"Hybrid" & "Custom" defined

So what, exactly, IS a "hybrid" bike? I've never been quite sure of the distinction between a "Hybrid" vs a "Comfort" bike. Just curious since someone called my lovely Gunnar a comfort bike the other day...

To my understanding, a comfort bike is something like the Electra Townie or a beach cruiser - something with wide tires, perhaps a 3 speed, perhaps more, and probably has swept-back bars. I could be wrong there, but that is my understanding.

My sweet Plum Blossom is almost a pure rigid mountain bike - outside of the road fork that is too narrow to take true mountain bike tires. Frame, drive-train and bars are all mountain. Interestingly enough it wasn't my intention to have a custom rigid mountain bike frame, it was simply the result of meeting my fitting needs and riding desires. I can ride all day long on her with no pain, and she feels SO much better than my cushy tank AKA LHT (which feels mighty fine herself).

The person who called her a comfort bike quite obviously meant it as an insult (why would I have a custom "COMFORT" bike???). I pretended to be clueless and not catch the sneer in voice and expression and simply said something along the lines of how wonderful it is that I can ride her all day long without pain and left it at that.

Anyway, that got me to wondering about the differences between custom and hybrid - I assume that the road fork makes her a "hybrid", but what she IS is my sweet purple lovely bike - she needs no category :)

Theoretically, any type of bike--road, mountain, cross, etc., can be "custom." So, I wouldn't say "custom" and "hybrid" are mutually exclusive. As it's generally used, hybrid simply means a bike that had some of the attributes of a mountain or cross bike and some of the attributes of a road bike. It might have wider tires and a suspension fork, for instance, but primarily be intended to be used on pavement.

I suppose in some respects your bike is a hybrid of sorts, but I would be more inclined to define your bike by how it was intended to be used--as a road bike. It might be less perplexing to some, I suppose, if you had narrower tires on it, but who cares what others think? Or tell them it's more or less a cross bike, as that's an apt description, too.

You certainly aren't the only person out there who has a unique set up to serve their precise needs. True bike people (rather than bike snobs) get that. Whether it's steel versus carbon, Campy versus Shimano, compact versus traditional geometry, etc., etc., you're going to find people who want to debate bikes as if one size fits all. There's one "right" thing, and no room for disagreement. I tend to avoid those people. They're not worth the energy.

IMHO.

Comfort Bike : Upright riding position. Some have "flat foot" or "pedal forward" geometry where your butt is safey in the saddle while your feet are safey on terra ferma. Swept back bars yes, but I've seen some with flat bars too, so there are lots of configurations.

Hybrid Bike : In generic terms, a ridgid mountain bike with road bike tires, tho geometry is more upright then a road bike. Some call them flat-bar road bikes.

Your Gunner is a custom Hybrid I think. Perhaps being little more mountain bike then road bike with your nubby tires and gearing fitting for getting you skyward, but certainly not a "comfort" bike, even tho she's defiantly comfortable under you <-- If that is the definition of a comfort bike, I'm sure we all want to be riding one!

Shannon

Hybrid is a term that used to mean some sort of hybrid between road racing and mountain bikes. It changed into more of a "comfort" fit. These days there are many styles considered "Hybrids' Re the main four....We go by Comfort, Comfort Hybrid, Flat Bar Road and All Terrain.
Just about anything with road size wheels and a flat (non road racing style) handlebar could be called a hybrid.

I think this is just going to be a discussion of each of our personal definitions, because there is no industry/community wide standard definition for either "hybrid" or "comfort".

The way I look at it (and some others I've talked to) is that a hybrid is a bike with some characteristics of a road bike and some characteristics of a mountain bike (but generally intended predominantly for use on pavement). The category "hybrid" can be further classified into "comfort hybrids" and "performance hybrids." Comfort hybrids are those designed primarily for comfort (as opposed to speed): very upright riding position, often feet forward, curved handlebars, etc. Performace hybrids are sometimes called flat bar road bikes, and have a more upright riding position than a road bike in the drops, but are designed to be fairly efficient and speedy.

BTW - I meant the topic to be "Hybrid" and "Comfort" defined :)

I guess what perplexes me more than anything is why some cyclists appear to look down on any particular style of bike or riding. In another thread here this week someone appeared to consider commuting to work a kind of "junk" riding. I don't get either - what is important is we get out on our bikes - whatever they look like and however we choose to roll :cool:

I had no idea there were so many different categories for hybrid bikes - I did some searching and as others have pointed out here - it does seem to be a term that is used differently. Then we have the OTHER kind of "hybrid" that has an assist of some kind - which is all good. Whatever kind of steed gets us out the door and riding rocks!

We have Lyksey Pro Cross frames with custom titanium forks. They're set up as road bikes, but with lots of clearance, rack mounts, fender mounts, etc.

The mechanic who built them for us once commented that we had built the ultimate hybrids. He then stopped himself - and said, but not in a bad way.

No answers to the original questions - just thought it was funny!

ETA: Well, maybe some answers. I always thought "hybrids" were mountain bikes with 700c wheels and straight bars.

Junk Miles - People quite frequently refer to rides that aren't serving a specific training purpose (intervals, hills, etc) as junk miles. Doesn't mean they're bad - just that they aren't serving a particular goal.

No idea where your bike fits in (or mine for that matter) - nor do I think it matters. You ride it, you love it - that's what matters IMO:)

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Originally Posted by Roadtrip

Hybrid Bike : In generic terms, a ridgid mountain bike with road bike tires, tho geometry is more upright then a road bike. Some call them flat-bar road bikes.

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I'd say an important identifying detail of Hybrid is having moderate width road bike tires on road bike sized wheels, ie. 700c these days. Perhaps another characteristic is a crank with 28, 38, and 48 tooth rings and a wide range cassette. In other words, rings bigger than a MTB but smaller than a road bike.

Of course a small frame Hybrid might use 26 inch wheels, though that seems rare.

A "true" flat bar road bike would have a full road bike drive train with just the flat bar instead of drops. I think someone here bought a bike like this recently...

As for a rigid 26er bike with skinny tires... they seem generally not to be produced new. Perhaps there are too many old MTB's that can be converted thusly. To the extent that such bikes are sold, I think they might be labeled as "urban" bikes.

Oh yes, they knew enough to know that a Gunnar is custom - whether it is a stock size or a full custom like mine.

I never pass up an opportunity to show off my pretty. The first is just a teaser shot, just look at those beautiful lines! The second shows her in her resting place as she prepares for our ride tomorrow afternoon :)

When I hear that attitude I don't generally bother trying too hard, I figure that I am fighting a loosing battle. If they can't appreciate my bike due to some idea of what a "real" bike is I am not going to be able to change that.

I think a "Hybrid" bike is the closest to what we used to just call a bicycle.
the "Comfort" bike is usually heavier, with a step through frame and a big saddle.

and snobs are everywhere. You just have to remember that THEY are limited.

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Originally Posted by Muirenn

Gorgeous!

A hard-tail on steroids!

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My fitter told me before I bought my mountain bike that I could actually take the Gunnar on easy trails if I wanted to put off the purchase of a third bike - he thought the fork could take easy stuff. I thought about it, but decided that I needed the right horse for the course.

Every time I ride this bike it just feels better and better...and the new Frogs are really working well.

Yes Biciclista, snobs are indeed everywhere and it is such a shame. I don't let them get me down though - I just go have fun on my bikes and they don't have to be around me if they don't want to be :)

One of the reasons I like riding in the event rides so much, either the charity or cycling club event rides, is seeing the variety of bikes that people ride. The charity ride of 81 miles I did on May 21 for the American Lung Association, there were two unicyles and some tall bikes doing the ride, and I was so disappointed that I didn't see any of them. The oddest bike I've seen this year was on a metric last month, a bright red bike with what appeared to my eyes to be truck running boards along each side and painted red to match the bike. I love it when I can spot a recumbent tandem. On the event distance rides, there are always a lot of mountain bikes and hybrid bikes that bike the metric and full centuries. The comfort bikes, because they are heavier, bike the shorter routes. Everyone is fit and having fun and cycling at their own pace. The cyclist's choice of bike is personal and there is no right or wrong.

I just finished reading a book recommended by some on here called "Every Woman's Guide to Cycling" by Selene Yeager. She defines a hybrid in a nutshell as "A little bit road, a little bit off-road. Does neither spectacularly but both reasonably well." She goes on to classify the following as "Hybrid": flat-bar road bikes, cyclocross bikes. She discusses "special features" as including "medium-size tires that let your roll briskly yet provide stability on moderately bumpy terrain like rough roads and cinde paths. The head-up, traffic-friendly position provides added comfort and lets you peer easily down the road, making hybrids good commuting and all around exercise bikes".
Anyway, some people are just insecure in themselves and want to make you feel that way too. Good thing you just ignored their snide remark.

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

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Originally Posted by malkin

What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.

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This :)