What Is A: Dual-Sport Hybrid?
This is a new post I'm going to try out. Every Sunday I'm going to cover a specific kind of product and explain what it is, and who it's for. I'm starting with dual-sport hybrids because they're the bikes I sell the most of, and they're (arguably) the single best kind of bike in terms of versatility and practicality.
So what is a dual-sport hybrid?
The first thing I look at is the tires. These bikes are designed for versatility, so they'll typically come with a 700x38c gravel/cyclocross tire. 700x38c is the size of the tire. 700 refers the diameter around the outside of the rim, in this case, 700mm (roughly 28in), and 38 refers to the width of the tire when inflated, in this case, 38mm (roughly 1.5in). If you actually measure the tire it will likely be off a bit, I'll explain that in a future blog. What about the gravel/cyclocross tire part? This is all about the tread pattern. It's in between a road and a mountain tire. The middle will be relatively smooth for low rolling resistance, and the edges will typically have a more aggressive tread for grip while cornering.
The next thing you'll be looking for is a suspension fork on the front. The travel in this fork will only be 6-7cm (2.5in), so it isn't intended to let you ride away crazy ten foot drops, it just takes out some of the road noise and makes hitting curbs or potholes a bit less likely to pop a tire. A big misconception about suspension is that it's there for comfort. Although that is a rather substantial bi-product, the purpose is to keep your wheels on the ground. The two big things to look for on suspension forks is a lockout, and whether it's air or coil. A lockout drastically limits the travel of the suspension making you more efficient on the road but allows you to get that travel back when you get on rougher roads or trails (or go off-road). Air and coil are about where the spring comes from. A coil is essentially a spring, which is heavier, and can't be adjusted. Air is lighter and more adjustable, but it's more expensive and requires a special pump.
When looking at suspension on a dual-sport you should ask yourself what you'll be using the bike for. If it's purely for casual use and you just found out that suspension isn't actually for comfort ten seconds ago (+/-, I don't know how fast you read), you shouldn't be overly concerned. If you want to use the bike for commuting, or fitness, but will be on the roads most of the time, make sure you have a lockout on the fork. Finally, if you're the kind of person who is intending to push this bike to its absolute limit on the trails, but you still want to ride quickly on the road, look for something with air suspension. If you read that last bit and thought "yeah, I would like to do that", I'd suggest stepping up to a full mountain bike with less aggressive tires. I'm not saying it would be better for sure, but I'd suggest it.
The next part is the frame. All the dual-sports in my shop are made of aluminium because it's a good mix of inexpensive, stiff, and light. That said, if you have deep enough pockets, someone will be able to get you what you want. Outside of material, you'll want to look at the geometry of the bike. I would strongly suggest letting the staff at your local bike shop help you pick a size, but assuming they've done a good job, and you have a relatively average upper body to lower body ratio, your seat and handle-bars should be fairly level. For a bit more comfort, 2-4cm rise (negative drop). For a bit more speed, 2-4cm drop. For somewhere in the middle, keep it level (zero drop). To find out how to calculate drop, read the bit on riding position here.
Outside of what I've already mentioned, the biggest selling feature on these bikes are the brakes. Rim brakes are the cheapest, easiest to adjust, and easiest to replace. That said if this is going to be an all-condition bike it's worth your time to invest in disc brakes. Since the braking area is smaller, it will clean off any water/mud faster than a rim brake, meaning you start braking sooner. Disc brakes come in two styles, mechanical and hydraulic. Mechanical is less expensive but requires a bit more maintenance. Hydraulic is smoother, which allows you to get as close as possible to locking up your tires without actually locking them up, and it requires less maintenance, but the maintenance is much harder to do.
You may notice that I haven't talked about the gears and shifters at all. In my opinion, 99% of people who ride these bikes couldn't care less about these parts. If your shifting isn't working properly, take it to the local bike shop, they should be able to sort it out for about $20 (if it's really bad, a $75 tune-up could also be a good idea)
So who rides a bike like this?
People who want versatility. Even as someone who owns a cyclocross bike as my "One bike to rule them all" I have to admit that for most people, a dual-sport is more versatile. You can put on racks and fenders to turn it into an all-weather commuter or leave it as is and use it to ride to the park with your kid, rip around the monkey-trails, and be able to ride a 100km charity ride the next day on the same bike without ever feeling like the bike is out of its element.
For those who don't know, the monkey-trails are a flowy, single-track trail network that exists around almost every river and creek in Winnipeg. They don't have a single governing body for trail maintenance, it relies on the people riding to clear debris/keep it clean. If you have a different name for this let me know.
It's also worth thinking about buying some accessories. Regardless of your purpose, if the saddle felt uncomfortable on your test ride that you should definitely take, change it. I'm only running a stock saddle on one of my bikes, and it's because I'm wearing three layers of clothing, so it feels the same either way. I find the Specialized Milano Gel is the best saddle for this case (at least that I've found). If you are commuting, fenders and a rack (probably panniers for the rack too) are a good idea, you should also think about a good lock for when you get to work. If you're doing longer rides, bottle cages and a saddle bag are essential. Bottle cages will fit any sports-type water bottle, but I like the feeling of a set of matching bottles with every new bike I get. In the saddle bag, carry a pump, spare tire, tire levers, and a multi-tool. If you're riding for fitness or just like numbers, consider a bike computer (or a smartphone holder).
So how much does this cost?
I'm only speaking for my shop here, dual-sports start at $630. This much gets you rim brakes and a fairly mediocre build. My favourite dual-sport we carry is the Specialized Crosstrail Hydro Disc for $800 ($799.99 if you care about your discontinued penny). This gets you hydraulic brakes, the best tires on the market for a dual sport (very much my opinion, feel free to disagree), and a much better saddle than most (Specialized makes good saddles). On the top end, we can get the Specialized Crosstrail Expert Carbon for $2700, though I've only seen dual-sports that cost $1200 in the shop. It's also worth mentioning that the accessories aren't cheap. It's not at all uncommon to have people spend up to $400 on accessories (average is a lot lower than that though).
As always, if you feel I haven't adequately explained something, disagree, or just want to say hi, feel free to leave a comment below or send an email to KelseyGoesCycling@gmail.com
Stay cool internet :)
So what is a dual-sport hybrid?
 |
| This. It looks like this. |
The first thing I look at is the tires. These bikes are designed for versatility, so they'll typically come with a 700x38c gravel/cyclocross tire. 700x38c is the size of the tire. 700 refers the diameter around the outside of the rim, in this case, 700mm (roughly 28in), and 38 refers to the width of the tire when inflated, in this case, 38mm (roughly 1.5in). If you actually measure the tire it will likely be off a bit, I'll explain that in a future blog. What about the gravel/cyclocross tire part? This is all about the tread pattern. It's in between a road and a mountain tire. The middle will be relatively smooth for low rolling resistance, and the edges will typically have a more aggressive tread for grip while cornering.
The next thing you'll be looking for is a suspension fork on the front. The travel in this fork will only be 6-7cm (2.5in), so it isn't intended to let you ride away crazy ten foot drops, it just takes out some of the road noise and makes hitting curbs or potholes a bit less likely to pop a tire. A big misconception about suspension is that it's there for comfort. Although that is a rather substantial bi-product, the purpose is to keep your wheels on the ground. The two big things to look for on suspension forks is a lockout, and whether it's air or coil. A lockout drastically limits the travel of the suspension making you more efficient on the road but allows you to get that travel back when you get on rougher roads or trails (or go off-road). Air and coil are about where the spring comes from. A coil is essentially a spring, which is heavier, and can't be adjusted. Air is lighter and more adjustable, but it's more expensive and requires a special pump.
When looking at suspension on a dual-sport you should ask yourself what you'll be using the bike for. If it's purely for casual use and you just found out that suspension isn't actually for comfort ten seconds ago (+/-, I don't know how fast you read), you shouldn't be overly concerned. If you want to use the bike for commuting, or fitness, but will be on the roads most of the time, make sure you have a lockout on the fork. Finally, if you're the kind of person who is intending to push this bike to its absolute limit on the trails, but you still want to ride quickly on the road, look for something with air suspension. If you read that last bit and thought "yeah, I would like to do that", I'd suggest stepping up to a full mountain bike with less aggressive tires. I'm not saying it would be better for sure, but I'd suggest it.
The next part is the frame. All the dual-sports in my shop are made of aluminium because it's a good mix of inexpensive, stiff, and light. That said, if you have deep enough pockets, someone will be able to get you what you want. Outside of material, you'll want to look at the geometry of the bike. I would strongly suggest letting the staff at your local bike shop help you pick a size, but assuming they've done a good job, and you have a relatively average upper body to lower body ratio, your seat and handle-bars should be fairly level. For a bit more comfort, 2-4cm rise (negative drop). For a bit more speed, 2-4cm drop. For somewhere in the middle, keep it level (zero drop). To find out how to calculate drop, read the bit on riding position here.
 |
| Spent 15 minutes setting up this hydraulic brake today. |
Outside of what I've already mentioned, the biggest selling feature on these bikes are the brakes. Rim brakes are the cheapest, easiest to adjust, and easiest to replace. That said if this is going to be an all-condition bike it's worth your time to invest in disc brakes. Since the braking area is smaller, it will clean off any water/mud faster than a rim brake, meaning you start braking sooner. Disc brakes come in two styles, mechanical and hydraulic. Mechanical is less expensive but requires a bit more maintenance. Hydraulic is smoother, which allows you to get as close as possible to locking up your tires without actually locking them up, and it requires less maintenance, but the maintenance is much harder to do.
You may notice that I haven't talked about the gears and shifters at all. In my opinion, 99% of people who ride these bikes couldn't care less about these parts. If your shifting isn't working properly, take it to the local bike shop, they should be able to sort it out for about $20 (if it's really bad, a $75 tune-up could also be a good idea)
So who rides a bike like this?
 |
| Spoiler alert, not the guy on the left (me) |
People who want versatility. Even as someone who owns a cyclocross bike as my "One bike to rule them all" I have to admit that for most people, a dual-sport is more versatile. You can put on racks and fenders to turn it into an all-weather commuter or leave it as is and use it to ride to the park with your kid, rip around the monkey-trails, and be able to ride a 100km charity ride the next day on the same bike without ever feeling like the bike is out of its element.
For those who don't know, the monkey-trails are a flowy, single-track trail network that exists around almost every river and creek in Winnipeg. They don't have a single governing body for trail maintenance, it relies on the people riding to clear debris/keep it clean. If you have a different name for this let me know.
It's also worth thinking about buying some accessories. Regardless of your purpose, if the saddle felt uncomfortable on your test ride that you should definitely take, change it. I'm only running a stock saddle on one of my bikes, and it's because I'm wearing three layers of clothing, so it feels the same either way. I find the Specialized Milano Gel is the best saddle for this case (at least that I've found). If you are commuting, fenders and a rack (probably panniers for the rack too) are a good idea, you should also think about a good lock for when you get to work. If you're doing longer rides, bottle cages and a saddle bag are essential. Bottle cages will fit any sports-type water bottle, but I like the feeling of a set of matching bottles with every new bike I get. In the saddle bag, carry a pump, spare tire, tire levers, and a multi-tool. If you're riding for fitness or just like numbers, consider a bike computer (or a smartphone holder).
So how much does this cost?
 |
| You know, because money doesn't grow on trees. It's funny. |
I'm only speaking for my shop here, dual-sports start at $630. This much gets you rim brakes and a fairly mediocre build. My favourite dual-sport we carry is the Specialized Crosstrail Hydro Disc for $800 ($799.99 if you care about your discontinued penny). This gets you hydraulic brakes, the best tires on the market for a dual sport (very much my opinion, feel free to disagree), and a much better saddle than most (Specialized makes good saddles). On the top end, we can get the Specialized Crosstrail Expert Carbon for $2700, though I've only seen dual-sports that cost $1200 in the shop. It's also worth mentioning that the accessories aren't cheap. It's not at all uncommon to have people spend up to $400 on accessories (average is a lot lower than that though).
As always, if you feel I haven't adequately explained something, disagree, or just want to say hi, feel free to leave a comment below or send an email to KelseyGoesCycling@gmail.com
Stay cool internet :)
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