Changing MTB to road bike advice needed.

Neewb
Neewb Posts: 7
edited March 2010 in Road beginners
I need help, seriously !!

I have committed to a ride which is 100 miles and 14 weeks away.

I am in no way shape or form fit or a 'real cyclist'. But I am committed to completing it. So before you start getting hysterical and cant even read for the tears in your eyes, please spare a thought for the newbies out there (me).

I am now riding to work 4 days a week - 6miles each way. All in it takes me around an hour, quite hilly, say half up, half down. And now planning to add in a 20 miler on the weekend, obviously creeping up the mileage each weekend.

I am using a MTB, GT XCR, with knobbly tyres and mud all over it, normal old pedals with trainers, no clips or similar. Front suspension thankfully locks, although there is some movement in it (suppose it helps the a55 pains) I have been told a roadie would help no end and up my confidence, I am currently really worried i just wont make the grade.

I am starting to realise only a road bike will do, preferably I dont want to sell my MTB and want to get something fairly cheap, I have been scouring ebay, I really havent a clue what i am looking at, any advice would be more than I already know so please share your knowledge so I can at least get a head start.

I am 5ft 7 and inside leg is 29 - so I cant go for bigger frames I dont think, which limits the available bikes on ebay.

Comments

  • spaniamania
    spaniamania Posts: 80
    Whats your budget?
    Where are you riding the 100 miles?
    Where are you based?
  • Neewb
    Neewb Posts: 7
    Midlands to Welsh coast.
    Budget - little as poss really, I just dont like spending what I havent got ! Def no more than £300, but preferably less.

    Me - Near Wolverhampton

    I can hear you laughing................
  • lae
    lae Posts: 555
    I don't think you need to worry about 100 miles as much as you think you do. If you pick a reasonable pace and eat little and often to keep your energy up you should be fine (a big meal the night before helps). Like you said, you're doing a pretty hilly route every day so you should be reasonably fit.

    For the bike, I wouldn't spend much money on it. Yes, a road bike would be better, but there are a few things you could do to your mountain bike to make it a bit more suitable:
    Tyres are the main thing. Some 1.5 or 1.25 slicks, pumped up hard, will make a massive difference.
    You could also try dropping your bars and raising your saddle (if you have a spare/cheap seatpost to get it higher it could be useful) to get you into a more powerful and aerodynamic position.

    If you're willing to trawl ebay or similar, you should be able to find an old steel-framed road bike for fairly cheap. Certainly less than £150. The main things you want to look for are drop handlebars and aluminium 700c wheels. A couple of hours with a few spanners and some WD40 should see it right, so long as there's no real problems. Even a cheap old racing bike will be much better than a mountain bike on the road.

    Something like this could be a great buy. I'd go and inspect any bike before I hand money over though.
  • spaniamania
    spaniamania Posts: 80
    Yep I think you can do it!
    Avoid pain.
    Treat yourself to some lycra shorts.
    Wear gloves.
    If you dont go clipless buy some toeclips
  • Neewb
    Neewb Posts: 7
    Thanks for the advice, it will come in handy.

    I think that bike you linked is way too big for me though - its 60cm, i wouldnt touch the pedals !!

    Do you think I should just stick to my MTB for now - My reasoning for this is, cause its harder it will make me fitter, quicker?

    Or do I really need to think about upping the speeds etc as the MTB really limits me I think.

    Is a change of tyres on my MTB going to make that much diff?
  • northstar
    northstar Posts: 407
    A change of tyres will make all the difference, before I cycled to Brighton, I put these on as I still wanted to go off road after the ride.

    http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/crossroads-armadillo-elite-tyre-ec001818

    Ride like you are on a road bike, keeping a steady pace and it will be relatively painless.
    Training is like fighting with a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired.
  • spaniamania
    spaniamania Posts: 80
    what bike are you riding?
    Dont worry about speed.
    It will come with practice.
    Just keep mile munching!
  • Neewb
    Neewb Posts: 7
    Its a GT XCR - cost about £800 when i bought it a couple of yrs ago - thats predominantly why i dont want to get rid of it as I wont get the 'value' of it second hand.

    I just dont think its suited to the road.
  • blorg
    blorg Posts: 1,169
    You would be better off on a road bike and if you are going to do the eventual ride on a road bike you are better off training on the same. The change in position will be pretty radical and you need to get your body used to it.

    If you are never going to mountain bike then sell the GT. It is going to be hopeless on road, there really isn't any point. If you DO want to mountain bike then keep the GT and either get a road bike as well or stick slicks on the GT.
  • daj
    daj Posts: 139
    Dont sound like your going to be getting into the road scene after the rider, See if you can hire a Hybrid for the ride? No radical changes in riding positon and very little costs :?
  • daj
    daj Posts: 139
    Dont sound like your going to be getting into the road scene after the rider, See if you can hire a Hybrid for the ride? No radical changes in riding positon and very little costs :?
  • Spatulala
    Spatulala Posts: 291
    I did my first 100 miler last year on an MTB, and it was great. I put slicks on my GT Avalanche 1.0 and took 7.5 hrs to complete it. I was comfortable and didn't regret not having a road bike. Since then I've been bitten by the road bug and hate holding back my mates on road bikes, so am now buying one meself.

    Do some longish training rides, take fuel on board at regular intervals and don't try to keep up with the whippets, and you'll be fine. Good luck!
  • Philby
    Philby Posts: 328
    If you're going to do the ride on your GT it would help your performance if you got some SPD pedals and appropriate shoes - they will make every pedal revolution much more effective. Also bar ends would help get a more effective and efficient riding position.
  • Spatulala
    Spatulala Posts: 291
    What Philby said.
  • Neewb
    Neewb Posts: 7
    I am not so sure I wont get bitten by the cycling bug as I am starting to enjoy the pain - bit sadistic I know, but its true!!

    I am def going to get a road bike as the GT is limiting me, I can sense i am just not aerodynamic, i cant get up to decent speeds cause of the position i am sat in, even down hill, crouching over as much as poss - I still feel like a slab fighting against the elements.......and losing ! Then you mentioned tyres, shoes, clips etc etc and I think a road bike is the best option.

    Also - i want to do the ride on a road bike as everyone else will be, maybe a couple on hybrids. But def none on big chunky mountain bikes.

    Well done on the 7.5 hours - i reckon it may take me about 10+, I aint quick enough.

    I suppose selling my MTB is the best option so I can spend a bit more on a decent road bike, but I want to keep it really - I will do some off road (leisure) riding and I wont get better than I already have.
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    I'd keep watching the for sale section, for example you'll see 2010 Specialized Allez's going for a little over your budget, a bit of patience and something should come up.
  • timb64
    timb64 Posts: 248
    NEEWB-Don't get suckered into getting a road bike just because you think you won't fit in otherwise.There will almost certainly be a selection of bikes taking part from heavy mountain bikes to the latest roadies-it's best to train and do the ride on a bike you feel comfortable with,similarly don't feel obliged to go for drop handle-bars just to fit in.
    I completed my first 75 mile ride last year at the age of 45 on a flat bar road bike and easily kept up on the last 10 miles with a group of club roadies several of whom were close to half my age.The adrenalin of the day will carry you along if you've put in sufficient training,eat and drink little and often on the day,etc
    Good Luck and enjoy your cycling :wink:
  • Neewb
    Neewb Posts: 7
    I have just got me a road bike, its a Specialized Allez - not sure how old but everything works (I think) and it feels v v light to me. I have however had to change the tyres as they looked bald and both had a couple of slits in them and I got a puncture first time i went on it. I got a couple of michelin orium tyres as they seemed a cheap price for my first tyre, until i know about the bike I think the tyres are the last of my worries.

    I could however do with knowing how much to pump them up. The tyre says max 116 psi but surely thats just its popping point, How much psi do they need in them?

    I have only been for a quick blast on it (with old tyres on it) and I just cannot believe the difference to my MTB. It feels so quick and is a lot easier to keep a reasonable pace going, although it ISNT comfortable ! and its so hard to ride in traffic, I am wiggling all over the place on it !

    Thanks everyone for the advice, I am glad I have swapped over to the roadie.
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Welcome to the Allez club!

    If not already, Id go out and get some padded under shorts or bib tights for comfort and you'll also adjust quickly and start riding much smoother, it'll come together quickly.

    I run Conti Ultra Gatorskins on mine and keep them up at 115psi, I think running them much lower increases the risk of punctures. Can't comment on that specific tyre but I'd imagine they'll be happy at 100-110.
  • Heckler1974
    Heckler1974 Posts: 479
    Less psi > comfort > chance of pinch flats
    More Psi < comfort < chance of pinch flats

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