A little advice please! New to this bike malarky

fitzburghlettuce

Hello! Recently I've been getting quite interested in road cycling - in a casual sense - and speaking as someone who hasn't ridden a bike for any great period of time for the past five years due to over protective parents (I'm almost 19 now, my sister had a bad fall on a dirt track ), I'm wondering what sort of bike would be most suitable for getting in to the whole thing again.

The bikes I used to ride were MTBs and although I'm more drawn to road bikes, I've never really had chance to ride one besides my dad's old tattered Peugeot one (very quickly). Given the fact that I haven't ridden properly in ages, I'm worried that if I was to try and start up on a road bike I'd be poorly suited to it (due to the thinness of the tyres and the speed requiring more balance, I presume) in comparison to a MTB with a thicker tread. What's your take on the matter? Should I attempt to plunge in with a road bike or get some familiarity back with a MTB?

I'd be using the bike to go cycling about in the summer and also for some light travel to university, so really, either type of bike would satisfy, just I think I'm drawn more (initially) to the idea of a road bike.

Thank you!

roger_merriman

if you want a road bike, i'd get one. while compared to modern MTB's they have poor brakes and more twichy at slower speeds.

for me it took a few "ooh" wobble moments on the quiet road and then just headed out, it's still a bike all said.

ie get a road bike.

mask of sanity

I got my first road bike yesterday and took to it pretty easily. Had a few issues with cramp but that was prob more due to using muscles that mountain bikes dont utilise.

The balance really shouldnt be an issue. The nature of the bike itself means that when its rollling it wants to be upright so the thickness of the tire is pretty irrelevant. And even with slick road tires you should get loads of grip when taking corners quite sharply. It did seem to be alot more twitchy as roger merriman said but once u get a feel for the sensitivity of the sterring its not too had to prevent that. You'd prob be best to avoid very busy roads to start with just so you can get used to this without the worry of cars etc.

I found the gearing a bit different so had to get used to that as well. Normally on my mtb i would just stay in the top gear no matter what the gradient but you really can't do that on a road bike (maybe you cant on good mtb's either but wouldnt know). So had to go up a few different hills to get an idea of what the best gears where.

So because of these things i would say the mtb would be easier to get into but once youre into it the road bike is the way to go!! The difference between a road bike and a mountain bike is amazing!! I've only clocked up 16 miles on my road bike (hope to go out on a longer one today) but i really dont think i shall be going back to my mtb (unless i get a puncture and cant be arsed to mend it, lol). The powers much more accessible (can really feel it surge forward as you pedal!) and obv you can reach much higher speeds so is great fun! If you're a little unsure about going straight into a road bike maybe you should see about borrowing/hiring a mtb for the day just so you can get a feel for cycling. Saying that, cycling really isnt somethinig you forget, its just getting the confidence back.

Unfortunatly, due to being new to it myself i can't really recomend any brands as really don't know much about it. I've got a Specialized Allez 18 largly due to comments made my people on this site( http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12616529 ) and it seems really nice. Depends on your budget though. People seem to recomend a local bike shop when it comes to buying it rather then massive chains, prob cos ur more likely to get a better quality of service. And you should def get the bike fitted as well!!

But which ever way you go you've made a great choice in cycling!! So much fun and great for fitness as well so just enjoy it!!

ColinJ

I'd suggest getting a cheap, tatty-looking road bike for the university trips because uni bikes have a very short life expectancy! If they don't get nicked, they tend to get vandalised. Unless you have a secure lock-up area in which case, ignore that remark and get a nicer bike!

You won't have any problem with balance on the road bike, but you will have to be kinder to your wheels than you would be on a MTB. You can't go bumping over kerbs and potholes or you'll risk buckling your wheels and/or get snakebite punctures.

Road bikes are much more fun to ride on rods than MTBs and MTBs are much more fun to ride offroad than road bikes so I have (at least) one of each.

rollin

Get a crossbike. A great compromise between road and mountain. Great road clearance, can handle the bumps and you can get one with disc brakes.

There is a great value Focus cross with discs at wiggle.co.uk

CharityRider

I'm planning on doing a charity ride from Cornwall to Paris. I have done alot of mountain biking and Dh riding so i'm not new to biking just road biking. I could do with some advice on what type of bike would be the best for both speed and comfort on my long ride? Thanks for any advice.

alfablue

Do you need panniers? Heavy load = tourer (Dawes Galaxy, Condor Heritage), light load = Audax (Dawes Audax, Condor Fratello). Many regular road bikes would also do, such as Trek 1.2, 1.5, Specialized Allez. Cyclocross bikes would do, like Specialized Tricross. Main issues are rack and mudguard capability and fit and comfort. The tourer/audax frames should be the comfiest. What budget?

CharityRider

Thank you for replying. I hav a budget of around £400 and i intend on carrying a small to medium sized load as I want to travel as light and hopefully as quick as I can. So ideally a bike that is fast on the roads which can also accommodate some small panniers. Thanks.

alfablue

CharityRider wrote:

Thank you for replying. I hav a budget of around £400 and i intend on carrying a small to medium sized load as I want to travel as light and hopefully as quick as I can. So ideally a bike that is fast on the roads which can also accommodate some small panniers. Thanks.

The Trek 1.2 carries a rack and panniers very well. Current models are £550 or more but you might find a 2008 model nearer £400-£450 (like this one). It comes with a compact double or triple chainset. It's a pretty quick bike and rides very nicely. It will take mudguards as well if you want them.

fitzburghlettuce

Cheers for replying all! Thanks for all your advice, I was thinking of getting something cheaper due to Uni funds as it is but like you mention, it makes perfect sense.

I reckon once I get back to Uni I'll have a scan about locally for what there is given that where I live, there really is not much going in the way of shops at all, and I'll be on the lookout for crossover bikes and the like. Hopefully I won't end up riding in to the back of a van however things go.

Thanks again!

guilliano

Giant Defy 4 comes closer to the budget at £475 and has rack and mudguard mounts. Similar spec to the more expensive Trek and a slightly more compact frame so you'll feel a little more upright.