Hybrid bicycles

Recreation Sports
1

Questions for urodacus or rousseau or other serious cyclists (or anyone who owns a hybrid).

Back in the States, I had a decent racing bike and mountain bike and regularly alternated between the two. One day up the coast on the road bike. Next day through the forest on the mountain bike. Third day hills on the road bike. Etc. I rode a lot then, including a few mountainous centuries (100 miles). But that was long ago.

Here in Taiwan I’m more than 10 years older, heavier, sit in the office for long hours, and no longer do long rides, though I ride for an hour beside the river at least 4 or 5 days a week on my wife’s old steel, around town bike. A couple of years ago, I bought a nice, aluminum Giant racing bike, but I barely rode it. Too much hassle carrying it up and down 4 flights of stairs and the geometry didn’t feel quite right. I was rushed into buying it with a crying baby on my hip and impatient wife by my side.

Now that I’ve been riding regularly for over a year, and have done a few good hill climbs on borrowed bikes, I’m interested in buying a hybrid. While I used to enjoy, years ago, getting all lycraed out and down in the drops on a hard-core ride, I now find straight handlebars more appealing, but don’t see a need for shocks, as I plan on sticking to the roads. There are some really sweet hybrids out there, some of them all carbon fiber (way more than I’m interested in).

But I’ve been disappointed to find they seem to be either real cheapos, with wide tires, or nice ones with skinny tires. I’m interested in a nice one with medium or mountain bike width tires (but less knobby or slicks). I figure if I run over glass in the city or hit a pothole flying down some mountain, I’m less likely to have a problem with wider tires. True? But all the decent hybrids seem to have skinny road tires. Any exceptions? If not, maybe I’ll consider kevlar tires (I know they’re pricey), or maybe I’ll say screw it and go with regular skinny tires anyway, but just carry a pump and spare.

My favorite I’ve seen so far is Giant’s FCR1, shown below (except a local shop has it in all black, which looks great).

Any thoughts on hybrids in general?

Strictly a compromise for less serious riders, or a good choice even for some who put in serious miles?

Fewer hand positions and less aerodynamic, but still plenty of positions especially if you put horns on the end, and aerodynamic enough, and maybe more comfortable for people who are getting older and less flexible than they once were? True?

Any thoughts on that bike? It looks very light, fast and comfortable to me, with good gearing for hills.

Next question. This UK company is selling that model for 575 Pounds (about US$859). This US company is selling it for US$1,024. The local Taipei shop has it for NT22,000 (about US$659). What gives? Is the local bike likely different (I didn’t ask what year it is; I guess I should), or are bikes that much cheaper in Taiwan?

Next question: Any recommendations for hte best/cheapest shop for me to buy it? Will prices go down any particular time (before end of 2008? before CNY? after CNY?). Any good sales coming up?

Thanks for your comments.

2

Giant, Merida, and KHS bikes are generally a little cheaper as they are made here AND distributed here. Most other good brands may well be made here (like Trek and Specialized) but they get shipped Stateside and then SHIPPED BACK to importers. Nuts. So, I’d stick to those three here for mid range bikes (like your FCR will be and your TCR was). Giant totally dominates the retail market here, but I do know a few outlets for the other two. one hard detail would be finding a place that will let you test ride… the waiting list for bikes these days is out the door, so people are getting stiffed on dealer service, unfortunately. it may die down in the upcoming three months of rain, which must be a bit of a downer for the retail stores, so maybe you could strike a deal. I would haggle for a test ride, and i would look at roadbikereviews.com for exactly that. look at all three brands, KHS may be the cheapest (but still acceptable), Merida are BIG in mountain bikes but i don’t know much about their hybrids. It’s not really a hybrid in the old sense you want, but a flat bar road bike. a hybrid in the old sense was a bike that could be used for cruising or touring, and the geometry was way longer than these, and they often had drop bars and very heavy frames.

at the minimum i suggest Shimano 105, but a flat bar set up will need different gear and brake levers. Shimano now make flat bar 10 speed shifters (like hen’s teeth, very scarce) and 9 speed is the general top end stuff. you could also look for a compact crank with 50 and 34 tooth chain rings, with a 12-27 cassette, if there is a choice, rather than go to a triple gear set up (which unless top quality are noisier and often harder to set up well at the front)… there is a range called the Flight from Giant that are very heavy for their shape, so avoid them, though they look good in theory. that FCR has a triple and a really small cassette, which you may just as easily get from a compact with a wide range cassette (even a 13-30 or so). a lot of bikes these days avoid the cost of shimano and go for alternate brands, like FSA or truvativ cranks, tektro levers, etc. in various parts of the bike. they’re OK, but none make a complete kit. the top three full groupset makers are still shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo (not that you’d find many hybrids with campagnolo parts here). i still don’t know if i’d trust (for design and for longevity) a rear dérailleur that came from anyone apart from them, BTW, but brakes and otehr stuff should be OK.

yes, your riding sounds like you’d be better off with a flat bar rider, aluminium or even a quality steel frame (not an oxymoron, just need the right bike). Disc brakes are an option with a hybrid too, but forks are definitely not needed. the upright position is less straining on a less flexible back, but at a cost of efficiency and control. not an issue if you’re not doing a long fast trip, and a bonus for looking at the view, chatting, being social.

Tires around 28-32 mm seem the best bet, and I would put the bigger bucks down for a kevlar belted one, regardless of your final tread choice pattern, as punctures just suck (well, they actually blow at first, then stop), even with a repair kit in the pocket. width of tires has no bearing on the number of punctures you’ll get, nor the danger of getting a front puncture, anywhere: a flat tire (especially on the front) WILL come off the rim if you turn or brake on it. tires much wider than inch and a quarter are slow, heavy, sloppy to steer, (what people know as a ‘plush’ ride) and generally not as well made (at least for road wheel sizes). MTB tires are a bit different, but the wheel size is smaller.

Cyclocross tires are a good choice for pattern if you definitely know you will be riding on grass or in sand, but otherwise, slicks with perhaps a small rain groove are the best: Continental SportContact are a good choice, or similar offerings by Maxxis at half the price.

if you’re 5-11 or 6’, i have a friend who’s selling a disc brake Surly cross bike that’d be just the ticket. I could hook you up by PM. Ah, but it has drop bars…

3

Thanks for the prompt reply. I’ll definitely consider your suggestions and will head back to the local shop tomorrow to study it more closely. No, just 5-9 or 5-10, and not interested in drop bars. Thanks.

Would YOU ever buy a hybrid? Why not?

4

Well I built my own Hybrid from a Giant Yukon frame. Everything else has been switched out. I run narrow tyres for the road and offroaders for the mud and stones. I recommend the narrower cross tyres such as the Continental Travel Contact, which are Kevlar reinforced to prevent most punctures, have narrow band slick centres with nobbles on the outer sides to cope with slight mud and stones found on river side trails.
I changed from disk brakes to V brakes as I have never felt the advantage of disk brakes. They are heavier, harder to maintain, are far less convenient to repair at a roadside and don’t offer significant braking power over good V brakes in my opinion. Just make sure you use Koolstop brake pads with V brakes and they’ll be fine.

I swapped out my suspension for carbon forks. My bike weighs about eleven kilos, but can soak up hard, hard mountain trails or cope briskly on the road. I can keep up with road bikes on road, up and down hill as I’ve also added a larger front chainset which I cannot outpedal, even down very steep decents. It is obviously not as good on the flat as road bikes, but I also have the added bonus of being able to carry panniers, rear child seat, or other extras that either full mountain bikes or road bikes cannot.

I believe I have the perfect hybrid!

Since the pictures I have changed the butterfly bars to straights and the Brooks saddle to SQ lab which is far superior I feel and easier to maintain. I have also changed from touring cages to SPDs.

Pictures

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Yes, Sulavaca, that Yukon does look like it has been on a diet.

I personally don’t need a hybrid, as almost all my riding is on the road, and I have ridden with a long drop to the bars for 25 year so I’m used to it. I do ride my drop bar bikes on gravel roads sometimes, but not for long, and they’re not real happy with it. strong enough, but twitchy! Also, pain hurts more these days.

I built my wife a flat bar road bike from a TCR-W, as her fingers were still too small to reach the shortened gear/brake levers. very light: not many flat bars are 7.8 kg. it’s a lot of help when climbing, as she’s not very strong, being small. for the right purpose, they’re a great bike. I just ride too much and too far for a flat bar bike (and i haven’t got the room for the 10-15 bikes I want).

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One thing to note. For those women with short fingers that often find thumb shifters, especially the stiffer left shifter quite strenuous over time and complain of pains in the hand. I recommend switching to twistgrip shifters which relieve the thumbs of stress. Most find this much more comfortable as well as easier than depressing shifters that travel farther than what’s comfortable.

7

Is it red? That’s the most important aspect, surely?

8

Well, I did it. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

After a fair amount of shopping around and hemming and hawing, I finally bought a 2008 Giant FCR a few days ago, just like this.

I’m really happy with it so far. Lots of bikes in the shop a lot fancier, but this one suits me just fine. 27 speeds, Shimano Tiagra deraileur, Truvativ cranks, upgraded to puncture-resistant Michelin Lithion tires, came with clip-on pedals, all for NT22,000 minus a 10% discount.

I really like the shop where I bought it, too, the big Giant shop on Nanjing E Rd, about a block west of Tunhua. Great selection of bikes, clothes, accessories and the workers are extremely friendly and helpful (they’re not tied up 110% like my tiny local shop, fixing every grannies’ flat tire and putting training wheels on childrens’ bikes). And since I bought my bike there, they’re giving me 10% off anything in the store, which I’m taking advantage of.

Hybrid: does one use road shoes or MTB? I wanted MTB shoes, cuz I’m not racing and I don’t want to click click click down the goddamn stairs and click click click into every 7/11. I liked my clip-on road shoes years ago in the states, but now I want more casual MTB shoes. The guys in the shop initially thought I was wrong and should use road shoes. But, surprise surprise, the FCR comes with MTB shoe clips on the pedals. Heh. So that’s what I’m getting. (They had to order my size shoes and I’m picking them up later today. Can’t wait to use them.)

And this weather: fanfuckintastic! :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

The global economy may be in the toilet, but I don’t give a shit. It’s gonna be a great year for riding. Incidentally, another forumosan has pretty much the same bike and he and I are planning to ride Hualien-Taidong-Hualien about May. Yeaaaaaa. :slight_smile:

9

cool, just a block west of dunhua on nanjing? Ive gotta go to a restaurant near there tonight so will walk by and take a look - i think ive only ever walked from my office to dunhua on civic blvd so oogle at the big (heavy motor) bikes instead!

wanna buy on friday since its a treat for cny - but should really drop in and order it up so as not to disappoint!

so it comes with the SPuDs or you changed them in/out - I think its a pretty ok package and like the idea of the tyres, not a fan of puncture repairing!

oh and
for the others out there
touring bike or hybrid?

i want to do some longer rides so would be nice to have the panniers with enough for a long (dirty) weekend (neednt weigh yourself down with too many extra clothes when you’re just gonna sweat again eh!)

but also would probably use 70% of the time for day trip rides - most important is I want it to have nice comfy angles since I do easily suffer lower back ache spending too much time in saddle

10

MT

youre right they are VERY friendly and 90% knowledgeable, I had the guy checking out answers to all my questions

im tempted by the flight X0 since its so damned light and allows the pannier extension, easy enough just to clip on for the day trip rides… and no not red, maybe white, or is that an in auspicous colour?!

however, would not give cash discount - just 10% to respend - so your 22000 --> 19,800 wouldnt fly you would still need the 22,000 upfront, but then get to spend 2200 on stuff - not bad I guess since I need to reassesorise since this is my first bike in taiwan, all my stuff is oxidizing in a shed in the UK (except maybe the carbon frame!!!)