Hybrid vs. Mountain Bike (Discussion)

Question

I’m narrowing down my options for my first bike purchase…

Hybrid vs. Mountain bike

Looking for input as to why or why not. I’m really torn. I was set on a hybrid as I will be mostly road riding. But a MTB seems to have more options (addition of smoother road tires). I am thinking ahead and think as I get more into biking I will venture out to trails, as I love nature.

Christina 5 years 50 Answers 3191 views 0

Answers ( 50 )

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    Open UP….or 3T Exploro

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    Cross bike.

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    I would buy a hybrid now… And a mountain bike after you start riding trails.

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    Look at Specialized Diverge E5 it's under $1,000. Great all around bike.

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    Get a handcycle trike. Forget all about the upwrongs !!!

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    I've never been a fan of hybrids. If you are buying a bike for trips around town or general fitness you can get a lot more bike by buying a city bike. The front suspension of the hybrids seems like a good idea but with the tires they normally run on city bikes/hybrids it is completely unnecessary and adds unneeded weight and complication. Riding a mountain bike on the street is fine but if you are going to use it for any practical commuting/errand type use not all mountain bikes are going to be rack friendly or even easy to lock up securely. Best to get a bike that does each task well unless this is totally unreachable on your budget.

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    I don't think you will regret the hybrid. It will get you what you want in the short-term and allow you to put a toe into off-road. My first bike was a hybrid and now I have two mountain, a cyclocross, and road bike. But I'm always thinking about that original hybrid. Maybe it's time for a NEW BIKE for me!

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    I'd get all 3…

    (You'll want a road bike soon enough.)

    Oh wait. I am. 🙂

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    I love my MTB and ride roads and dirt.

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    There are many different interertations of "hybrid" bicycles, from flat bar road style bikes to cross-sport (similar to hard-tail mountain bikes) to comfort cruiser style. This graphic might be useful.

    hybrid

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    Road
    Racing
    Mountain bike

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    I have a hardtail, a full suspension and an oversized mountain bike and I love them all. Mostly riding the oversized on roads and trails. I like these choices cause I can pick one at random and ride anywhere, but it up to you what feels best, me I never ride a bike unless it has good deep tread

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    No mater what anyone else says . . , road bike! Ok maybe I'm a little arrogant but mountain bike can be dangerous when you are alone in the woods and injured. Hybrids are ok but road bike are lighter, better when riding solo, especially up hill.

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    Consider cyclocross bikes which are trail capable with larger knobby tires or road capable with smaller slicks.

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    Mountain bike it's a do all

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    I have a hybrid (cannondale) no longer ride that bike but it is a very nice bike but I did not like riding it on the road. I have a cyclocross bike that had some gnarly tires on (well not too gnarly) and like that on the road and it can do gravel and yes it is light. I also put pannier racks on it. I also have a road bike. That's my go to bike when I know I will be strictly on road. Love it my favorite bike. And last but not least I do have a Mt bike and I really like that and it does fine on the road (and I love the sound the tires make on pavement) but the tires are made more for off road riding so it would seem pavement would wear the tires down faster. If I'm wrong please correct me if I'm wrong. And please be nice =) So hmm did I answer your question. I guess I would go with the Mt bike.

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    Cyclocross bike.

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    Hybrid or hard tails are awesome, right tires on them gives you best of both worlds.

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    Fun = mtb / exercise = hybrid.

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    Unless the trails are really rough / bumpy (in which case you should consider a MTB with front suspension at the least, if not front+rear suspension), you could go with a hybrid, with a frame that allows you to put upto (say) 38c width tyres. That tyre width will allow you to handle reasonably bad roads / rough trails. But at the same time, the frame should be lighter (no front suspension, for one). Plus you can ride with 28-32c tyres, when riding on fair-good roads. With some riding experience, you will get better at handling bad roads, so again, need for MTB should be less, unless you are going to do a lot of riding on really bad roads.

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    Look at Giant Anyroad

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    Get the mountain bike and put on slicks

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    Wife and I started with Hybrids. Did a little gravel trail riding a couple of single track mountain bike trails and pretty quickly discovered we really prefer paved greenbelts and road riding. Our 31 year old son was on a MTB. As we started to socialize with other riders, we quickly realized we could not keep up on the hybrids and the MTB was even slower. By the end of the first year, we had moved up to road bikes. Buy a decent quality, name brand bike from a LBS (Local Bike Shop), not a box store bike. It will be worth something as you determine better what you enjoy and what direction you go. Then get on and ride!

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    Well mountain bikes can go places a hybrid cannot. Simple answer.

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    hard tail with two wheel sets

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    Christina Lynne Meade : As with any purchase esp if first-time, there is the romanticized ideal version in our heads and there is reality.

    And with cycles and riding regularly this gap closes within the first 2 hours of riding. You havent mentioned how much experience you've had riding, but since its your first time purchase I'm going to assume you've had only a little experience of perhaps short 10 to 15 minute rides.

    You will quickly learn this as your ride duration increases beyond 30 minutes to an hour :

    1) Wrist comfort [ think shocks and handle bar grips ]
    2) Butt comfort [ think riding shorts and saddle ]
    3) Motorized Traffic madness [ think brakes and riding stance ]
    4) Flatland Terrain and slopes [ think gearing ratios ]

    At this stage you're imagining cruising along, in your slick spandex looking all lean and tanned, turning heads as the sun highlights your hair and green grass waves to you.
    And then there is reality, when you will remember this post and frantically be searching your FB feed.

    The important thing is to enjoy your rides, and with the right bike you will stay in saddle longer and ride more often. But if not, it can be torture, and people give up their new hobby within a month.

    Whatever you decide, have fun, ride safe and ride strong !

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    I have a hybrid, it's a great all rounder!

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    Go and try them! Find somewhere where you can ride for a while on each, back to back would be great. Hybrids usually have a nicer riding position so to start off you might enjoy it better which will make you want to ride more….especially as you say at first it will be mainly on road. They will also allow you to ride on smoother trails and explore off the road too so will give you a better idea if that is what you want to do in the future…speak to your local bike shop for recommendations of which bike but I'd be leaning towards the hybrid to start with.

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    I have a serious road bike and a serious MTB because I do both at different times of the year. I have ridden hybrids, my son has a nice Specialized Sirrus that I ride when I visit him. I have developed the strong opinion that a low end hard tail mountain bike with 29 inch tires – a "29er" is the best first bike you can buy. Here are a few reasons. First, you can mount 700c road bike tires on 29er rims, so that is a great feature for if you later get a road bike. Second, if you get a hybrid and then you decide you want to get a road bike, you are stuck with the hybrid which is basically a clunky road-oriented bike. The hard tail is much better to have as your new second bike (after you buy your road bike) than a hybrid, so that you can then legitimately mod it up and if you want to you can get more serious about mountain biking. Third, an aluminum frame hard tail 29er, while heavy, is nearly bomb proof – you don't have to worry about tipovers, little crashes, etc and riding on that heavy frame will make your transition to road biking much more rewarding, since a mid-grade road bike might be 10 pounds lighter than a lower end hard tail. Hope that helps – DM me if you would like to discuss more.

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    Mountain bike and 2 sets of wheels.

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    I have a hybrid but am pushing it's capabilities re: road cycling distances. I prefer hard tail mtb, good for most terrain.

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    My mountain bikes are close to 10lbs heavier than my roadie-hybrid. That's about 1/3 heavier. More effort for same distance. Plus I maintain spike trail tires that are wasted on road use.

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    Hybrid. Mount racks and go camping. Mulitiday tours. Can't mount racks to MTB.

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    Cyclocross.

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    Possible look at the "gravel" bikes like the Jamis Renegade series.

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    Cyclocross

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    I started off cycling 40 years ago with racing and hybrid tyres, rather before Mountain bikes had any credence in UK. Then I discovered better and quicker X country routes, off road, and went on to hybrid alone. As long as you keep the tyres rock solid, then you have nothing to worry about. I would say that after 40 years my wrists have suffered a bit from not having suspension. That's all. Bikes with suspension are much heavier to cycle arent they! Mountain bikes are much slower on road because of the thickness of the tyres.

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    Mountain bike would be a good option for easy gearing as a newbie. You're right… swap out the tyres. Don't worry about all the fashion trends.

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    Cyclocross i have a trek Boone

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    Hybrid defo for road work ,you loose too much momentum with your pedalling on a mountain ,also a lot more drag from the tyres

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    'Cross or gravel bikes can do anything, if you're creative and know your limitations

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    Between MTB and Hybride I'd go with the former. But I like the cyclocross option!

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    this poor girl will be so confused with the variety of advice she will probably never ride a bike

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    Unfortunately there is no one bike fits all. You will sacrifice with whatever decision you make. I prefer mtb because I am afraid of cars and love the peace in nature. If you get on the trails, I think it's important to have a good mtb (not a hybrid) and if you are new to riding in the woods, full suspension and wider tires will make you feel more confident and it will be more enjoyable. My guess is that NY is like New England – rocky and roots so full suspension will make your trail riding life so much more fun. But full suspension and wider tires won't be as fun on the road. You will get a better work out with less miles on a mtb though. But you won't be going fast. You need 2 bikes

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    Choose the bike that feels right for you.

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    A gravel or "adventure" bike could cover most of those bases.

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    If you are desperate to get somewhere quicker, one bike does!

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    Following

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    I'd say a mountain bike. Buy a set of slicks if your on the roads. Then put the knobblys on when you want to go off road

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    OK, let me put perhaps a new perspective on this:

    If this is your first bike or the first since you were a child, I'd suggest a simple utilitarian bike. Pick something either new or used yet affordable and practical, something made for doing errands around your neighborhood, little trips to the store, something that's not a theft magnet. Get a basket for it, a kickstand and lock. Choose something you can ride in your street clothes, no special shoes.

    Now, ride it for a while and see if you like riding at all. If you do you'll start to get an idea of whether you want to explore more on or off road, whether you want to go faster, or if you need to carry more cargo. You'll also get an idea of whether you want better riding clothes, special pedals or electronic gizmos. Once you do you'll be much more able to choose the type of bike that suits your riding style. When you do, don't sell your utility bike! Keep it around for those small trips that don't require a car and you'll save that money towards the bike you're dreaming of.

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