When choosing a new bike you might be overwhelmed by the choice of what is on offer both in the shops and on the internet and your final decision is going to be influenced by what your cycling needs are. One question you may be asking yourself is which bike should I buy, a Hybrid vs Mountain Bike.
Comparing a Hybrid vs Mountain Bike they both have very similar attributes, both have a robust frame and are capable of tackling tails with ease but beyond this you must ask yourself what else will you be using your bike for. Enjoy Cycling suggest looking at how you will be using the bike before making the decision.
When comparing Hybrid vs Mountain Bike we will look at the Hybrid bike first, the Hybrid bike is both comfortable on your morning commute, a trip to the shops or just a scenic ride down the river or canal tow path. The Hybrid bike offers you the flexibility of a half way house between a road bike and a mountain bike. You will be able to tackle tarmac with easy with its sleek thin tyres where a mountain bike will need a tyre upgrade to offer the smooth tarmac cycling. The Hybrid bike compared to the Mountain bike leads in the fields of smooth road cycling and easy trails as it offers the flexibility and durability to do both.
The Mountain bike on the other hand is a rough and tough machine that will tackle most things that is put in from of it. Mountain bikes are made of strong stuff and are at home on rough rugged off road trails through woods and down hillsides. Comparing a mountain bike to a hybrid bike they often have suspension and have much wider tyres, lower gearing and are up for the rough and tumble of off roading. Although tyre upgrades can be added to allow you us them on the road the standard tyres they are supplied with often have deep tread designed for rough tracks that will cause drag on the tarmac.
The conclusion to the question Hybrid vs Mountain Bike is simple, asses your needs! If you are a rider that uses roads more often than trails yet still want the flexibility of using the shortcut down the canal or riverside then the hybrid bike is for you. if you want an all wounder that will cope with anything then my advice is to go out and buy a mountain bike, upgrade the tyres and away you go.
Here are my recommendations of good tyre upgrades.