It’s been about 25 years since I owned a road bike and I never have thought I would again, the idea of mixing with cars and car fumes is extremely off putting. But the more I think of the quite lanes around where I live and the quiet, clean shifting of a road bike the more the idea is growing on me, so go on… persuade me 😉

I enjoy it massively begging able to ride from the door is great, it’s different it’s riding your bike which is good!

Saying that I went Mtb-CX-road and CX once a week so I still get a mud fix. But I’ve found road riding addictive, massively so.

I’ve recently started road riding and really enjoy it but see it as complimentary to rather than replacing MTBing.

Be selective about where and when you ride, I mainly do either nights after rush hour or get out at 6.30am sat or sun on the local lanes/back roads as theres far less/no traffic

also I always have lights front & back day or night.

if you can get out midweek daytime between 10 and 3, on village roads, it seems to me the price of petrol has really reduced the amount of traffic, you can ride for miles and never see another road user.

Fastindian that’s what I’ve been thinking, not replacing the weekend MTB ride (well maybe once in a blue moon) just taking advantage of longer days and getting out in the evening. I have this rather prosaic memory of riding down quite lanes on beautiful sunny days and it’s very appealing…

What do I need to spend to get something nice? I’d happily go SH but knowing me will probably end up in a shop 😉

My first roadie is on order, can’t wait. Is it wrong that I am now really concerned that my kit matches? On the mtb its what ever is cheap and fits, I,m spending hours browsing for the right ‘red’

I just bought one and love it. As said above it is very addictive.

Depending on what your budget is you can build quite cheaply.

I built a planet x pro carbon sl with 105 kit , carbon fork, 1700g wheels for £800 all in using offers and merlin and rose bikes – all new

rob2

Your planet x sounds nice, do you have any pics?
Any idea the approx weight of it?

Don’t have any pics on me (on the way to Bournemouth with the kids!)

Not sure of weight but I’d say it’s pretty good – certainly the wheels spin up nice.

I love it. It is just very addictive. And with a young family it’s easier to get out on

some great deals around on 2011 bikes, check hargroves, pedalon, slanes etc

demo’d a Trek Madone, my thoughts if you’re interested http://a-pic-a-ride.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/madone-35-test-ride-ride.html

Hmmm, quiet country lanes + road bike.. If the lanes by you are anything like the ones ’round here I’m not sure I’d want to be on a road bike. Unless wheel building’s also a favourite pastime. How about a spare wheelset with some slicks for your hardtail? Works for me, though granted it wouldn’t let you keep up with your mates if they’re all on road tackle.

I bought a new Spesh Allez about 18 months ago,first roadbike,+1 about it being addictive,love it!
It’s not replaced the mountainbike,it never will, but I spend far more time on the roadbike.I love the fact that I can ride from the front door,whereas going on the mountainbike involves a car journey.
I’m in West Lancs and the quiet country lanes are great on the road bike,I don’t think it would be so enjoyable in more urban areas.

I got a Cannondale super six Ultegra just before christmas and love it, I was using my CX mainly for road duties before that. Found its helped with my stamina for mountain biking as well.

I’ve got to travel to get any decent mountain biking in but for road i’ve got miles of quiet country road and lanes to ride on.

Also try to get a decent test ride before you buy though not just a quick spin around the block.

I ended up with a CX bike but it mostly gets used on the road, so probably ends up just being a heavy funny-shaped road bike. Anyway- I quite like it, if I’ve got an hour or so to kill I don’t really want to get on the mtb, with all the cleaning/fixing/changing/travelling faff but just zooming out the front door in 2 minutes on the road bike is more tempting. And hopefully it’ll add fitness etc, which’d be nice.

The appeal’s quite different though, I do kind of enjoy it but more in a masochistic way than from actually liking it- I do mountain biking despite the fitness benefits and road biking for!

I got a Trek Sl1000 road bike a few weeks back for €250, really enjoying it. I get out nearly every day for a ride, mountain or road. Really good for improving the fitness

Nothwind you summed up my thinking. Whilst I can ride out of my front door into the hills I need a good two hours to really get out on the MTB; once I’ve got ready and cycled to the top of the hill where the fun starts I’m about 45mins in. On the road I could be around eight miles away in that time…

Back to bikes, anyone care to put a figure against a new road bike then and maybe post a pic or two as well. I know what’s needed to get a decent MTB but haven’t a clue about road bikes. Without going completely mad what should I be looking for? Alloy, Carbon, what group set etc… Reading that blog rOkEtDoG provided a link to I guess I want something that’s more fast tourer rather than racer… if that makes any sense?

DT78 that’s hilarious, I hope to god that I don’t start down that route… I just spent a week in Mallorca and couldn’t stop giggling at the efforts some roadies go to ‘look’ the part!

blog now with spelling mistakes fixed (hopefully)

I gave it a go a couple of years ago, firstly on a Langster which was only £200 to give me a taster. Found it really fun and much better exercise than riding a mtb on the same roads. Living in the East Midlands it makes much more sense! I still get a mtb ride at Woburn every week though.

I think road bikes are cool, if you’re anywhere with country lanes and nice views you can get to travel more distance more quickly than on an mtb, and when you get home you can have a lot of different mental images still floating around in the back of your mind, and sounds and smells come to that. I’m blessed with living on the west of Sheffield though, so the Peak District is a spit away. Sheep and horses and coos and nice views can all be encountered.

Just had my personal best average speed of 23.4mph over a 22 mile ride today, quite rewarding and now I just need to be able to carry that over a longer distance! Road bikes are fun but in a completely different way.

Yep. Sounds great. When I think of the areas I could visit on a 20mile loop well, it’s a lot. I’m off to find a deal 😉

i ride mine lots, purely because of its accessibility – put it outside the house and off you go. not owning a car and living where i live means i hardly ride MTBs at the moment.