Touring bikes vs. Hybrid Mountain Bikes

dabac

Loosely speaking a touring bike is based on a road bike while a hybrid is based on a MTB. They can be fairly similar in many aspects, but they have started at different ends of the scale and worked themselves inwards. A tourer is likely to have a longer wheel base than a hybrid, allowing for more sedate turning characteristics and a comfier ride.

It is not ideal if you're really keen on going far and fast, but it will work. Decent gearing, usually decent rolling resistance. The upright position makes it easier to take in the scenery. You'll lose a bit in aerodynamics, but a lot of people prefers the comfort of straight/riser bars anyhow.

Whatever you buy, go for quality.Touring quickly lets you log an impressive number of miles, and it's no fun being stranded by a failure a long way from home.