[Closed] Road biking for fun - not commuting or training

[i]what is it I'm missing[/i]

1) the right routes

2) the right company

Road biking, practical - not all that fun!

what is it I'm missing

1) the right routes

2) the right company

This, and possibly

3) fitness

IMO it's miserable when you're suffering, it's at its best when you feel good.

There's 2 different kinds of fun on a road bike, first is only "fun" afterward, that feeling you get after smashing yourself and having a really good workout. Second is spinning along in a fast group of guys taking turns on the front and being amazed at how fast you're going, having digs on the climbs and making each other suffer. Great fun!

The right routes and the right distance.

There are some bits of road that I enjoy riding as much as mountain biking, they flow just right, they are a challenge to ride, but are fast and exciting.

I also find that I really enjoy riding 30km, I can smash round it in an hour and get my riding fix - longer, and it's a challenge and I can get on a mountain bike for a couple of hours and have different fun, shorter, and I don't even get warmed up.

There's nothing really to get. If you don't enjoy it, then that's fine. Not everyone likes the same things.

It's just riding bikes. Find a scenic route to a cafe/pub and ride there with some mates. Kind of like riding a mountain bike but faster.

If that still doesn't work, maybe it isn't for you. I don't enjoy gnarr core mountain biking, so I just bumble along doing what I do enjoy. No point stressing over it.

Sometimes it's nice just pootling around on a bike. Not really trying, just twiddling the pedals and looking at the view. Round here, that's a lot easier to do on a road bike.

Obviously mountain biking's better though.

As said above it all about the routes - finding quiet roads and exploring new places. You can go a lot further from home than on a MTB, and a road bike is much easier to maintain.

Just had a week in the west of Ireland and the road biking was stunning - don't think I'd have had much fun on a MTB

Remembering to look up at enjoy the countryside you're passing through is key for me. Too much time worrying about speed, cadence, heart rate, sock colour or tan lines and you'll quickly start wondering why you aren't on the mtb.

But if you take in the views, sounds and smells (perhaps not past roadkill in this weather) it all becomes more enjoyable and relaxing*.

*Needless to say this must not be at the expense of a KOM

yeah, maybe its fitness? last night i was going flat out when this geezer glided effortlessly past me, i tried catching him up until my legs were screaming but i was nowhere near him! aftger that i was plodding along muttering to myself how shit it is! 😀

i do enjoy getting from A to B on it tho, its the leisurely loops i can get into. especially when its pretty much all flat.

what is it I'm missing?

road bikes are for commuting - even then I have to take a good book.

pleased to see its not just me then...

Routes, groups and fitness.

For routes I try to ride somewhere interesting. I aim for a particular town, hill, feature, cafe to give my ride a focal point. Mountain biking would be boring if you were riding on flat featureless forest roads.

Groups are good for the social side and also a good working or racing bunch adds excitement. Following wheels and doing turns at 20mph+ is good fun.

Fitness - There is no where to hide on a road ride. Sure you can sit in the bunch but even that requires some fitness to get there. No one is going to push up the hills either. Riding fast is fun and challenging yourself to go further or higher.

I enjoy a road ride either on my own or with mates.

The route is key. Find I enjoy the scenery a great deal more on the road as i'm not having to pay attention to obstacles/rocks/routes.

Moved to Yorkshire about 10 years ago but only in the last 1 year have I started to explore on the road bike and my knowledge of the area has increased greatly.

As above, try
1. change the route
2. start training properly, try intervals or something.
3. get someone to do it with

or
4. do something else

I don't know any roadies that aimlessly cycle around on boring routes on their own. There's nothing to "get" (because its not a "thing")

Speed! I commuted on my road bike (till i broke it, yesterday)and it only became fun once i'd got to a point where i could maintain speeds that I was, at the start, sure had been done by people in cars.

There are some roads that just need a good blast, the undulating road through Delemere Forest and the descent down to Ladybower from the top of Snake Pass come to mind.

Come on Ribble, hurry up with my new bike 😀

I'm the other way around, I have recently started road biking after mountain biking and prefer it at the minute.

I mainly started cycling after being a keen runner though so sometimes I think road biking is more of a 'fit' for this. I can't stand the amount of faff involved with mountain biking- backpacks and other gear etc, whereas it seems quite easy to just jump on the road bike and go.

I do agree it is better to have a pre-planned, specific route though. If you're just pedalling around at random it wouldn't be much fun imo.

Have you tried heading off down the quiet country lanes rather than the stressful A and B roads?

Strava's quite good for making it fun if you're riding on your own - no, really! As long as you don't take it seriously a bit of competition is good motivation. I've got two small kids and most of my [former] riding buddies are in a similar situation so getting together is difficult. You ride when you can and if someone else has been out on a similar route you can race them a bit, see what they've been upto etc. If you're away with work it'll find you some decent routes and give you some targets to beat. Just don't become a strava-dick.

the little devil in my head is saying 'if we wanted to see the scenery, we could just pop there in the car' i like the isolation you can only find on a mtb.

I don't think it's for everyone, it's a mentality thing. Though the right routes (quiet roads, good surface) and a training plan help. Fitness also helps, it can be pretty demoralising if you're not fit (though it doesn't get easier, it just gets faster 🙂 )

strava is a good shout, will get one of them phone holder mounts and try that!

+1 monkeyfudger for me.

Like mountain biking different people get different things out of it. Some like social pace, chatting, checking out the scenery and having a cafe stop. I ride alone or with a few mates and enjoy smashing myself/each other, pushing myself to hold a pace I think I'm going to crack at, then the reward of keeping it up, or even better making your mates crack. Attack on every climb and sprint for every village sign.
There is an element of

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=type+2+fun

for me, but I enjoy the "pain" at the time too.

My first road ride since being a teenager was 2.5 years ago and was a total joyless deathmarch. Went out again and it clicked, and I ride on road more often than off now.

Speed seems to be the thing im missing too, i guess its a confidence thing? still not keen on cars and lorries thundering past when im going quickly!

As chakaping says, get off the main roads

The same 3 points as everyone else

Routes, groups and fitness.

I find I can't go out without there being a point to the ride, even on the MTB. Ususaly it's just a point on a map (new road, trail, cafe, hill). Easiest way to get motivated is to comute (as you have to be at work/home), but always find a new route even if it's just a small diversion, next week it'll be a small diversion off a small diversion, then "just over that hill", and before you know it "I fancy fish and chips for dinner in Whitby", despite the fact Whitby is 30miles past home and involves crossing the Moors with 3000m of climbing.

After a few weeks of that you'll have enough of a mental road map to string together almost entirely trafic free rides. Cycling arround trafic is never fun, but even arround here (Berkshire/Oxfordshire/Hampshire) which is about the most densly populated "countryside" in the country it's possible.

I mainly use the road bike for commuting. But the route has to go up and down to be fun IMO. Too flat and it's dull unless the scenery is nice, So nice countryside or along side a beach!!

and before you know it "I fancy fish and chips for dinner in Whitby", despite the fact Whitby is 30miles past home and involves crossing the Moors with 3000m of climbing.

Won't it be cold by the time you get it home though?

Won't it be cold by the time you get it home though?

Naaa, feet up on the pier feeling smug that the ride home will burn off more calories than's in the fish and chips.

strava is a good shout, will get one of them phone holder mounts and try that!

No point, just set it off and stick it in your pocket. Doesn't show anything useful during the ride.

Definitely get off the busy roads. I'd recommend a decent Garmin that allows you to plot and follow routes.

I find I can't go out without there being a point to the ride

I love just getting the road bike out and not even knowing what way I'll turn at the end of the street, making it all up as I go along and seeing how my legs feel.

🙂

OP use a road bike like a cheap hooker, get in, get out, splash your load then go home to your loving wife (mtn bike)..

Friend of mine asked when I was coming out road riding at weekends.....err no thanks.

I bought a road bike to kill that 1-2hours in an evening after work when I could get out and hopefully add some fitness for when I ride at weekends on my mountain bike.

I don't want to wear full lycra. I don't care for car drivers. The woods are my natural habitat.

Use road riding to get you other means OP- thats your motivation.

I love just getting the road bike out and not even knowing what way I'll turn at the end of the street, making it all up as I go along and seeing how my legs feel.

See everyone is different 🙂 I need to know exactly where I'm going, what I'm doing, what the point is to the ride, etc. Just making it up as I go along would drive me nuts.

Doesn't show anything useful during the ride.

It does if you're premium actually (real time segment reporting) but I tend to agree anyway.

Hora, thats exactly how i am. i thought maybe i was missing somthing, and i clearly am, but its something im unlikely to ever find with the odd 1-2 hr blast round alien roads with no mates while wishing i was popping over roots in the woods!

all that full Lycra nonsense too, not for me either.

on the flip side i do love the aesthetics of nice roads bikes, they make me want to own one! (maybe ill stick it on the wall!)

all that full Lycra nonsense too, not for me either.

This may be why you're not enjoying it. 2 hours in baggies on the road bike would leave anyone grimaceing.

is this why proper roadies dont acknowledge me? 😳

Use it purely for fitness. On a level of hate, I view the gym as by far far worse, riding on rollers for idiots. A road bike allows us to get outside into the beautiful evening air. It drives out the stress and you comeback more relaxed.

Ready for the weekend.

Not everyone likes the same things - road biking may no be for you.

I never showed an ounce of interest in it until last year - I was staunchly an MTBer etc. But I found that I really enjoyed it - I like riding it on my own and can get out to some fairly nice roads that are dead. I never really go out with an aim and have explored the country lanes near home and have discovered some good pubs, some nice roads, some not so nice plus a few shortcuts that I can use to avoid traffic in the car.

I'm not a monster on it but can maintain an OK pace and ride for 60 to 70 miles pretty happily.

I like the lack of planning, faffing and ease that comes with it - I can do a short, fast loop or a longer , steadier one depending on how I'm feeling. No doubt once Jnr arrives in September I'll eb doing more road riding because its easier to fit in around other stuff for me.

is this why proper roadies dont acknowledge me?

No, we aknowlage no one except the holy trinity of pain, suffering and tan lines.

But seriosuly, get some decent cycling shorts. Riding in baggies is like driving a car that's only firing on 3 cylinders, you've forgotten to put any pants on than the seat is made from sandpaper.

Unless this is you.

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all that full Lycra nonsense too, not for me either

Always thought the same, but when I bought a road bike I indulged and wouldn't want to ride a road bike in baggy gear. Everyone looks a bit silly in lycra (especially when you step away from the bike) but it just works on a road bike. Bib shorts / tights are so comfy.

Yep, I've fully embraced lycra now as well, it just feels so nice against the skin!! Better in the rain as well, you just don't feel as wet.

Still ride the MTB with baggies though.

i wear my padded lycras.. under my tightest mtb shorts! and quite a fitted nike running top so not too bad. i will never go all out roadie!

I spend most of my time on the road now. I bought a touring bike for long tours and it has now become my main bike, I love just going out in baggy shorts, t-shirt and exploring or looking for a nice pub.

Found some lovely spots not far from home.

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