my Strava times are always like 20-30 seconds slower than the road bike folks and strava wont differentiate between the two

what am I doing wrong

Pedalling too slow

Mor aero

Giving a toss?

But yeah, if you want to take a KOM on the road, chances are you’ll want a road bike, and a fairly decent one at that. A heavier CX bike will be more useful, but also hold you back by a few seconds

Either u iz awzome or they are not trying do you want to ride a road bike or win strava?

win strava

laughing at that

Road bikes are quite fun, so, yes, get one (if you want one and you can afford it). If you happen to pick up a KOM or two, well done you. My road bike feels (and actually is, according to strava) noticeably faster then my touring/commuting bike, which is a Van Nic Amazon, so hardly a beast – seems to be 5 mins or so over my 15 mile commute. Think the tyres are the biggest factor. The main thing is that the road bike is just fun to ride.

Best tool for job is best tool for job shocker…

Road bikes are nice. Always get a road bike.

Tried riding my road bike on a red trail. Couldn’t get near any KOMs

I’ve been moaning for the last year that I find it bizarre that Strava won’t keep personal records for individual bikes on segments. Hill reps on the Wazoo, which I often do, are never going to compete with times on my road bike, but it would be nice to easily find out if I did a new PB on the Wazoo up a hill.

Yes, you want a road bike, Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc is a good bang for the buck spec for ~£1k (Rutland or Pauls Cycles tend to have good deals). Loved mine since last May.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/strava-dedicated-lead-for-drafting-allowed-or-report

I’m sure some of the times/kom for climbs on Strava are done on an e(ngine)bike… Not that I care much for the climbs, but when there is a 2-3 minute gap on off road clubs between the fastest 4/5 times and the rest it makes me think there is a group of chEaters smashing the climb on full power.

The best reasons for a road bike are having somewhere beautiful to ride them, having a wider choice of things to ride, and potentially getting to develop a different kind of fitness/become fitter.

In that order I reckon. 🙂 You might as well get one if you can afford it.

Round my way there are a few domestic pros that make your average rider look silly. And on my commute there is a 3rd Cat (sharp end admittedly, but not pro) that made me realise how fast I’m not. His commute is over 20 miles and he regularly does it in less than an hour. I chased him once when I pulled out of a side road just behind him, mentally fast.

Get an ebike, they don’t differentiate for those either if you are careful /s.

A road bike makes sense if you always have a couple of friends to ride with, not necessarily for the whole “group ride” dynamic, but for your own safety.