Getting into cycling and need to make a serious purchase! Help!

[antonyc]

Hi All,
I've recently started cycling quite a lot. I've borrowed a hybrid bike from a friend for my last two cycles which were 80 miles all on road.

I also use my old mountain bike for a bit of fun at the weekends which is on roads and sometimes a over fields and gravel paths.

I'm signed up to do a couple more 60-100 mile cycles over the next couple of months and want to invest in a good bike of my own. Ideally I would just get a road bike but I also want something I can use for my weekend cycles and general day-to-day use.

What I'm wondering is; are the hybrid bikes well suited to long road cycles (maybe 80 miles a day for 3 days). I've been looking at: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/model/tcx/7859/45489/

Or would I be better with a more traditional hybrid to fit my needs: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bikes/model/roam/7861/45496/

Or should I just get a road bike?

I have no idea how the higher end hybrids compare to the road bikes.

Any help/advice would be very much appreciated!

 

[swampy1970]

As the name suggests, road bikes are better for road use. The varied hand positions of drop handlebars, when properly set up, makes for a more comfortable riding position. The narrower tyres also help. Weight is an issue - but in the grand scheme of things it's nowhere near as important as having a good position, one that allows you to be comfortable all day long and still feel like pedalling pain free after several hours.

If you wanted something a bit more 'general purpose' but was closer to a road bike than a hybrid but could also take in some gravel paths and compacted dirt roads with ease then something like the Surly Long Haul Trucker could be a good match for you. I noticed in the links that you posted that you could be on the other side of the pond in Britain and I'm not sure that Surly sells bikes overthere but there'll be many similar bikes for sale at a good bike shop. I'm originally from that side of the Atlantic so I know that a bike store that caters to racing and touring cyclists will be able to hook you up with something similar.

If you wanted to keep the road bike soley for the road then something a bit more road specific would probably be a good idea - and keep your mountain bike for the other stuff.

How much money are you looking to spend and where in the world are you?

 

[Steve_A]

Considering the type of riding you describe but not knowing your budget, I'd advise you to do some extensive reading on the Rivendell Bicycle Works site. They sell the type of bike that would suit your projected purposes, and the site contains a lot of valuable and interesting information. If their prices are beyond your budget, especially considering shipping to GB, also check out the bikes on Velo Orange as they are more reasonably-priced. As Swampy says, Surly has offerings that would probably be good for you. If you're riding on poor roads, or no roads at all, you want to be able to fit wider tires. You won't be able to do this on a road racing bike, but a cyclocross or touring bike will allow you do that. You would also be able to fit fenders and racks on most of those bikes, should you want them. If you want to keep your purchase within GB, take a look at Mercian's website. They do custom bikes, but have pretty reasonable prices for what you get. You would probably come out with a better price than a Rivendell, if you keep the options to a miniumum. Have fun!