Nervous on first road bike, braking & tucking down - adv
Comments
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jfw wrote:i'm pretty new to this road biking malarkey - all my riding is on the hoods
i sometimes go into drops if its windy and i'm on the flat - but i feel really unstable when going down hill in the drops (which is when you're meant to use 'em i guess). being a girl i got some spacers in so i could reach the brake levers with my midget fingers - it's comfiest from hoods, and a bit of a stretch from the drops
a lot of weight seems to go on my arms on descents - to the extent that i find it quite hard to indicate when going down hill and i won't try get anything out of my pocket going down hill (as its a bit of a lottery on the flat and up!)
do you just have to force yourself to do it so you get used to it - as i keep putting it off.
Have you had the bike fitted for you? By the sounds of it, it may not set up ideally for you. Obviously going downhill there will be more pressure on your arms but you shouldn't feel unstable. It may be that you just need bit more time getting use to a road bike.0 -
JFW...i'm pretty new to this road biking malarkey - ...- but i feel really unstable when going down hill in the drops (which is when you're meant to use 'em i guess).
When cornering on the drops at speed put your weight onto your inside* hand and your outdise leg. The bike will feel like its glued to the road.
Another way to think of this is to try and push the front wheel onto the ground with your 'inside' hand, and push the back wheel onto the ground with your outside foot.
Remeber to relax your grip when you straighten up again!
*turning right=right hand+left leg
turning left=left hand+right leg0 -
I've been going through the same thing as you Rossyl having just brought a roadie 2 mths ago.
The brakes are shocking compared to a mtn bike with hyd discs.
I changed rear pads (they were old and hard); it made a huge difference.
I was uncomfortable on the bike at first (I've only done about 8 rides and 400 kms on it)
but am ok on the hoods now. The drops felt horrible at first but I'm getting used to it. I haven't used them downhill yet though.
Just stay with it; it won't take long.
They are as much fun to ride as a mtn bike.0 -
PeeDee wrote:JFW...
[Another way to think of this is to try and push the front wheel onto the ground with your 'inside' hand, and push the back wheel onto the ground with your outside foot.
Remeber to relax your grip when you straighten up again!
*turning right=right hand+left leg
turning left=left hand+right leg
cheers PeeDee i'll give that a go!
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I too went through the same issue as others coming from a mountain bike with Magura Hydrolics to the 105's on my first road bike the which were shocking to the point of really dangerous in the wet.
After sailing straight through a busy zebra one morning unable to even slow down let alone stop I went out and got a pair of green Swiss stop pads for the front brake and once run in they were a massive improvement on the stock shimano ones (and bloody well should have been for £30!)
They will never be as good as the Magura's but I do have confidence in them and braking from the hoods is no problem at all.0 -
Very different feeling with road brakes, I feel more rather than less stable on the drops (although the position is hard on the neck muscles after a while). Re: saddle height and stopping, even on my MTB I have to get off the saddle when I stop. Are you running a downhill/freeride bike?0
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+1 to replacing the pads as a starter.
For ages i always road on the hoods, but now only use the drops. Much more stable actually gripping, rather than leaning.
Until youre settled on the bike, dont even bother with Clipless.0
