Moving from a road bike - what to go for?

Sonny.sam

Hey guys,

First of all I'm new here, so hi!

I've been riding road bikes for the past 3 years, and have come to the point of deciding to sell mine, as it was built from old parts so is starting to feel its age a little, and I can't really afford to keep up with the maintenance. Also, I have never really been into racing or group cycling as much, so the road bike is not really what I need.

My main travel at the moment is just general short commute to and from work, and then visiting friends (generally between 20 and 30 miles) on the weekend. I average about 100m per week, although I do also like longer distance riding occasionally, especially in summer. I love the speed of my road bike, but it's not the most durable given that I cycle in pretty much all weather conditions, and it's not always a comfortable ride.

With this in mind, I've been looking into hybrids, tourers and cyclo-cross bikes, but my main issue is that my price range isn't huge. I'm really looking for something £400 or under - preferably £350 so I can grab some new tyres and a different saddle too. I'd prefer drop handlebars if possible, but I can always retrofit later if necessary.

A few bikes that have got my attention so far:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec030741
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165534
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... aveller-13
http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... n-cross-13

I guess the issue is that I love having the speed of a road bike, but would like a little more comfort and durability without sacrificing too much of that.

Any help or advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Sam.

mat1971

Just to let you know,i picked up the voodoo marasa a few weeks ago,its quick over tarmac but still sturdy enough to rough it a bit,of course if you want it to be quicker some road tyres would do the job. I have been impressed by it..decent brakes and group set too and for £314 good value...some may say that its heavy at 13.7kg but I find it rides light.

cookeeemonster

To be honest you probably shouldn't judge all road bikes from an old parts bin special you threw together

They are as comfortable as any for road riding...not dissing hybrids at all but for longer rides especially they are better in my view...but of course it depends on the road bike and the hybrid you are comparing...and for shorter commutes hybrid may be the better option.

There are many types of road bikes plus cyclocross/tourers etc, so dont think they are fragile back killing race machines when many are very comfortable.

Have you looked at decathalon bikes? very highly recommended on here. Else second hand? Also I'd try and get something that can take decent width tyres - 28mm if possible - this will help with comfort.

If you buy new I'd try some test rides - this'll tell you all you need to know!

craker

I'm not clear what the problem is with your current bike. Whatever durability problem you may have with your current bike, spending £400 on a new bike doesn't make sense. That's a lot of worn out tyres, chains etc. I'd expect 9 speed to be more durable than 10 speed and disk brakes to prolong wheel life; if you want drop bars then you're looking at a road or 'cross bike anyway.

Howabout a single speed? Reliable, durable (maybe not the top of most people's comfort ratings).

supersonic

If you want light and fast, look at this:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/btwin-fit-50 ... 39798.html

purist

Hi Sam,
;TLDR Revolution Country Tourer FTW

Getting a new bike won't solve your maintenance issues for long but it'll be nice to have some new kit
Converting a flat-bar to drop is not easy or cheap so it's best to get drops if that's what you're into. You've been on 'em for three years so you should know by now.
Racing bikes suck for commuting in the same way that racing cars do (I used to commute in a racing Caterham 7 so I know of which I speak), no rack, no guards and skinny tyres. Harsh!

Of the options you mentioned the closest to what you have already are the Revolution Tourer and Cross. The tourer comes with rack and guards and road-usable tyres so that's a lot of stuff you don't have to buy.
I have, amongst many other bikes, an alloy tourer/commuter and it's great. Ideally it would be steel and have a nicer rack but that's about it. (Now i think of it, lighter and with a nicer rack would fix a lot of things in my life) It's a bit stiff over bumps but fat tyres help a lot and coming from a racing machine you'll think you're floating . Now mine is all tricked out with 105 and dynamo lights etc but you can upgrade if you feel you need it (you need lights, not 105!) but it's very like the "Country Traveller" and I love it. Reliable, comfy(ish) and quicker than me. Rides great loaded with groceries too if that's your thing.

Bikes do not make you fast! At least not unless they have engines. If you're quick on your current bike you'll be quick on any of the bikes you've listed. The racer will feel nippier but that's a function of the geometry, position etc rather than weight, material choice or gears etc. Touring and cross bikes will feel a little more relaxed but won't be noticeably slower on anything but a long steep hill. Adding a rack, guards and decent tyres to a racer (if it's even possible) will bring the weight close to a tourer anyway. They should all be more comfy.

For what you say you do a tourer or cross bike (with modifications) makes the most sense. Light enough, sturdy, comfortable and keeping the drops, if that's what you like. Personally I'd go with the tourer as it has more of what you need built in. I love mine

Maintenance: clean your chain, lube it, replace it regularly. Clean rims and change pads regularly. Should keep you going for ages.

Ride and enjoy!

Sonny.sam

Thanks for the help guys - and I realise that my maintenance problems won't be completely solved by getting a new bike, but I've never owned one, so part of me just wants something new really.
To be clear - my current bike isn't a rust-bucket car boot sale job - it's a ribble frame with shimano hardware (a mix of tiagra & ultegra) but in the space of a year and a half I've replaced both front and rear dérailleurs, chain (twice), crankset & cassette, the rear wheel, and cables (again twice) all due to performance failure or flat out broken parts. I have kept it clean, lubed and maintained fairly well, but I think this is more maintenance than I should've had to do on a bike of this age.

From the advice you've given, I'll probably go for the revolution tourer - I don't regularly carry a lot of stuff with me, but having a rack and mudguards thrown in, and tyres I can use (although I probably still will end up swapping for some slicks) does entice me.
I've read a few naff reviews of the voodoo hybrid, otherwise the hydraulic disc brakes at that price would probably have enticed me, but then I do like drop handlebars, so that would've bugged me eventually.

Just to pick up on something you said purist - how often should the chain be changed? I was always lead to believe that if you change the change, you should also change the cassette and chain rings as they all wear at the same rate. Is this not the case?

cookeeemonster

Regarding the chain, you need a chain tool (they are cheap - £10 or less) to measure the stretch of yout chain...which will tell you when it needs to be replaced. I dont know how many miles you do but 2 chains in a year and a half is pretty good in my book The other problems (derailleurs and crankset) are not usual though...maybe just keep an eye on the lubing especially in the wet, but you may have just been unlucky with old parts, dont know. I've had wheels go in a relatively short space of time...bad roads etc can do that.

Some people (and shops) tell you to replace the cassette with the chain (not the chain rings) but most I think say you should change the cassette every 2 or 3 chains depending on the wear to the cassette.

By the way, nothing wrong with wanting a new bike, enjoy!!

davis

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Regarding the chain, you need a chain tool (they are cheap - £10 or less) to measure the stretch of yout chain...which will tell you when it needs to be replaced.

Or a ruler.

cookeeemonster

davis wrote:

CookeeeMonster wrote:

Regarding the chain, you need a chain tool (they are cheap - £10 or less) to measure the stretch of yout chain...which will tell you when it needs to be replaced.

Or a ruler.

So I knew there'd be at least one person who mentioned this.

ITS FAR MORE HASSLE!!!

purist

How often to chane a chain eh? The only way to know is to get a chain tool, measure the stretch and change when it gets beyond the limit (google it). You should get more mileage out of 8 speeds than 11 and regular cleaning will let you get much much longer out of it. The stress on the chain makes a difference too so a commuter is likely to last longer than a racer. Store the bike outdoors? The chain can rust and get dirty shortening its life. Arrrrgggghh, too many variables

In the end, changing a chain is just part of regular maintenance, if you let it wear out too much you can damage the cassette and possibly even the big ring (less likely). I've sometimes left it too long and started getting some wear in the cassette, at that point it's worth leaving it and getting as long as you can.

Sonny.sam

Thanks for the input guys - I'll get a chain measuring tool at the same time as the new bike, and keep on top of that.

I've discovered that the Edinburgh Cycle Co have a shop in Manchester, so I'm going to head over there next week and hopefully get to try out the revolution tourer and cross and see which I prefer, although I'm hoping and expecting the tourer to take it.

LiveGiantly

So really and truly you just want a new bike - well go ahead and treat yourself!

Initialised

Check out some endurance road bikes, they are between a CX and a Road bike without being full blown tourers.

The Rookie

Initialised wrote:

Check out some endurance road bikes

Aka and Audax or Randonneur bike.