Tell me about ….. The Dark Side

.. On a budget.

I’ve come to realise that my car isn’t enjoying the 6 mile at 6mph commute every day and neither am I.

So, I need to get back on a bike but my current options are a 150/160mm travel Tracer or a knackered Carrerra hybrid.

As such , and due to my limited fitness and the amount of mahoosive hills on my potential commute I’m thinking that a r*** bike might be a good idea.

So, I have a very modest budget of £500 and know nothing (not one thing) about road bikes! What size should I be looking at (I ride 20″ mtb’s)? What frame/ forks? What group set ?

Just tell me everything I need to know.

.. Oh and can you get flats for road bikes (serious question!)?

Thank you please

For a start don’t call it “the Dark side”.. 🙄

.. Oh and can you get flats for road bikes

I doubt it, but if you wanna stick with flats then do it.

Clipped in makes for far more efficent riding on a road bike, as you tend to climb out of the saddle more IMHO.

For a start don’t call it “the Dark side”..

+1

very modest budget of £500

LOL! Aim lower for your first road bike. Get a cheap 2nd hand one off eBay for commuting purposes. Couple o’ hundred quid tops. Road bikes can be good value as they don’t generally get the thrashing or get as worn as MTBs.

If you’re on a 20″ MTB (you’re well over 6feet tall?) you’ll need about a 60cm road bike. Fit is more important on roadbikes to maybe pay your LBS a visit and make out you’re interested in buying a new one. Sit on a few – they will direct you to the correct size.

Of course you can use flats.

I’m in a similar position to yourself in terms of wanting a cheap road bike. I’m going to get one of these:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-road-bike-out-of-stock-id_8167038.html#v1315240

Thread here: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/questions-about-the-triban-3-and-general-darkside-stuff

You should be able to pick up a very nice s/h road bike for £500.

Alu frame, carbon fork and kit like Shimano 105. Probably around 56cm/58cm frame but do try to sit on whatever you’re buying.

And I thought it was going to be a post about some big bloke in a cape and mask with an asthma problem 😥

I’m in a similar position to yourself in terms of wanting a cheap road bike. I’m going to get one of these:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-3-road-bike-out-of-stock-id_8167038.html#v1315240

Thread here: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/questions-about-the-triban-3-and-general-darkside-stuff

Didn’t post on that thread, but I have on previous ones when this topic comes up – and wouldn’t hesitate to repeat my recommendation for the Decathlon road bikes. I’ve got one and I’m very happy with it, good vfm.

i bought a dark side bike… 6 weeks ago…

It was like buying a convertible car… seems like a great idea but in reality they’re fooking rubbish.

sold it.

It was like buying a convertible car… seems like a great idea but in reality they’re fooking rubbish.

Probably more like user error.

Try a CX bike – great for commuting with a bit of fun off road.

If you’re on a 20″ MTB (you’re well over 6feet tall?) you’ll need about a 60cm road bike.

I’d have to disagree with that. I’m 6ft2 and ride a 57/58 (I ride a 20 inch orange). A 60 will be huge…

Thurman Merman – Member

It was like buying a convertible car… seems like a great idea but in reality they’re fooking rubbish.

Probably more like user error.

User error ? You mean like turning the pedals ? Not sure how i managed ‘user error’

Elaborate ?

I’d pick up a second hand CX bike as above, should be able to get a Croix De Fer or the like, bit more relaxed ride than an all out road bike, plenty of space for mudguards, racks etc, i love mine for commuting.

This is a bit of a bargin :
http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/bikes/road-bikes/merlin-road-bikes/merlin-malt-r-tiagra-triple-road-bike-2012.html
Carbon fork, full tiagra groupset ( all be it 9 speed) around 20lb for £499.

This is a bit of a bargin :
http://www.merlincycles.com/bike-shop/bikes/road-bikes/merlin-road-bikes/merlin-malt-r-tiagra-triple-road-bike-2012.html
Carbon fork, full tiagra groupset ( all be it 9 speed) around 20lb for £499.

that is outstanding value.

So, I have a very modest budget

Fix the hybrid then 😉

User error ? You mean like turning the pedals ? Not sure how i managed ‘user error’

Elaborate ?

I think you should elaborate why they are “fooking rubbish”?

£500 should get you a cracker second hand. Look out for shimano 105, carbon forks and an Alu frame. Mudguard mounts would be a winner for a commute.
I watched a 2nd hand boardman team cx bike not sell at £500 on eBay. That’d make a great commuter.

OP – I have seen a bike on 50% discount at my LBS which I think could be just what you’re after and under budget.

Drop me a line (email in profile) if interested (they do mail order).

heavy_rat – Member

User error ? You mean like turning the pedals ? Not sure how i managed ‘user error’

Elaborate ?

I think you should elaborate why they are “fooking rubbish”?

FOr me personally it was a handling thing. I’m a reasonable MTBer, i’ve done the Alps/Morzine etc, do all the UK stuff with a reasonable level of confidence but i felt like i was going to fall off the roadie every time i hit a bump/bobble… taking my hand off the bar even for a quick drink brought on a death wobble and almost had me lying in the gutter.

Add to this the difference in speed which brings about a level of chill factor which makes you hands WAY colder than a MTB.

Lastly it’s the sense of seclusion, the sense of being alone and at one with nature… well it’s just missing on road bikes. IT’s hedgerow both sides, head down and nailing the pedals to keep the speed high.

It’s good fitness training as my recent MTB ride with a mate proved to me… but in all honesty i enjoy pedalling in the gym just as much as using a road bike.

User error ? You mean like turning the pedals ? Not sure how i managed ‘user error’

Elaborate ?

Much like every middle aged balding fat man believes a convertible will make him god’s gift to girls.

Every middle aged MAMIL belives he will become next years TDF housewives favourite.

Then on the first ride they do one of three things, one don’t realise it’s actualy really hard work and wonder why they’re so slow, realise it’s actualy really hard work and all the talk of lower rolling resistance and light weight allowing you to fly up hills dancing on the pedals, is actualy only relative to how much pain and suffering you’re prepared to endure and give up. The third type MTFU.

a handling thing……..
(1)i felt like i was going to fall off the roadie every time i hit a bump/bobble…
taking my hand off the bar even for a quick drink brought on a death wobble and almost had me lying in the gutter.

(2)Add to this the difference in speed which brings about a level of chill factor which makes you hands WAY colder than a MTB.

(3)Lastly it’s the sense of seclusion, the sense of being alone and at one with nature… well it’s just missing on road bikes. IT’s hedgerow both sides, head down and nailing the pedals to keep the speed high.

1 and 3 are easily solved by looking where your going rather than at the front tyre.

(2) gloves and arm warmers.

weeksy – Member

FOr me personally it was a handling thing. I’m a reasonable MTBer, i’ve done the Alps/Morzine etc, do all the UK stuff with a reasonable level of confidence but i felt like i was going to fall off the roadie every time i hit a bump/bobble… taking my hand off the bar even for a quick drink brought on a death wobble and almost had me lying in the gutter.

Add to this the difference in speed which brings about a level of chill factor which makes you hands WAY colder than a MTB.

Lastly it’s the sense of seclusion, the sense of being alone and at one with nature… well it’s just missing on road bikes. IT’s hedgerow both sides, head down and nailing the pedals to keep the speed high.

It’s good fitness training as my recent MTB ride with a mate proved to me… but in all honesty i enjoy pedalling in the gym just as much as using a road bike.

I think Thurman Merman might have been right the first time 😀

Road riding is great supplement to MTBing. I think you should have persevered with it for longer

I think Thurman Merman might have been right the first time

Road riding is great supplement to MTBing. I think you should have persevered with it for longer

I wasn’t enjoying it mate. It was a lot of the bike rather than the terrain, i did a 2 hour road ride on the Spearfish yesterday and really enjoyed it (although at a slightly slower pace). Roads i can live with when the trails are wet…. road bikes… nah, not for me.

If you’re messing with The Darkseid then you’re in big trouble.

Until I saw that Merlin i was gong to post the Ribble Winter bike:
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/bbd/road-track-bike/ribble-7005-audax-winter-training?part=BB13RIB7005AUDAXWINT&sub=conf_BBRW&bike=1

Which is great value and a good starter!

That merlin though is brilliant value!

Weeksy +1.

I bought a road bike for my 30 mile round trip commute. And also absolutely hated it! I couldn’t get on with it at all. It just felt twitchy and fragile, confirmed by one particular near death experience with a massive pot hole that totalled my (expensive Campag) back wheel at speed. Oh… and the brakes are crap! And I wouldn’t dream of using the road bike for anything other than the commute, as road riding is so spirit-sappingly, mind-numbingly tedious!!! IMHO of course.

I sold it and got a decent hardtail instead, and a cheap, spare set of slick-tyred wheels that I whip on for the commute. Makes much more sense as I can use the hardtail for ‘proper’ riding at nights and weekends too, so its a win/win

near death experience with a massive pot hole that totalled my (expensive Campag) back wheel at speed

If it was that big how did you miss (or hit) it?

Could have been a childs face!

Road (race) bikes which seems to be what most of you are on about aren’t really very well suited to commuting.

If it was that big how did you miss (or hit) it?

I was basically forced into it by a mental white van man alongside me. I found myself with nowhere to go, and due to the road bikes feeble brakes, couldn’t stop in time either. Though to be fair to it, the bike did slow down pretty quickly when the now totalled back rim slammed into the crap brakes. At that point I may have screamed like a girl and **** myself.

Blimey, thanks for the responses!

So… A CX bike makes some sense actually as there are a few semi off road routes I could use.

I’m 6’2″ and ride a Large Tracer and a 19/20″ hardtail (when it has brakes and forks) .. If that helps with the sizing?!

Can some explain the level of groupsets to me I’m terms of equivalency to SLX, XT, XTR etc?

I must admit I am a little worried about wimpy brakes given the long fast descents, my fairly large size and cars pulling out of side roads etc :-/

I must admit I am a little worried about wimpy brakes given the long fast descents, my fairly large size and cars pulling out of side roads etc

It’s only a problem in the rain, in the dry the brakes are more than powerful enough to lock the wheels. (So if it’s wet, you need to anticipate further ahead, exactly the same as if you were driving).

The groupsets are 2300 (Altera or whatever it’s called), Sora (Deore), Tiagra, 105, Ultegra and DuraAce (XTR)

Can’t remember the Campag and SRam groupsets, sorry.

If you had da skilz then you would have bunny hopped the pothole 🙂

Could you not spend a couple of hundred doing up the Carrera hybrid, rather than £500 on a road bike?
The Carrera would be perfectly good for a 6 mile commute…

It’s only a problem in the rain, in the dry the brakes are more than powerful enough to lock the wheels.

But only when in the drops, in my experience.

Unless you have massive hands, you have no chance of stopping when on the hoods.

It will put the willies up you at first. It did me. But you get used it. It’s very different to riding a mountain bike. It sits planted on the road and it’s comfortable there. There’s a sense of belonging.

Road bikes are great fun. It’ll probably not make a huge difference to times over 6 miles, and what you get out of it will depend on your route.

You can get hydralic disc brakes on a CX bike, though that may be a tad expensive for your budget. I started commuting on my hardtail with slicks then moven onto a Specialised Tricross, great versatile bike, and been touring all over on it. Takes rack and mudguards, I have two sets of wheels, 1 for road work and other with 35mm for offroad and canal tracks and so on, brilliant fun. I then converted and old road bike to single speed and it was superb for the commute, really helps with fitness too.

Road cycling is superb fun, but it all depends where you do it. Country roads with big hedges dont do it for me, but an open scottish road with superb sea views and mountain scenery is simply stunning.

Road (race) bikes which seems to be what most of you are on about aren’t really very well suited to commuting.

Depends on the commute. I used to do 15miles each way over the summer, with a 1.5l (i.e. the tiny one that holds 1.5l of water and nothing else) camelpack with a folded shirt, socks and boxxers in it. (washing stuff, shoes, trousers etc left at work, water bottle in frame). And it was ideal.

Over winter it would have needed guards (SKS raceblades) but would still have surficed.

But that relies on having good changing/washing and storage areas at work. Working in a big office now (the old one had maybe 10 people and the showers were istalled as the testing/production area was hot/messy) and it’s more of a PITA, I’m not the type to walk through 3 floors of offices i lycra to get a change of clothes from my desk, then back to the showers so I’ve got a full on tourer with panniers to cary everything.

The downside of bags is nothing get’s to air or dry out so you end up with skinking kit for the commute home and have to use a fresh towel each day.

If you had da skilz then you would have bunny hopped the pothole

Unfortunately, when it comes to Skilz, think drunk, three-legged hippo on a skateboard, and you’re getting close to my level 😉

But only when in the drops, in my experience.

Why would you not be in the drops on a fast descent in the wet?

The problem with road riding for me is keeping it fresh. Repeating the same routes over and over on the club runs week after week gets old fast. So much so that I elected to stay at home on Saturday and then shamed myself into going out solo after the missus went out leaving me. Don’t seem to have the same problem on the MTB.

OP, if it’s only a 6 mile commute then I’d do up the Carrera. Maybe even convert to single speed if possible to keep maintenance low. Get slicks to make the commute faster. Could probably use your MTB kit for the commute and investigate the shower facilities at work first.

As for flats, I used mine with a pair of Wellgos the bike came with for the first two years before swapping to Eggbeaters first and SPD-SLs later. Wished I’d done it sooner afterwards even with all the gentle fall-overs, and the saddle to coccyx interfaces using SPD-SLs without realising they were one sided entry only!

I’d also fix up the hardtail and stick some slick tyres on it. At only 6 miles each way any speed benefit of the road bike will be minimal and you will feel more comfortable on the hardtail. Plus, with a quick change of tyres you will also have your hardtail ready for off-road duties.

Road (race) bikes which seems to be what most of you are on about aren’t really very well suited to commuting.

Agree. I carry a 30l pack. Full to the brim. Weighs 6kgs. And a race bike with skinny wheels / tyres just wouldn’t cut it.
I commute using a converted MTB when the roads are really mucky or use my kaffenback. And yep – the commute times are more or less the same – so no significant diff for my 12 mile commute.