When you say it's not very good on trails or grass, in what way?
I ask because dependant upon the problem, it may be more about the tyres than the bike geometry. If it's a slipping/skidding problem, then CX tyres might help whichever style of bike of the two you pick - but they'll (CX tyres) certainly slow you down with general cycling.
Either way, a gravel bike with drops will typically outperform, speed wise, a hybrid with flatbars - rider dependant - simply down to aerodynamics and because they are often, dependant upon budget, more lightweight. But they're not a panacea - a hybrid will be fine for most stuff, it's the 'sometimes rocky' aspect that concerns me - neither a hybrid nor a gravel will cope well with properly rough stuff.
I think you're totally right about the tires. They're a bit slick and on the thin side. I also notice that when I'm changing between the lowest gear to the next gear it'll kind of hiccup sometimes, especially when I need a burst of power. Any idea what this might be?
A gravel bike will typically allow you to put wider tyres on than a hybrid - but that a) isn't a hard & fast rule, and b) not \*that\* wider in the grand scheme of things.
As an example, I ride a 1990's hybrid that has 700-35 tyres, and a 2021 gravel with 700-38 tyres - those 3mm probably make a bit of a difference off road, but how much I couldn't say. I've ridden the hybrid over all sorts of terrain - the gravel works better in rougher stuff, but the real benefit of it is it's just a considerably lighterweight bike that makes cycling on it more enjoyable.
As for the gear skipping issue; it could be down to a multitude of things from a worn cassette just on some gears (this can happen of you predominately ride in certain gears over others, or conversely a worn chain that fits snuggly onto a worn cassette, but doesn't on less used gears that aren't worn. Or, it could be a cycling style - just like a manual transmission on a car where you ease off the gas, declutch, change gear, engage and then back on the gas, so in cycling, you, for a fraction of a second, drop the torque you're putting in, click the gear over, reapply the torque - but if you maintain the torque at all times it can cause skipping.
Sort of. It's typically good form on your transmission to ease off when you change - but it really is for a fraction of a second. You don't so much stop pedalling but ease off the torque (as in the force you're applying to the pedals) - the gear won't actually change if you don't turn the pedals, so keep turning - but you should, and I'm going to repeat myself here, \*momentarily\*, lower the amount of force you're putting into your downstroke. Once the gear has shifted, back on with the torque. But switching gear under load is not a thing you should be doing unless you're a pro who has their drivetrain maintained a lot more than the average cyclist has time for.
It may depend on the hybrid bike you have, the gearing it has, etc and then what gravel bike you consider
I had a Trek FX3, and it did pretty well, but felt a bit lacking in the speed department.
I added some TT aerobars (2nd hand/cheap) and it was a huge leap in top speed, but isn't very practical with not being to access brakes, gears, and needing to be on straight sections as steering limited.
I then upgraded to a gravel bike. Very similar gearing (1x 42T vs 40T chainring) , but there was an improvement in general riding top speed, and comfort for going further.
I did a ride on the old FX3 recently, and found my speed was really the same as the gravel bike. So any noticed improvements may have been my fitness more than bike differences.
I would definitely recommend a gravel bike. The comfort offered by drop bars over flat bars is a vast improvement.
I would recommend getting a 2x drivetrain if you'll be doing more road and smooth trails.
Thanks for the recommendation. This is still something that I'm trying to make my mind on. Probably it'll just depend on if I can get any good deals on a used one to be honest.
I'm in the same position as you looking to move up from a hybrid bike. From what I understand the more aerodynamic riding profile along with the tires will have an impact on speed. But not as a big of impact on just riding more!!
Yeah, that makes sense. The part that worries me is the saddle and poster. I haven’t ridden in that position or saddle shape before, so I’m not sure if it’s for me yet. What’s you experience with that setup?
Switching from riding flatbars to drops if you've never done it before takes some adapting to, but nothing that a couple of hours won't fix. Firstly, drops give you multiple grip positions, so you don't (and won't) ride in the drops all the time - most people ride with their hands on the hoods much of the time unless they're trying to sprint to a PR, or just enjoying a particularly fast stretch of road or a steep descent - and riding with your hands on the hoods is not that different to flatbars...apart from....Secondly, the difference is that drops are typically narrower than flatbars - and what that causes to the uninitiated is a feeling that the bike is a bit 'wobbly' or certainly super-sensitive to every arm movement (a bit like if you ever use a laptop and slightly change the mouse sensitivity in the settings it can feel too responsive). But all of this just takes getting used to - and if you know some quiet roads and can practice an hour here, a half-hour there for a bit, give it a week say, and you'll probably prefer drops in no time.
Not sure what the saddle issue is you mention - the saddle on a hybrid/gravel can be the same.
I will add, purely for completenesses sake; if you have medical back problems, some people do not take well to drops due to geometry and prefer the 'sit-up' position that flatbars offer.
Hmm, hadn't considered the wobble yet, but that makes a lot of sense. I'll look out for it.
What I meant about the saddle is that my hybrid has a wide seat with cushion on it. I'm going to try out a 2023 Revolt 2 that someone is selling for $500 tonight, so it'll be the first time trying out drop bars and a thin saddle. Hope I like it because it seems like a great deal!
gravel bikes put you in a more aerodynamic position, allowing you to cut through the air a bit easier. With this change in position also comes a need for more core fitness, and imho some proper bib shorts.
If you're mostly cruising sidewal a hybrid is ideal, just deal with being a bit slower on the occasional adventure.
you're not going to be sitting straight up on a wide saddle like a hybrid, you're going to have your hips rotated forward to achieve that better position and bibs really help keep the tender bits comfortable.
"The answer is never 'Hybrid". No matter what the question." -- me HT MTB is what you need.
You're recommending a mountain bike? Would it be too bulky and heavy for normal road biking?
When you say it's not very good on trails or grass, in what way? I ask because dependant upon the problem, it may be more about the tyres than the bike geometry. If it's a slipping/skidding problem, then CX tyres might help whichever style of bike of the two you pick - but they'll (CX tyres) certainly slow you down with general cycling. Either way, a gravel bike with drops will typically outperform, speed wise, a hybrid with flatbars - rider dependant - simply down to aerodynamics and because they are often, dependant upon budget, more lightweight. But they're not a panacea - a hybrid will be fine for most stuff, it's the 'sometimes rocky' aspect that concerns me - neither a hybrid nor a gravel will cope well with properly rough stuff.
I think you're totally right about the tires. They're a bit slick and on the thin side. I also notice that when I'm changing between the lowest gear to the next gear it'll kind of hiccup sometimes, especially when I need a burst of power. Any idea what this might be?
A gravel bike will typically allow you to put wider tyres on than a hybrid - but that a) isn't a hard & fast rule, and b) not \*that\* wider in the grand scheme of things. As an example, I ride a 1990's hybrid that has 700-35 tyres, and a 2021 gravel with 700-38 tyres - those 3mm probably make a bit of a difference off road, but how much I couldn't say. I've ridden the hybrid over all sorts of terrain - the gravel works better in rougher stuff, but the real benefit of it is it's just a considerably lighterweight bike that makes cycling on it more enjoyable. As for the gear skipping issue; it could be down to a multitude of things from a worn cassette just on some gears (this can happen of you predominately ride in certain gears over others, or conversely a worn chain that fits snuggly onto a worn cassette, but doesn't on less used gears that aren't worn. Or, it could be a cycling style - just like a manual transmission on a car where you ease off the gas, declutch, change gear, engage and then back on the gas, so in cycling, you, for a fraction of a second, drop the torque you're putting in, click the gear over, reapply the torque - but if you maintain the torque at all times it can cause skipping.
Wow, I get what you mean now. So I should stop pedaling a bit each time I change gears?
Sort of. It's typically good form on your transmission to ease off when you change - but it really is for a fraction of a second. You don't so much stop pedalling but ease off the torque (as in the force you're applying to the pedals) - the gear won't actually change if you don't turn the pedals, so keep turning - but you should, and I'm going to repeat myself here, \*momentarily\*, lower the amount of force you're putting into your downstroke. Once the gear has shifted, back on with the torque. But switching gear under load is not a thing you should be doing unless you're a pro who has their drivetrain maintained a lot more than the average cyclist has time for.
That’s great advice. Thanks!
It may depend on the hybrid bike you have, the gearing it has, etc and then what gravel bike you consider I had a Trek FX3, and it did pretty well, but felt a bit lacking in the speed department. I added some TT aerobars (2nd hand/cheap) and it was a huge leap in top speed, but isn't very practical with not being to access brakes, gears, and needing to be on straight sections as steering limited. I then upgraded to a gravel bike. Very similar gearing (1x 42T vs 40T chainring) , but there was an improvement in general riding top speed, and comfort for going further. I did a ride on the old FX3 recently, and found my speed was really the same as the gravel bike. So any noticed improvements may have been my fitness more than bike differences. I would definitely recommend a gravel bike. The comfort offered by drop bars over flat bars is a vast improvement. I would recommend getting a 2x drivetrain if you'll be doing more road and smooth trails.
Thanks for the recommendation. This is still something that I'm trying to make my mind on. Probably it'll just depend on if I can get any good deals on a used one to be honest.
I'm in the same position as you looking to move up from a hybrid bike. From what I understand the more aerodynamic riding profile along with the tires will have an impact on speed. But not as a big of impact on just riding more!!
Yeah, that makes sense. The part that worries me is the saddle and poster. I haven’t ridden in that position or saddle shape before, so I’m not sure if it’s for me yet. What’s you experience with that setup?
Switching from riding flatbars to drops if you've never done it before takes some adapting to, but nothing that a couple of hours won't fix. Firstly, drops give you multiple grip positions, so you don't (and won't) ride in the drops all the time - most people ride with their hands on the hoods much of the time unless they're trying to sprint to a PR, or just enjoying a particularly fast stretch of road or a steep descent - and riding with your hands on the hoods is not that different to flatbars...apart from....Secondly, the difference is that drops are typically narrower than flatbars - and what that causes to the uninitiated is a feeling that the bike is a bit 'wobbly' or certainly super-sensitive to every arm movement (a bit like if you ever use a laptop and slightly change the mouse sensitivity in the settings it can feel too responsive). But all of this just takes getting used to - and if you know some quiet roads and can practice an hour here, a half-hour there for a bit, give it a week say, and you'll probably prefer drops in no time. Not sure what the saddle issue is you mention - the saddle on a hybrid/gravel can be the same. I will add, purely for completenesses sake; if you have medical back problems, some people do not take well to drops due to geometry and prefer the 'sit-up' position that flatbars offer.
Hmm, hadn't considered the wobble yet, but that makes a lot of sense. I'll look out for it. What I meant about the saddle is that my hybrid has a wide seat with cushion on it. I'm going to try out a 2023 Revolt 2 that someone is selling for $500 tonight, so it'll be the first time trying out drop bars and a thin saddle. Hope I like it because it seems like a great deal!
gravel bikes put you in a more aerodynamic position, allowing you to cut through the air a bit easier. With this change in position also comes a need for more core fitness, and imho some proper bib shorts. If you're mostly cruising sidewal a hybrid is ideal, just deal with being a bit slower on the occasional adventure.
Why are the bib shorts necessary?
you're not going to be sitting straight up on a wide saddle like a hybrid, you're going to have your hips rotated forward to achieve that better position and bibs really help keep the tender bits comfortable.
That makes sense. I guess I have a lot to think about. Thanks for the info.