Aug 04

The hybrid bicycle

The hybrid bicycle has been around for a few years, but it is becoming increasingly popular now, both with commuters and leisure cyclists alike. With pressure to use the car less from environmentalists and ever increasing fuel costs, the hybrid bike is emerging as a credible alternative to the traditional journey to work in the car.

So what is a hybrid bike? They are essentially a mix of mountain bike, touring bike and racing bike. Mountain bikes are probably the most popular choice for general cycling, particularly off-road. But when on the road they can be awkward and heavy, with the heavy tread tyres creating a drag on the road surface. The hybrid bicycle uses mountain bike features such as suspension and wider tyres, but on larger diameter rims such as those found on racing bikes. The tyres have a flat line in the centre, to reduce the drag effect on the road but still have the usual knobbly tread on the outer section of the tyre for grip off-road. Most people wouldn’t imagine riding to work on a racing bike because of the discomfort over a longer distance, especially in rush hour traffic. Similarly a mountain bike isn’t ideal because of the tread on the tyre and the lack of storage for work items.

Some models also feature panniers for storage, something normally found on touring bikes. The gears tend to be similar to the mountain bike, featuring around 25 speeds or so, as do the handlebars which are flat. They are relatively inexpensive as well, in comparison to a racing bike or mountain bike and because of the all round nature of them, just one bike could be used both for the commute to work and at the weekend in the park with the kids. Cheap bikes can be found just by going to Google, or down at the high street where you of course have the luxury of being able to try them out first!

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