What's the deal with hybrid bikes?

[quiio]

I haven't ridden a bike in years and thought that I would get back into it, after looking around online I saw a Giant Roam 4 that looked alright to me but I was warned against getting a hybrid bike without many reasons why. I usually bike for fun and some commuting

Just wanted to know about the pros and cons or if getting one would be a good purchase.

[G_M]

(09-14-2021, 04:20 AM)quiio Wrote:  I haven't ridden a bike in years and thought that I would get back into it, after looking around online I saw a Giant Roam 4 that looked alright to me but I was warned against getting a hybrid bike without many reasons why. I usually bike for fun and some commuting

Just wanted to know about the pros and cons or if getting one would be a good purchase.

Hello quiio - welcome to Bikeride!
In general, I feel positive about hybrid bikes - especially "for fun rides" and commuting. You should be able to cover more miles or kilometers on a hybrid without getting uncomfortable. Hybrid bikes are not meant for rough MTB rides but you can still have fun off-road. People who "scold" hybrids often have not even tried these bikes or done enough rides to provide a reasonable judgment.

Roam 4 is a decent ride, to be honest. It does not have a lockout fork, which is a con - I prefer lockout when commuting as it simply adds more comfort. But otherwise, you can ride gravel, paths, light forest roads on Roam 4 while also cover your daily (urban) commute aspect. I am not a fan of mech disc brakes, but as long as you don't do a lot of mud/dirt/gravel rides, you should be alright. Mech brake maintenance can become tricky.

[Nikko]

What's the deal with airplane food?

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

For what you're saying, a hybrid bike should be fine.

The only issues I've had are that they're built like road bike frames (thin chainstay/rear triangle) and then have a MTB bottom bracket 73mm. At least, speaking on my GT Transeo 5.0. I've been working on converting it into a road bike and ran into lots of technical issues trying to find a rigid fork and a crank with sufficient means to fit a 50t chainring on it. Very hard to do working with a 73mm bottom bracket. I did finally get everything situated for the most part.

Otherwise, from stock it had great handling and versatility, even jumping on and off curbs.

This was with the stock 38c tires. It was kinda like a super urban bike.

Maybe other brands are different, but the GT models are rock solid.

[Nicholas]

Welcome to BikeRide, @quiio !
We recently received a few replies from our community members via Facebook:

Derrick:
Pros: Typically inexpensive, comfortable, stable, handles irregular terrain (not MTB, but broken pavement and such), durable; Cons: Heavy, slow
My first REAL bike was a hybrid (Raleigh Misceo). I later bought a road bike and a mountain bike. I stopped cycling as much and sold two bikes. Keeping the hybrid was an easy decision.

Steve:
Any way you choose, look at videos to get the correct FIT, frames come in 4 or 5 sizes. Fit starts at the correct frame size for your height, then setting the seat height, and distance to the bars, along with setting the bars up also.
I loved my giant Sedona, I used it to drop 60 pounds. The wider tires are more shock absorbent, and can hold more weight, wether your heavy or possibly considering hauling cargo,kids etc, the hybrid is best. If you wanna go faster then spend a bit more for a lighter bike, they won’t have any suspension so it’s bumpier, but you can usually get slightly wider tires on a fast bike for some cushion. I recommend bike shorts, cause they have extra butt padding, I don’t like the look, but I wear regular shorts over them, and if you get the bicycle shoes I recommend the mountain bike style clip on shoes, they’re easier to walk on around the house or if you stop somewhere. Have fun riding!

Michael:
Derrick is right about most things but the weight is about the same as mountain bike or road bike at the same pricing point, they are comfortable and stable makes them perfect for casual riding

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

Some of the GT hybrids actually come with suspension. I kinda wish my didn't, because it would have made my conversion to road infinitely easier, but here's my stock Transeo 5.0.

[jtreagan]

So, I've had similar wonderings about the "hybrid" designation. Honestly, I haven't even heard a good definition of what a hybrid bike is. Could someone define it for us and then, maybe, add some discussion of the pros and cons? Thanks.

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

Hybrid bikes are intended as urban commuters that have light off-road and full gravel capabilities.

There are no real pros and cons to the bike. It's a specific purpose bike that you get for its specific qualities.

Or for technical reasons such as a road bike being too expensive and/or too uncomfortable/flashy/tacky for your tastes.

The term Hybrid relates to the fact that it's a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike.