Road Bike?

rowlers
rowlers Posts: 1,614
edited June 2010 in The Crudcatcher
Is it OK to want a road bike?

I'm a MTBer really but fancy a road bike for fitness reasons mainly. Struggling to get out as much as I'd like in the Inbred, so though a Road bike might be a nice compliment. Anyone else got one?

Next question would be which bike, in small, up to £1k, got 3 days to get my cycle to work scheme application in!

Comments

  • IcarusGreen
    IcarusGreen Posts: 1,486
    I've a road bike for the same reasons. If your cycle to work scheme is from Halfords then I'd get a Boardman. Lot of bike for the money.

    Otherwise you might want to try the Dark Side's forums.
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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    i also have a road bike for the above mentioned reasons, i havent ridden it much recently though. they are a brilliant way to get some extra training in and although lots of folk slate them, all the pros use em so they cant be that bad.
  • rowlers
    rowlers Posts: 1,614
    Prob a choice of Cube, specialised, Trek GT, Dawes and Raleigh off the top of my head, Need to have a wuick look at some LBS that are aprt of the Cycle scheme.
  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    i've got a road bike but i don't use it anywhere near as much as i thought i would! it's just not as much fun :(

    but yeah it does improve your fitness :D maybe a specialized allez? they're decent bikes for the money, around £600 i think :D
  • Omar Little
    Omar Little Posts: 2,010
    Too much emphasis is put on the divide between road and mtb, personally i love them both equally :D They both complement each other too - like how road riding improves fitness more easily and how mtb improves bike handling skills.
  • Cferg
    Cferg Posts: 347
    Get something for around £800 leaving you with £200 to splash out on some lycra for yourself :lol:
  • Thread8
    Thread8 Posts: 479
    Ive been debating over whether or not to get a road bike for commuting, I dont think I will though because it'd be wasted on a 2 mile round trip 5 days a week, and it wouldnt do anything other than that
    Haro Thread 8
    Please help!

    "It's like parkour, on a bike"
  • I've got a Specialized Cirrus for commuting. Saves the proper bikes from getting wasted on roads.
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,700
    I adore road bikes... Much better than mountain bikes. Mountain bikes are still good, road bikes are just better.
  • VWsurfbum
    VWsurfbum Posts: 7,881
    whyamihere wrote:
    I adore road bikes... Much better than mountain bikes. Mountain bikes are still good, road bikes are just better.
    Just No
    that is all
    Kazza the Tranny
    Now for sale Fatty
  • rowlers
    rowlers Posts: 1,614
    LOL!

    Loads of bikes around the £1k mark. Am I right in looking fot 105 group? what nthis compact crankset/triple crack?
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,700
    rowlers wrote:
    LOL!

    Loads of bikes around the £1k mark. Am I right in looking fot 105 group? what nthis compact crankset/triple crack?
    No.

    Look for a bike with Campagnolo on it. Seriously.

    Compact - 2 chainrings, generally 34/50
    Double - 2 chainrings, 39/52 or 39/53
    Triple - 3 chainrings. 30/39/52, or something like that.
  • rowlers
    rowlers Posts: 1,614
    doesn't seem to be many tbh? Are they that much better?
  • Thread8 wrote:
    Ive been debating over whether or not to get a road bike for commuting, I dont think I will though because it'd be wasted on a 2 mile round trip 5 days a week, and it wouldnt do anything other than that

    A Grifter would do the job for a 2 mile round trip...
  • biff55
    biff55 Posts: 1,404
    A Grifter would do the job for a 2 mile round trip...

    a grifter would be cooler than a road bike.
    :wink:
  • Thread8
    Thread8 Posts: 479
    Thread8 wrote:
    Ive been debating over whether or not to get a road bike for commuting, I dont think I will though because it'd be wasted on a 2 mile round trip 5 days a week, and it wouldnt do anything other than that

    A Grifter would do the job for a 2 mile round trip...

    What the hell is a grifter? excuse my stupidity lol
    Haro Thread 8
    Please help!

    "It's like parkour, on a bike"
  • trekhead
    trekhead Posts: 626
    Does this count as a road bike? I can`t go off road on it, so it must I suppose.
    I love it anyway.

    fence004.jpg
    ole ginger b*ll*cks / the ginger ninja
  • IcarusGreen
    IcarusGreen Posts: 1,486
    june76mk15.jpg
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  • IcarusGreen
    IcarusGreen Posts: 1,486
    or the Chopper

    raleigh_chopper_01_350x350.jpg
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  • El Capitano
    El Capitano Posts: 6,401
    whyamihere wrote:
    I adore road bikes... Much better than mountain bikes. Mountain bikes are still good, road bikes are just better.

    + Potato
  • Mickey Eye
    Mickey Eye Posts: 590
    I also have a road bike, it's good fun for chewing up the miles and getting to work super quick. Have to say though, coming from MTB the brakes are terrible. I'll be changing the pads to Koolstops but still absolutely shocking in comparison to discs.
  • El Capitano
    El Capitano Posts: 6,401
    Mickey Eye wrote:
    I also have a road bike, it's good fun for chewing up the miles and getting to work super quick. Have to say though, coming from MTB the brakes are terrible. I'll be changing the pads to Koolstops but still absolutely shocking in comparison to discs.

    TBH, the ones on my TT bike (105's) are pretty aweseome and have much more stopping power than the canti's on the Focus or any MTB disks. This is of course only in the dry...
  • Mickey Eye
    Mickey Eye Posts: 590
    Yeah, maybe I should have been more specific, I'm on a CX bike so it came with cantilever brakes (Kore Race). I've set them up very carefully, but they have bugger all stopping power. Could be the shitty tektro pads, which I'll be changing out or they may need more bedding in but they really do have nothing on my Juicy 7s. I'll also be buying some cross levers. Braking on the hoods feels suicide with so little stopping power.
  • whyamihere
    whyamihere Posts: 7,700
    Mickey Eye wrote:
    Yeah, maybe I should have been more specific, I'm on a CX bike so it came with cantilever brakes (Kore Race). I've set them up very carefully, but they have bugger all stopping power. Could be the shitty tektro pads, which I'll be changing out or they may need more bedding in but they really do have nothing on my Juicy 7s. I'll also be buying some cross levers. Braking on the hoods feels suicide with so little stopping power.
    A couple of weeks back, I had a car pull out on me while I was doing around 20-25mph. With road brakes (Campagnolo Centaur) with Koolstop Salmons, riding on the hoods, I braked hard enough to get the rear wheel up (allowing me to flick it sideways), with enough modulation to keep from going over the bar. In theory, cantis are supposed to be better than calipers. Definitely try the Salmons, they're fantastic.