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Okay, so I too am a mountain biker ready to get something lighter and with skinny tires. I want to ride distances on roads and asphalt trails. Everyone I've talked to says comfort is most important. So, being used to an upright position I am leaning towards a hybird like a Specialized Elite. It is light, small tires, straight handlebars. But, there is a little voice telling me I should get a regular road bike with drop down handlebars. Any advice on which way to go? Thanks.
Hello...I'm the current "newest member" and this is my first post...but since no one else has replied, I 'll give it a go.
If you came into the shop where I work, I'd ask you a few questions, such as "what type of distances do you see yourself doing?" and "what do your friends ride?". The reason I ask that is because cycling is a social sport. If your friends are doing centuries, chances are good you are going to want to try that sometime too. If they are doing long rides on slick road bikes, you'll probably be happiest on something similar.
Drop handlebars are very comfortable. What makes them so appealing on longer rides is the variety of hand positions. If you are currently happy with your postion on your mountain bike, I would try to set up your road bike (at first anyways) to fit the same way when you are riding "on the flats"(top of the handle bar). You would be ever so slightly more streched out on the hoods and a bit more so in the drops.
I generally recommend hybrids for the following situations:
a)it's your first bike and you are not sure exactly how/where you will ride b) you "just want to get in shape"(I hear that all the time) c) you have a kid-trailer and want to cruise comfortably with your family d) you need a commuter for work/school/errands.
Good luck and have fun with whatever you decide. The best bike is one that gets ridden on a regular basis :)
Thank you so much for the reply! I went to a bike shop recommended by several hard core bikers I know and the shop was great! They spent alot of time talking to me and fitting me. I am going back this weekend and am seriously looking at a couple of different Specialized road bikes.
Annette
Do yourself a favor and test ride a cyclocross bike before you make your final decision. You get the best of both worlds, a bike that is capable of doing rails-to-trails type riding, but it also has the drop bars like a road bike. Also, you can put road tires on it, if you're planning on doing a long ride.
When I was looking at road bikes, I had almost made up my mind to buy a Giant OCR1 until I test rode a cyclocross bike and changed my mind instantly! The ride was so much smoother!
Whatever you do, test ride a bunch of different models, and buy whatever fits you best.
What type of bike did you get? What are cyclecross? I too like the ocr1 or pilots.
Thanks,
Wisconsin