Biking is fun. The beauty of raking down miles of distances, terrains, and brushing through the wind filled gust of air is just breathtaking. There is never monotony in biking (cycling). But to enjoy moment when you rock those pedals – you must always ensure that you have the right type of bicycle.
There are many bicycles to choose from. Today however, I am going to share with you more about How to Pick the Best lightweight Hybrid Bikes. Read along this simple guide that I prepared.
What’s a Hybrid Bike?
Knowing the answer to this question is really important before you choose your bike. A hybrid bike is one that enjoys elements of both road and mountain bikes. They are designed to operate efficiently over various terrains. Typically, hybrid bikes flat handlebars, V-brakes, larger volume tyres, and an upright riding position.
Some hybrid bikes are more like mountain bikes but with fatter tyres. Others have front suspension while others don’t. If it has suspensions, a hybrid bike will be ideal for rough terrains such as uneven roads, bridleways, and sometimes towpaths. Additionally, these bikes can also be much more like road bikes with flat handlebars lightweight frames and narrow tyres just like the lightweight hybrid bikes for women.
How to Choose the Right Lightweight Hybrid Bike
When choosing a lightweight hybrid bike, in order to get a comfortable option to use always look out for the following things.
Size
The right size of the bike for your body guarantees the correct type of hybrid bike for your use. This means finding the right wheel size to basically the right height. Picking the right size is easy:
- Stand over the middle of your bike frame.
- Make sure your feet are flat on either side.
- Ensure the saddle is raised/ lowered to exactly where you want it.
- Make sure the feet hit the pedals comfortably.
Bikes that are too big wobbly a lot while those that are too small will be very uncomfortable. With wheels, 700c is usually the standard sized wheel found on many hybrid bikes. However, focus more on the bike that suits your riding style.
Suspension
Not every hybrid bike has them. But many modern designs do. A suspension fork compresses to absorb impacts that are usually caused from bumps, ruts and obstacles on uneven surfaces in order to leave you with a smoother ride. 29er bikes are some of the best here. They are tough and will leave you with high end versatility. You can also look out for a suspension seat-post as the best alternative to go with.
Brake Type
Hybrids bikes come with many types of brakes. You should find one that’s comfortable for you to use.
Rim Brakes for instance are quite common. They feature pads which grip on the rims of the wheel. Rim Brakes as opposed to other brakes are economical and easy to replace when worn out. They however, wear out gradually the wheel rim. Overtime this will force you to replace the wheel. They are also less effective in muddy and wet conditions
Disc Brakes are the next option and feature brake pads which grip onto a brake rotor. The rotor is usually mounted to the wheel hub. Disc brakes come in two major versions namely: Hydraulic and Mechanical disc brakes. Hydraulic offers more progressive and stronger braking while using less effort while mechanical don’t and also need manual adjusting.
Drivetrain Options
Also known as gearing it is important that every biker understand their drivetrain options. When considering gears you should understand that most modern hybrid bikes shift with the simple push of a button lever.
Hybrid bikes use common derailleur system. This consists of a simple series of cogs set at the rear wheel (cassette) of the bike and at the cranks. It uses a chain to link the two and adopts a derailleur device that works to move the chain up and down on whichever cog wheels that is prompted.
Other alternatives that you can go with include Hub gears and Belt drives. Hub gears have its gears are enclosed right in a drum that’s sits around the hub of the rear wheel. They are also controlled by shifters on the handlebars even for the lightweight hybrid bikes for women or men at the best.
Braking System
You should also go with a braking system that will not only work for you, but basically remain very efficient. Hybrids bicycles feature linear-pull brakes. This is excellent high stopping power! Others have rim brakes known as linear- or direct-pull brakes. While the rest come with hub brakes.
Hub brakes best for bicycles designed for less rigorous riding. On the contrary they are ideal for high braking durability and low maintenance. Keep of hub brakes if you want extreme-conditions braking power. Linear-pull brakes are powerful stoppers and the best all-rounders too.
Frame Materials
The frame is the backbone of a fancy hybrid bike. There are very many materials from which bike frames can be forged from. Here are the few that you should go with and how they compare.
Aluminum Frame: They are light, strong, durable, affordable, and enjoy high style rust/corrosion resistance. However, they are somewhat slightly heavy than the carbon frames. The next frame type is the Carbon-fiber Frame (Carbon/aluminum mix frame). It is basically the slightest, strongest, and rust/corrosion resistant frame. But it is very expensive and could cost more when buying.
Factors that Influence the Hybrid Bike You Buy
Apart from what we have seen, there are factors that will influence the type of hybrid bike that you buy. They include the following.
- Price of the Bike: Always go for something that you can afford.
- Working Budget: Have a bracket in which you want to operate.
- The User Reviews: Look out for firsthand experience of what other users say.
- Riding Terrains: Watch out for where you intend to ride – is it rough or wet?
- Cost of Maintenance: How much will you spend to keep your bike working well?
Choosing the best hybrid bike means knowing what to look out for. These factors that I have given you today should always be the very first things you consider when choosing your hybrid bike.
