anyone gone from road to hybrid cycle????

[tired legs]

hi all as i understand it a hybrid is a cross between a road bike and mountain bike, the hybrid has wheels ranging from 26-700c may come with front suspention ,seat post suspention gel saddle,

front chain set seems to be only avaliable with 48-26 gear ratios around about 11-32 or simular.

having recently purchased diamondback maravista made by raliegh having 48-26 chainset 170mm crank 11-32 gearing f/sus/ seat post/sus i do find it more comftable to ride than older cycle with simular gearing but hard saddle no suspention.

however the one thing i was slight dubious about was the fact that most hybrids have 48 chainwheels where as my older road bike i believe had a bigger chain wheel and possible longer cranks so i was doing less revolutions with road cycle than say hybrid,

it has kindly been pointed out to me on this forum that 48/11 ratio is simular but i find because the chainring is smaller and possible crank length affects this also i am doing more rpm ( in a smaller diameter circle)

the only hybrid was one of the specialised range with bigger chainring but was out of my price range,

having looked at my chainring it is a rivited type with crank as one unit , ideally would like to change 48 for larger but i do not think this is possible.

so would be interested how members find swapping road to hybrid
thank you

 

[alfeng]

hi all as i understand it a hybrid is a cross between a road bike and mountain bike, the hybrid has wheels ranging from 26-700c may come with front suspention ,seat post suspention gel saddle,

front chain set seems to be only avaliable with 48-26 gear ratios around about 11-32 or simular.

having recently purchased diamondback maravista made by raliegh having 48-26 chainset 170mm crank 11-32 gearing f/sus/ seat post/sus i do find it more comftable to ride than older cycle with simular gearing but hard saddle no suspention.

however the one thing i was slight dubious about was the fact that most hybrids have 48 chainwheels where as my older road bike i believe had a bigger chain wheel and possible longer cranks so i was doing less revolutions with road cycle than say hybrid,

it has kindly been pointed out to me on this forum that 48/11 ratio is simular but i find because the chainring is smaller and possible crank length affects this also i am doing more rpm ( in a smaller diameter circle)

the only hybrid was one of the specialised range with bigger chainring but was out of my price range,

having looked at my chainring it is a rivited type with crank as one unit , ideally would like to change 48 for larger but i do not think this is possible.

so would be interested how members find swapping road to hybrid
thank you

Most hybrids seem to have 4-arm 104BCD cranksets; and, 48t is the largest chairing that I know of for that crank-type.

The attached picture is not really a hybrid, but it MAY be considered comparable -- if I had mounted a CX fork & "flat" bars, it would probably look MORE like a hybrid -- it is an extra MTB frame that I had onto which I mounted a ROAD fork & 700c tires. The crank is a ROAD crank (52/39) which was mounted on a 118mm ISIS bottom bracket intended for a triple because I needed the EXTRA spindle length to ensure that the larger 52t chainring could clear the chainstays.

If you still have your road bike, you may be able to put (temporarily-or-permanantly, as you choose) your road crank on your hybrid ... that way, you will know if you want a crank with a larger chainring on the hybrid.

If both cranks have square tapers, then you may be able to do a (relatively) "simple" swap ... you'll need a crank puller, of course; and, you'll need to adjust the front derailleur's position on the seat tube. However, you may also need a bottom bracket with a longer spindle.

You CAN change the current crank and/or bottom bracket if your budget allows it ...

A 48t large chainring with an 11t small cog is actually a pretty high gear ... 30+ years ago, a 52t chainring with a 14t small cog was the norm!

FWIW. I "love" hybrids ... some people see them as a compromise, but I see them as being bikes which have all the potential for customization/modification that owner could want.

For the too-cool-set, the hardtail 29ers are essentially more expensive hybrids ...

 

[tired legs]

thanks alfeng unfortunately i got rid of my road bike some time ago in a way i wish i had kept it , in hindsight maybe the addition of padded saddle or seatpost with suspention would have made things just that bit more comftable,

my last cycle was 13-28 gearing but the thing i noted most was the differance between the road bike larger chainwheel vs 48 t vertions,

on my cycle the crank and chainwheels appear to be one unit ,the crank is peened over the chainwheel,

thanks alfeng

 

[gclark8]

Hi UK man with the tired legs. Try a higher cadence...

To me a Hybrid is the Giant FCR, using road components and MTB brakes to allow for larger tyres: http://www.giant-bicycle.com/uk/030.000.000/030.010.000.asp?model=10349

 

[alfeng]

my last cycle was 13-28 gearing but the thing i noted most was the differance between the road bike larger chainwheel vs 48 t vertions,

on my cycle the crank and chainwheels appear to be one unit ,the crank is peened over the chainwheel ...

After another month-or-so, if you feel as though the 48t chainring & 11t cog aren't a high enough combination, then you can certainly fit a ROAD crank that which you should be able to pick up on eBay for about $30US + shipping.

OR, here's a possible bargain in waiting:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-Ultegra-Chainset-52-39-175mm-9-speed_W0QQitemZ7247561853QQihZ015QQcategoryZ72573QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem​

I am guessing that your current crankset has a square taper, so you'll probably need a "new" bottom bracket since the crank in the particular eBay listing uses Shimano's OCTALINK ... I presume your bike's frame is aluminum, so a 118mm BB is the better length even though the longer spindle is theoretically designated for a triple.

In another month, your local bike shop should have its end-of-season sales going at full speed ... OR, you could just mention to them that you'd be interested in a used ROAD crank in good condition that they may take into inventory during an upgrade (or, have!) of another bike AND tell them your budget ...

 

[tired legs]

thanks alfeng went for a ride yesterday got onto a nice bit of road slight downhill slope, 48t chainring 2nd cog in from right (not sure what the cog size actually is on 11-32 cassette) peddaled as hard as i could for a short distance and managed to reach only 15 mph according to my cheapo cycle computer??


a bit later going up a long hilly bit of road using 26t 32 sprocket about 5 mph max, someone passed me like a rocket on a road bike with single cog on rear, it was like the hare and the tortoise, the person riding was much younger than my 57 years, no doubt fitter and more experienced ,

not sure what road cycles acctually weigh and have skinny tyres etc but cant help feeling that regardless of my very modest cycling ability i am dragging round a cycle that is probberbly 26lbs+ in weight.

having looked on the internet my chainset is suntour xcc100 which is a cheapo costing £15 did see something called suntour comp 8/9 speed though i went for the 11-32 because a lot of the specialised range of cycle use this combo but cycle was a bit out of price range .

not sure if changing the rear cassette for something a bit less higher gearing would be of benifit ,

anyway i am going to stick with this for a while and see if i cannot improve a bit on cycling performance'

thanks for info

 

[gclark8]

From: http://www.diamondback.com/items.asp?deptid=5&itemid=187

Tires: Puncture-Resistant Kenda Cross w/ K-shield 700x40c

T L change the tyres for something skinny, slick and high pressure... like Conti Ultra Gator skin in 25 or 28mm or, Conti Sport Contact in 28mm. This is the main reason why you are slow.


I have a friend with an Avanti Blade, same gearing as your bike, we put Conti Ultra Gator Skins in 23mm on it and run them at 100/110psi, and now he keeps up with everything!!

 

[tired legs]

thanks gc will look into that suggestion re tyres thank you

 

[tired legs]

hi cg my tyre size is 700x38c my local dealer did not have gatorskins in stock, i do ride on road and canal paths, he was a bit surpreised when i stated cycle computer only registers 15 mph, as he recons on his m/bike on road 30 mph not to difficult.

i had not realised gator skins were slicks, dealer thought slicks might be a bit dodgy as regards grip on canal path.

however purchased a pair of specialised armadillo nibus tyres 700x28c a bit of a job to fit as i am using the tubes from the larger original tyres, have not ridden cycle yet with new tyres,

having just looked online re nimbus it seems there hardwearing/descent for puncture resistance but possible a heavy /slow tire my dealer did state not to expect miracles one tyre vs the other .


not too sure if using the original tubes 700x25-38c with 700x28c tires is going to be a bit unwise, however we live and learn,

i have just ordered a half descent floor pump online, have found i just cant get a descent pressure into the tyres with normal hand pump which might be half the problem (under inflated tyres) thank you all for your advise

 

[alfeng]

however purchased a pair of specialised armadillo nibus tyres 700x28c a bit of a job to fit as i am using the tubes from the larger original tyres, have not ridden cycle yet with new tyres,

not too sure if using the original tubes 700x25-38c with 700x28c tires is going to be a bit unwise, however we live and learn,

Your tubes are fine for your 700x28c tires.

BTW. With SLIME, you do NOT want to use talc when installing the tubes in the tires ... apparently, talc prevents the SLIME from "drying" & sealing ... so, if you did happen to use talc, then you will want to rinse the tubes & tires off and then re-install everything.

I guess, after everything is dried off, you can use CORN STARCH to help ease the tube into the tire ...

I don't know about the OTHER self-sealing tubes.

 

[NELLY64]

A friend of mine has given me his road bike . Any suggestions how I can make it more comfortable ? I thought of changing the handlebars and saddle but that’s about as far as I have gone. Any suggestions welcome.

thanks alfeng unfortunately i got rid of my road bike some time ago in a way i wish i had kept it , in hindsight maybe the addition of padded saddle or seatpost with suspention would have made things just that bit more comftable,

my last cycle was 13-28 gearing but the thing i noted most was the differance between the road bike larger chainwheel vs 48 t vertions,

on my cycle the crank and chainwheels appear to be one unit ,the crank is peened over the chainwheel,

thanks alfeng

 

[mikesbytes]

From: http://www.diamondback.com/items.asp?deptid=5&itemid=187
T L change the tyres for something skinny, slick and high pressure... like Conti Ultra Gator skin in 25 or 28mm or, Conti Sport Contact in 28mm. This is the main reason why you are slow.


I have a friend with an Avanti Blade, same gearing as your bike, we put Conti Ultra Gator Skins in 23mm on it and run them at 100/110psi, and now he keeps up with everything!!

+1, so much of your energy is being consumed by those tyres.

Then get some bike shoes/cleats/pedals.

 

[alfeng]

A friend of mine has given me his road bike . Any suggestions how I can make it more comfortable ? I thought of changing the handlebars and saddle but that’s about as far as I have gone. Any suggestions welcome.

A couple of years ago, I helped a friend convert his old Raleigh (mid-90s vintage) road bike to a flat-bar bike ... I'm not sure how much he actually rides it since the maximum tire size is 700x25 AND he keeps talking about a CX frame (presumably, so he can run 700x28 tires).

The local shop told him it would cost about $150US (I don't know if that included the labor) ... hearing that, I just contibuted some of my spare parts (he did supply the handlebar) and so the total cost for him was the cost of the bars.

In addition to the bars, you will need shifters & brake levers + some new cables & housing. These can cost as much or as little as you want.

If your current saddle is comfortable, then you won't need to change it ... but, you probably will want to lower it a little because your riding position will be more upright.

BTW. There is an ongoing discussion about saddles with almost as many opinions as brands & models. A Brooks B17 (the normal width vs. the narrow) is a saddle you will love or hate -- its a bit wide by today's standard, but slightly wider is better than too narrow.

FWIW. Depending on the type of stem on the bike, if you simply change the stem to a Hi-Rise, Mountain Bike type of stem, that alone may be the key to making the particular bike more comfortable for you (presuming the frame is the right size). The Hi-Rise type stem will elevate the bars by about two inches.

OR,

While MTB & ROAD handlebars theoretically have different diameter center sections, a MTB stem can often accommodate a ROAD handlebar without too much effort (if any) ... however, "tweaking" the clamp may be necessary by removing VERY SMALL amount from the edge of the stem-proper. My observation is that the face plate of most MTB stems fits perfectly against most ROAD handlebars ... that will be a clue that minimal (if any) effort is required to make the stem viable. Of course, OS (31.8) bars are another issue ...

You can also consider a stem-riser extension (available for both 1" & 1 1/8" steerers) ... I think they are rarely seen on ROAD bikes, but this is more a matter of cosmetics/aesthetics, I think.

The stem-riser extension is probably a last resort because of the amount of additional rise (minimum, 1" rise ... to about 3") ... but, I suppose that once you get the size/length, you can trim it ... or, not!?!