Got on Jake the Snake today (granted it's a crosser but let a man with a brush brush), black sleek looking thing, gorgeous in fact, so to fit in with all you freaks I left my baggy shorts off, I made it about 100 meters before going back home to dress properly and I'm a life model.
Gets worse, I cant ride the damn thing, my hand hurts, my back hurts, my wallet hurts, my soul hurts and lordy the thing terrified me, goes down the hills so fast with brakes that change gear. Who does tha.., I mean why. Twangs and pings off the tiniest of road imperfections; my bones they are shaken and weep an aching chorus of please never again.
This was to be my LeJoG bike too. I'm off to trawl the classifieds about a hybrid. You drophadlebared freaks.
That's just how I felt when I first got one 😆 it do's get better
Eventually...
Stick with it you'll be reet.
It's actually a proper bike they have been around far longer than mtb.
tweak some angles and stick at it, it almost becomes quite fun on a sunny day!
I am about to enter this other world soon. Both excited and worried in equal measure ....need to buy some lycra shorts as well.
.....that an a roadie helmet so I don't get bullied by other roadies 😉
I'm three weeks away from the LeJoG, I don't think I have enough time to get used to it.
It only takes a couple of rides to get used to the positioning and the stiffness, then it's great. I havent succumbed to wearing lycra though, and I don't think I will in the forseeable future.
I just ordered Lycra Bibs
There's nothing quite so sad as a rufty tufty mountain biker on a road bike for the first time...
Lycra works. No one is looking at your willy, honestly.
It will make you a better all round rider, as long as you stop being such a blouse.
My mate has just picked up a proper road bike, spent all last summer ripping the mick out of me for being a Lyrca Clad roadie, first trip out he turned up in new lycra shorts he hee 8)
😆
Just read that out to my wife, and her only reply was "yep, sounds about right!"
On the subject of lycra, shorts or bib? Bearing in mind summer is on it's way. Or does it not make a difference?
Bib.
Unless you'd like everyone to see your back fat.
I'll give you a £1 for it.
hth.
You bought the bike you plan to ride the length of the country on 3 weeks before setting off?
Always bibs, they are just more comfortable.
Not just for smooth tarmac and sunny days either....
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Best and cheapest? Thinking DHB maybe?
Oh and sorry for thread hijack.
I got some dhb padded undershorts. They're really sweaty on a hot day which makes them less comfortable than regular boxers. Not tried their bibs though but they would solve the other problem I have with them, which is that the elasticated waistband seems to roll itself up which gets annoying.
Shutt VR are supposed to be very very good.
Just ordered a pair of Standard Bibs from them today...
Club10 in discount box for an extra 10%
[url= http://www.shuttvr.com/shop/search.php?id=32 ]ShuttVR[/url]
Crikey, crikey!
That looks soul destroying!
Nope, character building for t'Tour of Flanders. Road bikes are essentially cross bikes with smooth tyres, which are essentially 29ers with skinny tyres and drop bars, so get on it!
On the subject of lycra, shorts or bib? Bearing in mind summer is on it's way. Or does it not make a difference?
Bibs all year round.
Baggy shorts on a road bike are plain wrong.
I found that my wrists hurt the first few rides, I think it was a combination of new position and gorilla grip, it went away after a few rides.
I used to have a "proper" roadbike, but then I saw the light and got a Tourer!
If ever there is a cycling niche where you can wear what you want and not look nearly as bad as most other folk on similar bikes, it's Touring bikes! No need to shave your legs, none of this exposed lycra nonsense, you can even have a full-on beard and wear a 20 year old CTC jersey and not be ostracised!
Baggy shorts on a road bike are plain wrong.
I meant shorts as in lycra shorts. I am not foolish enough to even contemplate wearing baggies on a road bike.....oh the shame! 😉
Jamie,
Sorry, I should have been clearer. That bit wasn't aimed at you. The OP was seeming to prefer baggy shorts. 😐
edit: Did mean to say that bib shorts are so comfy on the bike but feel a bit odd when trying them on, plus they have the added benefit of being able to do old time wrestler impressions for the girlfriend before you hit the shower.
bibshorts are best, then biblongs when its cold.
Tenn clothing has some good looking gear at v reasonable prices. My attention was drawn to them as they got a mention on last friday's 'fresh goods' on the stw homepage. Not bought anything yet but about to buy some bibshorts for less than £20!
Someone will be along shortly to say 'buy cheap buy twice' etc but at that price you can buy 5 times and still be quids in!
feel a bit odd when trying them on, plus they have the added benefit of being able to do old time wrestler impressions for the girlfriend
😆
Ea-sy! Ea-sy! Ea-sy!
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Had my first proper outing on my road bike this afternoon. Loved it.
Bit hairy at first - descents especially. It must be 23 years since I rode a drop handlebar bike. But it all came back to me after a while. It's just like riding a bike really.
Covered so much ground so quickly. must have ridden about four times as far as I expected to.
🙂
[i]Baggy shorts on a road bike are plain wrong.[/i]
How I love to be wrong. With my baggies, mtb shoes and back pack. Won't catch me looking like a roadie 😛
With my baggies, mtb shoes and back pack. Won't catch me looking like a roadie
On a road bike? No, you must look like a confused triathlete.
😀
Give it a while and you see how fast you can get down the hills, 50mph+ does get you thinking of raspberry pie on the next climb if you have came off 😀
How I love to be wrong. With my baggies, mtb shoes and back pack.
This is how I ride my road bike every day, backpack if I'm riding to work and a hoody if it's cold 🙂 Some of the other roadies say hello to me still! Don't really get why people on forums say you need to be wearing lycra, baggies aren't even uncomfortable.
i also wear baggies when on the roady, but that's when going to work and back.
Out on the weekend, and the lycra comes out. (Unless i;m on the mtb!)
With my baggies, mtb shoes and back pack. Won't catch me looking like a roadie
For the first month or so I will be likewise. Am putting all my cash to get the best bike, pedals and roadie shoes I can. Everything else will have to follow next pay.
Maybe we can start a niche gang?
You would struggle to be niche, there are plenty of "rebels" on here wearing MTB kit on road bikes. Still doesn't make it right though.
Nothing to do with being rebellious - just don't think I'd get away with walking through the office in lycra shorts.
I already get wolf whistles... (From the blokes, unfortunately)
I take it back, well most of it anyway. Dear bloody jesus it's fast, which is hilariously negated by the terrible brakes, I have to learn to use them. Is there a secret on how these things work? praying and closing my eyes isn't working.
If your wrists bother you, try turning the levers in so your hands lie in a more natural position.
Thank you will try that later.
Lycra is still perverse though. Very perverse.
If doing mostly road riding, I would imagine cantis are gash. One of the reason I decided against getting a CX bike, as the 70% of time I was on the road I would be annoyed at the compromise.
...obviously the newer ones having discs negates this.
Different breed of animal imo, and the ones I pass are usually moody ****ers to boot
Riding home from a good muddy ride I love saying a cheery hello and seeing their faces contort 😀
Road brakes are shite but I found they don't really get used too much so it's ok.
Road brakes are shite
No they're not. I find this a bizarre statement every time it gets trotted out. Any half decent road brake can comfortably lock the wheel so they evidently have enough power.
Agreed. Not so good in the wet though eh?
Road bikes are shite. I can lock a back wheel, could maybe lock a front but don't want to try.. however down a Valleys 1:3 in the rain they tend to be frighteningly ineffective, meaning I have to pull them as hard as I can all the way down to be able to have a chance of stopping before the inevitable roundabout at the bottom.
Shite. Fact.
Anyway, to the OP - setup is absolutely critical on road bikes, assuming it's the same for crossers on road rides. You spend the whole time in the same position practically, so you better make it good -a nd there are loads more variables.
Saddle tilted forward a little bit, and rotate the bars so you're comfy on the drops then position the hoods so you are comfy there too.
Took me 18 months to get fully sorted on the roadie.
No but then you also don't have that much grip...
Re: the brakes. It's mostly about learning to judge your braking distance all over again. You just need to look a little further ahead and adjust your speed accordingly.
After a few rides you'll find that you are maintaining a much more even speed and really only use the brakes to make small adjustments to the speed rather than scrubbing off masses at a time.
I thought road brakes were rubbish too, then i upgraded a few years ago and realised that they aren't.
Extended 1:3 DHs in the wet may well be outside the parameters of road bike design and normal use 🙂 (though I've ridden a few of the Welsh ones and am still alive so they obviously are capable enough even in that situation).
I suppose you'll also say they're crap because they're not brilliant on twisty rocky singletrack 😉
Saddle tilted forward a little bit, and rotate the bars so you're comfy on the drops then position the hoods so you are comfy there too.
Well, whatever works for you but if you're having to tilt the saddle forward, it usually suggests that either the front end is too low, the saddle's not right for you or you're not flexible enough.
Road brakes vary from frighteningly crap to way more powerful than discs. My Dura-Ace ones fit into the latter category, the first time I used them I'd have stopped more slowly by running into a brick wall. Holy mother of god, they're bonkers powerful!
Cantis on CX bikes take a bit more setting up and you need to learn to brake progressively, not just rely on the sheer power of discs to jab the brakes at the last second.
to way more powerful than discs
I would have to see that to believe it, I'm afraid!
Mine are 105 btw. Compared with say Deore discs they're a joke.
if you're having to tilt the saddle forward, it usually suggests that either the front end is too low, the saddle's not right for you or you're not flexible enough
Don't want the bars any higher, would be too sit-uppy on the hoods. The saddle is the only one out of many I've tried that didn't give me numb genitals IF I tilt it forward slightly, and I'm way more flexible than most cyclists. If I weren't I wouldn't be able to ride in a decent tuck like I do.
Saddle level means that the middle part is mashed into my perineum, because my pelvis is rotated forwards because it can be due to my flexible hamstrings. If I tilt it forwards most of my weight is on my sit bones and blood flows freely to where it needs to be.
Agreed. Not so good in the wet though eh?
Swisstop Greens'll sort that out pretty quickly.
Some road bike brakes suck, especially cheap OE ones fitted to budget bikes ime, but good ones, as James says, are pretty damn effective and as much as you'd ever want with narrow tyres.
Generally, one of the best things I've ever fitted, were a set of compact drops. So much nicer to ride than traditional ones, particularly if you're not used to them generally.
54 posts in and nobody has said MTFU you jessie. 😉
Road riding is ace, you'll soon get used to it. Agree with the setup. There's nothing worse than when your Lower back and Neck starts to ache knowing you still have miles and miles left to cover.
An extra layer of bar tape on the hoods and Gloves with Gel Pads in might help too. Oh and decent Saddle and Shorts with a good pad.
Eth3er - good on you for sticking with it.
I know this is a MTB forum, but I'm quite surprised at how the road-based version of cycling (I nearly said darkside) is treated on here; from the disbelief that you can do 60mph on a pushbike (which you can) to the belief that lycra is some sort of sin against humanity (It's simply the most practical attire) to the lie that roadies are grumpy (you almost always get a nod, but don't expect an enthusiastic 'hi!' coz they've probably got a lung over each shoulder they're blowing so hard).
Road brakes are shiteNo they're not.
Agreed. I find them frighteningly effective and at speeds of 40+mph I find it takes a lot of concentration to brake and stay balanced fore/aft properly with a caliper brake. Infact I try to get my hands on the drops when braking at this speed because if I'm on the hoods I don't feel secure.
Also, if you think they're fast with baggies on, just try the racing snake look - the speed you can attain with such little effort is breathtaking!
Mine are 105 btw. Compared with say Deore discs they're a joke.
I've got 105 brakes on the commuter, and Dura-Ace on the race bike. The 105 are indeed horrific, particularly in the wet, the Dura Ace are absolutely worlds away, far far far better.
from the disbelief that you can do 60mph on a pushbike (which you can)
It's not particularly easy tho, and I can think of only a few roads on which it would be possible. Only with balls of solid steel tho!
Roadies are grumpy tho, be fair 😉
Edit re brakes - I am in the process of moving to Ultegra to keep costs sensible - are the Ultegra brakes any better? Stock shimano pads also good?
my pelvis is rotated forwards because it can be due to my flexible hamstrings.
Usually the other way round, isn't it - pelvis tilted forwards because of [b]in[/b]flexible hamstrings.
Oh, and troad brakes are fine - 60+ mph off Holme Moss and some French mountains, and my Ultegra brakes pull me up super sharp.
Usually the other way round, isn't it - pelvis tilted forwards because of inflexible hamstrings
No - think about it - to tilt your pelvis forwards your hamstrings have to extend don't they? If they couldn't, your pelvis would have to be more level, requiring you to either arch your spine or raise the bars.
Looks like I need new brakes then, esp if I am going to pull the baby trailer with my road bike due to being under-biked in Germany...
My experience of roadying has been it's a nice sociable thing to do - just remember to take your turn on the front and anticipate a bit.
Lycra - midly offensive, but given we all ride round with a polystyrene box on our heads, mildly modified to form a helmet, none of us are going to be winning awards for sartorial elegance in our ride attire, baggies/Camelbacks or no.
Re: Brakes, as usual... it depends.
I have two road bikes:
Bike 1: SRAM Force brake calipers with standard SRAM Force pads - proper powerful - disc brake level power.
Bike 2: long drop tektro calipers with standard tektro pads - borderline scary, even in the dry.
I keep meaning to upgrade the pads on bike 2 but haven't got round to it.
i suspect we're talking about two slightly different things - I view it from the perspective that cycling overdevelops quads and back muscles, and effectively underdevelops abdominal muscles and hamstrings/glutes. Hamstrings often become "shortened" and inflexible. This tends to result in a pelvis that tilts forwards.
But, taken in isolation, yes, inflexible hamstrings would otherwise pull the pelvis back in a standing position. Trouble is, we don't stand on the bike, and other muscle groups are affected as above.
Buggest upgrade you can do to road brakes is pads.
In my experience though Ultegra are better than 105 but the pads are still shite.
With the Mavic brakes on my road bike (with swiss stop pads) I can lock the front wheel at 40mph if I brake like a gorilla however I never need to. (I'm probably approaching Gorilla size too)
Canti's are a different kettle of fish admittedly - might be worth trying a set of Mini V's for pure road riding as I've heard they are a bit stronger but the cheapest option will be to upgrade the pads
Apart from "hamstring issues" or otherwise tilting the sdaddle forward implies that you have it set to high in the first place as you are effectively lowering the seating position and moving it forward when lowering the nose.
Alternatively you may have the love spuds of a horse and need the extra room but then you'd have a different view on the lycra issue I guess 😀
You can put me down as another lycra conscientious objector. Road bike has SPDs and I ride it in MTB shoes, MTB helmet and baggies. I have too much consideration for my fellow road users than to subject them to the sight of my puny frame wrapped in a thin layer of slightly shiny stretch covering. Euuhh.
Having said that, always get the silent nod from other bikes when out and about. They're very broad minded.
Am about to switch to a CX bike to allow mixed surface commute. Will I face similar sartorial challenges? Or does anything go for CX folks?
As Duc says - check out different pads.
I have a set of Tektro on my commuter, Tiagra and 105 on my road bikes. They were all good with the original pads and they're good with the replacement (octopron) brand pads I've got.
IME long drop brakes aren't qute as good. Still fine though with the right pads.
I've found them much better than cyclo cross cantis. Cantis can be powerful but they are a pain to set up and go out of adjustment very easily.
I don't rate discs for road use. They don't like being caked in road grime/salt and left in a damp garage. Standard treatment for a all weather road bike in the UK.
tilting the sdaddle forward implies that you have it set to high in the first place as you are effectively lowering the seating position and moving it forward when lowering the nose
No, you misunderstand.. moving forward on the saddle is precisely what I have to avoid to take pressure off my perineum. I tilt it forward just a smidge to raise the back and then I sit on that where my sit bones are. If I tilt it forwards too much then I will slide down and as you say end up sitting on my soft parts in the middle of the saddle- as I will if I have it too far back.
It's a fine balancing act, but it's there now and I arrived at work today having ridden an hour without any numbness at all, which is pretty good for me. I have had to reajust since I dismantled the bike for transport 🙁
Cantis require a bit of experimentation to set up. Try running the straddle wire as low to the tyre as you can - they'll feel spongey and sh!te but will actually have way more power. Second the better pads suggestion too.
I find drop bars way less comfortable than flats but the secret is changing position - without being able to do this, flat bars will start to feel like a torture device over long distances. Drops are great for head winds too.
For anything but summer riding I actually prefer baggies for the extra warmth. You're not doing a time trial, and if everyone was forced to comply to pointless rules about having peaks, or showing off your mammal toe, we'd never be able to bask in the glory of people like the Lone Wolf :
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http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2009/02/inspiring-rides-true-greatness-knows-no.html
I used to be a lycra nay sayer until i realised that riding around with a sail on your back sucks. Give me spray on clothes for the road ta.
You guys with rubbish brakes need to set them up properly. 105's should be very, very good. I know all mine always have been, even in the wet. My ultegra brakes are even better.
And only lycra on a roadbike? Fall off, just once. See if you still think it's a good idea. The memory of riding home using my shirt as a pair of shorts because my other shorts had literally been ripped off is one that will never leave me. Baggies every time for me.
Baggies on road is crap, you can feel them flapping around in the wind, they catch on the saddle and you end up with a draft blowing around inside your clothing.
Lycra is warm, comfy, flexible, aerodynamic and the best attire for the job.
Unless you're samuri and you fall off when ever you ride a bike...
Road cycling lycra is a big rip off, all you really need is this:
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and a box of these:
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done.
You guys with rubbish brakes need to set them up properly.
How then? What setup is there to do?
it's quite funny watching mtb'ers as they progress to road bikes.
the hunched upright position they adopt
the abhorrence of lycra.
riding flat out for 10 miles then bonking thinking that's a road ride.
pedaling in squares.
insisting that bits of unsuitable equipment will be better 'for them' because they know best.
just about every mtb'er i know has ended up riding road or tri as well as mtb, the ones who don't are still corpulent and unfit.
As a new road bike owner myself, can I just ask which shoulder some of you more experienced roadies find it most comfortable to keep your chip on?
I suspect that for most people the point of riding a road bike is personal transport, enjoyment and fitness, not getting from A to B with the least effort.
If that's not the case, I hope you only wear skinsuits and aero helmets. Oh and don't forget that if the seams aren't at the back, that's costing you a second in drag evey 10 minutes. 😛
105's should be very, very good. I know all mine always have been, even in the wet. My ultegra brakes are even better.
Depends what you're used it doesn't it. I'm happy with my 105s at the moment, got totally used to how they work. However, I know when I get on my summer bike I'll be stunned at the brake power. I'll then get used to that, until I go back to the winter bike, when I'll nearly pile into the back of a car.
Repeat ad infitium.
105 ones are adequate (if that's better!), but far surpassed by Dura Ace. I did have Tiagra brakes, they seized solid after 6 months, great!
As a new road bike owner myself, can I just ask which shoulder some of you more experienced roadies find it most comfortable to keep your chip on?
if you buy decent (expensive) bib shorts they often have a pocket in the back for a race radio, i find this a perfect receptacle.