1st Road bike tips

starbuck

I'm getting my first road bike (defy 1) after riding mountain bikes for years.

Does anyone have any tips to ease the transition?

What's the best way to get up to speed (literally and figuratively) quickly (aside from putting the miles in).

The things I'm most concerned about (apart from the different gears, as I'm used to rapidfire shifters) is handling the bike at speed. I'm used to going fast on my mountain bike (I've gotten up to about 48mph downhill - on a road), but I have hydraulic brakes on the mountain bike (obviously don't use the front brake downhill) and I don't know what the stability of road bikes is like going at 25-30mph+ and how good the braking is.

I'm planning to start riding sportives next year, and I'm used to doing about 60-70 miles on my MTB so not too worried about the hours in the saddle, and I want to make the most of the benefits a road bike would give me.

Any advice?

RubbishCyclist

As a recent convert to a road bike, just get out and ride it and get comfortable with it. You'll get used to covering the brakes a bit earlier.....and from my brief experience, dont expect the brakes to work very well in the wet

Enjoy!

Gizmodo

1) Bike fit - make sure your bike is setup correctly for you, height, reach etc.
2) Cadence - change gear to keep your cadence comfortable for you. Some believe that a cadence of 80 to 100 is best for longer rides, but you need to find your comfort level
3) Move around on the bike - change your seating position and hand position on the bars to stay comfortable. Road bike bars can be held in many different ways.

There are loads of videos on this site and YouTube on how to corner, descend, climb etc., some even feature ex-pro racers that used to have some yellow jerseys.

mlgt

All good advice.I went on my first road bike ride last night after work on a recently bought specialized allez.

Few things that took some getting used to was the braking and gearing sensation. I went from MTB to road.

The ride was effortless compared to the MTB, but would have helped if I had some decent gloves as it was almost 0c last night and going downhill upon entering my home my hands burnt for quite some time haha. Serves me right, but all night long I was thinking how to make it a more comfortable ride.

Im going to go for a long cycle on the weekend and really get used to the riding style along with some tools if some things need adjusting.

So far Im enjoying it!

nolight

You probably know this from MTB, but never jam-brake! Road bikes are fast and if you panic and jam-brake you could be in deep ship.

I upgraded from hybrid bike to road bike and to me the most important thing is learning the braking and handling ability of the road bike which is very different, and the riding posture and hand positions which are very different too. Even just moving 1 finger here and placing it there makes a big difference.

Mikey41

As others have said, make sure the bike fits and you are comfortable on it (the saddles are much comfier than they look). I doubt you'll have any problems with speed, but I echo the point about the brakes not being as good as hydraulic discs. They do improve once the pads wear in, but be careful in the wet. The tyres may look narrow (because they are) but grip is huge!

What you will find very different is the position you ride in compared to MTB. You will be leaning forward more and will have more weight on your hands and wrists, which you need to get used to.

Road bikes are very stable at speed, but can be a bit clumsy to ride very slow, mostly because you are likely to have some overlap with the front wheel at high steering angles.

Welcome to the roadies, enjoy!

surfatwork

I did my first roadbike ride today (previously did only hybrids and MTBs) and found that
1. there was lots more weight on my hands which I wasnt used to. I kept shifting my hands around and had to consciously remember to keep my arms/elbows from locking out
2. i preferred to use the hoods rather than the drops, but that meant problems with reaching the brakes.
3. it requires a lot less effort to climb and also in general. I was far less tired than I would have been on a similar ride on an MTB

Gizmodo

surfatwork wrote:

I did my first roadbike ride today (previously did only hybrids and MTBs) and found that
1. there was lots more weight on my hands which I wasnt used to. I kept shifting my hands around and had to consciously remember to keep my arms/elbows from locking out
2. i preferred to use the hoods rather than the drops, but that meant problems with reaching the brakes.
3. it requires a lot less effort to climb and also in general. I was far less tired than I would have been on a similar ride on an MTB

If you have problems reaching the brakes from the hoods then you need to setup your bike properly.

Mettan

In a related vein, if you're new to road riding, practice and get used to doing regular Shoulder checks - they're a critical aspect (imo) to road riding - and regards braking, use your Rear brake more in the wet/winter conditions in particular (watch out for downhill bends in the wet :!: ) - and in general, stay upright in bends in wet/winter conditions (don't be leaning over like in the dry).

Pituophis

I have to admit to finding breaking "interesting" on the first couple of outings, especially when the roads were only damp, but you soon get used to it (famous last words :oops: )

Cubic

With regards braking performance. When I first started road biking I found the lack of braking power unsettling. I think some of the stock brake pads aren't very good, particularly in the wet. I would recommend upgrading brake pads to something like KoolStop Salmon or even Swisstops if you're happy to pay the extra.
I found these gave me a marked improvement in all conditions.

Also, spend some time looking at your brakes' setup. You can adjust the cable length so that the brakes hit the rim when you pull the lever different amounts. I like to have mine setup so they hit the rim just after I start pulling the lever.

surfatwork

Gizmodo wrote:

If you have problems reaching the brakes from the hoods then you need to setup your bike properly.

Hi, How would you suggest I set it up? I have adjusted the seat height and moved the seat to the front as well. Are you suggesting I change the stem? or are you referring to something else?

@mettan - what is a shoulder check?

The brakes are fairly OK when I squeeze. Not confident enough to really brake hard yet.

Mikey41

When you are on the hoods, you should be able to rest most of your fingers down the brake levers. From there you can brake, but you can't apply as much pressure as you can when on the drops. If you can't get fingers onto the levers, the hoods might be in the wrong place on the bars, or the bars are aligned wrong.

A shoulder check is a quick look over your shoulder to see what's behind you. Same as checking your mirrors in a car. Do one regularly, especially before changing your road position, even if you can't hear anything behind you. Electric cars sneak up on you and you probably won't hear another cyclist approaching either.

Gizmodo

surfatwork wrote:

Gizmodo wrote:

If you have problems reaching the brakes from the hoods then you need to setup your bike properly.

Hi, How would you suggest I set it up? I have adjusted the seat height and moved the seat to the front as well. Are you suggesting I change the stem? or are you referring to something else?

I was thinking more of how rotated your handle bars are, the angle of the hoods, and the reach to the brake levers. Depending on which brake levers you have will depend on whether reach is adjusted by adding shims or turning a screw.

I recommend you get used to the bike and if you still have problems braking from the hoods start a new thread with photos of your bars and levers with an explanation of why you are finding it tough.

surfatwork

I rotated my handle bars up today and found that things improved. I can now reach the brakes with my fingers and feel a lot more confident. Pressure on my hands seems to have reduced too.
However I did try riding while holding the drops (on a quiet road) and found that I couldnt reach the brakes in that position now!!!
Anyway, I will ride with this setup for a few days and see how it goes. thanks a lot for the advice.

and shoulder check - I do do that, but didnt know it was called a shoulder check.

Mikey41

Can you post a pic showing your bars? Either they are set up a bit wierd or you've gone too far the other way.

Mikey23

A defy is a good choice IMO. You will love it

Briggo

starbuck wrote:

Does anyone have any tips to ease the transition?

What's the best way to get up to speed (literally and figuratively) quickly (aside from putting the miles in).

Just ride, took me about 20 mins to get used to the road bike compared to hard tail.

Starbuck wrote:

but I have hydraulic brakes on the mountain bike (obviously don't use the front brake downhill) and I don't know what the stability of road bikes is like going at 25-30mph+ and how good the braking is.

Any advice?

Yeah learn to use your front brake properly both on the road and MTB, it's your best brake, there is no obvious reason not to use it, just dont apply huge forces to lock up.

#david2012

Mikey23 wrote:

A defy is a good choice IMO. You will love it

+1 I have a 2013 model & love it