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The hybrid is a relatively new style. Also referred
to a "Trekking" bikes, they ideally suited to most leisure
riders and a good deal of commuters.
Hybrids were first seen in the late eighties and early nineties, but
have taken a while to catch on. They feature the best elements from
3 styles of bike available at the time. They originated at a time
when most people buying a bike were buying a mountain bike, but often
a mountain bike was simply too cumbersome, heavy and slow for the
average rider. Designers took the best elements from Mountain Bikes,
Tourers and Racing bikes and built a bike which met the requirements
of the average rider.
A hybrid is fitted with 700c wheels (the same diameter as fitted to
racing bikes) but with wider tyres and rims (on average 35mm). These
tyres are generally multi condition, in that they have a smooth centre
line for efficiency on tarmac, but have knobbly outer tread, to give
good traction if the bike is ridden on a non tarmac surface. They
are fitted with the same gear systems as mountain bikes, with between
21 and 27 gears, flat handlebars and cantilever or linear pull brakes.
Better models feature "fully equipped", ie they come factory
fitted with mudguards, and panniers, and some offer suspension seat
pillars and adjustable rise stems.
All in all the hybrid is the best all round bike there is, it suits
the majority of riding that you might wish to do. It is perfect for
tarmac riding, even longer journeys, and yet it is more than capable
of being taken onto canal footpaths and forestry tracks.
Pros... Lightweight,
wide range of gears, equally at home on road or on well made tracks
and canal footpaths etc. Equally good at long journeys as short. Doesn'y
have the "drag" on tarmac that you get with a mountain bike.
Cons... Not
suited to severe off-road conditions, mountain tracks etc. Stick to
well worn tracks and paths. |
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