Effect of going from hybrid to road bike
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Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller | Reply |
2011-04-19 2:05 PM |
Expert 4874 Middle River, Maryland | Subject: Effect of going from hybrid to road bike This post is designed as a detailed answer to a very common beginner question on this site, “What effect will moving from a hybrid to a road bike have on my biking speed?” Now I know that this question is almost impossible to answer, as there are so many variables that come into play here. That said, I’m simply going to give the details of my progression over the past year from: BIKE A: Hybrid bike with knobby tires and S-type, upright handlebars BIKE B: Hybrid bike with road tires, S-type, upright handlebars BIKE C: Hybrid bike with road tires, flat handlebar, and clip-on aerobars BIKE D: Entry-level racing road bike, with basic wheelset and clip-on aerobars Some quick background…I started triathlon training, i.e. learning how to swim more than 50 yards at a time and learning to bike for speed, basically March 1st of 2010. Before that biking was a fun alternative to long runs and I used it mostly as a cross-training tool, and swimming was what you did on vacation to get to the swim-up bar at the resort. Early season biking around here is usually indoors so the first month was mostly spin classes 2x/week with maybe an outdoor bike ride if we got some really warm weather. So, I had at least a minimal amount of bike fitness before the first data point I’m going to use, and I rode about 100-120 miles per month May – August while training for my mid-August triathlon. First data point is on BIKE A, on 4/2/2010, on a roughly 26-30 mile course I do pretty regularly (variance is how far I go down one road and back): Distance: 26.83 mi TotalTime: 02:06:37 Average Speed: 12.71 mph (from SportyPal app on Windows phone) Next data point is two months later, on BIKE B, with some additional bike fitness and more of an emphasis on riding faster: Distance: 26.73 mi TotalTime: 01:46:49 Average Speed: 15.0 mph (from SportTracks via Garmin 305) I then changed out the handlebars and added the clip-ons…so now we’re on BIKE C about mid-July: Distance: 28.69 mi TotalTime: 01:45:32 Average Speed: 16.3 mph (from SportTracks via Garmin 305) I then raced a sprint triathlon with this bike configuration, at about 19 mph over a 19.5 mile flat course with no wind. Fast forward to this year, with the upgrade to the BIKE D. First, if you’ve never had a road bike (I hadn’t ridden one in 20 years almost), the position when going from a hybrid/mountain bike takes some getting used to for sure, which accounts for my less than overwhelming first longer ride: Distance: 21.94 mi TotalTime: 01:19:07 Average Speed: 16.6 mph (from SportTracks via Garmin 305, on a different, flatter course than our reference course) But, with a few rides under my belt, the final data point here: Distance: 30.64 mi TotalTime: 01:45:15 Average Speed: 17.5 mph (from SportTracks via Garmin 305) So with that data in mind, here are my observations/answers to the question: “How will changing from a hybrid to this/that bike affect my speed?”:
So, to conclude…from my personal experience, going from a fat-tired hybrid to a decent road bike, plus a year’s worth of bike training equals about 5 mph on a 30 mile course. As always, YMMV. |
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2011-04-19 2:32 PM in reply to: #3455095 |
Master 2236 Denison Texas | Subject: RE: Effect of going from hybrid to road bike See what you can do over longer distances-say 100k on the same course-in as similar conditions as possible on different bikes. I think you will see bigger gains over longer distances IMO. Would probably be more revealing with a power meter than just speed due to variables |
2011-04-19 3:42 PM in reply to: #3455144 |
Expert 4874 Middle River, Maryland | Subject: RE: Effect of going from hybrid to road bike Av8rTx - 2011-04-19 3:32 PM See what you can do over longer distances-say 100k on the same course-in as similar conditions as possible on different bikes. I think you will see bigger gains over longer distances IMO. Would probably be more revealing with a power meter than just speed due to variables You're probably right. Though, if I could afford a power meter I wouldn't have been riding the hybrid all last year! |
2011-04-20 8:03 AM in reply to: #3455095 |
Regular 129 Grand Rapids, MI | Subject: RE: Effect of going from hybrid to road bike Thanks for the post! I am also riding a hybrid (Gary Fisher Utopia) with road tires. I had some clip on aerobars and a fastforward seatpost put on this winter so i could get some 'miles' in on the trainer and prepare my body for the eventual tribike purchase. I have yet to take it outside with the 'bars on. Lately I have started debating about the whole road vs. tri bike thing when even 3 months ago I was SURE I wanted a tri bike. If only they werent $2k... I would get one of each |
2011-04-20 5:57 PM in reply to: #3455095 |
Veteran 156 Southern Saratoga County, NY | Subject: RE: Effect of going from hybrid to road bike My Cannondale Quick 4 is a "commuter" and I just added clip on pedals and bought shoes. For less than $150, I feel a lot more like a bike rider. |