MTB Roadies….

So, who has a ‘proper’ roadbike, ie drops/skinny tyres as well as an MTB?

Just about to take the plunge, and it appears to be a whole new world of learning!

Me.

And me..

Yes, Specialized Allez Elite (Dirt cheap barley used second hand bargin) though it’s the law out here in Oz to have one….

Great for just getting out or low impact fitness riding. Bunch of different ideas etc but it’s still riding

+1 🙂

Me too. (fixed and geared)

Me too, riding it more than the mtb at the moment. (£150 second hand Carrera)

[waves]me[/waves]

TdF, Olympics, Tour of Britain… everyone has a road bike arounds about now, shirley… 8)

And me.
I got my first roadbike in 1972, so I could be a roadie mtber.

You too could wear lycra…

Me. I’ve more roadbikes than I do MTBs these days.

Me too. More roadie and cx than mtb now, although still race mountain bikes which is the only time I ever seen to ride it.

Road bike gets used the most for racing and as a very good training tool.

I have a GHOST shimano 105 road bike, alu tubes. Have ridden it more in the Alps than in Scotland (home). The last three years did Annecy area Cols – Colombiere, Aravis, Croix de Fry – for a few weeks and have done Ventoux and Alp DhUez etc. Then do MTB and Rock Climb/Via Ferrata. Then this year just MTB not roadie.

I live in a hilly area and enjoy hilly rides, hate flat boring roads and traffic.

If you MTB then the next day Road ride, it feels weird as the bike rolls and you feel a bit vunerable to potholes with skinny tyres.

My Speed record is 57mph down the steep side of the Col De Forclaz at Annecy.

i do.

Me too.

..some actual advice/random ramblings
aluminium is stiff & therefore harsh – advise at least carbon seatpost & carbon forks.
Stuff will last a lot longer as it doesn’t get as much grit in it as off road.
if you live near hills (I’m edge of the peak district) then avoid the 53/39 standard chainrings – and go for a compact double (50/34) (roadie cool) or even a triple (effective but roadie heresy)
I can swear by continental GP4000 tyres.
Big cleats (eg Look) really help with power.
Set it up correctly or you may get knee pain.
Light wheels make a big difference (now on Mavic Open Sports)
You will be amazed at how fast you go on skinnies
you tend to go faster longer and uninterrupted then MTB so you will need gels/water earlier.
watch out for them there potholes.
My Cannondale R500 is now looking a bit battered (its done some big rides) but it handles fab, and the brakes are almost as good as the cable discs on my crosser.
All bikes are good
Enjoy 🙂

yup, 3 of them now and looking for a 4th and 5th! There’s even more niche posibilities than MTB!

Your bog standard aluminium/105 bike, this is the bike you ride every day

The tourer, this is your new commuter, slack angles, massive fork rake, long stays and eyelets/pegs/braze ons for every concievable add on.

The carbon race bike, this is like your best suit, it costs far more than anything else, gets used far less, and then upgraded in a few years despite it’s lack of use.

The steel bike, you probaly bought this after the epiphany that “it’s not about the bike” happens. You’re convinced that an 853 frame and 105 groupset will be all you need forever more, it’ll race, train and tour no bother. This is soon followed by a new carbon bling machine when you realise it is all about the bike and things have moved on. It’ll then be relegated to either winter club runs or the turbo, the least favourite of this or the aluminium bike ending on the turbo. The exact same thing will happen when you hit middle age, or retire whichever comes next, except this time it’s Ti and Dura ace.

The fixie, the second “it’s not about the bike moment”

The track bike (if you live near a track) after you give it a go on the fixie and decide that you need a propper track bike.

And that’s before you get into the inevitable cycle of upgrading!

2 roads & 1 MTB

Downspecced my Five for a carbon456 and blasted the remaining cash on making a nicer roadbike.

Havent road the MTB in ages and not really missing it much if at all.

I have my c456 if i ever fancy a dabble again.

I’ve got two.

Now fitted with new bars and lime green bar tape, and a better saddle.

Vintage Trek Madone 5.2 and a Giant TCR here. Plenty of secondhand bargains out there. Just keep on peddling!

With a login like mine I was never going to not have a road bike now was I?

Tho I seem to be the exception to thisisnotaspoon’s evolution of the roadie: I have one road bike: A Salsa made from Reynolds 853 steel with a Dura Ace groupset and hand-built wheels. It really does do everything from training to racing to time trialling and I love it to bits.

Me. Got a road bike some time ago. You’ll start off trying to look like a MTB rider on a road bike, but soon be wearing strange little hats and arm warmers.

5 road bikes to 2 mtb’s. 3 years ago it was the other way round. 90% of my riding (and 100% racing) is road based now.

Yep, I ended up with a Trek Alu frame because the spec of the drivetrain/wheels was so much higher than if i had spent the same on a carbon framed bike. I was limited as to where I could buy it as it was on a ride to work sheme.

Use it most days to get to work and love the sensation of speed, you need to get into a road riding frame of mind and accept if the traffic stops, you don’t have to find a way through, just slow down wait and get going again when you can, don’t try and maintain the speed all the time at all costs, I did when i first started and it’s bloody dangerous! I soon chiled out! Seems to be an MTB mentality not to want to lose the speed you have gained… Could be wrong, could be I’m a little stupid and had to scare myself before I wisened up.

It seems to take a bit more maintenance then the MTB especially when it rains, lots of crap gets dragged onto the road/cyclepaths causing punctures and crud spraying straight onto the chainring, it’s especially sandy where I live so that doesn’t help.

No upgrades yet but wheels are a constant threat…

Matt

Me too
Specialized Allez plus Moda Stretto
…and don’t forget you will be wanting a cross bike soon as well 😀

yes and the other bikes make me feel guilty every time i use it

Me, although technically its a CX bike, it does have skinny road slicks on at the moment. It has persuaded me I want a proper carbon roadbike though.

Yep.

snakebite, you want to try going the other way! I have been riding road bikes/tt bikes for a few years now and having built up 6 or 7 bikes I thought I need them pretty well. Got into mountain biking in the last 6 months and have been staggered by what I didn’t know! I’ve just finished building up a 29er hardtail which took forever because I kept getting the wrong parts that didn’t fit!

I’ve got one and ride it alot

me, drop barred pompino gets used as a commuter a lot.
got a proper road bike too but only tend to use it for dry (hah!) summer commutes and a few rides per year

3 road – CX/winter road, TT (bodged roadie) and summer road for me!

I have 3 mtb too, so balanced out 🙂

Yup a Fausto Coppi K591 with Mavic Cosmics and Ultegra/105. I ride it wearing my MTB clothes + a camelbak confuses the hell out of the TdF crew who are just beginning to emerge this time of year

Me – and I am terrified of it! Give me 3 chainrings and 2.1″ tyres any day!

Just getting back into it after 20 year gap of mainly MTB riding, brand spanking Genesis Equilibrium frame sitting here waiting to be built up 🙂

Compacts V Triples – if you are gonna need the lower gears, then go for a triple as they give you the range of gears without the big jump at the front.

Looking forward to seeing what mph I can get down Kop Hill with drop bars 🙂

Hey BenHouldsworth, how would you feel about having a boring roadies conversation about bike size and saddle height etc?

Yep, 4 MTBs and 2/3 road (one is a CX bike). Use one road bike for commuting and general shitty duties and one road bike for training and nice riding.

Yep I’ve got two – a Specialized Allez for winter use, which is pretty nasty and a 2004 Madone SL 5.9, which despite being 8 years old is actually still really nice to ride!

Got quite excited about this on BR this morning too:

750g Madone, mmmm… Ruined it with nasty Italian gears though, a Di2 one would be rather tasty!

is that cabled or electro? loop at back of that farm machinery rear mech looks shite.

3 road bikes.
1 cyclocross bike.
0 mountain bikes and no intention of buying another.
I feel all dirty just looking at this website now.