Hybrid vs Flatbar Road Bike

[Catrin]

I used to worry about the high bar on road bikes too because as a kid I always road step through bikes, but really it's not a big deal because you don't buy a bike that you cannot stand over.

This is a good point, I hadn't thought about it. This is probably because the only bike I've "ridden" so far in my bike lessons is a Giant Suede that has a flat-foot, low-step design. I've asked my instructor to see about checking out one of the Trek hybrids and, hopefully, one of the flat-bar road bikes for future lessons. Thankfully bike-rental is included in my instruction fee, so we just have to wait for a warm spell

I have noted that the several in the FX series are close to the same cost of the Trek 7300, and someone else has suggested I also check out the Specialize bikes as well. Thanks for your comments, that gives me more to consider!

[Kubla]

There are many bikes to choose from in this (flat bar road bike) category. The Trek FX series is a very nice line of bikes, as are the Specialized Sirrus, Fuji Absolute and Jamis Coda Sport. I recently chose the latter, but the Fuji was a close second...and I liked the FX 7.3 as well. (I couldn't find a Sirrus at the time, but have been very happy with Specialized bikes in the past.) Of course, there are others. I've heard good things about Marin, Giant and Masi.

Try lots of bikes and wait for one that makes you feel like you are 'home' when you ride it. If you are planning to do half centuries, I think the flat bar road bike might be a better choice overall. However, there are many people who do the same with hybrid/full suspension models. I found the suspension fork and seat a bit annoying after a while-but that doesn't mean it won't work for you. As for the bar, I am in my mid-50s and do not find it intimidating at all. As long as the bike is a good fit for you, it should not be an issue.