Riding advice on switching from MTB to road bike

chris_bass

Hi

After years of riding mountain bikes on the road i have decided it is about time to get my first road bike. i am test riding a few this weekend and should be making a purchase soon.

what tips do you have for riding a road bike over a mountain bike? i have never ridden a road bike before so any hints or tips would be great!

danowat

Be prepared for it to feel VERY different.

andrewjoseph

Be prepared for:

riding position too feel very strange
the bike to feel nervous and twitchy
the brakes to 'feel' under powered
speed to increase

when all four are combined it can feel very scary, just relax and get used to the bike and how it performs before you go too far or on busy roads.

Lycra Man

Road bikes are lighter, and probabkly morer responsive. They are also faster.

Tips for riding? Go clipless, develop a smooth pedalling style and become part of the machine.

Lycra Man

chris_bass

thanks for the replies

i am hoping to get it before the first of the bank holidays so i'll have a couple of long weekens to get used to it!

i will prepare myself to be scared initially!!

springtide9

Be prepared for it to feel VERY similar :oops: lol

Lots of people have said that it's very different and the fitness doesn't transfer well either way, but I can't say that it was like that for me.

Found the transition very easily. The balance, finding the best lines etc is all very similar to the MTB. Took me about 15 mins of riding before it all felt very natural. The hardest thing for me is the traffic.