MTB v road, I'd hate to have to choose but road biking is fantastic. Head out for 2hrs and actually do 2hrs riding, come home and not have to spend another 2hrs cleaning the bike and hosing kit down
So the best part about road riding is the end of the riding? Ah, I get it now.
this is not a well formed thought, but i reckon some mtb'ers are closer to a true appreciation of road cycling than most roadies.
mtb'er: my new road bike is ace! - it's really light! - it's really fast! - it's really pretty! - i just found this lovely pub that does the best chips and it's only 27 miles away! - c'mon, we can be there in 2hours and they do flapjack!
roadie: you've only got tiagra, those wheels are too heavy, don't wear baggies, take that peak off, i'm not riding with you until you get some proper mudguards, start using a heart rate monitor. and stop using spd's.
(ps. i love my road bike, it's ace! :D)
roadie: you've only got tiagra, those wheels are too heavy, don't wear baggies, take that peak off, i'm not riding with you until you get some proper mudguards, start using a heart rate monitor. and stop using spd's.
You'll never find a roadie like that, turn up to a reliability trial over winter it looks like a mobile scrap heap.....sort of 
Your remark is more likely to come from the mouth of someone buying into road biking for the first time.
Couple of examples, folks on here buy fantastic kit - straight for the best, better than kit I see on the race circuit.
Start at the Blenhiem CX, I rushed over because I could see all this intimidating uber bling on the start line, I needn't have bothered it was the novices. The main field was a sea of Giant and Kinesis and workman like machines.
Roadies aren't hung up on kit, there's actually a bit of reverse? snobbery in roadie circles.
Peaks Camelbaks and baggies are often seen as impractical that's all. Mudguards aren't however. Try 100K in pouring rain drinking rain water and diesel of a rear wheel for three hours.
And although you'll see some dirty bikes the bits that matter will be in tip top condition and they can get a bit anal about tidy cables, freyed ends will give them an epi.
How has riding a road bike become niche? If you ride a bike on the road at all, it is the most efficient bike for the job no? and if you like going out on long rides on the road on a bike, it's defo the right bike for the job! I think road bikes are actually the standard bicycle. MTB's are more niche, and derive from road bikes! Personally, I don't see this as an mtb specific forum, just people that like riding bikes inbetween typing stuff?
We may see a road bike grouptest in the mag soon!
Are roadbikes the new STW niche?
Yeah!!! WHy not?
Roadies aren't hung up on kit, there's actually a bit of reverse? snobbery in roadie circles.
+1.
The best thing about riding on the road is that there is nowhere to hide. You either can or you can't, you either do it or go home, with none of that 'I put the wrong tyres on', 'My shock is at the wrong pressure', 'I'm quicker on the downhill bits', and other nonsense that seems to accompany some, not all, but some mountain biking.
Everyone who has ridden on the road with anyone who is keen or involved in competition will know that it's you that counts; we've all been blown out the back by some skinny lad on a clunker, or some guy in trainers and a parka.
Flash kit counts for nowt.
...and I've certainly been at my fastest on a cheap aluminium frame with at best Ultegra; spend money on good tyres and train like a madman...
We may see a road bike grouptest in the mag soon!
that will be when i cancel my subscription! 
It's still rubbish riding on the road though.
when I was a kid I had road bikes and the early mountain bikes and although there was a fair gap in between when I was riding a lot less I've always mixed and matched. there are cliquey bikers regardless of what size tyres/shape of handlebars they have... but thankfully these are very few and far between the overwhelming majority of cyclists are great
they are bikes - bikes are good
Ah, but it's fun if you're an idiot 
that will be when i cancel my subscription!
+1 for definite
Roadies aren't hung up on kit.
They are hung up on being relentlessly grim, apparently. If you are talking, then you are a loser. If you fancy a race to the top of a climb, then you are being irresponsible and childish because they will have to tow you home (supposedly). If you smile, you are weak. If you are enjoying yourself, then you are a pathetic noob. If you make a mistake, you are dirt.
They are hung up on being relentlessly grim, apparently. If you are talking, then you are a loser. If you fancy a race to the top of a climb, then you are being irresponsible and childish because they will have to tow you home (supposedly). If you smile, you are weak. If you are enjoying yourself, then you are a pathetic noob. If you make a mistake, you are dirt
Now I know your cross, but that isn't true.
I got passed on Sunday by a rider from the Anders Electronics team, I caught up a little later and sat on his wheel. Then more of them joined up and they were fine, all we did was talk ****ocks.
Bikes from halfords is the new niche a road bike from halfords is off the niche.
You're lucky then. I've been on the local 10 a few times and trying to strike up conversation on the way there and back is like getting blood from a stone.
Are they the new niche?
Abso-bloomin-lutely and I look forward to taking my pick from the dozens of high end unridden road bikes that will start to appear on the classifieds in circa six months time.
i must be lucky, saturday training groups ride 2 up so your always talking to someone, tues n thurs chaingang is non stop talk for first 15 minutes until pace gets quick, after that your happy just to breathe right never mind talk but we always manage a chat and end up slagging someone off
Abso-bloomin-lutely and I look forward to taking my pick from the dozens of high end unridden road bikes that will start to appear on the classifieds in circa six months time.
...and that is why I bought second hand.
Maybe its you molgrips?
oldgit - Member"roadie: you've only got tiagra, those wheels are too heavy, don't wear baggies, take that peak off, i'm not riding with you until you get some proper mudguards, start using a heart rate monitor. and stop using spd's"
You'll never find a roadie like that...
i know dozens.
well, ok, a few.
but it's all the roadies i know...
(the kind of people who take 'the rules' seriously)
Ah I think I might know them, do they wear Rapha, run Powertraps and cheat on reliability trials - they're not roadies they're imposters.
I think the negative opinion of roadies is of Serious Roadies in Clubs or stuff. You get serious spoddy geek blokes in every part of life. I happily go for a 60 mile road ride on my road bike, and I don't go particularly fast, I stop for a pint, etc, have a day out. My attitude is exactly the same for MTB. It's a nice day out, on a bike. So long as the bike works, it's better if it's nicer and lighter and more efficient. but that's where I can afford/can't afford margin is.
Cheating on reliability trials. **** that pisses me off!
This sportive is rubbish! There are no signs and I am expected to read a map! And it's too hilly... This village hall smells of wee and rosewater A lady with ond leg overtook me on a recumbent etc etc
Never mind it cost £2 rather than £20.
how do you cheat on a reliability trial? For that matter why?
how do you cheat on a reliability trial? For that matter why?
Why ever cheat. You just miss out whole chunks to post a good time on the internet.
We even encountered it on the Rapha ride, a group blatantly missed out a 10/15km section, then overtook us in formation (cough'ossers)
I seem to have joined the shift from mtb'ing to road riding - nothing to do with it being the new 'niche' (I had no idea it was!), but due to a knee injury making mtb'ing not possible, but road riding OK. At the time, I did see it as 'better than nothing' until I was able to mtb again, but now I do prefer road riding to off-road.
It's got minimum pre-ride faffage - quicker and easier to just grab the bike / water bottle and head out, I've got a huge variety of great road routes straight from the door, no having to sort out transporting bikes in cars or fuel costs, and minimal post-ride cleaning. Plus I love it! Whether that's ambling along chatting to the new lambs, or the satisfaction of sweating to the top of a steep climb, or the letting go of the brakes for a 'I can't believe I'm going this fast' descent.
Couple of downsides - most of my friends are mtb'ers (and don't feel the love for the road), and most of the clubs are race orientated and I'm into it cos I just like road riding / having a bit of a blether / sometimes admiring the scenery and sometimes going as fast as I can / stopping for a panad or a pint. I'd really like to see more 'social' road rides / clubs. Also, it does seem to be a farily competitive and male dominated scene.
But I have found most roadies I meet to be pretty friendly (although I suspect that the group who called out 'allez, allez' at me when I was going at the speed of a snail up the hill might have bee taking the piss a little!)
Oh, and I'm not fat, nor do I have a small willy, so I guess i can get away with wearing lycra
You're lucky then. I've been on the local 10 a few times and trying to strike up conversation on the way there and back is like getting blood from a stone.
Try going to the track then. You'll meet guys there who never ride outside. You have to go to every single session that they go to for ten years before they'll even acknowledge you with an elbow flick. Miserable feckers.
And don't get me started on Time Trials. Now there's a group of people who need some cheermeup drugs. Understandable though, anyone who spends their entire life working towards knocking twenty seconds off the same dismal ten/twenty five/fifty mile circuit has got to be a bit short in the personality department.
I've noticed all the comments on here recently about road bikes and its made me chuckle.
However alot of the comments above are interesting about mtb stuff becoming too expensive, but then you see threads with people asking which £1k + road bike to buy ?!!?
All that will happen is that manufacturers will see their sales moving from mtb's to road bikes and start producing stupid childish named road bikes £1k + with 'leading edge' technology which will help the new road warriors go 1/10 of an mph quicker and make their wallets lighter...
Personally I ride alot less on the road now than I did 15-20 years ago. Roads used to be nice, but now they are full of cars and people who want to kill cyclist.
As to top speed 60 + is easily possible in the UK I've had 60 + on this hill http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=421135&y=444570&z=120&sv=421135,444570&st=4&ar=y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&dn=777&ax=421135&ay=444570&lm=0 using a 53x13
Try going to the track then
I really want to race track.
I went a couple of times with the same miserable fkkers who I met on the club 10 and I got no friendly words at all (apart from one lovely lady) and got scolded for forgetting to look once when moving out. Ok so it's bad but give me a break.
Anyway, on the subject of niches, what's niche in the road bike world? Are there equivalents of 69er SS or do they all just want to be like the pro roadies by wearing socks over their shoes?
however I firmly believe that CX is the new XC
My proper roadbike has remained in the store room for 7 years. Dunno how many times I pumped up the tyres, but it's only done about 5km in that time! Might sell it (1989 Madison/Ridgeback Rapide, 531c, 105, ...).
Deffo not giving up the MTB though.
most of the clubs are race orientated and I'm into it cos I just like road riding / having a bit of a blether / sometimes admiring the scenery and sometimes going as fast as I can / stopping for a panad or a pint. I'd really like to see more 'social' road rides / clubs
Same here, the local club seems to be very race/speed orientated rather than having fun. I may join them to see what it's like though, when I'm fit enough to have a good 15-16mph average. I would start up a more sociable club if I had the right kind of personality and determination to be able to get it going
Same here, the local club seems to be very race/speed orientated rather than having fun. I may join them to see what it's like though, when I'm fit enough to have a good 15-16mph average. I would start up a more sociable club if I had the right kind of personality and determination to be able to get it going
That's because nearly every road club in the country was born out of racing. Hence the existance of CTC, RSF and audax and many others to fill the gap left for people who want to ride in a social group but not race.
As to top speed 60 + is easily possible in the UK I've had 60 + on this hill
Wow, I must have the aerodynamics of a brick then, 50x12 is a higher gear than 53x13 AND I'm spinning it out. Need to find some steeper hills...
If you don't like road clubs, and yes i agree with most of the comments on here about them being miserable f****** then you could always start up your own "club". We now meet early sunday mornings as most of us have families, and get a sociable ride in, nobody gets dropped, everbody speaks to each other, if you spend 3 hours at the back there is no problem, we enter events and have our own jerseys and "rules" are made up in the pub or as we go along.
Doesnt matter what you ride as long as your riding.
I feel somebody needs to speak out on behalf of road clubs.
My club appears to be amazingly friendly and has a very active membership with 50+ turning out to weekly time trials, 5-10 racing on weekends, sunday club runs attract 30+ in good weather, the chaingangs need 3 separate groups to keep the numbers manageable. The car park at the TT HQ is buzzing with chatter, newcomers are really well looked after. And all of this in a town of 12,000 fixed population and another 8000 odd students (who have their own MTB club). I might add that our catchment area is quite big but mostly comprises of sea or the Cambrian mountains.
It's not just us though. At races and events all the local clubs are friendly and if we are on foreign turf racing in another region for example, there is a certain camaraderie amongst other welsh clubs. It's not just a Welsh thing though. When visiting the in-laws, I decided to look up the local club (Wigan Wheelers)
and ask if I might join them for their club run. I was welcomed with open arms and spent 4 hours being shown the hills around the Commonwelth Games road race circuit. There wasn't a moment during that ride that I wasn't chatting away to one of the group.
I can't quite begin to imagine what some of you might be doing to report that nobody even said a word to you when you joined in on their runs. If they were competing in a TT or on a chaingang then obviously you can't talk, but other than that, I'm flummoxed.
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