Should I bother getting a road bike?

CyclingPiper

I bought a used Trek hybrid about 6 months ago and got really hooked on cycling. I figured I'd save gas money commuting to work and get some cool looking calves. One problem I've found with the hybrid, it doesn't do any one thing well. I usually can't keep up with road cyclists, and even on light gravel trails, my bike slides around.

I've done a couple overnight tours, so decided my next bike purchase will be a road style touring bike. Good bike but no-frills, steel frame, drop bars with brifters, and it does without a lot of cool bells and whistles in favor of reliability and utility.

I've seen some really sleek, stylish road bikes with cool STI shifters and lightweight frames. Since I'm getting a road style touring bike (designed for speed and comfort over long distances, loaded with stuff), would it be a waste to get a road bike as well, for local rides? I've found some highly reviewed road bikes at a price point I can afford. Or they're too similar for it to be worth it?

timothyw

A proper road bike is a very different beast to a tourer - they look similar to the untrained eye but are designed for very different things. If you want a road bike for local club runs, training rides, etc then do it.

PS: there is always a good reason to buy another bike. Remember rule #12 http://www.velominati.com/the-rules/#12

fenix

Just get a cross bike that could do everything you ask of it ?

Anonymous

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19688116#p19688116]Fenix[/url] wrote:

Just get a cross bike that could do everything you ask of it ?

CX bikes are versatile but you would have to spend a lot of money on one for it to do 'everything you ask of it'.
Even the cheaper ones carry a price premium.
If you are never asking it to go off road then 100% pointless too.

A road bike that can take 28mm tyres might be a better option.

t4tomo

[quote="Carbonator[/url

A road bike that can take 28mm tyres might be a better option.[/quote]

Which is essential what the OP has said they are getting a

a road style touring bike. Good bike but no-frills, steel frame, drop bars with brifters,

Anonymous

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19688276#p19688276]t4tomo[/url] wrote:

[quote="Carbonator[/url

A road bike that can take 28mm tyres might be a better option.

Which is essential what the OP has said they are getting a

a road style touring bike. Good bike but no-frills, steel frame, drop bars with brifters,

[/quote]

Er, no he didn't. The text you quoted has the word 'touring' in it lol

diy

I think you'll always get on better if you don't ask your bike to do too many things. If you are out for a couple of hours fitness riding then a nice lightweight road bike is perfect, if you fancy some whole day rides then get a slightly softer road bike.

For me its TT bike, road bike, XC hard tail, full sus mountain bike.

1-2 hours hard training = TT bike
2+ hours or event = road bike
dirt track or dry off-road endurance ride = XC hard tail
trail or mucky MTB = full sus.

If I had to - I'd collapse that lot down - it would be road bike and full sus bike.

hybrids are the best example of the worse of all worlds - I've yet to meet anyone who can keep up with fast XC riders on a cyclocross. I'm not saying they don't exist, just that they need to be seriously talented to cope with the lack of suspension, fat tyres and decent brakes.

CyclingPiper

I've heard cross bikes/gravel bikes suggested but since I have a hybrid (which claims to be a do-it-all bike), I'm wary of buying something that does-it-all. If I want to play in the dirt, I'll just get a hardtail mountain bike. The touring bike I'm looking at is designed for a comfortable, long ride. So I'm thinking of a more aggressive bike for pushing myself. I've been wanting to join a club and maybe try a triathlon or 2, but with my hybrid, it feels like I'm riding a bike that's designed to go to work and pick up groceries.

kajjal

You can either have good on road or good off road performance but not both unfortunately. Big knobbly tyres and suspension are great off road but makes road riding feel like you are wading through treacle compared to a road bike. Gravel or cx bikes are a compromise which is fine on rougher roads or for commuting, also some off road is fine but as the trails get rougher and looser not so good. It just depends where you ride and what you need.

desweller

What's your budget? Plenty of club riders do their club runs on touring bikes (e.g. Dawes Galaxy, Mercian) after they've whipped the rack off. Those bikes often have clearance for wider tyres too, so if you want you can fit 32 or 35c tyres and tackle a few bridleways.

I think CX bikes have quite short chainstays, no? Not so good for touring.

CyclingPiper

I make $280 a month donating plasma and that's my bike money (not touching my paycheck). I saw the Giant Defy, and the Specialized Allez E5. Both under $800, and very highly-regarded. Since I'm not pro, spending pro money on a first road bike is unnecessary. I'm just torn as to which I should buy FIRST: a touring bike or road bike.

Anonymous

CyclingPiper wrote:

I'm just torn as to which I should buy FIRST: a touring bike or road bike.

If you are going touring (and need the niche features of a touring bike) get a touring bike.
If not, get a road bike.

Bike types merge into one another so not quite sure how you are differentiating between the two anyhow.
Bike manufacturers call their bikes all sorts of things to sell them so you need to know what features you want rather than rely on what they are called.

Get a steel road bike if you really want steel.

DeVlaeminck

I reckon it depends on the touring bike you are getting - a full on tourer may not be any faster than your hybrid (depending on the hybrid) whilst you could do some light touring on bikes that are pretty much full on road bikes with slightly wider clearance and fixings for a rack. If it's a full on tourer I'd get a road (race) bike too - if you don't need the full on tourer I'd probably get a do it all road bike with the bias on road rather than touring/gravel riding.