Why do I need a road bike?

Skippymon

Hi all,

This is a bit of loaded question but here goes! I've been a keen cyclist since a young age but my style has mainly been shortish 5 to 10 mile blasts, trial riding and wheelies on a 90s mountain bike that is now similar to modern touring hybrids.

With a change in circumstances this year I've been spending a lot more time cycling and have started covering 100 miles a week. My longest ride so far is 46miles in 3h10. I'm really enjoying the steady improvement in stamina and speed that I am seeing not to mention the revelation I had in discovering padded lycra shorts, energy powder and skinny slick tyres.

The thing is, riding my bike is hard, but that's the point isn't it? Its exercise! Surely buying a road bike will just mean I travel further for a given amount of effort?! I do feel drawn towards road bikes, especially when I'm out riding in my lycra and get passed by a roadie who I might very well be able to keep up with if I was on a similar bike!

People say I should be on a road bike for these distances but I'm not quite sure why?

These are my personal bests as recorded on Endomondo so far:

10 miles in 34m50
1 hour: 25.75km
20km in 44m57
50km in 2h06

I look forward to your views!

Mikey41

hehe, it's true what they say: "it doesn't get easier, you just go faster". That's what I found when I moved from a hybrid to a road bike, it was just nicer to ride, quicker and turned as if it was wired into my brain. It's the best tool for the job.

declan1

They make you faster and more comfortable. Who wouldn't want to be faster and more comfortable?

Sprool

I had same issues last year, touring round the area on my mtb with 1.6 slicks. I spent very little time off-road. I used to cruise on the flat at 13mph with comfort. Now with the road bike I'm doing 18mph, covering much longer distances with more ease. That's why.

simon_masterson

Sweeping generalisation alert, but road bikes are simply designed for optimal position and comfort and have suitable wheels and tyres. They also have appropriate gearing. Some hybrids are really quite similar, and you could adapt them to make them even more so, but you could also buy a road bike. You can do a lot of road cycling on a hybrid; it's just a matter of having a tool made for the job...

chrisaonabike

You definitely shouldn't get a road bike. You're way too fast already. Road bikes are for people like me that need to go faster and can't do it any other way.

On the other hand, you definitely should get a road bike. I don't mind getting overtaken by other roadies. It's the bloody MTBers and hybrids that go past me that really make me feel inferior.

Anonymous

It's really simple.
If you want to do things properly, then yes, you need a road bike!

Whenever people knock or question doing something in a better way I always think, would you do it in a worse way.
You would probably not do it on a Raleigh Chopper, so I would say that the way you are doing it is a little questionable.

Going back to what I first said, if your aim is to introduce some extra difficulty/challenge for fitness reasons say, then what you are currently doing is fine, but if that were the case you have already answered your own question.

oldwelshman

Why do I need a Ferrari instead of a tractor?

lotus49

You could knock nails in with a brick, but a proper hammer works much better. Use the correct tool for the job - that's all there is to it.

Anonymous

And an 'Estwing' hammer works even better than a B&Q own brand one too!

Some people will just never get it though. I do not have a problem with that, but just hammer away with your china tool and leave everyone else alone FFS.

I can see it now on a DIY forum. "my £3.99 hammer is great, do I really need a £40 one?"

YAWN :roll: