From: okabe@unixg.ubc.ca (Ian Okabe)
Subject: Hybrid bike response summary 
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 19:01:13 GMT

A short while ago I asked the net for some advice on a hybrid bike.
I actually received more requests for the summary than advice so there
must be some interest in the marketplace. One response was a blank one
so if your response is missing blame the mailing system :)
Thanks for all your help.

Hybrid Bike Response Summary
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From mk@apollo.hp.com Wed Aug 26 10:41:05 1992
It's hard to know what to advise, because you haven't mentioned
what your price range is.  The more specifically you can describe
your requirements/preferences, the better the advice you'll get from
the net.

Many hybrids are quite similar in frame material/construction/geometry
and componentry, so that among these, you might find yourself choosing
based on fit, on price, and on personal preferences about shifter type,
rim/tire size, seat, general looks, etc.  There are some less "generic"
bikes, too, however; Bridgestone, for example, keeps pretty far from the
mainstream, and their hybrids look and feel unlike anybody else's.

Look at more than just the most visible components.  A bike can be
marketed, for example, as "blah-blah-equipped" when only the derailleurs
have the famous blah-blah name, whereas other important components like
the hubs might be no-name parts.

Buy from a good dealer.

Good luck,
Mike Kong
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From shenry@cs.rice.edu Wed Aug 26 09:34:26 1992
I don't know what you are being shown as a touring bike, but a
bike designed as a touring bike is hardly fragile.  It is designed to
carry the rider and a bunch of touring equipment and supplies on racks
attached to the front and rear of the bike.  In short, it has the
frame and gearing to move a small house.  It is the ultimate hybrid
bike in terms of versatility.  I also prefer the drop-bars for the
multiple hand positions over the flat bars and limited hand positions.

If you are **absolutely** sure you will never do anything but commute
on the bike, then a hybrid might be the ticket.  Look at the Schwinn
CrissCross, CrossCut, and CrossPoint.

If you think you might become as addicted as most of us after daily
exposure, you might want to look again at a touring bike.  I used to
recommend the Schwinn Voyageur, but Schwinn has discontinued it.  You
might still find one around at a bargain.  I know Bridgestone (RB-T)
and Miyate (1000?, 600?) make bikes designed and built as a touring
bikes.  Cannondales touring bikes are knocked off from their MTB
frames and are wrong for touring bikes (high bottom bracket, short
chain stays, etc.).

sam henry <shenry@rice.edu>
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From karen@Athena.MIT.EDU Wed Aug 26 09:07:17 1992
I've been commuting on a Miyata Triple-cross for 3 years.  I also
didn't want a mountain bike and I felt uncomfortable on the touring
bike in traffic.  I distinctly wanted upright mountain bike bars
with brake levers right under my fingers all the time.  There weren't
many hybrids out there when I bought mine, but I test rode a few
and picked the one with the best brakes.  I spent more money than
I had intended ($550), but I didn't like the braking ability of
cheaper ones.

The bike does not have sealed bearings and all of the bearing races
are pitted from the salt/sand of the winter.  (I ride it year-round in
all weather except icy.)  The wheels that came with it were 700cx28 type
rims.  I bought some nashbar touring wheels (the ones with the sealed
bearings) for winter riding.  I can also use much wider tires with
more agressive tread.  I use the original wheels for summer riding with
road tires.

I never intended on buying a mountain bike, but if there were one with
sealed bearings everywhere, it might be worth looking at (especially if
you are planning on doing winter riding).

Karen Walrath
MIT
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From CJS1722@ZEUS.TAMU.EDU Wed Aug 26 08:56:40 1992
 Hi! I've had a Specialized Crossroads for the past 2 years and it
  has performed well in both mountain bike and road bike mode.

 It also ran about $350 in SLC, UT; quite a fair deal for the
  price...

Chris Stepanian
CJS1722@ZEUS.TAMU.EDU
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From fdeck@grumpy.helios.nd.edu Wed Aug 26 08:30:07 1992
I went through the same dilemma... what kind of bike is good for
commuting?  Now I ride an old-fashioned 1-speed with fenders and
a basket!  It looks like a paper-route bike, but has a fairly
light English frame circa 1960.

My wife had a ladie's 10-speed with upright handlebars, and I
retrofitted it with a 3-speed coaster-brake hub.

The problem around here is weather.  Rain, slush, and road salt
are very hard on derailleurs and brakes, especially when you have
to park the bike outdoors.  It's nice to be able to leave the
bike outside during the winter so you don't have to bring all
that slush, etc. into your house.  For me, my summers spent on
a racing bike give me good enough legs that I can make the
commute in one gear, and besides, this is Indiana, where the
highest point in our County is a landfill.

I _strongly_ recommend these enclosed one- or multispeed hubs.
If coupled with aluminum rims, you get good wet-weather
braking, or if the hub has a coaster brake, you avoid the
need for handbrakes entirely.

Incidentally, the fact that my bike is so old and ugly
prevents it from getting stolen, another plus when you have
to park it outdoors.

f.deck
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From aviator@Athena.MIT.EDU Wed Aug 26 06:49:32 1992
My wife just bought a Giant Innova a month or so ago, and is very
happy with it.  At $349.95 it seems to be a very good value.  She
only uses it recreationally, however.  She also tried the more
expensive Bianchi Boardwalk, and really liked it, but decided it
was more than she needed.  Other brands that have impressed me in
general include Specialized, Bridgestone, and Trek.  Consumer Reports
rated the Bianchi Boardwalk number one and the Schwinn CrissCross as
a "Best Buy".

Joakim Karlsson
aviator@athena.mit.edu
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From you@taligent.com Wed Aug 26 16:21:27 1992
Try looking at the XO-1 or XO-2 from Bridgestone.  Light, well-designed,
and they have funny handlebars, although they seem functional to me.

Lawrence
you@taligent.com
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From claffy@CS.Stanford.EDU Wed Aug 26 16:25:06 1992
I bought a Schwinn Cross-Fit about 2 1/2 months ago.  I commute to school
an it (approx 80 miles/week).  I have been very happy with the bike.
It is Schwinn's lower end hybrid Hi-tensile steel frame, Shimano idexed
shifting (18 speed).  The one I have is last years model.  The new
models have the rapid fire "push button" shifting which I think could
become problematic.  They sell for $220.  The next model up runs about
$370 with the only major difference being taht the frame is Cr-Mo.
(It wasn't worth the extra $$ to me.)

George
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the end....
-- 
Ian T. Okabe (okabe@unixg.ubc.ca)
Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace