I'm doing a company bike ride in September, but also am looking to get into some light biking. Not sure I'm ready to go full-road bike until I know I like it. So, for the company ride (27 miles) and as a beginner rider, I figured a Hybrid would do fine.

I am looking for one that won't set me back too much (since there's no guarantee I will stick with it). Budget is probably $400.

Bikes I've seen/am considering:

Schwinn Midmoor Hybrid
Jeep Compass Hybrid
Diamondback Insight 1 Hybrid
Diamondback Edgewood LX Hybrid

Not that it matters, but I'm about 5'10", and will probably stick with distances in the 10-30 mile range.

You're going to be told not to get a hybrid.

If you think there is ever a chance you will want to go more than 30 miles on the bike if you end up liking it, get a road bike. If you never plan to ever go more than 30 miles even if you decide you love biking, go ahead and get the hybrid. The flat bar on a hybrid doesn't give much in the way of hand positions and beyond about 30 miles your hands will hate you for it. A secondary thought is that there is more of a market for used road bikes than used hybrids, so if you don't like it and want to sell, you might get more back on the road bike.

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Not that it matters, but I'm about 5'10",

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It matters. Bikes come in sizes (at least once you get away from walmart/academy/target bikes) and a height can at least get you into a ball park, but is not the end all of bike fitting.

Well, I am open to beginners road bikes in the same price range, if anyone wants to make a suggestion....

For what its worth, I'm 5'10" and will be selling a Fuji Roubaix in the next couple of weeks. I'm going to list it of $650.

http://2009.fujibikes.com/Road/Performance/Roubaix.aspx

Only difference is that mine has a Mavic Aksium wheelset.

I used to have a Trek hybrid and recently traded it in on a road bike. If you are looking to ride 20 miles I would highly recommend a road bike. They are so much more efficient than a hybrid.

I got this one...
http://www.feltbicycles.com/USA/2011/Road/Z-Series/Z100.aspx

If you are dead set on a hybrid you might looking into something that leans more towards the road

Narrow tires, rigid fork, but keeps you upright
just a thought
http://www.rei.com/product/809001/raleigh-cadent-ft1-bike-2011

I was also looking for a beginner bicycle about 2 month ago, for commuting/cruises on weekends.

I ended up buying a hybrid Jamis Coda Sport. Good bike. But I will say at first the flat handle bars are fine, but once I started to enjoy biking and started going on longer and longer rides on weekends, the flat bars became rough on my hands.

Anything past 30+ miles is about the time my hands begin to hate me on a flat bar.

I had a hybrid for years. I was totally against the road bike position. Just didn't think I would like it, didn't think it was necessary, and didn't think I could be comfortable bent over like that. I commuted to grad school in East Texas on my hybrid....first 10 miles each way twice a week, then 15, then 20 (each way, so total of 40 miles on East Texas hills) over the course of 3 years. Started doing organized charity rides during that time....and even did the MS150 once on my hybrid.

But. It is difficult to maintain a decent (read decent but slow) average speed on a hybrid. That MS150, the first one - the ONLY one we did on hybrids? The motorcycle guys who were sweeping the route were right behind us as we got to Austin.

So if you want to ride with people, as opposed to riding by yourself for 10-30 miles - you will find it difficult to keep up with the road bikes. The guys are right, your ability to pedal efficiently while in the hybrid position is compromised. So if you want to ride with roadies, consider getting a road bike. At least go test ride some....borrow a bike, take it for a spin....you might find that you adjust easier/better than you anticipate.

And FWIW, I didn't think I'd stick with cycling either. It was just another in a long line of attempts at exercise - at least that is what I thought when I bought an off the shelf hybrid style bike at Academy. After 1000 miles in one year on that bike, I upgraded to the Cannondale hybrid discussed above. And I had close to 7500 miles on that bike when I FINALLY got a road bike.

Thoughts on this 2003 Raleigh for sale on Craigslist?


http://houston.craigslist.org/bik/2462365002.html