road bike or hybrid

Good evening,

Im new here and wanted to ask a question. I am eligible for a bike on this cycle to work scheme.

I have pretty much decided on a road bike however few people of said hybrid is better so now im confused. I am after a bike for commuting to work which is 5 miles there. I also am hoping to start cycling for fitness.

The bike i had decided on is - http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52860&scid=1001&scname=Road

 

looks spectacular, i think it is a good choice, just be sure to buy together with it an U-LOCK or fat chain/cadenas for security where you park at work. 10 miles everyday is already a good starting point for fitness, thats close to 50 minutes daily at commuting pace. A road bike gives you the choice to use it for sport on week ends whereas an hybrid won't so much, soon after you will found out that the bike is a friend for life !

 

Hi las999, looks like a nice bike

If you could get it with Shimano Tiagra or even 105 9spd STI shifters instead of Shimano Sora STI shifters and a 12-27T Ultegra 9spd cassette, even better

 

a number of factors come into play with your choice. If your commute is on roads in good condition than a road bike may be worthwhile. if your job requires you to be dressed nice and presentable and you need to bring clothes to change into, than a road bike probably isn't going to allow you to mount a rack to carry stuff.
some road bikes can fit wider tires but many can't take a tire larger than a 700x25 which is pretty narrow while hybrid bikes usually allow you to fit pretty wide tires. if your riding on bumpy roads, wider tires are your friends.

The last consideration is that a hybrid is going to have you very upright which makes it easier to turn to look over your shoulder when riding in traffic. for some people this is a big deal but as you get more comfortable riding in traffic it's not a big issue and 5 miles is a pretty short commute.

Many people that start with hybrids seem to regret it and wish they went with a full on road bike so unless there is some really compelling issue to steer you towards the hybrid, I'd say stick with your instincts and go with the road bike, especially if you think your going to do more significant fitness riding on weekends and such.