# Are hybrid/cross over bikes just a marketing ploy???



## LMC2006 (Feb 17, 2013)

I have been shopping for a new bike. I have a wide range of interests and the local bike shops are trying to sell me a hybrid. I've looked at the Trek Neko S, The Giant Rove 3 and others. The mountain bikes that I have been looking at are Felts & Giants. I rode the 2013 Raleigh Eva 29er today. I feel so confused now. If I go all in on a mountain bike, how versatile are they on paved bike paths. If I do the hybrid, how long before I trash it on a trail or hurt myself. I would love as much feedback as possible. I can't spend thousands so any suggestions that can keep me under $700 would be great. Thanks to everyone in advance.


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## LMC2006 (Feb 17, 2013)

By the way, if it's isn't obvious by the models, I am a female. 5.4. I want to take on beginner and hopefully intermediate trails. I don't know what the future brings, but at present, I would be mostly riding on paved bike paths during the week and unpaved 2-3 times a month.


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## bob13bob (Jun 22, 2009)

The more skilled u are., the skinnier tire you can handle on a given trail terrain .

As a beginner, get a mtn bike if u are gonna trail ride. In the deals subsection of this forum., there is a nashbar coupon code, and u can buy an online bike from there.

I prefer online bikes over lbs bikes, u get more value. U will still be utilizing ur shop to mantain and replace broken parts. Just as we purchase cars at a dealership and still give mechanics business 

sent from one of my 4 gold leafed iphone4s's


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## tednugent (Apr 16, 2009)

hybrids are a needed niche in urban areas and especially when the roads are not that great. you can hit easy singletrack on them.

mountain bikes are fine on the road for commuting. knobby tires don't roll as well as smooth tread tires. with a 29er, you can put the hybrid tires/tubes for the commute, and then when you hit the trails.. the fatter tires what came with the mountain bike


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Hybrids are good for commuting because they either come with or easily accept racks, fenders, chain guards, etc. and in general are tailored for people interested in running errands and riding to work and such. Also they usually have a more upright riding position than most mtbs do and in general are more comfort oriented. They could be ridden on some off road trails but they would have to be very smooth and non-technical.

A mountain bike could be fine on a paved path if you are only out for enjoyment and exercise but the things that make it good off road could become tiresome on the pavement if you are using it a lot for utility purposes. The perfect "do it all" bike really doesn't exist and if you stay with the sport you will probably eventually end up with at least two bikes.


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

LMC2006 said:


> I have been shopping for a new bike. I have a wide range of interests and the local bike shops are trying to sell me a hybrid. I've looked at the Trek Neko S, The Giant Rove 3 and others. The mountain bikes that I have been looking at are Felts & Giants. I rode the 2013 Raleigh Eva 29er today. I feel so confused now. If I go all in on a mountain bike, how versatile are they on paved bike paths. If I do the hybrid, how long before I trash it on a trail or hurt myself. I would love as much feedback as possible. I can't spend thousands so any suggestions that can keep me under $700 would be great. Thanks to everyone in advance.


If you're going to ride singletrack trails at all, I don't suggest a hybrid. At 5' 4", I think a 26" mountain bike would be a good choice for you. And any brand in your price range is going to get you a good bike. Test ride different ones and narrow your selection based on what feels best to you.

Mountain bikes are far more versatile on paved trails than hybrids are on dirt trail. JB Weld said it best: The perfect "do it all" bike really doesn't exist and if you stay with the sport you will probably eventually end up with at least two bikes.


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## citiznkain (Jun 11, 2012)

i use a Hybrid for commuting only. I would suggest getting a mountain bike if you are interested in trail riding.


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## Max24 (Jan 31, 2013)

Hybrids always too just an acceptable amount of what you need them to do. They are not great but they are ok. You need 2 bikes if you want greatness


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## wmac (Sep 29, 2010)

Hybrid is a nice way of saying, "Here's a bike with a really upright riding position, sort of like a mountain bike, but intended for the road."

With that said, here's a picture of my hybrid that I've owned for almost 15 years:










It has thousands of miles on and off road on beginner to advanced trails. It is not as capable, nor will I ride it fast on intermediate or advanced trails as it is not designed to do so. My wife rides it now when we ride on the road, on paved trails, dirt roads or packed single track/beginner trails with our 6 year old.

Here's what I ride on the road:










Notice the flat handlebars like a mountain bike.

Here's the bike I ride on XC trails and race:










Notice the difference? I can ride the red one and the black one on trails, but not as fast and not in the same way.

I can, and do ride all of them on the road. I have ridden the black bike for hundreds and hundreds of miles on the road with road tires and dirt tires. Riding on the road with dirt tires will wear them out.

So, it depends on your goals, the types of places you plan to ride and how fast you want to go.


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## jalopy jockey (Jun 7, 2007)

citiznkain said:


> i use a Hybrid for commuting only. I would suggest getting a mountain bike if you are interested in trail riding.


Not really. A hybrid's idea use is also for recreational rail trail neighborhood with the kids riders. But they do make decent commuters. I prefer my cross bike, but cross bikes typically cost more for similar quality due to more expensive shify bits.

If you want to ride real trails a mountain bike is required. A cross bike can ride light mountainbike trails once you knwo what you are doing.

A hybrid a cheap option for easy rides.

A mounatin bike can do everything. Slow on roads and rail trail but a quick tire swap addresses most of that issue.

A cross bike is far from a marketing ploy. They are great for cross races and gravel road rides where multiple hand positions are apreciated. It is my go to bike for anything except singletrack mountain biking.


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## citiznkain (Jun 11, 2012)

jalopy jockey said:


> Not really. A hybrid's idea use is also for recreational rail trail neighborhood with the kids riders. But they do make decent commuters. I prefer my cross bike, but cross bikes typically cost more for similar quality due to more expensive shify bits.
> 
> If you want to ride real trails a mountain bike is required. A cross bike can ride light mountainbike trails once you knwo what you are doing.
> 
> ...


Not really? I use a hybrid for commuting and would suggest a MTB overall if there is going to be trail riding. How is that "not really"? I have both. and that is my suggestion if the OP needed to pick one.


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## jalopy jockey (Jun 7, 2007)

citiznkain said:


> Not really? I use a hybrid for commuting and would suggest a MTB overall if there is going to be trail riding. How is that "not really"? I have both. and that is my suggestion if the OP needed to pick one.


You said 'COMMUTING ONLY', That is the basis of my not really as it has other uses such as rail trail moms for fitness and taking the kids to the park, which is what it is really targeting not commuters.

Additionally it is not an ideal commuter as a cross bike is better at least for those of us wityh longer commutes who appreciate teh ability to move our hands around.


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

LMC2006 said:


> By the way, if it's isn't obvious by the models, I am a female. 5.4. I want to take on beginner and hopefully intermediate trails. I don't know what the future brings, but at present, I would be mostly riding on paved bike paths during the week and unpaved 2-3 times a month.


Get a MTB. What you are posing is a typical newbie thing. You can always update the MTB to have a more upright riding position by getting a high rise stem. You can also add bar ends to help with hand positions, though I would wait a bit on that to get used to the bike controls first. What you cannot do is add good suspension to a hybrid and expect to get a faster more technical ride in. Also, when you do get to that skill level, you will probably want to lower the bars back to stock, and then add bar ends for different hand positions on the road. Take a look at a 29er hardtail with a 80-100mm fork. Update the MTB to get rid of the heavy knobbies and put on lighter faster tires, which will help on paved road. I would suggest a starter tire as the Schwalbe Smart Sam. It rolls well on pavement and can handle dirt well.

Why 29er? If you decide you want to ride more pavement, there are way more options for tires in that wheel size than a 650b or a 26" bike. Road bikes and cyclocross bikes share the same wheel size, that is 700c.

One other thing to add. At your height, the stock bike will likely have the handlebars above the saddle. That will give you a more upright position. You will likely find that more comfortable to start. Eventually you'll want to bring the bars down, when you get on trails. Depending on how aggressive you are, and how fast you go, the lower bars help keep the front tire planted. You'll know when you start to encroach this area, don't worry about it now.

For what you need, you're going to be a bit over budget. See if the local bike shop has any deals on last year's models. What you need is a basic bike in your sizing, which is a dime a dozen. They don't change much, year to year. If you are comfortable shopping online, that is an alternative as well. Just note that if you make a sizing mistake, it's likely going to be more costly than buying from the LBS, and much more of a hassle to deal with.


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## citiznkain (Jun 11, 2012)

jalopy jockey said:


> You said 'COMMUTING ONLY', That is the basis of my not really as it has other uses such as rail trail moms for fitness and taking the kids to the park, which is what it is really targeting not commuters.
> 
> Additionally it is not an ideal commuter as a cross bike is better at least for those of us wityh longer commutes who appreciate teh ability to move our hands around.


There's also an "I use". This is how I use MY bike. I did not say that is the only way to use it. I could ride up the mountain if I wanted. But that's not ideal for ME. I was simply offering my suggestion to the OP as to what I use my bikes for.


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## Zuarte (Nov 21, 2010)

Hybrid bikes fill a rather important role in bike options. Before them, riders were either stuck with the aggressive seating position of a road bike, or the heavy rolling resistance of a mountain bike (even with street tires). The hybrids let recreational riders have the comfort of upright seating with the low rolling resistance of skinny tires. They are built beefier than a road bike, but with certain components (wheels, handlebars, etc) that aren’t as beefy as those on a mountain bike.

Where they really shine is in getting from one point to another with the most comfort, where speed is not the priority, and where there is some paved or groomed path. I’ve got a Trek 7100 from back in 2006, which is as hybrid as they come. It worked perfectly for riding around campus, and it’s beefy enough that I don’t hesitate to take it off curbs or through dirt paths. But not through harsh terrain.

If you plan on doing proper mountain biking, get a mountain bike. Putting it another way, don’t take a crossover SUV rock crawling if what you really need is a Jeep.


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## zephxiii (Aug 12, 2011)

In my opinion the mountain bike IS the do it all bike. And a mountain bike does perfectly great on pavement, coming from someone that has rode 3000 miles since August 2011 on only mountain bikes with most of these miles being on pavement (and on a 26er FS at that) (since it's so easy to rack up miles on pavement). 

I've looked at hybrids, they didn't seem to be any lighter than a decent mountain bike so I kinda don't see the point in them. Just change your tires to whatever you want to do with your bike. 

The thing is with a hybrid you are kinda limited to what you can do vs. a 29er MTB.


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## AJWeber-87 (Feb 19, 2013)

great info. thanks


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

originally, all hybrids looked the same: they were essentially a 700c comfort bike. Super upright, fat, cushy seat, crappy suspension forks. The segment has expanded quite a bit. You'll see some folks put flat handlebar road bikes into the "hybrid" category. You'll also see some dedicated city bikes in the category, too, that don't have traditional road drops.

My commuter might be considered a hybrid by some stretches of the word.

Here it is with hybrid tires on it and without fenders and rack (these tires won't fit with fenders due to clearance issues on the frame).



here it is in more city bike mode with narrower tires (still fatter than most road bikes at 32mm), fenders, and rack.



I have ridden it on some easy dirt. In the top mode, it's passable on sandy dirt roads. With the narrower tires, it's okay on hardpack, but anything loose is out of the question. I built it with beefier wheels because I wanted to go wherever the commute took me. It's essentially a mtb wheelset. Something like this, but with actual mtb tires might be called a monstercross bike. Now THAT is something you can do a lot with.


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## wmac (Sep 29, 2010)

^cool bike Nate!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

wmac said:


> ^cool bike Nate!


thanks. I really like that bike. it's quite a bit out of the OP's price range unfortunately, but it's really comfortable and well suited for commuting. the frame is set up to handle an alfine hub, and now that I just got a part time job at a shop, I may wind up using my discount this summer to build another rear wheel for it with an IGH so I can easily swap between SS and geared. I had wanted to set it up that way initially, but couldn't stretch the budget quite that far.

oh, and the paint glows in the dark, which is probably the coolest part about the bike.


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

*Context...*



jalopy jockey said:


> Not really. A hybrid's idea use is also for recreational rail trail neighborhood with the kids riders. But they do make decent commuters. I prefer my cross bike, but cross bikes typically cost more for similar quality due to more expensive shify bits.
> 
> If you want to ride real trails a mountain bike is required. A cross bike can ride light mountainbike trails once you knwo what you are doing.
> 
> ...


The OP was asking about hybrids (not CX bikes) vs. mountain bikes. citiznkain gave solid advice: A hybrid isn't a good option for riding singletrack. Can it be done? Sure. I've ridden road and CX bikes on singletrack. Is it a good idea? Not really.


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

NateHawk said:


> My commuter might be considered a hybrid by some stretches of the word.
> 
> Here it is with hybrid tires on it and without fenders and rack (these tires won't fit with fenders due to clearance issues on the frame).


That's a nice looking bike, Nate.

For "hybrid", I actually consider the touring class more utilitarian than the beach cruiser types. Bikes such as the one you have, and the Salsa Vaya, etc.. I use a 1990 Rockhopper as my "touring" bike, it has eyelets for racks, uses 71/73 geometry. There are 3 downsides 1) a relatively high BB (11.5 with 26x1.9 tires), but with 26x1.35 semi-slick tires the BB will be 10.9 and 1.35 is 35c. 2) lots of trail, but smaller tires also decrease trail, making it quicker steering as well. 3) it's heavy, being a full on steel mtb of the 90s. Using dirt drops, trekking cranks, and brifters it's not bad. Comfortable with the various hand positions. This is the bike I use for "bike to trail", mild single track, and rougher than gravel trails.

I also have a CX bike, that bike has pure race geometry. Fast steering, light, and very nimble. It's not "relaxed" enough nor does it have eyelets with a carbon frame. I set that up for more road than trail, road gearing, weight weenie stuff, etc.

Coincidentally, my 1990 Rockhopper is my first MTB. The downside for MTB'ing is that it has no suspension. For mild trails that is not a problem (for me), but essentially it's all preferential. That said, bikes of that era are ideal cheap touring bikes. The reach measurement is more akin to road bikes of the age, and it's stout. My bike is a size small, but even the size up has a ETT just barely over 22in so it's ideal for long stem flat bar or shorter stem and drops.


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## wmac (Sep 29, 2010)

LMC: You there?


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

I'd go with a mountain bike if you are doing both pavement and trails.

While an MTB is not as nice as a hybrid on a paved path, it's not that bad, and with some road tires, they are just fine. On the other hand, a hybrid is is going to be just awful on all but the smoothest trails.

You can go 26er or 29er. Plenty of 26" tires made for pavement if you want a set of pavement tires for the mtb.


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## LMC2006 (Feb 17, 2013)

Sorry for the delayed response. This is alot of great feedback. I had considered going with the mountain bike and also having backup wheels/tires for paved trail riding. just how costly could this be? I am adamant about offroad riding, however the venues are limited in the cinci area, so only weekend rides only. It would be great to have2 bikes. I really was hoping to meet both needs with one bike.


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## LMC2006 (Feb 17, 2013)

Are there benefits of 29ers over 26? I have read of additional traction with 29ers. I wonder if going with 26 will save significantly on $ and overall weight.


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## wmac (Sep 29, 2010)

LMC2006 said:


> Are there benefits of 29ers over 26? I have read of additional traction with 29ers. I wonder if going with 26 will save significantly on $ and overall weight.


Let's not go there - it's a bit of a religious topic. If you can swing the cash, buy two bikes.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

It depends on the extra wheelset you buy and all the other bits (cassette, brake rotors, tires) how affordable it will be to do that.

I wouldn't recommend that to start. I'd just ride it with whatever tires you have. If you find yourself limited, buy a set of road tires to swap. If you really do go back and forth a lot, buy separate wheels to simplify the swap. The next step would be a whole separate bike


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

NateHawk said:


> It depends on the extra wheelset you buy and all the other bits (cassette, brake rotors, tires) how affordable it will be to do that.
> 
> I wouldn't recommend that to start. I'd just ride it with whatever tires you have. If you find yourself limited, buy a set of road tires to swap. If you really do go back and forth a lot, buy separate wheels to simplify the swap. The next step would be a whole separate bike


I agree.

Regarding 29": for your height, I'd stay w 26. Any 29 corrected for your height is going to have toile concessions on frame design. Which would likely create more problems for you.

Sent from my rotary phone and compiled with a telegraph machine.


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## kapusta (Jan 17, 2004)

Another set of tires might not be a bad idea. If you ride most of your miles on pavement, you are going to wear a set of knobbies down pretty fast. I would either 

a) look for a set of road/commuter tires (which, despite what has been said in this thread a few times, are available for 26" as well as 29" wheels), or 

b) if you don't want to deal with changing tires twice a week, get something like Nanoraptors, that do both trails and pavement OK, but not great. Point is, they are better than road slicks on the dirt, and roll decently and don't wear out fast on the pavement.

As far as 26 vs 29, this is one of the most argued over topics on mtbr. Personally, for what you are doing, I'd want a 29er, but the question is whether it's going to fit right. I know a few women riders your size who are very experienced riders and ride a 29er. Try riding a few of both sizes, and see how they fit.


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## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

LMC2006 said:


> Sorry for the delayed response. This is alot of great feedback. I had considered going with the mountain bike and also having backup wheels/tires for paved trail riding. just how costly could this be? I am adamant about offroad riding, however the venues are limited in the cinci area, so only weekend rides only. It would be great to have2 bikes. I really was hoping to meet both needs with one bike.


No need for new wheels, it's not worth it at your level.

You can invest in tires though. My recommended tires (Smart Sam) do very well on hybrid/cross type environments. There are cheaper alternatives, I've also had good luck with Forte Greenway-k. I use these on all trails. I even ride semi-technical stuff with it, roots/rocks. I just don't use it for ashy, sooty DH/FR type trails. For faster road and some milder off-road, I have used the Nashbar Accelerator tires as well. The Kenda Happy Medium also works well for more road based. I have used these for steep fire road climbs. It's fine. What you will find is that you can make many things work, with compromises (speed). The rest is the rider itself. With these tires, I do not swap. I ride bikes to trails, in a mixed road/trail environment. I look for more cyclocross type tread, it's a compromise on both, but for a newbie it's not a big deal. If you get very serious into road, you will be looking for a road bike any way. Yes, you can ride MTB on road, but it's limited if you *really* get into road riding. Just as road, cyclocross, hybrid bikes are limited off-road.

FWIW, I have used heavy knobbies on road. For stock OEM tires, that's OK. For other cases, no. 3 reasons why. 1) good knobbies are expensive and soft. They wear out very fast on road. 2) They buzz like mad (a buzzing sound, you'll see when you do it). It annoys me after 4 hours of riding. 3) There's lots of drag.

I don't know what bike you're going to get, but do post up what's on it when you do. We can make recommendations, if needed. Heck, some people may even donate tires they no longer want or use. However, at the price level you are looking at, I would recommend minimal upgrades. You can polish a turd, type of mentality. I know the urge is strong. I polish turds, so I know. In fact, all my bikes are turds.


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## Zuarte (Nov 21, 2010)

For what you’re doing, one bike is plenty. As for differences in traction between a 26 vs 29er, don’t even worry about that. The difference is there when you really start hammering the bike, but will not be noticeable for a beginner. 

As for pros and cons:

Good chance of a 26er being cheaper than a 29er, because 29er’s are the hot segment in the bike market. So hot, in fact, that some companies don’t even carry a 26er hardtail beyond entry level. A shop might be more willing to negotiate on the price of their 26er inventory. 

But if you want one bike and two sets of tires to switch between, a 29er can take both off road tires as well as a plethora of skinny commuter-bike road tires. The selection of road tires available to the 29er owner is simply not reflected in the 26er size.


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## Jahman5 (Feb 20, 2013)

No.


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## LMC2006 (Feb 17, 2013)

I'm excited to check out more bikes this weekend. For my price range, the raleigh eva 29er has been the one that the others were compared to. Does anyone know about this bike or have an opinion of it? I haven't found reviews as it's a 2013. Could you recommend any others that would be worth checking out? Again, thank you all for the excellent feedback.


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## Ken in KC (Jan 12, 2004)

LMC2006 said:


> I'm excited to check out more bikes this weekend. For my price range, the raleigh eva 29er has been the one that the others were compared to. Does anyone know about this bike or have an opinion of it? I haven't found reviews as it's a 2013. Could you recommend any others that would be worth checking out? Again, thank you all for the excellent feedback.


You're 5'4" tall. A 29er isn't a great choice for your height.

Sent from my rotary phone and compiled with a telegraph machine.


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