how do you like riding a road bike? i know it’s a stupid question,but how do you get enjoyment from riding on the road (what with all the traffic trying to run you down e.t.c).is it all about the fitness,or do you find something more when you ride.i have wanted to buy a road bike for a long time (have actually wanted a road bike as a child,back in the 80’s).have never got round to getting one (well apart from a raleigh elan back in the early 90’s,but didn’t ride it that much/as i found drinking/smoking/cars 😳 with mountain biking,i just can get away from it all,and head off into the middle of nowhere. when i ride on the road though,i don’t really enjoy it that much (due to all the traffic t.b.h) i still have a desire to buy a road bike though (am i strange/don’t answer that 😉 sorry for the rambling,am just in a weird mind sat at the moment (nothing new there though 😉

My eyes hurt 🙁

I live for the pain and the opportunity to smash rule 9. If you need to ask then you’ll never get it,,,,

A road ride for me is getting a way from it all, riding into the middle of nowhere. I’ll see more people at a trail centre than a road ride through the local villages.

I may be weird but I quite like just riding a bike somewhere.

Rule 5!

grahamt1980 – Member
Rule 5!

+ several,,,,

Part of the challenge is to find a circular route avoiding A roads, although it is easier than you might think once you get the OS map out. Suprisingly few cars bother to drive the long way round down the back roads.

Fitness is a part of it, get a different feeling of exhaustion after a road ride.

Main thing is escapism and speed though. I find the speed of a road bike exhilarating and being able to cover 100+ miles of lovely countryside in a day is hugely satisfying.

If traffic is an issue, choose a different road.

OP: don’t do it! Been there done that and have come back to mountain biking, for the reasons you give in your post.

Maybe something like the salsa vaya might be an option – quicker on the road than mtb, but can go off road when you get fed up with the tarmac and can be used for touring duties too

I could never see the point of road bikes either. I’m a convert now however, the speed the distance covered I also love the efficiency of it! I sold me mountain bike as a result of my passion for road bikes however, now the weather is shite I’m really missing my mountain bike now.

Like others have said its for the speed, fitness, travelling through more countryside in a day than you ever could on a MTB. Being able to get a ride in without having to use a car (although I can do that on an MTB where I live just now). Its also nice not to come back covered in mud. There’s loads of good road riding round about you raceface- I should know I’ve ridden most of it.

I gave up reading after the first line and a half, but all I got from this was another moutain biker in paranoid ‘the cars are all out to get me’ shocker. bless.

Lotsa reasons: speed, pain, beauty (of remote roads), fitness, variety.

Also…doing it without following any tool-tastic rules.

I don’t get road bikes either although i love my cross bike to bits!

Don’t mind doing road miles to get to the off road bits on it 🙂

When in a group I find it to be more social than mtbing. I do most of my rides at the moment with a very mixed ability group on the road and it’s easy to sit at a speed everyone is comfortable with and have a chat and enjoy the scenery.

When riding on my own I prefer riding the mtb, but the massive amount of faff that surrounds it usually means I’m picking up the road bike instead.

Iain

somtimes I just dint wan to stop and chat and eat jelly sweets
As it is technically less demanding you can get away from things more easily.
It is nice to just crank out some miles.
All bikes are fun even just pootling to the shops on the pub bike
I tend to ride it more in winter as I am not a massive fan of war of attrition with muddy moorland routes – so usually get in one road bike a week in winter tbh.

Pain, Fitness, Tranquility, Sunrises/Sunsets, Climbing, Cleanliness, Cafes, Tarty Stuff – you’ll become a tarty gear freak.

The longing for a smooth road with breeze behind and sitting at 25mph on the flat

Ability to ride from my door without the need to fuel the car.

Circular loops – dont like riding the same way there and back.

Social – very easy to chat on a club ride
Speed – descending can be every bit (well almost) as exciting as off-road, possibly even more dangerous
Fitness
Sufferfest – mtb trails tend to have options to shorten, lot of road ride I do are club runs so set route or sportives so it’s a case of getting on with it and hurting the legs with no bail out!

Probably loads of other reasons too but the big one for me is being able to shut my brain off and just enjoy being out on the bike. Find it pretty rare to get that on the mtb as uphills tend to hurt and downhill takes a bit of thought.

After a great ride on whatever bike that’ll be my favourite but I’d say I favour the mtb.

Amos – Member
I’m a convert now however, ………….I sold me mountain bike as a result of my passion for road bikes however, now the weather is shite I’m really missing my mountain bike now.

The weather is the best it’s been for an October and November and you think it’s shite…..

[shakeshead]

Ah, Racefacey,it appears you live in a harsh part of our little island.
Almost every venture out on the roads up here is a joy.
Smaller population = less muppets on the roads.
I rarely give it a second thought with the roads I use .
Sometimes it’s almost a zen experience.
Spinning along,nothing but the whirr of the chain and the tyres rolling on empty roads ,and still mild for this time of year ,so no big jackets needed.Twinkly stars and the lights of the wee villages along the river ,making a show of the hills.
Oh ,sorry for rambling, I am just in a chilled mind set just now (nothing new there though) 😉

I just bought my first drop-bar road bike and had my first ride on it at the weekend there.

Why?

First, have been enjoying getting out on my flat-barred Roadrat over the last couple of years. I prefer it to mountain biking a lot of the time, especially in the winter, when the trails turn to porridge, and especially like not having to faff around so much ahead of a ride or spend as long cleaning myself and the bike after a ride as the ride itself actually lasted. Had plateau’d in terms of how fast I could go on it and was wondering how much difference a “proper” road bike would actually make. Now I’ve been out on it a couple of times, and really enjoyed it, I’m wondering what difference a “proper carbon ” road bike would actually make.

Second, I live on the Isle of Wight, a place whose USP is its attractiveness to road cyclists, with half the road signs on the island seemingly devoted to showing visiting roadies the way round its largely empty network of rural B-roads. Lots of lovely coastal and downland scenery, and enough sharp ups-and-downs to keep things interesting without going near a bridleway or a footpath.

Thirdly, it was to do with the aesthetics, I think. Just fell in love with the look of the bike I wanted, a Wilier La Triestina. Turned 40 recently and still hadn’t bought myself a present, and it found its way to the top of the list of nice things that were affordable. Also quite like the idea of pampering myself with all that stylish Rapha roadie schtick.

Fourth, quite like the idea of getting into sportives. My work rota is changing in the New Year in a way that will mean I work fewer weekends. Quite like the idea of seeing parts of the country I’m unfamiliar with (most of it!).

Road riding can have very little traffic, if you choose the right routes.

I enjoy zipping along for hours on end and covering ground. The feeling of having been a long way is quite satisfying. Also it’s all about the exertion – there are no interruptions, you don’t have to stop to cross gates, no slithering over muddy bits, stalling on technical bits, thrutching over awkward trails, negotating obstalces – none of that. Not that those are necessarily bad things of course, but they interrupt ‘the zone’ and your rhythmn.

On the road you can get your head down and settle into the pace and the speed. Like most things that people do, there’s goodness waiting to be found.

I’m not saying I prefer road to MTB mind. Overall I don’t think I do.

I’ll also add that it does depend on the roads in question. Round by me (the Valleys) I don’t really enjoy most of the road riding since it’s mostly either interrupted valley town streets or it’s link roads, bypasses and roundabouts. In parts of the Home Counties tho where I’ve ridden it’s miles of open road in bucolic splendour with postcard village greens and whatnot. For some reason I keep hearing Rupert Brooke in my head when riding there. Road riding is a time to think stuff like that…

thanks for the replies.i have been changing my mind quite a bit ,as to what to save up for (between a road bike or a guitar/amp).i was going to punt for a new guitar/amp,but i am a rubbish guitarist in all honesty.i also spend too much time at home as it is.therefore have decided to go for the road bike (especially after reading your replies about why you enjoy it). am either going to save for a genesis equilibrium 20,or a giant tcr composite 2 bike (am going to treat myself).the good thing is there are a whole load of country lanes where i live that i reckon are pretty quiet 🙂 it will also stop me from making excuses about not riding offroad (as it’s too wet/muddy e.t.c) that’s another reason why i wanted to buy one. 😉

When I ride back at home I can ride on quiet country roads for miles without even coming across a traffic light, the scenery is ace.

When i ride with my club in Londinium it’s fitness, speed and rule 5

raceface – You have Pewsey Vale on your doorstep! It’s a lovely road, pretty quiet although not at weekends, extra loops to other villages and not forgetting the views and White Horses. 8)

Edit: the only thing I would say is that a fair number of roads, even A roads, seem to be covered with mud from the farm vehicles. Even if I could, I would not be riding now and through Winter on a road bike.

Should add that my initial impressions are that descending a steep, potholed hill on a road bike is every bit as sketchy as coming down something technical on a mountain bike, if not more so. The brakes not being a curled index-finger’s breadth away from where your hands are at any given time really adds a bit of a frisson.

I enjoy it, but don’t live in/near any big towns so I ride fairly quiet country roads. It’s great especially on a still summer day. If I want to go mtb’ing on anything more than bridleways I have to load up my car and drive somewhere, whereas I can just get on the road bike and ride straight from my door. I enjoy it more than riding the mtb on bridleways tbh.

Not everyone loves road biking so you might want to experience it before you shell out that much cash….

Presuming one set of gear will work for both bikes never tends to work out either as it’s very easy to get sucked into the right ‘look’ for each!

how do you like riding a road bike? i know it’s a stupid question,but how do you get enjoyment from riding on the road (what with all the traffic trying to run you down e.t.c)

Easy really – I just ride where there isn’t any traffic 😉
As others have said, i see more people at a trail center.

The brakes not being a curled index-finger’s breadth away from where your hands are at any given time really adds a bit of a frisson

Try adjusting the angle of the drop and moving the levers.. endless setup possibilities on a road bike.

Variety.

And more nice kit to buy 🙂

I enjoy racing the lads who’ve just finished their day shift.