago not one flat.

http://www.torpedo7.co.nz/products/INTYRN904/title/innova-puncture-resistant-road-tyre---700c

and only $18 I highly recommend

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#1211873 11-Jan-2015 09:06

Make sure all the gears shift nicely and don't stick between 1 and 2 in the rear.

I swear by disc brakes. I don't like bikes without them if you plan on going through mud or puddles anywhere. Having disc brakes also lets you put some tyre shine/silicone spray on the rubber too if you like a nice new looking bike:o)

Watch out for cheap deraileurs that have plastic sprockets.

I'm also a big fan of aluminum bikes and rims. They are lighter and stay looking tidy and rust free on the inside.

If you get sick of being cut off by idiots replace your little bell/sounding device with an AirZound. It's saved my bacon a few times from idiots that think it's fine to cut a bicycle off. They also scare the s$#t out of dogs if any come chasing.

edit: I have a 29'er. It's much nicer to ride a bike that's more suited to your height. Doesn't hurt the wrists as much, especially if you plan on typing half the day.

Dratsab

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#1211895 11-Jan-2015 10:35

A huge factor in discomfort is incorrect fit - this means seat height, seat fore/aft position, handlebar height and stem length. Whatever you end up buying, get it fitted to you properly. Although the last 10 or so years have tailed off sharply, I've got almost 36 years road cycling under my belt (starting with a Raleigh Arena in 1979) including racing with a few clubs and competing against others, so I have a bias towards road bikes. However, from what you've posted, I think the first answer from scuwp about a hardtail MTB is a good one.

Put road slicks on it for commuting/general riding and put knobbly's on it when you want to go off road. I have a Diamondback Vectra Sport MTB which is a hardtail bike I've been using for a bit of commuting lately. The suspension has a lockout on top of the right-hand fork so when I'm going uphill I stop the suspension from operating with a simple press of a button and none of my pedal power is lost through suspension movement. Going downhill, I press the button again to get the suspension operating and it takes a lot of the vibration out of my hands/arms making the ride a lot more comfortable.

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#1211936 11-Jan-2015 14:04

The question you need to ask is how committed are you to keep cycling and what exactly is your goal.

You can buy a new bike and go off with all the best intentions and it ends up in the garage gathering dust so the money is wasted.

Alternatively you buy a cheap new bike and fine you like it and quickly realise you need something better, once again money wasted.

Personally I would suggest you buy a MTB off tradme (second hand) as there is a lot of bike you can buy for $500-$800. A lot of bikes on sale there are from people upgrading or buying something on a new years whim to lose weight then found they weren't into it.

Don't buy hybrid they are mainly for road or grass, road racing bikes are for speed and fitness but aren't cheap so the MTB is something that is good for road or trails. Disc brakes are a must as they don't suffer in the wet nor do they wear your rims down, they just make sense. Research models you see on trademe to ensure they are a good bike not one of the cheapo ones for under $200 you see in the warehouse that aren't recommended for off road. Full suspension is a waste if you are mainly on the road as it adds weight and you lose a percentage of your power into them and for a decent one you need to be paying a lot of money.

Don't worry about seat heights, punctures etc until you get on the road as unless you are intending to do a lot of riding it matters little. Use google there is a huge amount of information out there.

Best option is to borrow a bike from a friend for a couple of weeks to see if you like it but I wouldn't rush in to buy a bike from Bikebarn or likes until you know what you need instead of what you want. Most bike shops will advise you based on wanting to sell you one of their bikes, once again ask around or research.

edit: a good example of reasonable bike on Trademe

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#1211955 11-Jan-2015 15:54

Does hydraulic disc brake confer any advantage or disadvantage to the standard go to work user?

Dratsab

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#1211968 11-Jan-2015 17:16

joker97: Does hydraulic disc brake confer any advantage or disadvantage to the standard go to work user?

Oh yes, it's far easier to grab the front brake and flip yourself off the bike ;-)

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Technofreak

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#1211977 11-Jan-2015 17:40

jeffnz:
Personally I would suggest you buy a MTB off tradme (second hand) as there is a lot of bike you can buy for $500-$800. A lot of bikes on sale there are from people upgrading or buying something on a new years whim to lose weight then found they weren't into it.

I'd agree on the Trade me suggestion, but not necessarily the MTB suggestion see below.

Don't buy hybrid they are mainly for road or grass, road racing bikes are for speed and fitness but aren't cheap so the MTB is something that is good for road or trails. Disc brakes are a must as they don't suffer in the wet nor do they wear your rims down, they just make sense.

Did you read the original post? It would seem the bike will be manly used for commuting. A a road bike would be good for just commuting and a hybrid would be perfect for that and a bit of light trail stuff. For that sort of riding disk brakes are totally unnecessary.

Research models you see on trademe to ensure they are a good bike not one of the cheapo ones for under $200 you see in the warehouse that aren't recommended for off road. Full suspension is a waste if you are mainly on the road as it adds weight and you lose a percentage of your power into them and for a decent one you need to be paying a lot of money.

I agree entirely

Don't worry about seat heights,.

I disagree the fit is very important.

Best option is to borrow a bike from a friend for a couple of weeks to see if you like it but I wouldn't rush in to buy a bike from Bikebarn or likes until you know what you need instead of what you want. Most bike shops will advise you based on wanting to sell you one of their bikes, once again ask around or research.

Good advice, try more than bike and one style of bike.

Also remember different types of bike will ride differently, so don't write off one just because it feels different. E.G. You tend to ride a little more up right on some hybrids than you would on a road bike and definitely more so once you use the "drops" on a road bike. If you're not used to the drops they can feel rather "different" to start with, but once you're used to them, using the drops in some situations is very worthwhile, e.g. into a headwind you can lower you whole body and markedly reduce the wind resistance.

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#1211980 11-Jan-2015 17:50

Technofreak:

Don't worry about seat heights,.

I disagree the fit is very important.

its secondary thing that can be adjusted as and when required, if its only commuting short distances close enough is good enough. A different story if you are riding a lot I agree.

As for commuting, a MTB is still preferable as it gives other options and with road tyres it is as good on road as hybrid if not better. If the Op isn't sure then MTB is better than a road bike.

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#1211985 11-Jan-2015 18:02

Dratsab:
joker97: Does hydraulic disc brake confer any advantage or disadvantage to the standard go to work user?
Oh yes, it's far easier to grab the front brake and flip yourself off the bike ;-)

why?

scuwp

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#1212059 11-Jan-2015 19:40

joker97: Does hydraulic disc brake confer any advantage or disadvantage to the standard go to work user?

They still work in the wet :-) And are (in my experience) much more progressive and powerful. They do add weight (for commuting this would be negligible), and they look wayyyy coool!!!!

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