From: chandler@wc.novell.com (Mark Chandler)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace
Subject: Re: Neophyte wants advice on Hybrid. Please.
Date: 29 Dec 92 00:23:08 GMT
Organization: Novell, Inc. - Walnut Creek

In article <1992Dec28.213408.33766@datamark.co.nz> thomas@datamark.co.nz (Thomas Beagle) writes:
>After zipping around on my Saturday Night Special pile'o'junk, I am
>now thinking of getting a better bike.
>
>Intended Purpose
>----------------
>I only ride on roads and have no real desire to get into the mud. A
>typical ride for would be a couple of hours of biking around with the
>odd stop for lunch/drink/whatever.
>
>I also commute to work about twice a week. This is 25km each way and
>currently takes me about an hour (no comments please! :-)
>
>Being 6' and not exactly slim, I imagine that something reasonably
>strong would suit.

A decent touring bike would fit the bill, so would a hybrid.  I'm
just under 6', weigh 195, and generally don't ride any tires smaller
than 700x32 (marked size).

>SalesDroidSpeak 
>--------------- 
>A guy at my local bicycle shop spent an hour telling me that a hybrid
>was the answer to my not very expensive dreams. It was a local brand,
>a Raleigh Multi X200. Came with Shimano 200CX gearset (correct
>jargon?), Rapidfire shifters, and 700c wheels. Cost is NZ$780 - about
>US$400 and was a little less than I was thinking of spending.
>
>Questions
>---------
>Do I want to get a hybrid? He told me that the main disadvantage of a
>hybrid over a full road bike is the weight. However, this seems to
>ignore the different frame geometry and possibly useful drop
>handlbars. How well do hybrids cope with aero bars?

Many hybrids simply use the 71/73 angles commonly found on
mountain bikes.  These are probably fine for off-road use, but
are a bit "sluggish" (read: slow handling) on the road.  Manufacturers
will usually list geometry in their catalogues, so you could compare
the hybrid-in-question's geometry with a road bike's.  Personally,
I prefer steeper angles for on- and off-road use.  My bike has
72.5 parallel angles and it handles nicely on the road or in the
dirt.  It also weighs about 25 pounds too (depending on wheels/tires).

There are a few drop-bar hybrids (still) available.  Here's what I
wrote about them after visiting the Interbike trade show:

The drop-barred hybrid is all but dead. Gone are Bianchi's Equinox
and Miyata's AlumiCross. And while the folks at Bridgestone would
hesitate to call their RB-T a "hybrid," it too has been discontinued.
Only Bianchi's Volpe-the original production hybrid-remains. The
venerable Volpe isn't even listed in the Cross-Terrain (market-speak
for "hybrid") section of their '93 catalogue; but instead, is
lumped-in with the skinny-tired triple-chainring road bikes. If you
want a drop-barred bike, you'd better buy now or be prepared to
tinker later.

>Rapidfire. Well, I liked them but how well do they last? They weren't
>Rapidfire Plus, but he said that they also weren't from the first
>release which were meant to be quite crappy. Any comments?

RapidFire Plus has a better track record than the original RapidFire.
My guess is that the cheaper stuff would be prone to failure (judging
from the large box of dead RapidFire units at a local shop).

>Thanks for any help - please either mail or post. Unfortunately I
>don't really know any local cyclists that I can ask for information.

What other brands are available "down there?"

>    Thomas Beagle | thomas@datamark.co.nz           Work: 64 4 233 8186
>Datamark Intl Ltd | thomas@cavebbs.welly.gen.nz     Home: 64 4 499 3832
> Technical Writer | Yes, I do have long ears, a black nose, and a tail.


--
Mark Chandler               Novell, Inc.          510/975-4522
chandler@wc.novell.com      Walnut Creek, CA
==================================================================
     The opinions expressed above are mine, not my employer's.
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.marketplace,rec.bicycles.misc