Changes to new road bike setup

MonkFunk
MonkFunk Posts: 91
edited May 2013 in Road beginners
Hi

Been into MTB for a while but a change of job at Xmas has brought me within commuting distance of home (11 miles each way) and so I've been road riding that journey 2/3 times a week on a hardtail MTB with slicks.

I've enjoyed it and so have bought a road bike so I can mix up some road riding with MTB. I'm currently awaiting delivery (today) of an ex-demo Vitus Decium which I picked up from CRC at the hopefully bargain price of £580. The spec is linked below:

http://www.vitusbikes.com/2012-road-bik ... ifications

I've done a fair bit of research so I'm happy with the bike and spec in general but was considering a few changes from the off. In my experience of similar bikes (decathlon etc) in order to keep the main spec high there are some weaker areas but not knowing road components well I'm not sure? I'm probably going to switch the saddle for a charge spoon as I've been very comfortble riding those on all of my other bikes. The next area is tyres. Are Lugano PP's any good? I'm guessing they're wire bead? Would it be worth swapping to something better? folding? I know on MTB the tyres are the first upgrade I've made before. They seem to make the biggest impact per £ you can make.

I've got some Wellgo MTB spd pedals and Aldi spd compatible MTB shoes. Will these be ok or are there big benefits to be had from alternatives? If so which?

Is there anything else glaringly obvious?

Cheers

Comments

  • doug5_10
    doug5_10 Posts: 465
    Tyres, tubes and brake pads first off, then contact points i.e bum, feet and hands. You already have a saddle in mind ready to go which is good. For commuting I would stick with your MTB shoes and pedals, road shoes are a nightmare to walk in and wear out the cleats. If you're thinking of longer fitness riding, consider road shoes + pedals. After that its just replacing stuff thats worn out or buying bits that are lighter/more expensive/bling-tastic!

    PS. No experience of Lugano's, someone will! As you're mainly commuting go for something puncture-resistant focussed but not too heavy e.g. Conti 4 seasons/ Gatorskins or Michelin Lithion. Many more recommendations will follow!
    Edinburgh Revolution Curve
    http://app.strava.com/athletes/1920048
  • 16mm
    16mm Posts: 545
    Change the saddle to one you're happy with, and get out and enjoy the ride.
    Schwable make fine tyres, maybe the ones on the bike are not top of the range, but for your first road bike it looks awesome. Change them when you start to get issues.
  • rhext
    rhext Posts: 1,639
    Personally, I'd give it a go for a couple of weeks first. It looks like a good bike with a reasonable spec: you're kind of assuming that something's going to be unsatisfactory about it before you've even tried it.

    I've not used the Lugano's but there are reviews on the web. They have puncture protection (which is an absolute 'must have' for commuting), and apparently they're a good but not particularly exciting choice for road bikes at this sort of level. But you're commuting, not racing, so why spend money that you don't have to. If you're doing 11 miles each way, you'll soon wear them out: upgrade then!!
  • MarksMintness
    MarksMintness Posts: 484
    rhext wrote:
    Personally, I'd give it a go for a couple of weeks first. It looks like a good bike with a reasonable spec: you're kind of assuming that something's going to be unsatisfactory about it before you've even tried it.

    I've not used the Lugano's but there are reviews on the web. They have puncture protection (which is an absolute 'must have' for commuting), and apparently they're a good but not particularly exciting choice for road bikes at this sort of level. But you're commuting, not racing, so why spend money that you don't have to. If you're doing 11 miles each way, you'll soon wear them out: upgrade then!!

    Agree with the above, get some miles in first and see how you fare. Only thing from the spec is possibly tyres, as mentioned already. This is the contact point with the road so fairly important, but maybe get some wear on them first eh?!
    Current bike: 2014 Kinesis Racelight T2 - built by my good self!
  • MonkFunk
    MonkFunk Posts: 91
    Thanks for the comments so far.

    To clarify, the "changes from the off" comment was more aimed at the saddle than the tyres. I actually have a Vitus MTB and the stock saddle that came with that was dreadful which is why I'm certainly not expecting much from this one. Might even be the same one. It's almost certainly going on eBay as an unused item. :lol:

    I'm definitely going to use the tyres for a while but wanted some ideas of options to consider in the future if they aren't great. As you say, they may be fine but just from my MTB experience, stock tyres are not usually the best at this price point and can be a relatively cheap upgrade for quite a lot of benefit in terms of grip, comfort, speed, durability etc. They're your only contact with the ground so I've always felt it worth investiging in good tyres! I guess being used to MTB tyres and even the conti 1.6 slicks I use now, I am slightly nervous about 23s, especially if they're a cheap compound (I don't know about Luganos hence the question). So, I'm definitely happy to give them a chance but happy for recommendations for alternatives if needed. Perhaps 25s?
  • 16mm
    16mm Posts: 545
    As with mtb you get what you pay for, but with road tyres you can lose a lot of grip and comfort when using puncture protection, and it gets worse with narrower tyres. So it's often comfort and speed vs puncture protection.

    Replace with 25mm 4 seasons or gatorskins etc when they're worn. They are a good balance.
  • doug5_10
    doug5_10 Posts: 465
    When time comes to replace, 25s are the best bet for British roads. Greater comfort, more confidence-inspiring handling and lower chance of pinch flats. Also -supposedly- lower rolling resistance than 23s, see lengthy debate threads on here!
    Edinburgh Revolution Curve
    http://app.strava.com/athletes/1920048
  • Gizmo_
    Gizmo_ Posts: 558
    I got 2000km out of a set of Luganos with only one p* and they were still more than usable; I only changed for bling reasons.
    Scott Sportster P45 2008 | Cannondale CAAD8 Tiagra 2012
  • MonkFunk
    MonkFunk Posts: 91
    So the bike arrived this afternoon. As I mentioned, the bike was an ex-demo model from CRC. Apart from some very slight paint rub on the dropouts from where the QR has been clamped, I couldn't tell the rest of it from new........except the tyres. It didn't come with the Lugano's as per the original spec but a Michelin Lithion 2 up front with a few marks and a bit of wear and a Schwalbe Blizzard at the rear, again with a bit of wear. Given it was reduced by £320 from the original RRP I'm certainly not complaining but I'm not sure if these tyres are any good or not? Again, will give them a try and go from there.