My bike will need replacing soon, should i get a road bike?

chris_bass

Hi

I have been commuting for over a year now and riden bikes a lot generally, but always had mountain bikes, mainly because i like the look and feel of them.

but should i get a road bike? my commute is about 25 miles (or 30 if i'm feeling energetic, which i am a suprising amount these days!) round trip and all on roads (but there are a number of rough patches and some very sizeable pot holes to contend with). i'll be honest, road bikes scare me a little bit, they just dont look as stable ro 'safe' as mountain bikes! with the mileage i do, between 125 to 150 miles a week, i am considering changing though.

this leads me to a couple of questions, firstly, will it make a big difference? and secondly, how do i know if i have the right fit? as i have only ever riden mountain bikes i think all road bikes would feel wrong, wouldnt they? my current bike has quite an upright riding position as it is!

wgwarburton

Yes.

unixnerd

Get a road bike with more relaxed geometry such as a Cannondale Synapse or a Specialized Secteur. When buying it pay particular attention to the wheelset. You're accelerating and changing speed a lot so a nice light set of wheels will improve things a lot.

You can also do what the previous owner of my bike did and fit secondary brake levers. When I bought the bike I had half a mind to remove them but they're very handy in traffic.


It will feel less stable than a mtb, especially to start with. But you'll get used to it.

bails87

To elaborate.....

I've got an MTB, and recently got a road bike. Now the MTB feels horrible on the roads, so slow and inefficient.. MY commute is a similar distance to yours (15 miles each way) although I'm not up to the level of doing it every day, I'm managing 2/3 times a week.

If all your riding is done on the road then yes, get a road bike, that's what they're for.

They feel twitchy and fragile at first, but you soon get used to it and then they become suprisingly fun. Still not as fun as a good MTB ride, but better than riding an MTB on the road.

chris_bass

thanks for the replies!

i think a road bike is probably the way forward, and if i get it before my current bike dies for good at least i can keep that for any offroading i do.

the next question is, how much should i spend on a road bike that is almost exclusively for commuting? i've heard people say that its not worth spending loads as commuting is a good way to ruin a bike! but i want to get a good one that will last and get me from a to b (especially when a is work and b is home! not so much the other way round ) reliably!

unixnerd

Cannondale CAAD8 2010 for 449:
http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/canno ... _2010.html
That's all you need. Great bike. You'll find 2010 Specialized Secteurs still going cheap too.[/quote]

wizzlebanger

shhhhh.....

You could always go down the flat barred road / fast hybrid route as well.

.......but I didn't say that!

Marcus_C

If the worst surfaces you have to contend with are potholes definitely get a proper road bike. How much you spend is up to you. I'm convinced commuting has the reputation of ruining bikes simply because they're not looked after properly and used come rain or shine. If you spend a long time in the saddle it's logical to have a bike that you like riding and like the look of. Take into account where you'll have to lock it up though, road bikes tend to look very attractive to thieves!!

nation

I just did exactly this - buying a road bike for the commute after years of riding MTBs.

They really are fast. You'll surprise yourself by just how fast.

My other observations are that it will feel really unstable, you can't shift your weight around the way you can on an MTB, you will have much less grip when cornering (and it's important to be aware of this, I nearly binned it a couple of times on my first ride) and the brakes will terrify you.

Even having said all that, I'm still glad I got it. It's just a case of riding much more cautiously than you're probably used to.

MattL30

I'd serious think of a Cyclo-cross bike with a change of tyre if I were you.

As above, secondary set of brakes I feel are useful for the commute.

I went for a Kona Jake as it has rear rack mounts, but then, rack or rucksack is a different discussion!

Cyclo-cross is near road geometry and speed, plus more clearance for mud-guards and racks should you be doing it all year round. I've got 1 set of GP4000s (700x23) for summer and weekends, and a set of Conti Contact (700x32) for winter.

nation

When I was shopping around for my bike I looked at cross bikes, but I couldn't find anything inexpensive that still had all the mounts. They seem to be getting dropped as cyclocross gains in popularity as a sport.

The current model Kona Jake doesn't have rack/guard mounts as far as I know.

For what it's worth I got a Giant Defy because Giant make a specific set of full-length guards for it and it has rack mounts. I think the Spesh Secteur does as well.

MattL30

True. You'll get a good deal right now on a 2010 model mind, and the Kona Jake (admit I haven't looked at others) does have the mounts on the 2010 model.

nation

Yeah, looking at 2010 models is good advice generally. I was stuck with 2011 models because I was getting mine on C2W through Halfords special order.

chris_bass

i'm not too sure about cyclo cross bikes, would they be that much different to a light mountain bike with slicks on? i think because i prefer mountain bikes if i was going to go that route id just get a really light mountain bike and make it as 'roady' as possible.

think if i'm going to change will be a road bike.

bails87

What's your commute like?

Mine is a 15 mile ride along roads like this

with a mile of suburban/town centre traffic mixed in at each end.

So there was no point in getting a CX, and no need for extra brake levers. I just needed something that was quick on the road.
So I got the "R" in my sig below.

gilesjuk

You'll find a whole bunch of road bikes that simply aren't made for commuting. Made for people who ride only for fun (and drive their bike around on top of their BMW 5 series).

If you really want to be comfortable then take advantage of the fact that the right road bike can have mudguards and a pannier rack. Something few MTBs can do. Full mudguards stop the rear wheel spraying water over the bike and prolong the life of the bearings (headset and bottom bracket).

It makes a hell of a difference to how comfortable you feel on the bike. No rucksack on the back, no sweaty patch on your back and since the weight is on the bike and not your body you get less problems with numbness on long rides.

Forget carbon frames and wheels with tiny spoke counts. You don't want to be stranded in the middle or nowhere after buckling your wheel on a pothole.

A Cotic Roadrat is a very versatile frame.

snailracer

To echo other posters, the quality of the road surface would decide it for me. If it's very rough, you won't be enjoying the head-down (i.e. lots of weight on hands) riding position after a few days.

The cycling calculators all say it's the road bike's lower, more aero riding position that accounts for most of the advantage in raw speed, things like lighter weight and skinny tyres contribute much less.

tarbot18

HI i went down the road bike with flat bars route coming from many years commuting and playing on a mtb and it took me about 3 rides until i was used to it and you ll get to love the speed of a road bike i knocked 15minutes off a 1hour commute on mine. i bought a scott s50 with flat bars as i didnt want to feel stretched out and wanted instant access to my brakes but i can see myself putting some road bars on it at some point , I can highly recommend the road bike you wont regret it and keep the mtb for playing in the woods like me.

The Rookie

Isn't a 'road bike with flat bars' a Hybrid?

Prettty much the same as I ride except mine has discs.

Simon

craker

First of all, OP you must be proper hard to do 150 miles / week on a MTB.

In summer months I do that kind of weekly commute 5 days / week on a road bike - I know all about it by the end of the week and am glad of a couple of days break. I presume you're on slick tyres of some sort? I've got a slicked MTB as a backup and it's a souless, slow experience compared to the roadies.

With regards to winter weather durability, most bikes are very similar and it depends on the quality of your purchase rather than anything else. Eg steel bolts vs. stainless.

My one gripe with winter commuting on a road bike is the deterioration of the rear dual-caliper brakes. They get gunged up with road crud in a way that lubrication doesn't seem to fix; not an issue with vee brakes IME.

jimmypippa

Or you could go down the unfashionable route a (which I think is good as it is less attractive to thieves) and get a (light) tourer.

Proper road bike, but fairly rugged.

DaveHudson

I was in a similar position to you last year, I have a fairly well specced mtb that I was commuting on. Times were good and I enjoyed riding it but I always had that niggle that "Road bikes would be better"

I bit the bullet and bought a Claud butler Milano, The first in their range of proper low clearance road bikes. (CB are not a popular brand on here from my observations, but I work for a retailer that sells them so the discount made them rather attractive )

I only rode it 5-6 times last year as I found it a bit scary after so many years of mtbs. This year however I started commuting on the mtb for the first couple of weeks, Then I was sorting out the bikes one day and thought "I'll take the roadie tomorrow and see if I get on ok"

The mtb hasn't been out since and I'm now thinking of selling it! I love the road bikes speed and efficiency and am now planning a longer commute as the current 7.5 miles seems too short. Tomorrow will be the first run at 14 miles either way.

I won't be buying anything else for road use now, a mtb is rubbish on the road just as a roadie is rubbish off road. The right tool for the job is important imho.

chris_bass

thanks for all the replies (especially the one that said i must be proper hard!!! dont think i've ever been called that in my life! haha!), I'm finding it all very helpful, and i think i have made my mind up that i will go for it and get a roadie!! now the saving must start!

i'm still a bit unsure on budget, what kind of price should i look at to get a decent road bike for commuting but not an over the top race ready model. i dont want it to be good though as i'll be spending the best part of 2 hours on it a day!!

snailracer

^^
Get one with mounting points for a rear rack and mudguards. Many road bike frames don't have them.

chris_bass

i tried a couple today.

Giant Defy 1 and a trek (cant remember the make, think it was the 2.1) does anyone have any thoughts on these? they both seemed to fit pretty well.

seataltea

I can recommend this, had mine almost two weeks.

http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/products.ph ... 3136&rs=gb

It's a revelation after riding my MTB and Hybrid, really fast, makes climbs much easier, great spec with a mixture of 105, Tiagra and Sora, alloy frame, a carbon fork and spds included.

After a few days even my daughter asked 'Are you not a mountain biker anymore Dad ? god I hope you don't start wearing Lycra'

I just might 8)

cyberknight

I will go against current trends and say,,,


Yes get a road bike/ light tourer but consider the cost of component replacement in your decision.

A chain for a 8 speed bike can be had for around £8 and a cassette for £20 but as soon as you hit 9 speed costs can start going up, if you damage your shifters It can get really expensive.

Shimano 2300 bike may not have the prestige of the higher groupsets but are reliable and rugged , sure you have to move your hand if you try to go for a faster gear on the drops but how much time do most commuters actually use the drops?

I cycle 20 miles a day commuting and i might use the drops for a mile a day !
For commuting definitely look at what you need to carry and how you will carry it, a back pack can be handy but yiu get a sweaty back and cannot carry enough stuff so look for rack points or if your not carrying to much a seatpost rack will suffice.

Does your commute go near cycle shops at times when they are open? If not consider what you might need to take with you in the event of a break down, from bitterly cold experience i can say you do not want to be on the roadside in subzero temperatures with something you cannot fix or get help quickly.

bails87

cyberknight wrote:

I cycle 20 miles a day commuting and i might use the drops for a mile a day !
For commuting definitely look at what you need to carry and how you will carry it, a back pack can be handy but you get a sweaty back and cannot carry enough stuff so look for rack points or if your not carrying to much a seatpost rack will suffice.

Does your commute go near cycle shops at times when they are open? If not consider what you might need to take with you in the event of a break down, from bitterly cold experience i can say you do not want to be on the roadside in subzero temperatures with something you cannot fix or get help quickly.

I'd agree with most of that, maybe not the drops comment, but it depends on the nature of the commute. I got a Ribble Sportive which isn't the most practical commuter (think I said that already!) But it's fine for what I use it for, and more fun when I'm doing non-commute rides.

Rack points would be more important to me than mudguard mounting points, seeing as the Crud RoadRacer is so good and just attaches to the fork/frame with o-rings and cable ties.

As for 'luggage', I rode in this morning with an Alpkit Gourdon on my back. I'm sure my back was a little sweatier than it would be, but ~15 miles in <50 minutes means that I'm going to be sweaty anyway. The benefit of the Gourdon is if I get caught in the rain, everything inside the bag will stay bone dry, and I've tested this theory in a Laotian rainforest downpour!

Today I carried in:
a shirt, packed so it's pretty much crease free,
a pump,
multitool, spare quicklinks, repair patches (this covers me for virtually anything that's mendable: I can patch a tube, mend a chain, bodge a mech in the event of a snapped cable, and retension spokes if I fancy some roadside wheel building!),
cable ties,
lights,
spare batteries,
lunch,
a belt and my undies (I leave trousers, jacket and shoes in work),
a spare mobile and all the stuff for sending my old one off to be repaired(obviously I don't normally have this),
a travel towel (normally left in work, but needed to be washed),
toiletries
and my wallet, keys and ID.....phew!

Oh yeah, and a spare tube and tyre levers cable tied to my saddle rails. This is good because I just leave it there all the time, so I've got it when I'm out on a 'leisure' ride and I don't take a backpack.

This all goes in the 20L gourdon withouit a problem, but a rack would probably be nicer.

How about a Ribble Audux/Winter bike? I think that has rack points.

mudcow007

i was in the same situation as you, rode a mtb with risers an loved it an pointed and sniggered at those silly roadbikes with their silly drop bars

anyways cut a long story short i decided to start commuting everyday since Jan 2 months down the line i develop back pain which i found to be my mtb so i go shopping for a new bike

i decided on a Specialized Tricross as its a bit more comfy that a roadbike an much better on the road than my mtb im super happy with my choice an i can still use it off road too

my commute has gone from 25mins for 6 miles to 15-18mins

tarbot18

In reply to a previous poster think it was simon is a road bike with flat bars a hybrid ? my scott s50 with flat bars is identical to the version with normal bars in every way except the bars and can only be used on the road doesnt it make it a road bike ? anyway ive been commmuting on it now a month after 8 years commuting on my mtb , bloody hell why didnt i do this years ago so fast and nimble im knocking 10 to 15 mins off a 12 mile commute around the coast of wirral in all weathers and the power seems to go to the bike so much better on a road bike. After seeing a previous posters pics about extra brakes on his road bike bars i may have gone this way if id known you could do that but have to say im very happy at the moment with my flat bars and cane creek bar ends. ive instant access to my brakes and im not as stretched out as i would be on the hoods , however as i venture into doing more road based stuff (sorry mtb ) i may put some normal road bars on for climbing and downhills etc

cyberknight

bails87 wrote:

cyberknight wrote:

I cycle 20 miles a day commuting and i might use the drops for a mile a day !
For commuting definitely look at what you need to carry and how you will carry it, a back pack can be handy but you get a sweaty back and cannot carry enough stuff so look for rack points or if your not carrying to much a seatpost rack will suffice.

Does your commute go near cycle shops at times when they are open? If not consider what you might need to take with you in the event of a break down, from bitterly cold experience i can say you do not want to be on the roadside in subzero temperatures with something you cannot fix or get help quickly.

I'd agree with most of that, maybe not the drops comment, but it depends on the nature of the commute. I got a Ribble Sportive which isn't the most practical commuter (think I said that already!) But it's fine for what I use it for, and more fun when I'm doing non-commute rides.

Rack points would be more important to me than mudguard mounting points, seeing as the Crud RoadRacer is so good and just attaches to the fork/frame with o-rings and cable ties.

As for 'luggage', I rode in this morning with an Alpkit Gourdon on my back. I'm sure my back was a little sweatier than it would be, but ~15 miles in <50 minutes means that I'm going to be sweaty anyway. The benefit of the Gourdon is if I get caught in the rain, everything inside the bag will stay bone dry, and I've tested this theory in a Laotian rainforest downpour!

Today I carried in:
a shirt, packed so it's pretty much crease free,
a pump,
multitool, spare quicklinks, repair patches (this covers me for virtually anything that's mendable: I can patch a tube, mend a chain, bodge a mech in the event of a snapped cable, and retension spokes if I fancy some roadside wheel building!),
cable ties,
lights,
spare batteries,
lunch,
a belt and my undies (I leave trousers, jacket and shoes in work),
a spare mobile and all the stuff for sending my old one off to be repaired(obviously I don't normally have this),
a travel towel (normally left in work, but needed to be washed),
toiletries
and my wallet, keys and ID.....phew!

Oh yeah, and a spare tube and tyre levers cable tied to my saddle rails. This is good because I just leave it there all the time, so I've got it when I'm out on a 'leisure' ride and I don't take a backpack.

This all goes in the 20L gourdon withouit a problem, but a rack would probably be nicer.

How about a Ribble Audux/Winter bike? I think that has rack points.

Sounds like a similar amount of stuff similar speed i do 10 miles in 35 minutes , i used to use a back pack but in summer i was soaked, panniers can keep stuff dry if you get good/ lined ones and i keep my rain coat + rainlegs in the side pockets for easy access.

As for using drops it all down to rider preference, i am the wrong side of MAMIL to stay on the drops all day

I did forget about mudgaurds , i use the cruds too and they are excellent !

I take everything off my commuter as even bike lights have been taken from the bike racks at work , i do leave the 2 locks inside the bike rack as i do not fancy lugging 2 d locks .

At the end of the day it is all down to the preferences of the rider, all we can do is offer our preferences as a guide .