Tell me about … Roadie-ing

CTC groups will normally have a slow ride on the weekend and are generally happy for you to try before you join. They also know where the best cafes are.

You will spend more time thinking about the balance between warm wind-resistant clothing and staying cool and will begin to acquire odd roadie stuff like arm-warmers, overshoes, lightweight, snug fitting boil-in-the bag waterproof jackets and something to protect your eyes from the slipstream.

Yes – autumn will bring about all sort of roadie clothing acquisitions. I used to just accept numb feet for years until last winter when I treated myself to some overshoes – oh the revelation, absolute bliss

I used to just accept numb feet for years until last winter when I treated myself to some overshoes – oh the revelation, absolute bliss

+1. And for Arm warmers, leg warmers, gilet’s and a craft base with windproof chest panel.

Great thread for us wimps thinking of ‘Roadie-ing’!
I had the same darkside thoughts a few years back and got myself a stiff ‘fast’ road bike on ebay (big double chainset, ultra skinny high pressure tyres, proper road shoes and pedals. I hated it and put the whole bastard lot back on ebay a couple of months later.
On the basis of that disaster, I have some ideas to share with other wimps like myself.
Be good to yourself – leave the pain to the masochists. Here’s what you want:
Cyclocross frame (more cofort & you could do some smoothish offroad)
Wider tyres (28/35c – maybe some tread even – NOT 100psi)
Triple chainset and cassett with 27 or 28 teeth so you don’t explode your knees and lungs on Ditchling Beacon and Brassknocker Hill)
SPDs (not bonkers road shoes & cleats)
Nice comfy Saddle (SDG Bel-Air or Charge Spoon)
Set a target (a not too tough sportive like London Brighton) to work towards. If you become a monster then you may end riding a Chainreaction Sportive at Ruthin or similar suicial events.

I was in a similar boat when I bought a road bike at the beginning of the year when it was still quite chilly and thought that I’d be OK in shorts, short sleeve jersey and a gillet (basically what I wear all year round on the MTB)…I froze! I couldn’t believe how cold it was. It didn’t take long to get some bib tights, overshoes etc. Eye protection is a god send because you can hit some pretty high speeds and this combined with insects on a summer evening is not a nice combination.

I’ve ridden MTB / BMX on and off since 1997 and avoided lycra like the plague but have adopted it for the road bike (and come to terms with the fact that I’m a ‘grower not a shower’ if you know what I mean 😉 ). On a serious note though, it just works and bib shorts / tights have been a revelation; yes they may look very silly when you first put them on but my god are they comfy. Places like Start Cycles are great because you can pick up some good quality gear that has been heavily discounted (Scott clothing seems to be pretty good), so it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Stuff made by Italians seems to be funnily sized though (made for anorexic hobbits).

I started off quite slowly / shortish distances but as I got used to the bike I started riding faster and covering more distance. I’m far from a good road rider but can cover 60 miles of so at an average of just over 16mph – it didn’t take too long to get to this. It has definitely helped with the MTB, especially on climbs when I’m much happier spinning up long climbs and seem to recover a bit faster. It does seem to be hard getting my speed up much higher but I suppose I’m not super committed (i.e not training like a monster).

What has taken me by surprise is how much I’ve enjoyed it – I did slack off with the road riding over July due to holidays, hot weather, work, car buying, more MTB etc and went out for the first time in a few weeks on Wednesday and really enjoyed it. I didn’t feel as good as normal but I got back and was a happy bunny. By mixing up the different types of riding, I have found that I enjoy the MTB more because I’m not riding the same places etc. Even more worryingly is when I visit my family in the Peaks, I actually look at the roads and start to think ‘hmmmm, I wonder what they’d be like on the road bike?’

I use a saddle bag because I find it easiest and don’t like having too much stuff in my back pockets aside from phone and food. It didn’t take too long to get used to the position either and as my confidence grows I’m using the drops more too.

Just get out and start to enjoy it – I’ve found most roadies to be pretty friendly and chatty. Don’t worry about what other people think – I felt a bit silly at first. At the end of the day as long as you’re enjoying it, who cares what you’re wearing, how fast you’re going etc. It’ll be better than sat in front of the TV.

Following on from Tim’s post, I bought an ALlez Sport which I guess is kind of a proper road bike with compact chainset and skinny tyres and don’t find it too uncofomrtable (although expansion joints normally have me wincing in advance).

The shoes are pretty comfy but the one sided pedals do my head in because the bulk of the pedal is at one end so the are never flat.

Saddles are a big one because you’ll be sat in it a faor amount – mine is OK but at some point I do need to treat myself to a nicer one. With a carbon post to dampen some of the vibrations.

[Quote]Because of the radical difference in terrain and the difference in the vehicles to traverse it, my belief was that the average 2 hour consistent mtb ride would likely expend more energy than an “average” 2 hour consistent road ride.[/quote]

Your belief was wrong. Very very few mountain bikers actually ride for 2 hours non stop anyway, so that 2 hours riding actually takes 3-4 hours! Average roadie definitely fitter than average MTBer.

OP – just ride your bike. Lycra will be more comfy, SPDs will be faster, but neither are compulsory. Just get out and have fun.

And jersey pockets for stuff.

I’ve recently ‘converted’ to road bikes and the difference is very noticeable when compared to riding the MTB on the road.

BTW, I wear baggies and a cycling top. I will probably get lycra shorts at some point.

I too use SPD pedals and agree that you can unclip when coming up to junctions, so there’s not been any issues with comedy dismounts.

Just get out and ride is my motto.. Sod what anyone else thinks you should be wearing! 🙂

njee20 – Member
Because of the radical difference in terrain and the difference in the vehicles to traverse it, my belief was that the average 2 hour consistent mtb ride would likely expend more energy than an “average” 2 hour consistent road ride.
Your belief was wrong. Very very few mountain bikers actually ride for 2 hours non stop anyway, so that 2 hours riding actually takes 3-4 hours! Average roadie definitely fitter than average MTBer.

I go out for a couple of hours on my MTB and I don’t stop. Usually I have a short time window, so try and get as many miles in as I can in.
(usually around 20-24 miles dependent on terrain)

On the road bike I usually pop out at lunch time for a short ride of 6 miles in 24 minutes.

I too use SPD pedals and agree that you can unclip when coming up to junctions, so there’s not been any issues with comedy dismounts.

I think the issue is when you get cocky and start track standing at lights.

Lying on the road with a queue of cars behind you when the lights turn green is one of those curl up and die moments

I used to wear MTB shorts on my road bike untill i notices the chaffing to the paint on the higher top tube from the shorts. to the area just under the nose of the saddle. Has made quite a mess of mine 🙁

Has anyone said how so addictive it is yet 🙄

I love this:
A helmet peak will annoy you because of the lower riding position.

Ha ha! You just don’t wear a peak cos you want to look like a roadie. If the peak gets in your vision, what are you trying to see? The bloody clouds?? My brow gets in my line of vision before my peak. And I don’t look like this

(much)

Blimey, thanks for the info guys.

I’m not completely unfit in that I run a little, play football occasionally. I think it’s stamina I will struggle with as most of my activities are no longer than a couple of hours.

I didn’t think about having to buy a non peaked helmet ‘

A very bad picture of a very untidy room with the green monster below:

DezB – Member
If the peak gets in your vision, what are you trying to see?

the road ahead.

My brow gets in my line of vision before my peak.

then your peak is useless. you’re only carrying it around because you want to look like a ‘mountainbiker’

peaks are handy – for shielding your glasses from glare, but you need to be able to see them for them to work.

2 hours constant XC will use far more energy than 2 hours constant road riding

you seriously are not trying hard enough.
As a counter point, I would go on a mtb ride with anyone but even in my fit days wouldn’t go on a road ride with anyone

Take some real food with you on longer rides. Flapjacks or bagels in kitchen foil works a treat.

then your peak is useless. you’re only carrying it around because you want to look like a ‘mountainbiker’

peaks are handy – for shielding your glasses from glare, but you need to be able to see them for them to work.

You’re being silly: They shield you from the sun. You know – UP THERE! 😆

Nice green.

Bottle cages?

Road caps are the way forward. Put them on under a helmet with the peak removed. They stop your head burning if you’re errm, follically challenged, they soak up sweat, the cap peak protects your eyes from sun and rain, you can flick it upwards when you’re descending.

but more importantly, the cycling cap is the *only* really cool item of cycling clothing there is.

Yep I need to get bottle cages, a micro pump , pedals, shoes, Lycra etc ..

Love the look of the Felt. Mind if I make a couple of comments?

Get rid of the comedy reflectors now, nothing marks you out more as a newbie. If there’s a plastic disc on the rear hub, get rid of that too. The stem looks long – depending on your build you may find a shorter stem more comfortable and less stretched out. The handlebars look as if they could do with flattening out a tiny bit and above all… that saddle is canted FAR too far forwards. It needs to be up by a couple of degrees at the nose so that your weight is cradled and you aren’t being thrown forwards onto the bars all the time.

If you find the alloy frame a little stiff, treat yourself to some really nice tyres – I’ve just graduated from Michelin Pro 3s to Pro 4s and can’t believe how much more comfortable they are, even at 115 lbs pressure. I can’t see what you’ve got there but bike makers often skimp and fit budget tyres. Look for a tyre with a high thread count, above 140 tpi.

Nice bike RRR, it’ll make a great winter bike once you get sucked into road biking and eventually use the deposit you were going to buy a house with for a carbon frame racer 😉

Agree with samuri re road caps, I thought they were a bit poncy until I tried one, plus Cancellara looked a really action man in his during his recent Classics win, in which case I concur I must also be a hit with the ladies in mine also.

Road stems – how short is ‘too short’?

I ask because the bike i am currently waiting in/pacing around the house irritably for is coming with a 100mm stem on a 48cm bike, i suspect that may be too long for me as i’m used to a pretty short stem on the MTb’s.

a road bike is not a mountainbike, use what works.

if you try and make a road bike handle like a mountainbike, you’re going to be unsuccesful.

You may well find that a 100mm stem is too long, or even too short. But don’t just assume that it’s wrong, and change it before tyring it.

Had Pro 4’s on for a week – awesome tyres!
Here – http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/tyres-tubes/road-tyres-tubes/michelin-road-tyres/pair-michelin-pro-4-service-course-folding-tyres.html

Do it now.

samuri – Member

Road caps are the way forward… the *only* really cool item of cycling clothing there is.

if only they made them in sizes other than ‘extra-micro-pinhead’…

I used to run a peak but when I got faster and was on the drops more I couldn’t see past it and got neck ache.

Nice bike. Elite Customs are cheap good cages – there’s a white/green version that could go well with your bike!

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-custom-race-bottle-cage-2013/

Some way down the line but tyres are a good first upgrade, OEMs will be heavy, look for 25mm for easier rolling than 23s and more comfort. Aftermaket tyres and tubes saved 1/2lb on my bike.

if only they made them in sizes other than ‘extra-micro-pinhead’…

Might I also recommend never buying Italian-made cycle clothing which even XXL comes in ‘8 year old boy’ size.

my 2p

Will I get beaten with a carbon seat post if I wear baggies while out on the seemingly humiliating cheap road bike?

No, but you will be far more (physically if not emotional) comfortable in a pair of nice cycling shorts. Get over it, no one is staring at your cock.

How do I go about trying SPD’s again without breaking an ankle

Clip in, if unable to clip out again then learn quicker next time. It’s not difficult.

What sort of milage should I start off attempting (around the dark peak)

Start small and build up, an hour a day is easy, but try it 5 days in a row and it builds up. The usual rule of thumb is your average weekly mileage over the preceding 8 weeks is the max you could do in a day. So 15 miles a day, 5 days a week for 8 weeks and you could do 75 miles in a day as a long ride. I’d aim for a lot of weekday riding for the first few weeks, just do as many miles as you can at a brisk pace. Then after a month or so join a club, Sunday club runs are brilliant, and leg destroying in equal measure if you get the right group.

A 75mile club run and 75miles of mid week rides get’s you 150 miles a week, enough to do C2C in a day, so 2 days should be a breeze.

Where the flip do roadies stuff tubes, tools, food and waterproofs?!

Look at the forecast before setting off and pack accordingly, dressing for the road bike is an art learnt over time, thin baselayer, arm warmers, gillet. If it’s raining the aim is to stay warm, not dry, you’ll get wet almost regardless, hence gillet and armwarmers. There’s no faffing/stopping on a road ride so no time to get changed and therefore carrying crap you don’t need is pointless.

Tools, keep it to a multi tool (with chain tool), spare tube(s), small pump or CO2. That will all fit in the smallest of small saddle bags or a single roadie jersey pocket, leaving the others free for food, debit card, cash, key, phone. Gillets should be folded then stored under your jersey/bibs across your shoulder blades.

Is there such thing as a truly “friendly” cycle club who might tolerate someone slow and beginner ish?

Yes, all of them (especially ones with beginners groups)

Is my bike too green?

Never

Are you serious? Riding a road bike is a steady effort with troughs and peaks, MTBing runs on consistently higher heart rates with no place to hide (no peleton to cruise in etc.)

Not knocking the fitness of road riders (I do it myself), but mile for mile MTBing is far more intensive!!!

I can just about hang onto the back of the ‘Fast’ MTB club XC ride, mainly populated by sponsored racer types. I can also just about sit in the ‘intermediate’ club run (which is usually the slowest group after it’s dropped the slower half after the cake stop). There may be no troughs and peaks for you, but that’s just saying you don;t take enough turns on the front :p

A fit riders still a fit rider, but there’s an absolutely huge gulf between the guys who turn up at a trail center on a Sunday morning and those meeting on road bikes in the market place. If I meet someone who’s into their road bikes I’ll usually have to think long and hard before accepting their offer to show me round the local lanes, whereas on an MTB I’d not think twice.

ahwiles – Member

You may well find that a 100mm stem is too long, or even too short

Best bit of advice on this thread 😀

Kryton57 – Member

Best bit of advice on this thread

helpful, aren’t I 🙂

(the important thing is to at least try a stem before dismissing it as too long/short)

Peak on my mtb helmet definitely gets in the way of seeing ahead before my brow does…..it unclips easy enough, but keep meaning to treat myself to a ‘road’ helmet.

Possibly the most consistently informative thread I’ve seen on here in a long time, as a born again roadie I agree with most points, would have been useful to have read this 18 months ago! I got battered by a baggy jersey on my first ride so tight lycra was bought quickly. I have become obsessed with wind direction on weather forecasts (headwind out, tailwind home unless you’re a proper masochist) and have discovered how useful arm and leg warmers are which I used to think were some affectation.

I spin now far more than I did, still not a fan of road spds though (ride flats on mtb so clipping in after a stop still frustrates me).

And no way does my brow block the view of my helmet peak.

RRR – nice bike. As already mentioned, lose the reflectors. The single biggest upgrade is a change in tyres. Makers almost ALWAYS skimp on tyres. For £40 you can upgrade to a pair of kevlar beaded Schwalbe Durano S or equivalent, which will change the bike immeasurably.

I also agree that the stem looks a little long. MD: typically stems shouldn’t really go below abou 80mm as the weight is being moved further back off the front wheel axis and the handling becomes more twitchy. Pros like shorter frames and longer stems as this helps with stability whilst keeping a lower bar height.

And fit some cheap white alloy bottle cages – £10 each. The plastic Elite ones scratch clear bottles dreadfully and look dirty after your first wet ride.

Peak ot no peak? I gave myself a neck injury a few years ago riding low on the drops with a peak. I’ve since raised the bars and occasionally worn a cycling cap, who’s peak can be flipped upwards. Really it’s a personal thing. Stopping sweat from running into the eyes can be just as easily achieved with a buff or the like from Aesos. But caps do look cool 8)

still not a fan of road spds though

Are you using the one sided SPD pedals? I found they were a right faff to clip in. If you use double sided MTB style SPDs its much easier.

Road stems – how short is ‘too short’?

I’m small (160cm) with long legs/short torso, my trek is a 47 and i run an 80mm stem – bike all fitted to my measurements and flexibility, but i can ride on the drops for 100miles. The 80mm stem took a bit of getting used to but now race happily on it. I wouldn’t go less than 80mm, bike would be far too twitchy cornering.

dirtygirlonabike – Member
…. i can ride on the drops for 100miles…

Wow, I iz in Lust…. *swoons*

Are you using the one sided SPD pedals?

yes. Main reason being I managed to pick up some carbon-soled Carnac shoes from Planet X for 37 quid, and R540spds are only 20 quid, so it was cheaper than trying to find some decent stiff-soled shoes to work with the MTB SPDs I still have sitting around. I ride the MTB SPDs on my winter/commuter and I clip in subconsiously, but the soles are noticeably flexier and less comfortable. If I could have found decent stiff-soled MTB shoes cheap I would have gone that route.

but i can ride on the drops for 100miles

Dirtygirl’s bike in the workshop, earlier today 😀

In all seriousness you will find that your “fit” changes as you get used to riding in the road position. My bars have got lower as I have become more flexible and my core has got stronger.

Wow, I iz in Lust…. *swoons*

What will happen when i tell you its also slammed and -17 😛 8) 😀

@crashtestmonkey, omg, that is a monster of a bike 😐

Point is, if the bike fits you properly and you look after yourself ie core work, stretch etc, then the bike will be super comfy over any distance. If a shorter stem helps, then that’s the way to go.

One thing nobody has mentioned, if you only have MTB shoes, then SPDs are the only option. If you’re using a road-specific shoe with smooth soles, then Look-style pedals are far easier to get into.

MTB shes tend to have a raised sole tread that helps locate the small cleat but if you put them on a road shoe, in spite of them being double-sided, they can be a right pain to get into and if you miss, there’s a tendency for the old top-tube/knackers interface.

Look style pedals don’t take much getting used to, they offer a far more stable platform for climbing/sprinting out of the saddle, and you’ll probably only clip/unclip a handful of times on a ride.

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of ‘looking cool’. Always close your mouth and breath through your nose when passing oncoming cars, cyclists or pedestrians – you’re aiming for the totally-effortless-like-you-were-born-on-a-road-bike look.