"Scott C" <
[email protected]> wrote in message news:<tY2Ua.140405$Ph3.17906@sccrnsc04>...
> > Why a hybrid? Why not a touring bike for the 80% road 20% "light trail"
> riding
> > that you do?
>
> *** Don't get talked out of what YOU want. I'm an older rider (50) and was having wrist problems
> on my old MTB. Now I have front shocks, and love them, sit more upright - and love this (but will
> agree it's not the most efficient position to get max power) - and I wear gloves.. now I ride pain
> free, and I suppose the point is that we all ride and enjoy what we do. I like my Trek
> 300.. and enjoy riding again.
>
> Scott
>
>
>
> >
> > The more serious you get the less comfortable that upright position will
> be.
> >
> > Tom Gibb <
[email protected]>
Unfortunately, I can't comment on the three models the OP asked about. They all seem OK. I ride a
Marin and it is OK too.
But, three things became important to me as I put more and more miles on my hybrid.
1. Bar ends: The longer curved ones offer many hand positions and significantly increase comfort.
Plus, one can lean forward on them and ride in a less up-right position if desired. In
conjunction with installing the bar ends, I trimmed a couple of inches off the width of my handle
bars as they were quite wide.
2. Seat post: The shock absorbing seat post that came on my bike worked well, but I could not find
a comfortable tilt because it has rather coarse teeth for the tilt adjustment. I installed a
micro-adjusting, not shock absorbing seat post and found the ability to adjust the seat to a
comfortable tilt was more important then the shock absorbing feature.
3. Shock absorbing fork: For me, this was a waste of money and weight. I actually used one for a
season and put about 1000 miles on it before finalizing my decision to dump it. I ride mostly on
roads but do some trail and gravel path rides. I replaced the Rockshox Metro fork with an
inexpensive Tange Chrome molly steel fork with excellent results. I think the bike handles and
rides noticeably better now. It certainly is noticeably lighter. I can say that after 800 miles
with the Tange fork, I am completely happy with it. The nice wide (35mm) tires handle the bumps
and cracked pavement very well. For smooth pavement, I've got a set of "road" wheels. Thinner
(3i) tires on lighter, thinner rims (yes, I like to build wheels) give a firmer, but still
comfortable ride.
If you can find a decent hybrid without a shock absorbing front fork, I suggest you give it a
serious test ride before choosing. Marin makes both aluminum and steel frame models, for example:
http://www.marinbikes.com/html/spec_larkspur.html Others may as well.
It's not just a question of money, but total weight and handling are important factors to consider.
There will be a 2.5 to 3 pound penalty to pay for the shock absorbing fork. It is clearly worth it
to mountain bike riders, but I think road / city / path riders lose out. These forks are heavy,
costly fasion statements.
Finally, many people say get a touring bike, not a hybrid because if you like riding, you will
eventually want the touring bike anyway. Well, it may be true, but I say get the bike you are
comfortable with now. If after a year or two you decide something else will increase your enjoyment,
then you've got a perfect excuse to buy another bike. You will know much more about your riding
style and where you like to ride so you can make a very informed purchase. Or, just keep the hybrid;
they're not so bad.
Steve Shapiro
[email protected]
