MTB'er thinkng of first road bike...

BileMonkey

It will have Mint turning in his gravy but of recent I've been doing a lot of road miles on my MTB and have started to think I'd probably enjoy some serious mile-munching on a road bike as an addition to my MTBing. Good for fitness, commuting, etc. Of course, I have huge concerns....

First up, I'm bout 15 1/2 stone. Is a road bike going to mind that? The roadies I see out there look about half that.

Secondly, the move from 2.35" tyres and massive hydraulic discs to a couple of elastic bands an some Brunnelian cantilevers fills me with outright dread. What happens if I hit a loose road surface? What happens when I need to brake for a corner at the bottom of a hill that's just let me spin out in 50/11? Will a road bike drift okayif I over-cook things? Okay, I'm guessing their geometry is a hell of a lot more stable, but losing the grip and anchors, adding a bunch more speed and then swapping the body armour for spandex and soft mud and moss for hard asphalt sounds like a recipe for an A&E loyalty card.

Finally, is the lycra thing compulsory? Won't a lurid t-shirt and baggies do? The ladies will disagree, but as far as I'm concerned the only people who ever look good in lycra don't have Y chromosomes.

Any advice and (hopefully) reassurances appreciated!

Lee.

Lagavulin

BileMonkey wrote:

First up, I'm bout 15 1/2 stone. Is a road bike going to mind that? The roadies I see out there look about half that.

No. Providing you don't gop for some light weight climbing machine. I'm sub 70Kg but I've been passed - at speed :oops: - by people far heavier than that.

BileMonkey wrote:

Finally, is the lycra thing compulsory? Won't a lurid t-shirt and baggies do? The ladies will disagree, but as far as I'm concerned the only people who ever look good in lycra don't have Y chromosomes.

It's not compulsory but if you join us in our mad ways I think it'll only be a matter of time before you're wearing lycra. I started off with Endura Humvees with their liner shorts or pair of padded cycling shorts underneath, adamant I wasn’t going to be donned in that skin tight gimp suit clothing.
Nearly two years on and I'm a bib-short wearing, bib-long owning eejit. Why? My Castelli “kiss” pad bib shorts are several times more comfortable than any of my mountaining biking apparel and that means happy nuts after a day in the saddle.

BileMonkey

Wow, quick reply, thanks!

It's not compulsory but if you join us in our mad ways I think it'll only be a matter of time before you're wearing lycra.

That's wht I'm afraid of, deep down I know it's probably inevitable! I've already started wearing sneaky lycra shorts under my asbo gear. I know the comfort factor is going to be huge...

With the no lightweight climbing machine thing in mind, d'you reckon something off-the-peg like the Boardman comp would be a safe choice? Not necessarily that exact bike, but a general £500ish branded racer.

Thanks again, Lee.

Lagavulin

Boardman Comp looks like a really decent bike and good value for money. Unfortunately Halfords have a reputation and it isn't a good one.

Don't think you could go wrong with a Specialized Allez, Trek 1.x, Giant SCR or Bianchi C2C range.

The most important thing it to get sized/fitted for your new stead. In my haste I ended up with a size too large as my first roadie. A shorter stem alleviated the issue to an extent but, with hindsight, I'd of spent more time on the fitting first time around than waiting till I threw the thick end of £2.5k at my second bike.

As for the kit issue. It is too late. Just accept that sometime soon you're going to be asking us if Assos jerseys and shorts are worth the extra.

roger_merriman

as some one who has switched or rather added a skinny tyre to the fleet.

compared to a MTB in the dry the brakes aren't that bad, in the wet they are on the scary side, and thin tires will tramline so care is needed.

with a nose down postion and narrow bars drifting is best avoided. but to be honest as long as you take it for what it is which is a seriously fast bike on blades of rubber you'll be fine, oh watch the peddling if leaned over, they are lower..... they are also a hoot, wizz up hills that one has to sit and grind on the MTB. and so on.

BileMonkey

Thanks for the input Roger, I guess the handling can't be as scary as I fear it might be as all the roadies I meet seem to be in full possesion of their skin and limbs. An MTB'er friend with a road bike gets back from China next week so will try and blag it off him for a couple of rides. I must confess that I'm really curious now to see just how much faster it will be.

By lower I guess you mean the BB height. Will have to remember that!

Thanks again,

Lee.

Rich Hcp

It'll be a lot faster, you'll cover much bigger mileages.

I was doing too many road miles on my MTB and got fed up of being ovrtaken by people on roadies.

So I bought a 2007 Specialized Allez Sport, I covered 60 miles on the Suffolk Coast ride last Sunday, it would have been a massive struggle on an MTB and taken ages longer

My friend did the 35 mile route on an MTB and only finished about 45 minutes ahead of me covering the 60

I enjoy both, I'm sure you will too

Harveytile

First up, I'm bout 15 1/2 stone. Is a road bike going to mind that? The roadies I see out there look about half that.

Secondly, the move from 2.35" tyres and massive hydraulic discs to a couple of elastic bands an some Brunnelian cantilevers fills me with outright dread.

Your lithe 15 1/2 st should be no hassle, I am 16.5st and have had an old (17 years old :shock: ) steel road bike that has seen me through some seriously crap roads. I have recently bought a Kona Jake as an inbetween bike; the road bike is too skittish and the MTB is too sluggish :roll: , hard to please, I know.

Long story short is that the Jake is plenty strong enough for me not to notice any flex, extra speed is a change of tyres away, and you get the added bonus of rack and mudguard mounts for all round use.

Lastly the CX is blast on single track too!

jmeadows

loving this thread, am in the same boat, started back on a mtb in jan, 1st bike for 15/16 years, but now i am well and truly after a roadie.
fancy a trek but would prefer the 1.7 than the 1.5, the boardmans seem highly recommended though......
really want to start doing charity rides, east 2 west coast and lands end to johnogroats would be a goal for me.
i am doing 32mile in 1hr56 and 61 mile in 3hr50 3/4 of ride is off road so i would hope with a roadie to be pushing much longer distances.
any other advice on road bikes?

Barrie_G

I did the same thing earlier this year, though I went for a cross bike as I thought I might still do some smoother trails/bridalways etc. but now I find I've never even thought of taking it off the road and just wish that I'd gone for a full on road bike from the off

I'm debating getting a enigma eclipse but finding it hard to justify after spending £850 on the crosser only a few months ago :evil:

judokev

Hi Guys,

I have just done pretty much what your asking, I got the Giant FCR 02 in the sale for £370

Its a flat bar road bike loads faster than my Hybrid I normally plod along on I want to do extra miles to boost my fitness but didnt want to go the hole hog with drops, on the bright side the bike fits the wife quite nice so if I decide to go for drops in the future then she gets this and I can maybe move up?

I havnt done enough miles yet to say anything much about the bike plus it seems to have rained every day since I bought the bike.

the brakes seem pretty good but as i say havnt pushed it just yet I am just playing about getting the feel for the bike.

Your only problem is that your mtb is going to feel so heavy once you get out on a road bike! Dont say I didnt warn you

Kev

Steve_b77

I've done exactly the same as you, a Specialized pitch rolling on 2.35" tyres ain't the greatest road machine in the world.

So off I toddled and bought myself a Specialized Allez Int'l with a double chain set. I got the 56cm size (I'm 5'11 and 13st 5lb - don't seem to be getting lighter but am getting leaner :? ) So I can really recommed the Allez range coming form a MTB to roadie stylee..

To be honest it wasn't that daunting heading out on it for the first time as I used to ride road bikes as a kid, the feel of speed is awesome and the acceleration is even better.

Granted the brakes are pants compared to 203mm disc'd hydraulics, but then again you can either see where your going or actually know where the bends are so slowing down in easier.

And on Lyrca front, I too tried to avoid it by wearing Endura Humvees and a Aldi Cycling Jersey, but they get bloody uncomfortable after a while so I now wear proper Lusso shorts and they're miles better, you alos go a bit quicker aswell 8)

SpinyBike

BileMonkey wrote:

It will have Mint turning in his gravy but of recent I've been doing a lot of road miles on my MTB and have started to think I'd probably enjoy some serious mile-munching on a road bike as an addition to my MTBing. Good for fitness, commuting, etc.

Mate - I've just done exactly the same (started at 14.5st *cough*) since the spring and *loved it*. Commute 2x11 miles 3x a week now and hate the off days. Bought a Specialized Allez Elite & been really pleased with it.

trickeyja

SpinyBike wrote:

BileMonkey wrote:

It will have Mint turning in his gravy but of recent I've been doing a lot of road miles on my MTB and have started to think I'd probably enjoy some serious mile-munching on a road bike as an addition to my MTBing. Good for fitness, commuting, etc.

Mate - I've just done exactly the same (started at 14.5st *cough*) since the spring and *loved it*. Commute 2x11 miles 3x a week now and hate the off days. Bought a Specialized Allez Elite & been really pleased with it.

Same here, I bought an Elite in August - a fantastic bike - it is such a brilliant change from MTBing on roads - you feel like you're actually getting somewhere. i.e. one afternoon a few weeks ago I went on a spur of the moment 126 mile ride leaving at 1pm, getting back about 10pm (with about an hour's worth of stops altogether). This would have been an all-day tiring struggle on my old mountain bike... I am doing on average 120 miles a week now + about 1500mi so far. I love the speed as well.

Slimbods

Spiny!

Same here, and also bought a specialized allez after lugging round a huge steel mountain bike for years. It's made such a difference, cycling isn't a chore, it's a pleasure now, love my bike!

Only problem is, it turns you into a bit of a gear magpie. The old rusty thing didn't deserve upgrading, or me wearing good kit where the love affair with the roadbike has me surfing to wiggle.co.uk for bits on a weekly basis.

Bodhbh

Not really a MTBer, but think I'm getting the first twinges of this and really wish I wasn't cos I was happy in blissful ignorance and don't want to start shelling out on a road bike and getting anal about weight.

After a few weekends going around on my big heavy MTB tourer both loaded and riding it on fitness runs, I switched to my hybrid this week (well Airnimal folder which I guess that's what it is basically). Not exactly a speed-machine, but acceleration and speed up hills something else after been used to the tank. Particulaly in blending into traffic.

I thought at least weight, rolling resistance, etc = good training/workout/calorie burning - ie I was doing myself some good. But found I was knackering out myself just as much on the light bike, just going much faster.

Will see anyhow, putting some drop bars on the Airnimal this weekend see how it goes.

Other thing which always put me off fast bikes is the thin tires and road buzz which seriously did me in when I first started riding, so hence got an old MTB for touring with fat road tyres. Seem not to notice this now even with thinner tyres (and much less bothered by it on long off-road rides either). This just something I guess time on the bike cures?

Slimbods

I think its experience, you learn to get your arse out of the saddle pretty quick if you're going to hit a bump!

Grande_Poulet

Same with me BileMonkey,

A very amusing and interesting post.
Like you I had some serious concerns about the transition from fat tyres and disc brakes to 'rubber blades' and cable brakes (not to mention the lycra). I am very pleased about everyone's positive comments and clear benefits of a road bike over my trusty 10 yr old MTB with skinny's.
I've just ordered my first road bike, an '08 Specialized Elite from Bromley Bikes. I am now eager to start my 24-mile commute and hope the Allez lives up to expectations. I was getting pretty done in on the MTB and had to eat like Mr. Creosote afterwards!

Unfortunately all my MTB pals have disowned me and accuse me of 'going over to the dark side'!!

I don't suppose anybody would recommend a comfortable good-sized rucksack for my clothes? Also will I need to upgrade anything immediately? I heard a mention of tyres, if so which ones?

any advice would be much appreciated