Thinking of getting a hybrid bike. Advice pls.

[VivaLeBeaver]

I have a lovely 24 gear mountain bike which I use off road when I get the chance.

Trying to up my fitness and its a ball ache on the road. Even though its a very light bike it feels heavy pedalling it. Was thinking of getting a road bike but am now swaying towards a hybrid bike for comfort. I have a bad back so not sure the position of a road bike would be good.

Looking at a Specialized Vita Elite. But they have 9 gears - is this enough? 9 gears seems a bit of a come down from a 24 gear bike. Though I get that out on the road I don't use all 24!

It has 27 gears... and probably more at either end than your mountainbike.

Personally I think a road bike can be more comfortable than a hybrid as it provides a choice of hand positions which a hybrid doesn't, it does need to be set up so you have a comfortable back position though - which is what the hybrid is normally done by default, but a road bike normally not. So you would need someone experienced and able to change the position for you, and probably need some new parts so a hybrid would likely be cheaper. You could always add drop bars to a hybrid later although that's generally a more expensive way.

Ah so its 9x3 - that makes sense. Thanks.

I have end bars on my mountain bike and when I'm on the road I prefer having my hands on these rather than the flat bar. So from that I do wonder if I'd like the hand positions on a racing bike.

Only problem is that I'd need to test a road bike for a couple of hours rather than just 10 mins up and down the road. I don't know anyone who has one and I doubt the bike shop would let me test that long. I can ask though. Going to go to 2 bike shops today!

Wiggle offer a 28 day test ride. There are also places you can hire one for the day. Could also try asking your local cycle club to see if anyone there would let you borrow one to try out.

Back from the local bike shop, have come out with a new Giant mountain bike for dd

Anyway, they didn't have any bikes that I could try out as they were all too big for me. Sales bloke seems to think I'll be better off with a road bike rather than a hybrid. He says on the road I'll do more distance, easier and more enjoyable on a road bike than a hybrid.

See he says that but some friends of mine just biked to Paris, doing 80plus miles a day for 5 days on hybrid bikes no problem. I'm really only looking at wanting to do 20miles ish a day for fitness. Certainly not interested in racing.

Explained about my bad back but he reckons with a Specialized or a Giant the seating position is more upright than more extreme road bikes and not disimilar to a hybrid. So now really unsure what to get.

They had a (too big) Specialized Dolce Triple which looked nice, they also had a (too big) Specialzed Vita which also looked nice. Though I'd want the Elite rather than the basic Vita.

So really between these two bikes - for 20 miles a time a couple of times a week. Saying that my friends are nagging me to ride to Paris next year!

Road bike positions can be altered via stem/bars/seatpost but some people prefer the more upright hybrid position with flat bars