Hybrids were first seen in the late eighties and early nineties, but have taken a while to catch on.  They feature the best elements from 3 styles of bike available at the time.

They originated at a time when most people buying a bike were buying a mountain bike, but often a mountain bike was simply too cumbersome, heavy and slow for the average rider.

Designers took the best elements from Mountain Bikes, Tourers and Racing bikes and built a bike which met the requirements of the average rider.

A hybrid is fitted with 700c wheels (the same diameter as fitted to racing bikes) but with wider tyres and rims (on average 35mm). These tyres are generally multi condition, in that they have a smooth centre line for efficiency on tarmac, but have knobbly outer tread, to give good traction if the bike is ridden on a non tarmac surface.

They are fitted with the same gear systems as mountain bikes, with between 21 and 27 gears, flat handlebars and cantilever or linear pull brakes. Better models feature "fully equipped", ie they come factory fitted with mudguards, and panniers, and some offer suspension seat pillars and adjustable rise stems.