I`ve Turned to the darkside !

stumpym4

Having always been into biking (MTB) have decided to try road bikes for a change and after loads of research have ordered my self a focus variado .... Really wanted the cayo at a grand but cant stretch that far .... Yet !!....... Is this a good starter bike ?? ..... The spec looks very good compared to other makes for the same money .......
All i have to do now is wait for it to turn up ...

Cheers Tony

rohloff-rich

Welcome to 'their world'!! I've recently done the same, although the mtb is still the bike of choice I have to say I am enjoying the road riding.

My advice? Stay off the A roads as much as you can - quiet country lanes are your friend!

Next step for me is a set of rollers for some quality interval training!

Eat My Dust

I got my Cayo last week and I'm really happy with it!! If this an example of all Focus bikes, I think you should be well happy with the new purchase!!

The other thing with wiggle, is that the bike is already set up, adjust the handlebars, attach pedals and take off. Much better than other mail order bikes I've bought!!!

Happy riding!

wastelander

rohloff-rich wrote:

Welcome to 'their world'!! I've recently done the same, although the mtb is still the bike of choice I have to say I am enjoying the road riding.

I made the same switch last July - 'their world' is now my world and the MTB stays hung up on the garage wall!!!

Welcome to the moneypit!

on the road

This is not the dark side, MTB is the dark side :twisted:

rohloff-rich

on the road wrote:

This is not the dark side, MTB is the dark side :twisted:

Haven't called road riding 'The Darkside' for a while now - and I'm as shocked as anyone! I don't even post on the mtb section of this site!!

McBain_v1

Aha!

"You don't know the POWER of the Dark Side. Join me, and together we can bring order to the roads and rule the network as father and son!"

Good to have you on board, won't be long before you are fully fledged members of the Brotherhood of Lycra, and agonize over whether to spend £50 on a new titanium lockring that will save you 15g in weight or put it towards the £80 Rapha crit gloves cos they feel nice on your hands

daniel_b

Hello!

I too have been thrilled and amazed by the bike that is the road bike, my Felt F70 is so easy to ride fast, and hills just dissapear - it is a much much better experience than I could have hoped.

However I won't be turning my back on the MTB, as I can see both bikes have huge enjoyment factors but in vastly different arenas - My 06 Marin when I eventually get it back out of storage, will be journeying to some offroad courses in due course on the back of my car.

I now have a decent set I reckon:

Cheap commuter with flat bars, rack and full mudguards
Marin MTB
Felt Roadbike

Jobs a goodun

Dan

domtyler

Daniel B wrote:

Hello!

I too have been thrilled and amazed by the bike that is the road bike, my Felt F70 is so easy to ride fast, and hills just dissapear - it is a much much better experience than I could have hoped.

However I won't be turning my back on the MTB, as I can see both bikes have huge enjoyment factors but in vastly different arenas - My 06 Marin when I eventually get it back out of storage, will be journeying to some offroad courses in due course on the back of my car.

I now have a decent set I reckon:

Cheap commuter with flat bars, rack and full mudguards
Marin MTB
Felt Roadbike

Jobs a goodun

Dan

Not a bad little stable you have there Dan, although no fixie yet I see!!
________
Lolol

rohloff-rich

Daniel B wrote:

Hello!

I too have been thrilled and amazed by the bike that is the road bike, my Felt F70 is so easy to ride fast, and hills just dissapear - it is a much much better experience than I could have hoped.

However I won't be turning my back on the MTB, as I can see both bikes have huge enjoyment factors but in vastly different arenas - My 06 Marin when I eventually get it back out of storage, will be journeying to some offroad courses in due course on the back of my car.

I now have a decent set I reckon:

Cheap commuter with flat bars, rack and full mudguards
Marin MTB
Felt Roadbike

Jobs a goodun

Dan

You're missing a 'cross bike

stumpym4

on the road wrote:

This is not the dark side, MTB is the dark side :twisted:

It is ........ from where i`m standing :roll:

Still got 2 mtbs as well ....

Spesh stumpjumper ht
trek 4300 rigid single speed .. which i love ...
Focus variado ..... when it turns up ...

Tony

blueangel

This is the dark side, no question. I swapped 6 months ago and now I go "training," where as I used to go for a ride. It's all speed, climbs, cadence, distance while it used to be about Zenning out and getting lost in the landscape. Mud and rain bother me now; they used to be incentives. And my arms have become thin. Today Wiggle delivered a pot of Assos chamois cream!

This weekend I was back on the mountain bike and got lost, scratched by hawthorn and rose, stung by nettles, got stuck in mud, rolled on dry empty bridlepaths and found my way home. Sweet.

Got to try and balance the dark and light forces.

McBain_v1

Hmmm

Bike #1 = Enigma Esprit Titanium with Dura-Ace groupset and Fulcrum R3 wheels [road]
Bike #2 = Reynolds 631 steelie with Ultegra groupset and Mavic CXP33 wheels [road]
Bike #3 = Reynolds 531c steelie with Shimano 600 groupset and Mavic MA2 wheels [road]
Bike #4 = Olmo Giro ChroMoly with Shiman 105 and Mavic MA2 wheels + guards [road]
Bike #5 = GT Avalanche 1.0 Aluminium with Shimano gears [MTB]

Haven't decided what Bike #6 is going to be... probably grounds for divorce judging by Mrs McBain's reaction to acquisition of Bike #1 :twisted:

stevejmo7

rohloff-rich wrote:

Welcome to 'their world'!! I've recently done the same, although the mtb is still the bike of choice I have to say I am enjoying the road riding.

My advice? Stay off the A roads as much as you can - quiet country lanes are your friend!

Next step for me is a set of rollers for some quality interval training!

Forget rollers for intervals - get a turbo !

overmars

The dark side? But... but we cylce on roads where trees don't block our sunlight! :shock: Thus we get lots of vitamin D!

We wear less clothes! Thus we're closer to nature!

We wear lycra. Thus we're closer to S&M parties!

Our machines are ultra light. Thus we are closer to Angels (who take things lightly! 8) )

We don't hit pot holes. We glide over them!

The Greek God Hermes watches over us!

Dark side? HA!

bornagaincycler

Must admit, I'm seeing this argument the other way round. I've done a lot of road cycling lately but have recently gone off road with the MTB & really enjoyed it. I'd say enjoy both!

stumpym4

bornagaincycler wrote:

Must admit, I'm seeing this argument the other way round. I've done a lot of road cycling lately but have recently gone off road with the MTB & really enjoyed it. I'd say enjoy both!

Came over to give the road riding a go .. because for some reason i cant find my off-road singletrack mojo !! ......
Really got no interest at riding the MTB at all at the mo !

Tony

firestarter4075

im new to this darkside too (had a roadie but got squashed in a hit and run so left well alone for years) had an mtb accident and stuck some slicks on the crosser and got the bug . so i saved up and just built myself a lovely massi :-)

i now have massi a-carbon
fixie
alan cx
full sus
29er singlespeed

i think thats my lot now lol ;-)

Cunobelin

on the road wrote:

This is not the dark side, MTB is the dark side :twisted:

Sorry - MTB and Road are merely the "Slightly of-white" side of cycling

Recumbents are the really dark side!

firestarter4075

i had a test for a few hours on a bent now that was fun

daniel_b

domtyler wrote:

Daniel B wrote:

Hello!

I too have been thrilled and amazed by the bike that is the road bike, my Felt F70 is so easy to ride fast, and hills just dissapear - it is a much much better experience than I could have hoped.

However I won't be turning my back on the MTB, as I can see both bikes have huge enjoyment factors but in vastly different arenas - My 06 Marin when I eventually get it back out of storage, will be journeying to some offroad courses in due course on the back of my car.

I now have a decent set I reckon:

Cheap commuter with flat bars, rack and full mudguards
Marin MTB
Felt Roadbike

Jobs a goodun

Dan

Not a bad little stable you have there Dan, although no fixie yet I see!!

Thankyou!

All 3 cost me £1000, so a pretty good deal me thinks.
Also bought the missus 3 bikes as well, in exactly the same vein, Shopper/Commuter, Specialized Hardrock XC, Trek 1000.

The Marin was meant to be on 05 model, reduced from £675 to £450 - they sent me an 06 with Hydraulic brakes by mistake!
The Felt was bought for £470 off ebay a fewweeks ago, and is pristine.
The Carrera subway one, was 2 years old, but had never been ridden (!) price tag, and tread on tyres all untouched, fitted with the rack it cost him £220, and he only wanted £85 for it, I bit his arm off!

I also have a very old 1991 Marin Palisades Trail (Grey and neon yellow) that I am hoping can be restored, it is showing some rust on the frame

Dan

stumpym4

Well my shiney new focus turned up today and have to say it looks far better in the flesh than on the net .....Just been out for a 20 min spin and have to say i`m impressed at how fast you go for so little effort compared to MTB`s ........ The only concern i`ve got now is that my neck is acheing from looking up ...... Will i get used to the change in position ??? ... can`t lift my stem up anymore and have already flipped it over to give me more height ....

Tony

McBain_v1

Your trapezius and neck muscles will soon beef up to account for the roadie riding position. You'll find your triceps might also take a bit more of a hammering on longer rides as well if you try and maintain an aero position on the bike.

mea00csf

yep i now own a "stable" of bikes!

The commuter: Felt QX60 womens
The mountain bike: Kona Kikapu with Rockshox Reba forks and Hope hydraulic brakes
The road bike: Giant SCR 1 Womens

Did feel guilty when i bought the third but they all get used and are all for very specific uses.

Do sometimes feel i made a mistake with the commuter as i'd only had it 4 months or so before buying the road bike but now having the road bike i wouldn't like to use it with a backpack or leave it outside in the bikeshed at work (or at my house for that matter, the mtb and road bike live in my first floor flat up a spiral staircase and commuter lives outside for easy use)

Besides, it nearly paid for itself in saved bus fares in those four months anyway!!