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I am looking for a new bike with following properties:

  • comfortable for commute, promenades and fitness in the city and outside with occasional bad roads (dirt roads with some tree roots, bumps) and rough cobblestone
  • more or less light (I expect to go upstairs with it in hands often)
  • upright posture preferred if possible

The thing is, I don't want to buy a compromise that tries and fails to be everything -- hybrids are seen this way in some articles I've read.

So I am looking at the three categories I mentioned in the title. Can you give a comparison of the three? What can you advise? Are my criteria too broad?

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  • I have had a hybrid of the trekking variety for a few years now. It's a bit heavier than you'd like for stairs but I didn't think too much about that. It handles the conditions you describe quite well. Not all hybrids are the same. A flat-bar road bike is essentially one extreme of the hybrid market. As it stands your question is quite broad, and quite close to some others, including Hybrid or Road Bike?
    – Chris H
    Jun 12, 2017 at 12:57
  • @ChrisH Thanks. Feel free to mark as duplicate although I moslty wanted a comparison of the three, so it would be nice if it hung for a while. And still, what about cyclocross? They look a lot like road bikes with more clearance, rougher tires and more upright posture. In competitions I have seen them being carried over difficult terrain or stairs sometimes.
    – Ivan
    Jun 12, 2017 at 13:03
  • I looked at CX bikes before deciding on a tourer to supersede my hybrid on longer rides (for reasons of heel clearance and the potential to carry more; I wasn't so concerned about weight). At the question I linked some people were very pro-CX. But you say you'd like an upright posture (as do I for urban riding so I can see over cars).
    – Chris H
    Jun 12, 2017 at 13:07

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That is pretty much what a CX is designed for. They carry nicely as most CX courses have a carry section. If you are going to be road heavy you can get touring tires like 28 - 35 mm. For cobble stone go 35 mm.

Check for take 35 mm as some pure race will only to up to 32 mm.

I prefer the drop bars as more positions and can go into the drops for aerodynamics but most riding is on the hoods.

You can often get good prices used as lot of racers upgrade every couple years. And the bike is typically well maintained. With 1x coming popular many people are upgrading and 2x is probably better for you. Sponsored riders get a bike free. Your risk of crashed bike is not that high as hard crashes in CX are just not common. Crashes are not common.

shoulder carry

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  • Thanks. Is it OK to adjust dropbar position for more comfortable posture with hands on the hoods? Does it hinder other hand positions?
    – Ivan
    Jun 14, 2017 at 12:28
  • Give it a try and see how it feels
    – paparazzo
    Jun 14, 2017 at 12:51

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