Confused Road Newbie – Road bikes.

WRadius

I’m the type of person who rides a Dual suspension MTB on cycle paths/road/canal paths and rarely ever use it for real off-road use, so I’m thinking about a road bike.

At this point I want a road bike, but I don’t know if I need one. What I want out of a bike is something to do 20-30-50miles daily for pleasure during the Spring/Summer mainly, I flake out during the Winter when it gets cold and cycling is sporadic or non-existent.

I have a decent dual suspension bike 16kg on fat slicks, it’s okay, it’s comfortable, I can average 11-12mph (I somehow even have a QOM on a short segment with a 19mph avg ) but once I hit 30 miles I’m knackered and the end miles are a long slug, I’ve lost weight with it though, which was my initial goal dropped from 106kg to 72kg, but I think I’d get more from my riding style with a road-bike, at times I think I should just stick with what I’ve got but I do want to go faster, further more comfortable.

Canal paths that are uneven, slightly gravelly/rocky are the only path I worry about on a road bike but I’ve seen somebody blast down one on a roadbike so they can’t be that fragile can they or liable for punctures can they?

At the moment I can get the Carrera Zelos for £249, I know the red Triban 3 is an all round better bike and it’s also at £249 but I’d need a 48cm frame and I think it would be marginally too small with the 51cm being better but 650c tyres puts me off as options are limited and shop’s to far away making it completely impractical.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... 65710#tab2

The Carerra Zelos seems good for my needs, I don’t think I’m asking too much from it, I know upgrade options are limited on it because it’s a 7 speed with a double but people seem pleased with the bike itself.

Though it is a double and not a triple I read the recent thread on here about the double vs triple and I gathered the double is more than good enough for hills, which had been worrying me in my limited knowledge of whether a cassette of 14-28 is low enough for hills (I’m more than use to grinding tho, love going uphills).

That just leaves worrying about the transition from MTB to road bike, balance/positioning.

taon24

Would a cyclocross bike be about right?

Not as light as a road bike, but not as heavy as a MTB.
Wider slightly more puncture resistant tyres, very suitable for gravel towpath use.

You would probably pay more than either of the above, and it won't be a road bike though.

I wouldn't worry about low gears unless there are mountains near you. 34x28 low gear on a compact double will get you up most things.

kajjal

Roughly speaking your bike weighs about 6kg or a stone in weight more than most road bikes. This weight loss alone would give you a speed boost. Add to that thinner tyres, stiffer bike giving better power transmission and a more aero riding position. unless you really don't get on with road bikes you should notice a difference.

My XC mountain bike is fast off road but on road with knobbly tyres you can feel the difference in speed compared to a road bike, especially up hills. If you have a look you may find a second hand bargain.

Road bikes are not designed to go off road and are likely to become damaged or worn if you you do.

patrickf

taon24 wrote:

Would a cyclocross bike be about right?

Exactly what I was thinking. Seems a great compromise between a road bike and having fatter tyres for canal paths and maybe the occasional gravel venture.

Also once you think CX, look at disc brakes.

rafletcher

But as far as I can find, the cheapest disc equipped CX bike (which I agree is the best compromise) is £700 plus, which I suspect is above the budget.

ForumNewbie

Hi there, you just need to ensure the road bike you buy has a compact double rather than a standard double. A compact has a small front ring of 34 teeth, whereas a standard double has 39 teeth small ring, which will make the hills tough.

taon24

Boardman CX comp is £600 from halfords. (You can get it with £60 off at the moment if you spend a bit more to go over £600.)
I know it is significantly more than either of the bikes you suggested, but is closer to what you seem to want.

ellerino

Im in exactly the same boat, think i'm gonna give this a go. stick on some 28mm tyres and away
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bik ... 990/66576/

DesB3rd

If I had £300.00 I'd look at the cheap road bike and be sure it has clearances for lightly treaded 32mm tires (not typically a problem at that price-point, plus the cheap stock wheels tend to be sturdy affairs.)

Unless you go out looking for mud and rocks or ride your bike down flights of stairs the above rig would "do it all" - with the added bonus of being a new set of tires away from a proper road bike, useful if you find yourself doing a lot of miles on tarmac.