# Go mountain with hybride tires, or just hybrid?



## JakeyJake (Jul 21, 2011)

I'm really torn about what to do here.

I was at a Trek store today and loved the hybrids I saw and tried, but then a hardcore mountain biker pulled me aside after talking to the store rep and told me to get a mountain (good solid entry level) and buy hybrid tires and/or kevlars for the road.
His reasoning was there are a lot more accessories available for mountain bikes.
What he recommended for tires were Club Roost cross Tera's or something like that,.

I'm kinda beside myself here now, because I'd like to start riding and get on the road.
My budget would probably be around $800 all in, $650/700 if possible.


Help?


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## dstaks (May 10, 2011)

If your mainly doing road I would go with a hybrid, this way you can still try out trails...If your addicted then you know and can always get that hardcore bike in the future


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

is this a first or secnd (tird etc) bike?

How did you know he was a hard core mountain biker?
Did he smell like sale smoke and beer? because I do and I'm pretty hardcore :cornut:


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

If you are going to use a bike for mountain bike trails then you need to get a mountain bike. You can put hybrid style tires on a mountain bike and make it more suitable for the road but you can not put fat tires on a hybrid to make it a mountain bike. First, most hybrids simply won't fit a wider tire and second, a hybrid bike is not made for trails in both durability and geometry design. 

If you're staying on the road all the time get a hybrid, there's nothing wrong with them and there's plenty of parts out there to fix them. But if you're going to go more off road than a dirt road then you need to get a mountain bike.


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## getagrip (Mar 26, 2008)

I'd get a mountain bike. It will be more versitle. I do a lot of road riding on my mountain bike...it feels a lot more solid and not flimsy like a hybrid.


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## JakeyJake (Jul 21, 2011)

This would be an absolute first hybrid or mountain bike for me, of these sort of calibers. 


As for how I knew if he was a hardcore mtn.biker, buddy told me after we left the store.
He said he was an instructor for some trails up north and if his trailer was of any indication, he had some REAL dirty bikes that looked "slightly" abused to put it mildly. lol

But he was extremely helpful, but I'd like more than one opinion on it of course


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## jaycee74 (Jul 10, 2011)

I would defiantly go with a MTB only if you ever plan on riding some trails.If you wanna stay on the road then a hybrid is the one for you :thumbsup:


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## Squash (Jul 20, 2003)

JakeyJake said:


> This would be an absolute first hybrid or mountain bike for me, of these sort of calibers.
> 
> As for how I knew if he was a hardcore mtn.biker, buddy told me after we left the store.
> He said he was an instructor for some trails up north and if his trailer was of any indication, he had some REAL dirty bikes that looked "slightly" abused to put it mildly. lol
> ...


As the others have noted, it all depends on the riding you intend to do. A hybrid will run roads, paved bike paths, and nice smooth dirt paths. But they are not mountain bikes and don't do well when things get rough. They are quite fast, efficient and comfortable though when ridden as intended, primarily on the road.

A mountain bike is most at home off road of course. But they can be ridden on road with a tweak or two. The primary modification is smooth pavement specific tires. An MTB will not be as fast on the road, but it will offer more versatility if you intend to ride both on and off road.

The key is to think about how and where you intend to ride. If you're going to stay on the street, then get a hybrid. If you want to be able to hit the trails as well, then get an MTB and a second set of street tires for it. Just keep in mind that getting an MTB for road use is like using a ball peen hammer for finish work, it'll work, but it"s definitely not the ideal tool for the job, and so it is with a hybrid for off road use as well. So think about it, you'll figure out what will work best for you.

Good Dirt


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## theMeat (Jan 5, 2010)

If your gonna ride only roads than get a road bike. If you'd like to ride trails also get a mtb. If your older or out of shape and are likely to stay that way, get a hybrid. I have both mtbs and road bikes. Unless I'm going for a 30+ mile road ride, I ride my mtb, with knobies, everywhere just incase there's some trails. I'm not bragin' or sayin' only mtbs are cool to try and be cool. Just letting you know what I like and obviously everyoned different but...I bought a $750 hybrid at a yard sale for $50 bucks. The bike was near brand new and fit me perfect. Just couldn't pass up this deal. After a few years I, 44 y.o., gave it away because I realized I didn't like it, nor did I use it at all. Well my buddy, 35 y.o., felt the same way and after a few months gave it back. I now gave it to an older friend, 55 y.o, and so far so good. 
You could always get a ht mtb with a front fork that locks, and if your really wanna stretch your energy, get some slicks. 
My .02


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## crclawn (Sep 26, 2010)

If you're only going to be riding road then go with the hybrid. You'll be lugging around the extra weight with a mountian bike when you don't need to. I would check out the Cannondale Bad Boy with lefty front fork (ridgid). About $300 more than your budget but very nice. Best of luck.


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## vaelin (Sep 3, 2009)

If you're only going to be riding road, and getting a hybrid, make sure it's a road hybrid. Meaning, road bike components/geometry with a flat bar cockpit.

Don't go the mountain hybrid, where they try to pack in disk brakes and a suspension fork. You don't need either for roads.. and it's just added weight.

If you're planning on hitting trails as well, just get a hardtail mountain bike and slap on slicks/semi-slicks, as the 'hardcore mountain biker' suggested.


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## coopdad (Nov 6, 2010)

Think of it like this... bikes are a lot like cars. A hybrid is like a Subaru and a mountain bike is like a Jeep. A Subaru will drive on dirt but best to keep it on road. Driving a Jeep on the road can get taxing.

My brother had the same questions as you, hybrid vs mountain bikes. So I let him borrow one of my mtn bikes and we hit the local trails. But he realized that he felt uncomfortable going down steep hills. So, he changed his mind about which he wanted. He loved the IDEA of offroading more than actually do it.

Borrow a mtn bike and see if you love it. Then if (when) you do, do like theMeat and I did... buy two. For $800 you can get two used bikes off Craigslist, one of each.


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## kochise (Aug 17, 2011)

can someone recommend tires to swap out for am ountain bike used mostly onthe road?
thx


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## Brtrooper06 (Jun 23, 2011)

I own both. A hybrid that I ride to work everyday that will do light duty off road and mountain bike. (Trek Utopia and GF HiFi)

If I had to get rid of one of them and only have one bike - I would definitely get rid of the hybrid.

They are both great bikes and I love them both, but the hybrid is just not made for serious off road. The frame wil not take the abuse and most hybrids come with really crappy shocks (even though I ride with mine locked out 95% of the time). The frames on the hybrids are NOT the same frames the bike companies use for their mountain bikes. They may look the same, but most are not.

If you're into tire swapping, which sounds good in theory but is a real pain if you're doing 3-5 times a week, a mountain bike is also the way to go. If you do decide to go with a mountain bike, you will almost have to get a 29er to accomodate the 700cc (29er) wheels to make it road worthy.

Most hybrids also come with really awful components. Even entry level mountain bikes have better components. The only things I have not swapped out on my hybrid since buying it are the tires and the stem. I probably put as much into better parts than I did on the bike. Mountain bike on the other hand, I've hardly swapped anything save for the seat and bars.


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## JonathanGennick (Sep 15, 2006)

JakeyJake said:


> I was at a Trek store today and loved the hybrids I saw


Whatever you do, don't let someone talk you into buying one bike when you really like another.


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

kochise said:


> can someone recommend tires to swap out for am ountain bike used mostly onthe road?
> thx


YES!!
Maxxis Hookworms - friggin awesome and they don't look gay on a 6" bike IMO


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## akacoke (May 11, 2011)

those Maxxis Hookworms looks awesome on your bike


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## highdelll (Oct 3, 2008)

THX, they ride even betterererer
Yeah they take a bit more than some slicks to get up to speed - but they ROLL and GRIP - Did I say grip?
Everytime I think I can't lay it down any further - I can.
I break beer bottles w/ these and ride over them again just to make sure they're broken enough.
After that, I ride by the sorority's houses to make 'em gush so I can wash off the label bits.
Then I go home and eat a taco.
:thumbsup:


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## zebrahum (Jun 29, 2005)

highdelll said:


> YES!!
> Maxxis Hookworms - friggin awesome and they don't look gay on a 6" bike IMO


The Hookworms are a good tire and damn near indestructable but if your riding will take you onto dirt or grass then they are terrifying. I rode Hookworms for a while but switched to Holy Rollers. They're lighter and will give some grip when you hit dirt or loose or grass. Much like the Hookworms, they last forever but they're not as puncture resistant.


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## kochise (Aug 17, 2011)

highdelll said:


> THX, they ride even betterererer
> Yeah they take a bit more than some slicks to get up to speed - but they ROLL and GRIP - Did I say grip?
> Everytime I think I can't lay it down any further - I can.
> I break beer bottles w/ these and ride over them again just to make sure they're broken enough.
> ...


hahaha
yeh, they look killer. thx for the advise.


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## xufima (Jun 4, 2009)

I wanted to try a hybrid tire on a mountain bike for commuting and ended up with a pair of Kenda Kross tires for super cheap off Amazon. No complaints so far.


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## Colo Springs E (Dec 20, 2009)

highdelll said:


> After that, I ride by the sorority's houses to make 'em gush so I can wash off the label bits.
> Then I go home and eat a taco.
> :thumbsup:


You should try the tacos at the sorority house next time. They're awesome!


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