MTB -> Road bike + Flat bars vs Drops

duckson

I currently have a one month old MTB for commuting to work on, it has a on/off road mix tyre (Spec Armadillo Elite) but even after this short while i'm wanting something quicker! My commute is road and cycle path and 14 miles each way, currently doing it in around an hour or just over on the MTB.
There is a rumour my employer is going to make the Cycle Scheme available very shortly so it should enable me to get a much more expensive bike for less plus then i'll probably sell the MTB.
My current thinking was to get a fixed fork hybrid with 700c wheel set (eg Scott Sub 10 Classic) but the more i look and read it may be better for me to get a road bike, lighter so should be quicker/easier and i wont be doing any offroad....well maybe a gravel path 100yrds long but thats it!
I know this is the Road part of the forum but do you think the road bike over the Hybrid would be a good choice, anyone who has gone the same way can voice any opinions on this?
So if i go for a road bike should i go for the flat bars (coming from a MTB setup for most of my life this is a more natural choice) or go for drops?

I've been looking at the Scott Speedster range, either in flat bars or in drops....any other ranges i should consider? Budget is in the £600-700 range but may stretch another £50 for the "right" bike.

doktorsteve

For me my MTB was a revelation after my '80s road bike. Comfortable, upright and all the gears I could need at my fingertips. Then I tried my old road bike and this confirmed that the bars were too narrow and the riding position was too stretched out. Some guys on my street spotted me on the old bike and let me try a new road bike. Completely different. Gear shifters on the brake levers - easy. Wider ergo bars. Lighter. Faster (skinny tyres). Not so stretched out. If this was how road bikes were now then had to get one.

About this time last year I bought a Giant SCR LTD (1.5). I bought the one that fitted most like my MTB so there was no big shock in the positioning.

To be honest I never even considered a flattie. I was always looking for more positions for my hands on the MTB so drops were the only choice. There are just some times when you want to go faster or you are fighting the wind and you need to get as low as you can.

doktorsteve

Oh yeah! I forgot. If you are commuting you might want to think about mudguard clearances.

beseku

Don't know a huge amount about the bikes, but I was advised to steer 'well clear' of sub-£1000 Scotts by a bike expert of mine and a local bike shop.

Just passing on the message, and have nothing personal to back it up.

doyler78

Don't get a hybrid. Most people who do end up getting a drop bar eventually though that can change as you get older where a more upright position might be appreciated.

I myself started on a hybrid and even with numb hands and minor setup niggles which I am slowly getting sorted I will take my drop bar bike anytime. I have only been on the flat bar once and that was because my drop bar was in for a gear adjustment.

It is tempting to think that the best bike is the one that is most similiar to what you are riding now however the most suitable bike is the one that fits you properly and is the most suitable for the riding that you will do. If your commute is on road then a road bike is what you should buy unless you have mobility problems which mean that drops make riding too unpleasant or impossible.

If you are looking at that price range then an Specialized Allez would be a good place to start. If you can get Planet-X then they have a nice range of bikes and that includes commuters as well as full on alu race bikes which are competitively priced.

bice

I commuted on a hybrid for years (in fact, until the frame broke recently).

I have a quite fancy new road bike, a Trek 1.7, but I commute on a 1970s women's light tourer. The road bike is fun and very fast, but no much good for cycle paths, or hopping off curbs etc. It likes straight good roads, which in London means at weekends.

The 1970s light tourer is much better for commuting. Fatter tyres (28s), tougher, pretty valueless, so no one will exert themselves to steal.

I only commute 4-5 miles each way. if I was doing a longer commute involving paths as well as roads I would get a tougher type of road bike, not ones built just for speed. Plenty are out there - the Dawes, for example - or get an older steel road bike second hand and buy a nice road bike for fun.

trickeyja

I bought an Allez Elite about four weeks ago and I'm thrilled with it. I too didn't like the idea of the handlebars but in reality they are very comfortable. I normally ride on the hoods but you can vary position easily, using the tops like a mountain bike or the drops. The only thing is that you need to move your hands to the hoods or drops to brake but this is easy to get used to. It has boosted my average speed by about 3-5mph as well and I can go a lot further than on the MTB with the same effort and less pain.

duckson

Hey thanks for all the responses.

Your probably right doyler, i am trying to replace a mtb with as close a bike as i can get to it!
Actually today i've had an (obvious) brainwave...my Dad built a roadbike about 3-4yrs ago but hasnt used it much and i've asked him if i can borrow it to try out (he then said you can buy it off me!), dont know any specs at all but will find out.
I did have a road bike or racer as you'd call it in my early teens (i'm 32 now) and have just realised what you mean by hoods....the brake casing! (unless i'm mistaken :oops: ). I remember riding the same way at the time, though i did end up changing the drops for a flat bar eventually (i think...).
I also enquired about the work scheme with HR but all i got back was we arent running a scheme currently (obviously...) and that was it, it seemed they didnt know anything but it doesnt mean it wont happen.

I might also ask an old school and work mate of mine who left work last year to increase his cycling training/teaching business on what he thinks would be suitable...blatent plug for John!

http://www.cycling-coach.co.uk/index.htm

PS my commute is mainly road but with the odd cycle path, not 100% smooth though.

W5454

I had an MTB given to me (a £59 cheapie).After riding it I didn't like the upright position or the shimano gear levers so I converted it to drop bars with Campag Mirage levers,a double chainset I had replaced the triple and a new cartridge BB.Tyres were changed to 26 x 1.6 slicks.

judokev

Hi there,

I bought a Giant Fcr 2. Its the same bike as the SCR only it has a flat bar set up instead of drops.

The bike is quick and comfy and although I havnt done more than twenty miles in one go yet I havnt noticed any discomfort in my hands so dont rule them out, if the drops dont feel right on your dads bike then check out a flat bar

Judokev

duckson

Evening,

Had a quick look at my Dads unused bike he built a few years ago and had a ride up and down the driveway (it was dark and no lights on it) and tbh its alot better than i thought it might be.

Frame, cant remember make but had to be alu welded on a v small part...
Groupset, all Campagnolo Mirage....i like the thumb shifters and flappy paddle bit for the gears, nice!
Rims/tyres - Mavic rims (dont know model) and i'm sure the tyres were Vittoria and Kevlar (they had a red stripe round them).

Thats the main bits i can remember, gonna take it for a spin at the weekend.....only thing that worries me is the 700c (i think) x 23c tyres in the wet, i suppose you can get more winter specific tyres?

trickeyja

only thing that worries me is the 700c (i think) x 23c tyres in the wet, i suppose you can get more winter specific tyres?

I have ridden my new Allez with 700x23cs a lot the past few weeks and we have had some very wet weather in that time. I haven't had any trouble with traction in the rain at all surprisingly so I don't think it should be a problem. Incidentally the time I did come off was on a dry day when there was some sand on the road going round a sharp corner...[/quote]

roger_merriman

duckson wrote:

Evening,

Had a quick look at my Dads unused bike he built a few years ago and had a ride up and down the driveway (it was dark and no lights on it) and tbh its alot better than i thought it might be.

Frame, cant remember make but had to be alu welded on a v small part...
Groupset, all Campagnolo Mirage....i like the thumb shifters and flappy paddle bit for the gears, nice!
Rims/tyres - Mavic rims (dont know model) and i'm sure the tyres were Vittoria and Kevlar (they had a red stripe round them).

Thats the main bits i can remember, gonna take it for a spin at the weekend.....only thing that worries me is the 700c (i think) x 23c tyres in the wet, i suppose you can get more winter specific tyres?

you can get griper tires, but give it a go, yes when wet, it will not have the rubber on the road, of a MTB so this has to be taken into account.

alfablue

MTB tyres do not grip well on tarmac, wet or dry, the knobbles cause squirm on cornering, and the footprint (contact area) is broken up by the knobbles, reducing traction. In fact, any tread pattern will reduce contact area and thus grip.

Slick 700c tyres cannot aquaplane at normal cycling speeds and tyre pressures,Sheldon Brown has calculated the speeds at which aquaplaning can take place

P.S.I........mph
120.........113
100.........104
80............93
60............80
40............66

cougie

23c tyres are fine for winter - just watch out when you cross white lines or grids at an angle.

duckson

OK thanks.
I notice there is a rain specific tyre -
Schwalbe Stelvio Rain - http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/c2-1024-stelvio-rain.html

They might be the ticket for winter!

Or the Stevio plus for added puncture protection -
http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/c2-1023-stelvio-plus.html

Or the Ultra Gator skins or the......lol...could go on for ever.
Puncture protection and decent grip in wet/winter type conditions is highest on my "must haves".

Would it be worth going for a 25c tyre over the 23c? i'd assume they'd fit the rim, clear the brakes and the inner tube would be the correct size still?

alfablue

I think conti gatorskins have mixed reviews re puncture protection, I wouldn't use them. I would favour the Schwalbes, or Specialized All Conditions Pro's (which I have used for thousands of miles in all weathers with zero punctures).

25's are very likely to fit any bike that can take 23's, they would give you marginally more comfort.

duckson

OK cheers.
Got some Crossroads Armadilo Elite on my MTB so think a 700c All Condition Armadillo or All Condition Armadillo Elite if i'm feeling rich might do the job.

alfablue

I just got some Quickstep team All Conditions Pro's from Websters Cycles, 2 for £30 plus £3 postage (normally £20 each), they arrived within 2 days. They have plain black ones at this price too, but I thought these would look cool on my new Planet-X SL Pro Dura Ace build

snooks

I've just got a road bike with drops (Felt Z65 though cycle to work) after a life of riding MTBs and the last year commuting a 26 mile round trip at least once a week on a slick mtb...This was what I found:

Yep it's wobbly to start with, but once you get going, oh boy it's quick

I have a slicked MTB, which I thought was light...but a road bike is so much lighter, and easier to ride, it's smoother (yep not a jerky as the MTB) the bigger wheels/thinner tyres roll so much better think about the difference from nobblies to slicks, it's that sort of difference again

Want to quickly sprint past someone, you can, want to get low and reduce your wind resistance you can, want to go off road, sorry they might be good, but they aren't that good.

It's not a bone jarring as I expected either, hitting a pot hole at speed does go straight to your fillings, but it feels better than my slicked mtb at speed...but the wierd thing is that wheels aren't spinning as fast, it's only when you look to the side you realise the speed you're doing (I haven't fitted a speedo yet)

Also there are the different handlebar positions to get used to...and changing gear is fun as on my bikes I now have oldskool thumbies, rapid fire shifters and now the ultegra push the break lever sideways, and flick another lever...all a bit fun...and riding on the hoods will take a bit of getting used to. My handlebars are quite high up (I've got an reversable stem) so it doesn't feel like my mouth inches from the handlebars.

I went for drops rather than flats because I also wanted to ride round the country side at the weekends without having to load my bike into the car, I have surrey on my doorstep I might as well use it. After an hour or two on flats my hands start to get sore, because there are so many ways to hold the bars it's not a problem. I also have roadie friends and I'd rather ride with them on drops than flat bars because it's more comfortable over a long ride.

Hope that helps