Wanted - A Flat Bar Road Bike (with triple chain ring)

thamesider

Hi

Further to my last post, I test rode a couple of road bikes over the weekend, and have decided they weren't for me.
Hills I ride up reasonably easily on my 27 speed mountain bike, were nearlly impossible on a 16/18 speed road bike.

I now realise I need a 56cm frame Road bike, with flat bar and a triple chain ring.
I have had a look round, but can only find one that may be suitable.
Scott Speedster S50 @ £600 from Evans.

Is there a list of bikes in this catogory somewhere on the net ?


TIA
Thamesider

arthur_scrimshaw

Look at the Specialized Sirrus range as well

http://www.specialized.com/gb/gb/bc/SBC ... ?scid=1002

onlyonearrow

Another option is thr Giant Rapid range (previously called the FCR). They are essentially a flatbar version of the Defy range.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/rapid.2/7844/45453/

arthur_scrimshaw

thamesider wrote:

Hi

Further to my last post, I test rode a couple of road bikes over the weekend, and have decided they weren't for me.
Hills I ride up reasonably easily on my 27 speed mountain bike, were nearlly impossible on a 16/18 speed road bike.

I now realise I need a 56cm frame Road bike, with flat bar and a triple chain ring.
I have had a look round, but can only find one that may be suitable.
Scott Speedster S50 @ £600 from Evans.

Is there a list of bikes in this catogory somewhere on the net ?


TIA
Thamesider

Was it the drop bars or the double chainset that put you off? (or both) You can get road bikes with triple chainsets, I bought a hybrid (a sirrus) but later regretted not going for a road bike and ended up buying a Cannondale 6 - the sirrus is great for commuting but I've fitted bar ends to give me more hand positions and ride on these most of the time. I've also considered converting it to drops but it's really not cost effective.

Berk Bonebonce

Triple chainset is a highly sensible choice. But get a flat bar bike and after a couple of months you will be asking how to convert to drops.

thamesider

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

thamesider wrote:

Hi

Further to my last post, I test rode a couple of road bikes over the weekend, and have decided they weren't for me.
Hills I ride up reasonably easily on my 27 speed mountain bike, were nearlly impossible on a 16/18 speed road bike.

I now realise I need a 56cm frame Road bike, with flat bar and a triple chain ring.
I have had a look round, but can only find one that may be suitable.
Scott Speedster S50 @ £600 from Evans.

Is there a list of bikes in this catogory somewhere on the net ?


TIA
Thamesider

Was it the drop bars or the double chainset that put you off? (or both) You can get road bikes with triple chainsets, I bought a hybrid (a sirrus) but later regretted not going for a road bike and ended up buying a Cannondale 6 - the sirrus is great for commuting but I've fitted bar ends to give me more hand positions and ride on these most of the time. I've also considered converting it to drops but it's really not cost effective.

It was both. I only used the drop handles when I needed to brake, or when I was going up a steep hill, stood up on the pedals, and when going fast down hill

I ran out of gears when going up a particularly steep hill, that forms part of one of my regular rides on my Mountain bike I and couldn't turn the pedals any more !

I usually go up the steepest part of this in hill in 2nd gear on my 27spd, riding an 18 spd, with skinny tyres was beyond me, so had to get off and walk :oops:

I'll check out the Giant, Sirrus and Cannondale.
Thanks
Thamesider

daniel_b

Marin Fairfax might be worth a look:

http://www.freetownsports.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=fts1007

Omar Little

A road bike feels a bit odd if you've not ridden one before but after a week or so you get used to it.

I think everyone that i know who has got a hybrid/flat bar road bike and got into cycling (rather than buying a bike and have it sit in a garage unused) has ended up buying a drop bar road bike after a year or less. I have a flat bar with wider tyres for commuting in the winter and its gearing is more like road gearing rather than mountain bike - due to the weight and straight bars it is harder going up hills on that than it is on my drop bar bikes

marcaudsley

I have the Giant FCR 2 (2009 model) and it is very good.
But i did put drops and Tiagra shifters on after 6 months or so
Also look at Boardman hybrids - gret price, great spec & look ace

arthur_scrimshaw

thamesider wrote:

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

thamesider wrote:

Hi

Further to my last post, I test rode a couple of road bikes over the weekend, and have decided they weren't for me.
Hills I ride up reasonably easily on my 27 speed mountain bike, were nearlly impossible on a 16/18 speed road bike.

I now realise I need a 56cm frame Road bike, with flat bar and a triple chain ring.
I have had a look round, but can only find one that may be suitable.
Scott Speedster S50 @ £600 from Evans.

Is there a list of bikes in this catogory somewhere on the net ?


TIA
Thamesider

Was it the drop bars or the double chainset that put you off? (or both) You can get road bikes with triple chainsets, I bought a hybrid (a sirrus) but later regretted not going for a road bike and ended up buying a Cannondale 6 - the sirrus is great for commuting but I've fitted bar ends to give me more hand positions and ride on these most of the time. I've also considered converting it to drops but it's really not cost effective.

It was both. I only used the drop handles when I needed to brake, or when I was going up a steep hill, stood up on the pedals, and when going fast down hill

I ran out of gears when going up a particularly steep hill, that forms part of one of my regular rides on my Mountain bike I and couldn't turn the pedals any more !

I usually go up the steepest part of this in hill in 2nd gear on my 27spd, riding an 18 spd, with skinny tyres was beyond me, so had to get off and walk :oops:

I'll check out the Giant, Sirrus and Cannondale.
Thanks
Thamesider

On my 6 I rarely go on the drops, you can brake very effectively with hands 'on the hoods' which is the position I think most people use, I certainly find this position more comfortable than riding my hybrid.
I mostly go onto the drops in strong headwinds or on fast descents.

ref the gearing, my 6 has a compact double which nearly gives the range of a triple, but at the risk of repeating myself you can get road bikes with triples but if you're convinced a hybrid is what you need, go for it and enjoy your new bike!

clx1

A bike with flat bars and a triple is not a road bike, if you end up with a bike with these two features you will be disappointed within a couple of months.

thamesider

Thanks for the input so far.
A few differing views, muddying the water slightly :?

I feel I definetly need a triple, there are plenty of hills on my regular rides and the small chain ring on my mountain bike, gets quite a bit of use.

I'll endeavour to take a ride on a triple road bike, and flat bar version at the weekend and make a final decision.
Cheers
Thamesider

topdude

A bike with flat bars and a triple is not a road bike

Yes it is, what it is not is a "racing bike"

solboy

its so true that if you get a hybrid or flat bar bike you will soon want a bike with drop bars - been there and got the t shirt.

I have a proper road bike and a Cannondale bad boy. The Bad Boy is a great bike and for commuting is perfect. I bought the bad boy as i ride to work and its 75% road 25% cycle paths. I have had the bike less than 6 months and becasue i love the road bike riding position so much and because its a more natural riding position i am now considering selling the bad boy and getting a cross bike instead mainly because i prefer drop bars to flat.

antonyfromoz

I have a Merida Speeder T5, which comes with Ultegra rear mech and a triple) and for a while it was my only bike and served me well. I fitted bar ends to it and spent most of them. In the end I got a Bianchi Via Nirone and a mountain bike so the Merida is due to be sold but it is certainly plenty fast, pretty light and comfortable.