Drop Bars Vs Flats | Can A Hybrid Bike Be Just As Fast As A Road Bike?
Drop Bars Vs Flats | Can A Hybrid Bike Be Just As Fast As A Road Bike?
When buying a road bike beginner cyclists are often faced with a decision – flat bar hybrid, or dropped bar road bike? Hybrids are practical for a range of uses whereas dropped bars allure to the traditional racing look of a road bike, but which is actually faster? Ollie and Si are here to figure out if hybrids can in fact compete with the incumbent dropped bar racing bike, and to make things more interesting they’ve brought a pretty rowdy hybrid to the party!
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Leave us a comment below!
I am going to add spirgrips on my flatbar road bike
Click bait video. Dislike. Trix are for kids.
Flat bars with bar attachments just as good and more comfortable on your back.
Thanks for the comparison. I’m in the market for a gravel/road bike for more distance riding on smooth terrain (road). I guess logically I’m leaning towards drop bars since I’m already set with a bike for my off road/trail needs. The only thing I’m worried about is the point about less flexibility with turning that I’ve heard about. Any suggestions?
Ergon grips with stubby bar ends are super comfortable, I also have a much narrower bar.
oh now you’ve done it, I was perfectly happy with my drop bars riding around town now i gotta have flats.
Would be cool if hybrids could race with drop bikes. I’ve always liked flat bars. Never tried a carbon fiber one though. Ir titanium would be nice.
I like flat bars better. I’m older and overweight so racing is just not a thing .
Weight max
G’day team, I would’ve loved you to do the Orbea flat bar with tri bars. I have done this to my Fastroad GIANT Adv 1 flatbar purchased 2mths ago. This is a fantastic cost effective conversion to bring the road/ gravel/Hybrid/ bike in line with a true road/tri bike. I built it as a triathlete on a budget still trying to compete in short tri’s up to olympic dist. I’ve been racing Tri’s since 1983 in Aust. The very positioning on tri bars brings the frontal wind resistance way down and comparable, especially for someone who is a punter triathlete looking to have a bike for all occasions. Just swapout the tyres. I’d love to get your feedback. cheers team love your stuff … 🙂
What about the more teeth the front gearing wheel has the faster you can go? Also the rear gearing wheel: the less teeth the faster you can go? I think these hybrids have maximum of 48 teeth and the road bikes 52!
For a racing bike speed is important, but is it important for other types of bikes.
Flat bar ftw
You two did not chose the best aero position for hybrid bike. U were holding the bar all the time. What i do on road bike or flatbar bikes is put my hands over the bar soo its more like TT position. On flatbar bike you are much more comfortable if you just lean on the flatbar that to just hold it and be tucked it. It gives you even more power to the pedals and you are much quicker. I could lean on the bars for 1 hour with no problems but on road bike you can do it but its not comfortable, because you are too low i keept sliping forwards to much.
I think a lot of people getting into cycling buy the wrong bike. They will buy a mountain bike with fat tyres which is fine if you’re doing off roading but they would be better with a flat bar road bike . They are a lot faster due to the road tyres , road geometry frame and gears. They are perfect for a bit of road and canal toe paths. Mountain bikes are tiring to ride even 10 miles. If you’re a man/woman on a mission though drop bars are a must.
I like a hybrid bike. Because they have a light weight between 12-15 kg. If desired, fenders and a trunk can be installed on them. Hybrid bikes are faster than mountain or city bikes on asphalt. But they are a bit slower than a road bike.
I think the hybrid bike gives me more head range of motion on my ride to work to keep my head on a swivel looking for traffic and possible hazards, as well as being a smoother ride
Which bike would you pick to ride? Let us know why in the comments!
I’ve gone from road bike to hybrid
excellent video. very British
i remember watching a lot of these vids a few years back when i was a daily cyclist
Excuse me. I don’t speak english. Someone, please, tell me which bike is better?
I own a Canyon Roadlite 5. I mainly use it as my commuter to/from the train station, but once a week I ride it all the way to work (40km).
On the long, straight stretches without traffic i tuck into the aero position just like Ollie, and it works wonders! I have no issues keeping average of 30km/hr on flat sections. Kinda fun to zoom past roadies on my "commuter" 😀
Alt bars anyone?
I have a 2017 Sirrus Pro carbon hybrid it is so nice to ride with flats. My last bike was a drop and I won’t go back.
Here’s the 64k question……. If you’re an older rider with a compromised lower back (and there are a lot of us out there with this regardless of age), does the flat bar bike win hands down over longer rides? By introducing this constraint, speed/track times are no longer that important to my way of thinking. I would like to get your thoughts – GREAT analysis BTW. Thanks!
The gcn team on the hybrid is me on my hardtail in my Dreams 😅👍
Chop the handlebar on the hybrid by 2 cm to make it narrower. To avoid numb hands, alternate between standing up out of the saddle and sitting, even on the flats. Also try a stem with a pivot downward, to facilitate getting more aero, and raising the seat a little.
How wide should the flatbar be? Are there "rules of thumb"? I don’t think the guidelines for MTB bars apply here. Or do they?
Road bike rocks in road but rip neck and back
Gearing is totally different. Handle bars have little to do with speed.
lane splitting is easier with drops, they’re narrower
I want that orange bike with an Alfine 11 hub and a Gates belt drive…. ….NOW!
Five Stars
Awesome looking bike. !!!
I have a bad back and I don’t care about speed. Plus I spend most of my time on cycle paths and tight city streets. A flat bar rig like that will really hit the spot.
I raced competitively for years on drops, but if I want to spend all day on the road in comfort, I grab my flat bar bike.
having a fun during my excerise is the most important thing, otherwise people eventually will stop riding their bike
I thought a hybrid bike is one you can ride on the road and off road?
See Keegan Swenson’s setup for his White Rim Trail run: "bar ends" on an XC bike inboard where clip-on aerobars would go. I’ve done this for years on my flat bar gravel bike, giving two extra hand positions where I can rest or get more aero.
So, just get the aero bar addon to my flat bar bike, noted.
Aerobars don’t work because the upper tube on hybrid/trekking bikes are longer than on drop bar bikes. But there is a remedy: use a shorter stem on the streetfighter and put inner-bar ends or mount the bar ends inside the brekes and grips. That way you have the same aero position like on road bike hoods and your fingers are on the brakes all the time.
Why does every channel have to be about racing? Not enough content for us upright casual cruisers.
4 in the city in urban areas the straight bar rules longer more extensive longer rides the drop bar advantage I have a hybrid and a drop bar for some reason the drop bars funner because it’s simpler to operate
Just add inner bars to the flats.
Never drop bar – less safe and control. Either breaks are not there or can’t jump the curb. Not for city. Never
Due to neck issues, I can no longer use drops. On longer rides, I adopt Ollie’s more aerodynamic position on the flat bars but with my hands slightly further from the stem so that I can operate the brake levers with my little fingers. The only time I really need to move my had position is for changing gears.
I do like the hybrid, That was a totally sick move Simon! The drops do offer different positions,but, braking and shifting seem easier to me than road bikes.
I would like to know. how fast were you in both bikes. what was your average speed?
Your stem is too short for that hybrid.