Do I need a new bike? Please help

Brown sauce

Hello. Ok so I have just started doing a lot of road rides. I love mountain biking but find sometimes I just want to go for an hours run just for fitness and find the road much better for this. So I turned a old kona into a road bike with new front cogs and slick tyres.

So what I want to know. Would a £6-£700 road bike be faster/easier to use? Or may I just as well stick with what I've got. I haven't tried a new road bike so don't really know what they're like.

Here's my retro road ride

smoggysteve

I would advise you go to a bike shop that allows you to test ride a bike. I wouldn't make any decision until then. A road bike handles differently to a mountain bike. You may like it, You may prefer the mountain bike.

If your aim is purely fitness, then a road bike is not really going to offer anything you need. they are less comfortable and designed for speed. If you want to go faster then thats a different matter. TBH, a heavier bike will get you fitter as you have to apply more effort to move it.

Brown sauce

I was coming down hill (road) on it the other day and had my hands on the bar ends.....the front felt really twitchy. I just thought maybe thats how it was meant to feel on the roads but maybe starting to think it is the characteristics of the bike.

I did ask at my lbs if they did rentals (they didn't).....with mtb I know there are test bikes u can borrow. I guess it's the same for road. Will go and ask.

KonkyWonky

A road bike will certainly be faster, as for easier to use only you can decide that. Obviously there will be a breaking in period if you are not used to riding a road bike, the position is completely different but it is more efficient and for me more comfortable.

You don't need to spend £600-£700 to better what you currently ride, a £300 Triban 3 or second hand offering would suffice if you only plan on one hour rides.

Brown sauce

KonkyWonky wrote:

You don't need to spend £600-£700 to better what you currently ride, a £300 Triban 3 or second hand offering would suffice if you only plan on one hour rides.

Ok, you have just introduced me to a bike I have never heard of but I see its getting good reviews for its price. Are they decathlons own make?

KonkyWonky

Yup, they can't be beaten at that price point unless you go second hand. The Triban 5 also gets excellent reviews and gives Sora shifting as opposed to 2300 (which many don't like due to the thumb shift) and is priced at £430.

Brown sauce

KonkyWonky wrote:

Yup, they can't be beaten at that price point unless you go second hand. The Triban 5 also gets excellent reviews and gives Sora shifting as opposed to 2300 (which many don't like due to the thumb shift) and is priced at £430.

Yeah I was checking out the 5 but they haven't got any at my local stores. May go down and have a look at the 3. Thanks for the advice.

Dmak

I had an MTB with slicks and rigid forks. I bought a specialized Allez for around £700 in 2010.

The reality is that the road bike is a bit faster. Not much, a bit. Defo quicker getting up hills, because of the weight and lighter wheels but overall, really not much difference.

Saying that I love my Allez. Getting on the drops to descend or get a more aero position whilst cycling into the wind is ace.

Thing is, you have the itch now and the only way to get rid of that itch is to buy a road bike!

Brown sauce

Dmak wrote:

Thing is, you have the itch now and the only way to get rid of that itch is to buy a road bike!

Hahaha. Got that right. I'm going on holiday on Monday so will have a think about it and see if it wears off. 8)

blackpoolkev

Dmak wrote:

The reality is that the road bike is a bit faster. Not much, a bit.

+1, I had a flat bar hybrid -it was quick and I loved using it to explore my local countryside.I moved on to a road bike because my fingers,hands and wrists couldn't cope with the fixed hand position on longer rides.

passout

Yes, bigger wheels, narrow high pressure tyres & lower position mean that a road bike will be a bit faster. A MTB with slicks can be nippy though! Drop bars mean more hand positions and better comfort. If you want to go a bit faster or ride longer I'd go for it. Maybe a Ribble winter trainer?

markhewitt1978

The drop bars will be a big plus I reckon. Being on the bar ends I could imagine would be twitchy.

But it's a matter of what you're used to. e.g. I went from flats to drops and found them every odd at first. The thought of descending in the drops scared me a lot! Now the thought of not being in the drops while descending scares me!

sloppyschleckonds

HE HAS A GOOD BIKE U NO GET ME!!!11one

markhewitt1978

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

HE HAS A GOOD BIKE U NO GET ME!!!11one

word

natrix

Brown sauce wrote:

I was coming down hill (road) on it the other day and had my hands on the bar ends.....

The bar ends are to help going up hill, keep your hands covering the brakes going downhill on the road, you never know when a car will pull out and you need to brake sharply. 8)

Anonymous

Yep, you need a new bike. Hope that helps.

If its fitness you want, buy a pair of trainers and go for an hours run!
If you think you might like road cycling then get a road bike and give it a go.

Who knows, you might even end up staying out for more than an hour ;-)

drlodge

To the OP: you don't need a new bike. You want a new bike.

markhewitt1978

drlodge wrote:

To the OP: you don't need a new bike. You want a new bike.

Tis the same thing? No?

drlodge

markhewitt1978 wrote:

drlodge wrote:

To the OP: you don't need a new bike. You want a new bike.

Tis the same thing? No?

Erm not really. When your other half insists you don't need another bike, you then have to come up with an answer as to why you should still have another bike when you don't actually need one.

sloppyschleckonds

drlodge wrote:

markhewitt1978 wrote:

drlodge wrote:

To the OP: you don't need a new bike. You want a new bike.

Tis the same thing? No?

Erm not really. When your other half insists you don't need another bike, you then have to come up with an answer as to why you should still have another bike when you don't actually need one.

Its called growing a pair of bollox

markhewitt1978

drlodge wrote:

Erm not really. When your other half insists you don't need another bike, you then have to come up with an answer as to why you should still have another bike when you don't actually need one.

But that's just the point, your answer will show why you *need* another bike

Brown sauce

SloppySchleckonds wrote:

drlodge wrote:

markhewitt1978 wrote:

drlodge wrote:

To the OP: you don't need a new bike. You want a new bike.

Tis the same thing? No?

Erm not really. When your other half insists you don't need another bike, you then have to come up with an answer as to why you should still have another bike when you don't actually need one.

Its called growing a pair of bollox

Haha, exactly...I am in that exact position. Have two bikes and want another and yes you may say grow some balls but I just spent £2.5k on a mountain bike and I have a wedding to pay for. There may not be a wedding if I go and spend a lot on a new bike. Haha

Brown sauce

natrix wrote:

Brown sauce wrote:

I was coming down hill (road) on it the other day and had my hands on the bar ends.....

The bar ends are to help going up hill, keep your hands covering the brakes going downhill on the road, you never know when a car will pull out and you need to brake sharply. 8)

Yeah it's one thing I do find is i need more handle positions....I guess I need a new bike. May put it to the other half to sell the kona for a road bike. Buy the road bike then accidentally forget to sell the kona. I think if I go for one of these decathlon bikes at £300 she's not going to be bothered anyway.

Brown sauce

So, after konkywonkey introduced me to b'twin. I went to Southampton and tried some out. Road around the shop on some. The guy there was really helpful. As I'm a novice to road bikes he explained about the different handle positions.

So I got a triban 5 that is being delivered in about a week. Can't wait. Looks really nice. Also comes with Hutchinson tyres on now.