The hybrid bike has been around for a few years, but it is becoming increasingly popular now, both with commuters and leisure cyclists alike. With pressure to use the car less from environmentalists and ever increasing fuel costs, the hybrid bike is emerging as a credible alternative to the traditional commute to work in the car.
What is a hybrid bike then? They are essentially a cross between a mountain bike, a touring bike and a racing bike. Mountain bikes are arguably the most popular bike for general cycling, particularly off-road. But when on the road they can be cumbersome and heavy, with the deep tread tyres creating a drag on the road surface. The hybrid bike uses mountain bike features such as suspension and wider tyres, but on larger diameter rims such as those found on racing bikes. The tyres have a flat line in the centre, to reduce the drag effect on the road but still have the usual textured tread on the outer part of the tyre for grip off-road. Most people wouldn’t dream of riding to work on a racing bike because of the discomfort over a longer distance, especially in rush hour traffic. Similarly a mountain bike isn’t ideal because of the tread on the tyre and the lack of storage for work items.
Some models also feature panniers for storage, something normally associated with touring bikes. The gears are similar to the mountain bike, featuring around 25 speeds or so, as do the handlebars which are flat. They are relatively inexpensive as well, in comparison to a racing bike or mountain bike and because of the all round nature of them, just one bike could be used both for the commute to work and at the weekend in the park with the kids. Cheap bikes can be found just by going to Google, or down at the high street where you of course have the luxury of being able to try them out first!
