types of bikes

[paintgirl]

Hi, I'm a rider who will be 50 in a few days, biked a lot as a kid to go to school friends etc. Last year and a half have been back to cycling for fun, sometimes commuting to work. I had won a Raleigh mountain bike, and all my riding on it. Replaced the saddle with one that was more comfy. I did my first century ride in July in Prince edward County in southern ontario. I think I am still recovering. since that time I have been told by lots of people that a road bike would have been a better choice. I do very little off road biking, mostly all highway or bike path. I am 5'2" 130 lbs. I like the comfort of the handlebar position on the mountain bike, can someone suggest bikes that are road, with this type of bar, or can I just put smooth tires on the mountain bike? As my questions indicate, i don't know a lot about all this. I love to bike, do 25 miles a day commuting to work, and usually do a 25-30 mile ride for fun on weekends.any suggestions would be greatly appreciated Paintgirl

[han-grrl]

Hi Paint girl

way to go on the century ride. My suggestion is to either buy a rode bike or a mountain bike. Every person i know who has purchased a hybrid has been unhappy with it.

Since you like the position of the mountain bike, i would suggest buying a very light mountain bike and put slick tires on it. This will make road riding a lot easier (plus you have the added bonus of perhaps trying mountain biking in the future).

good luck and happy riding

Han

[ridetheearth]

Hi there!!
great job on the century.
Wanted to let you know that I own a Giant Cypress. . . it's a great hybrid bike. I bike to and from work everyday with it (about a 25 mile round trip). It's got a cush seat, mustache handle bars, fenders-
good luck with whatever you decide
blessings

[ayermail2]

My sister has a comfort / hybrid bike (Trek) and is very happy with it. We just returned from a cross-state ride of approx 370 miles, and she's still happy with it! < she does not do any mountain / off-road riding either - just the bike paths, some commuting, etc >

I currently have a mountain bike (Raleigh M60) that I put slick tires on for road riding (I do switch out the tires for some off-road trails, though). It has served me well on two cross-state rides (470+ and 370+ miles) but I will definitely be looking for a road bike in the next year or two... < just can't quite keep up to the roadies! >

[lb satterly]

Hi, PaintGirl-
I have a hybrid and a road bike. I love them both but for different kinds of riding. I feel that nothing takes the road and gives quite the same feel on the road like a road bike. My hybrid, however, is a kinder, gentler bike that is easier to ride and great on bike trails. I'm amazed that you did a century on a mountain bike...you must be a strong rider. lb satterly

[paintgirl]

Thanks for the replies on what type of bike I should be looking at. i think I am going to try changing the tires to slicks, and a few other little changes, try it this way for a while, checking out other bikes in the meantime. We are getting into cooler weather here in northern ontario, and the biking is great. 70 degrees in daytime, a lot cooler at night. I am not a lover of the 85-90 degree stuff. Enough hot flashes of my own to keep warm. Thanks again Lori