Funny how these 'what road bike ?' threads illicit such enthusiastic response on a mountain bike forum..
Does anyone really bother much with their mtb anymore?
No .. not for about a year now.
Back to disc brake squeal.
Two different bikes with hydraulic discs. Both no probs with squeal in dry - both ok for a few wet rides .. then the squeal begins; only occasionally at first .. progressing to embarrassing loud squealing.
I can only guess those who haven’t encountered it are the typical STW dwellers who only actually ride sub 2000miles a year .. in dry weather, or fat bike riders who’s only experience of road bikes pootling on their gravel bike once or twice a year.
I'd be taking a look at Boardman. They have a fantastic road range which get great reviews.
if your disc brakes squeal then something is wrong. Thousands of miles on mtb discs on road where. occasional squealing after prolonged dry use then a bit of drizzle is the worst I have had
Thanks all for your considered opinions. Really useful. I think you've probably helped me make a better decision (carbon no, disc brakes not essential- at that price you won't get good ones) etc. I will new have a root around the Specialized Allez/Giant Defy/Genesis £1000 aluminium & carbon fork lot when I get my voucher.
@cloudnine yes I still ride my MTB. I've been out 3 times this week because the weather is so amazing and its been lovely. I strongly believe however that when you try new things, learn new skills, experience new experiences your life is more full. That's all I'm really doing.
Thanks everyone for your time, you've been very helpful.
Just be aware that its a slippery slope with road bikes if you enjoy the pain.
Dont forget to get some decent bib shorts and before you ask about road jerseys..
Castelli Perfetto.
At £1000 for alloy frame, carbon fork and rim brakes, you can’t go wrong with any mainstream choice. Pick on colour and dealer. Try and avoid BB30 bottom bracket every manufacturer will try and save somewhere, be it brakes or cranks they might also add a more bling rear derailleur for no reason other than marketing. 105 11 speed is excellent and all you could need. You want a 72.5 to 73 degree head angle fornice road handling anything slacker than that will feel slow.
But change the tyres for something decent. Schwalbe Ones or Continental GP4000s are about £30 each, available in 28c and will be a transformation of the ride. Others will recommend lighter wheels, but this is not necessariy for a nice road bike. Handling trumps weight.
Most will come with a 50/34 compact and an 11-28 rear cassette. This will get you up the hills, but you may struggle initially. Fitness comes fast with road riding.
In the time honoured tradition of STW may I humbly recommend a CaadX, 105 mechanical disk. Lovely all rounder.
More excellent advice. Many thanks.
But change the tyres for something decent. Schwalbe Ones or Continental GP4000s are about £30 each, available in 28c and will be a transformation of the ride. Others will recommend lighter wheels, but this is not necessariy for a nice road bike. Handling trumps weight.
I'd second this, and the nice tyres will save weight anyway. My first road bike was very cheap (Carrera something circa £500 RRP, back in 2000), swapping out the tyres for some good ones made a huge difference to the ride quality and they gripped and rolled better too.
Does anyone really bother much with their mtb anymore?
Nope - three bikes (MTB, single speed and road). The MTB (Specialized Enduro S-Works) hasn't been ridden in years. The SS is out often for bimbles with my children and occasional commute runs, the road bike gets used most weekends during the summer.
You can ride fine in MTB shoes and SPD’s at first
You can ride fine in mtb shoes and spds forever. for casual/sportive riding there only seem to be downsides to road pedals and shoes. No need for any special kit for road riding and wearing your mtb kit winds up the purists which is a *good thing*
if your disc brakes squeal then something is wrong
IME some brakes just squeal sometimes, usually only in the wet. Shimano on two different road bikes are quiet. My hopes are quiet on my mtb. Katies Guides on shimano discs squeal like crazy in the wet at the moment (maybe the pads?). I'd really recommend trying to get hydro discs on any bike now. Brakes that work in the wet are just better. If you've got mtbs you know how to look after them and service them.
I will never own a Carbon Mountain Bike. If 95% of my riding is suitable for that sort of machine is that a really stupid idea?
Yes, frame material is one of the least important things to worry about. If your budget stretches to carbon in the style and spec of bike you want them go for it but look at style, groupset, wheels first and only then worry about whether it's steel/ally/carbon/ti.
If you want a flexible, comfortable, do it all, bike then look at 'endurance' geometry or the more roadie end of the gravel ranges. I would really recommend buying something that will take proper, full length mudguards. Neither mine nor Katies bike will and that was a mistake. That probably means you get pannier mounts as well - which is a good thing whatever the bike packing crew tell you. You don't have to use them but you've got the option.
Aim for a 105 groupset. It's the sweet spot as far as I can work out. Discs preferred.
(that's all in the spirit of recommending what you didn't buy. Carbon defy, Ultegra, no mounts for anything useful 🙁 )
There are two philosophies on tyres:
1 - Buy heavy, puncture-proof tyres from Continental or Michelin. Great idea for commuters who don't want punctures on glass-strewn roads and will last for many miles.
2 - Buy a light, cloth-wall tyre with amazingly grippy soft compound and a file pattern tread from Veloflex or Vittoria, use latex inners and enjoy fantastic grip and a smooth ride but not very long life and probably one puncture every 500 miles as they wear thin. I don't mind that because the occasional puncture is an excuse to stop and banter, well worth the trade-off for the amazing ride and grip.
Veloflext Open Corsas: https://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/veloflex-corsa-folding-tyre-twinpack/
Used to be £54 for two but now a bit more pricey.
I went s/h, got a CAAD4 2003 bike in 2005 for £300 (the equivalent now would be a caad10). Unlike MTBs most road bikes don't take such abuse so older ones are still good value. Most frames will likely last tens of thousands of miles but only do hundreds. As a result that £300 bike now had a dura ace grouoset, carbon cranks and 1250g wheels!
Having said that I'm really tempted to get something new now. Can't decide if I want an Allez sprint. I like an alloy underdog and it looks bad ass, its like the Lotus Elise in a car park of carbon Ferraris. Or something more 'modern' that will take big tyres and disks but still be aero, although I could scratch that itch with deep rims for the CX bike.
My C2W scheme had the £1000 limit but you had to order from a site put up by wheelies instead of being able to go to a LBS.
I got an alloy Giant Defy (now contend) with 105 groupset as opposed to carbon frame with lesser parts and its served me well for the last 3 plus years, over the 3 years I've only put tubes in it and picked up some better wheels via a mate.
In the first few years was doing 100mile weeks commuting, now I'm back MTBing more its not seen much light till I dropped it on some rollers last night for a play and it felt fine. (Christ rollers are different to get used to!)
You can ride fine in mtb shoes and spds forever. for casual/sportive riding there only seem to be downsides to road pedals and shoes. No need for any special kit for road riding and wearing your mtb kit winds up the purists which is a *good thing*
Its a bit like driving Lada Riva and saying you do it to wind up people who drive a Porche. The reality is they really don't notice or care. You on the other hand have to ride around with flappy chaffey shorts, a sweaty back and a cricked neck.
There's a guy on our club runs like that, camelback, peak, disk brakes etc. I don't think he looks some how cooler than everyone else (he definitely doesn't and roadies set a pretty low bar), but I do wonder if he STWs.
No need for any special kit for road riding and wearing your mtb kit winds up the purists which is a *good thing*
Anybody who has made the change from mountain to road will know that this is twaddle. On a road bike you move at 20-30 mph and baggy flapping clothes quickly become extremely irritating as well as slowing you down; there's a reason why roadies wear snug-fitting kit. A helmet peak will make you look up too high and give you neck-strain. Wearing mountain bike clobber on a road bike won't wind up the purists, it will just mark you out as a knobber, like the bloke I once passed on the Cape Argus who was riding a filthy, knackered old mountain bike with clanky squeaking transmission and wobbly wheels in some kind of inverted-snob attempt to show he was a cool dude. That he was singing and shouting to draw attention to himself only increased the knobber impression!
If you're thinking of going over to the road, I recommend a short book called The Escape Artist by Matt Seaton, which will give you a fascinating insight into roadie lore and race etiquette and the best explanation I've read for leg-shaving. It's non-fiction and has a devastating twist in the tale.
^^^ Agrees with this.
I recently got this Wilier GTR tiagra on the C2W.
Full carbon good quality frame. Tiagra drivetrain is great. I just swapped the tektro brakes for some Ultegra’s I picked up cheap as I’m taking it to the alps this month but otherwise I’d have kept them. It’s lovely and will have cost me c£500 getting via C2W which is a steal.
A helmet peak will make you look up too high and give you neck-strain.
Not for the general MTB bifter who can't get into the drops without their knees banging onto their stomachs.
Genesis Croix de Fer was my choice. Not light but batters round the city and potholes. Good on easy off road. All the gubbins for touring and full mudguards. Will be riding in the lakes on Sunday in my flappy shorts. The shame. Good point on peak on helmet, will remove for the day.
You on the other hand have to ride around with flappy chaffey shorts, a sweaty back and a cricked neck.
There’s a guy on our club runs like that, camelback, peak, disk brakes etc.
Rucksack I'd agree - they just don't work with road bike geometry.
I fail to see the difference between a small peak on an mtb helmet (maybe not some huge enduro wing) and a peaked roadie cap. IME Roadie cap limits view more.
Double sided mtb pedals and shoes you can walk in just make more sense for most riding. Again maybe not soft soled skate style shoes but XC shoes fine.
Likewise clothes. For a full day out in hot weather or a short fast spin then lycra all the way but for a 2-3 hour ride to the pub no need to look like you're racing. A pair of slimmish baggies give you more pockets and are not uncomfortable.
Wearing mountain bike clobber on a road bike won’t wind up the purists, it will just mark you out as a knobber
I do enjoy leaving FKWs with their aero helmets and clippy cloppy road shoes for dust when the traffic lights change when I'm riding the Brompton or commuter in normal clothes.
No more issue with guys riding mtb in lycra than road in baggies. Just don't get the snobbery. Baggy mtb kit is just as much of an affectation in fairness.
Even as a man who thinks roadie gear looks ridiculous there is no way I'd go out on my road bike without it.
Not only is it far less comfy, baggie clothing slows you down significantly. Even a baggy waterproof top takes a mph off your average speed.
If you plan to bimble along at 12 mph like I planned to when I got my first road bike fair enough, but you will want to go faster for longer with less effort, and proper kit helps.
As for peak on helmet . Personally I think it obscures the view when in the drops so it's a no from me. As for mtb shoes . Far more practical than dedicated road shoes Imo, although I personally prefer the look of road shoes on a road bike, but I'm a tart and I doubt they provide any advantage.
Honestly, for my first road bike I really would buy a planet-x or something similar - look carefully and get one with a decent groupset all round (don't be fooled just by the rear mech etc) and some not-shit wheels. Ride it for a thousand miles at least. You either get one that'll take a pannier or else use p-clips and don't worry because it's a cheap frame.
When/if you decide you like roadying enough and you know whether you really want to use panniers etc, you'll want a nicer frame and you'll have an idea of what you actually want. Either change the whole bike or just get a frame at that point and rejoice !
Discs - **** yeah ! (IMO - and that's just on BB7s)
Wearing mountain bike clobber on a road bike won’t wind up the purists, it will just mark you out as a knobber
True for most clothing but some proper xc stiff shoes and mtb pedals will be fine. In fact it makes life a lot easier getting clipped in/out and also walking into the cafe is much easier.
Is that £1,000 retail value or after your chunky cycle to work discount? Anyway, generally believe at that price bracket carbon is poor and Alu is better. You might get a deal on an old model Cannondale CAAD something. Just a note, you say this will be the only road bike you ever buy. It won't. If any of the starters I know are anything to go by you'll be looking for an upgrade within 2 years. I thought the same 6 years ago and now I've just bought a £5,500 titanium bike.
I had a P-X RT57 carbon Sram Rival for my first road bike - a great light bike for £1k.
My latest Bike is a P-X Ti Tempest gravel Bike - full SRAM Force Hydrodiscs and Fulcrum 6 wheels for £1500. Designed by Mark Reilly (ex Enigma, now Reilly bikes) - a grea frame that looks beautiful too. I passed a guy on a Ti Enigma recently - he had treated himself as a milestone gift. It was £7k 😳. Granted it was Di2 & nice wheels, but his frame was more than my entire Bike.
I also have a Viner frame from P-X. It was an original old stock Viner that PX inherited when they bought the brand. Hand made in Italy from Deddaccai tubes. Looks bloody lovely! That was £600 F+F.
My point is, don’t discount P-X. If you know what you are looking at and prepared to wait, they have some ridiculously cheap deals sometimes.
As for MTB kit on a road bike - I always use XTR MTB SPDs and a pair of carbon soles XC shoes. Double sided and you can walk in the shoes. I travel the world with mine, often getting out of cities by train.
I would never wear baggies on my roadie, but I do have a selection of slightly more relaxed, elasticated clothes that I can wear if riding to a social meet-up ie - stretch jeans, semi tight stretch shorts, and a more relaxed fit top that looks semi non- roadie.
For £1k I got a Planet X RT-80 w/ SRAM Rival, pedals, shoes, track pump, inner tubes! I did over 3000 miles in the first 12 months, 800 of which were in one week and it was comfy enough. Admittedly, I've never ridden another road bike, but it will be a long while before the RT-80 gets replaced.
