I am considering a road bike..is that a crime? please advise...

quadricolour · May 9, 2004

It's a good idea. I've lost all kinds of weight on my road bike, and it's much more fun than I thought it would be.

As for what kind to get? Ride a bunch of them, you'll know when you get on the right one.

Skookum · May 9, 2004

i purchased an aluminum framed GT ZR 4000. Just an average frame with low end components. I bought it about 5 years back for around 400 pounds (thank you XE.com

)
let me prefice my story by saying i usually ride (mt. bikes) year round, even thru our muddy season. I believe our weather out here (Seattle Wa.) is similiar to yours, but we've managed to keep our canopy of tree's. So in the handful of times i ride the bike in a year it's helped me quickly build up "my wind" versus jumping right back into a muddy trail, after a few weeks or an occasional month off the bike.
Also i use it for a summer ride here or there, just to enjoy the city. Much nicer way than to commute by bus or car. Also someday i hope to ride a century 100 miles, sorry i don't have a miles/kilometer's converter handy.

Mainly just to say i've done it.
So i spent that amount on a bike that i ride only a handful of times in the year, and i say it's been money well spent.

Now on quitting smoking. Stop puffing on them fags. (i've always wanted to say without being mean spirited) I was raised by grandparents who smoked in the house all my life. When they quit i wound up taking up the habit at 14 and smoked til i was 27. I never quit or really thought of quitting, but instead of going into the whole big story, when i decided to quit that was it... i was done..... I've kicked the habit since and cycling has been a major factor in me accomplishing this. It really does make a difference in quality of life, and helps in cycling. I still have to work much harder than a person who didn't abuse their body like i did, but each year it has gotten better and better for me. This year already has been noticeably better.

Good luck.

LordOpie · May 9, 2004

I think you should get a roadie, but I'm biased. What about putting slicks on your lighter mtb and ride that for a few weeks?

A friend just dropped $1500 on a road bike and I was totally blown away by the service she got. If you're lucky find a shop that will measure you up and build you a bike. She got an Orbea frame, carbon fork, forgot what the wheels were, but they were nice, and complete Campy Veloce group... everything ordered to spec. I'm totally going to the same shop when I buy a new bike.

PS: you said Veloce or Ultegra... I think Centaur compares with Ultegra and Veloce compares with 105. IF I'm right, then you may see a price difference between 'em.

Get fenders

LordOpie · May 9, 2004

Originally posted by math2014
... i started smoking when i was 23. Now i am 27 and i am on the virge of quiting for performance reasons.

ah, the little lady is complaining, eh? :devil:

neversummersnow · May 9, 2004

GO for it...I'm a DH guy all the way but going to be ordering the build kit for my custom bikesource cannondale tommorow.

Riding road is something that is brainless and a great way to think about things amongst get in a GREAT workout/train more specifically.

fasterTHANyou · May 9, 2004

i'm in the process of training for the Marine Corps marathon in washington dc in october... i've been using road biking on my non-run days. definitely making a lot of difference. i've been using a beater, but i'd like to get something nicer later this year

LordOpie · May 10, 2004

Originally posted by neversummersnow
Riding road is something that is brainless...

haha, you try NOT thinking when you're crusing down Flagstaff (it's in Boulder for the non-CO peeps) at 45mph.

In fact, I hope Squeak see this thread

LordOpie · May 10, 2004

if money's not an issue, I totally encourage you to get a road bike. I say this only cuz I didn't know I was gonna love road riding and didn't want to drop the dough on something I might not do very much.

IF you think you'll ride at least 200 miles/month, I think you should definitely get something decent 105/veloce or better.

I'm waiting until next "off"-season for prices to drop and I'll buy 853 steel with ultegra/chorus.

If you want to be a "real" roadie, you're supposed to go campy

I couldn't care less as long as it's somewhat comfortable and performs. Now I'm addicted to long climbs and speedy downhills

I can't offer any advice about dh vs road, but I am overweight, so I can say get your ass in gear... get it? haha, i'm so funny before i have my coffee.

PS: get a triple front if you are lucky enough to have fun climbs there.

EDIT: I forgot the most important part about me becoming a roadie... I enjoy mtb soooo much more! I used to mtb for fun -and- exercise, now, I mtb strictly for fun.

neurostar · May 10, 2004

Originally posted by LordOpie
if money's not an issue, I totally encourage you to get a road bike. I say this only cuz I didn't know I was gonna love road riding and didn't want to drop the dough on something I might not do very much.

IF you think you'll ride at least 200 miles/month, I think you should definitely get something decent 105/veloce or better.

Agreed. I skimped on my road bike, and got the cheapest one I could find, since I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it or not... I love the bike, but wish I'd have gotten a bike with better components (I've got sora now)...

johnbryanpeters · May 10, 2004

I have been increasingly riding the mountain bike to the trails rather than driving to get there. For me that's three to ten miles depending where I'm headed. Doesn't have the heady soaring feeling of a road bike, but gives me more miles on my main ride (a Joker).

J

Motionboy2 · May 10, 2004

Here are my tips for you. Campy and shimano are equal in most ways, put your hands on the shifters of each and find which one feels most comfortable for shifting. Campy has thumb levers where Shimano has all index levers.

As for the bike. Don't get your heart set on a bike, find a shop that knows road bikes and how to fit them. Have them take your measurements and recomend a bike in or around your price range that would work best for you. Make sure they are not just making you stand over the frame. More than likely they will need to change out the stem.

LordOpie · May 10, 2004

Originally posted by neurostar
Agreed. I skimped on my road bike, and got the cheapest one I could find, since I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy it or not... I love the bike, but wish I'd have gotten a bike with better components (I've got sora now)...

upgrade as stuff wears out

My wheels only had 1500 miles when they started to crap, but it gave me an excuse to by a pair of Mavic Open Pros with Ultegra... for my Sora bike

it's like a whole 'nother world when i'm using those wheels. I use the old set for commuting to work.

Serial Midget · May 10, 2004

This whole thread warms my heart.

Motionboy2 · May 10, 2004

Originally posted by math2014
Yep will do that.... i already got a road bike... (back in Greece from my roadie days), so i guess i will figure out again the basics about fitting. For my height...185cm ..i reckon i need a 56cm frame... now ...the stem and bars are the points to play with...

It is a bit more involved than that. I mean, there are 56cm frames that are C-C and others that are C-T, there are seat angles and top tube lengths...
It would be in your best interest to consult with a quality shop to see what they reccomend for your actual body fit.

neurostar · May 10, 2004

Originally posted by LordOpie
upgrade as stuff wears out My wheels only had 1500 miles when they started to crap, but it gave me an excuse to by a pair of Mavic Open Pros with Ultegra... for my Sora bike it's like a whole 'nother world when i'm using those wheels. I use the old set for commuting to work.

That's the plan. Although, I'm hoping things will work just fine, at least until I graduate, so I can go buy a kickass bike.

Squeak · May 10, 2004

Originally posted by LordOpie
haha, you try NOT thinking when you're crusing down Flagstaff (it's in Boulder for the non-CO peeps) at 45mph.

In fact, I hope Squeak see this thread

Yeah yeah, lucky I read it!

bomberz1qr20 · May 10, 2004

Get a road bike if you can afford it.

Have a good shop fit you for it. Top tube length is as important as seat tube length in a road bike. Mountain bike are easy switch stems, bars, etc to dial in the fit - you aren't as static in your positioning on a mountain bike, so the fit has some wiggle room.

On a road bike you are in a fixed position for longer periods, so fit is much more important. Your shoulders and lower back will thank you for having the right top tube, and the bike will handle better.

Get the nicest frame, fork, and hubs you can afford, everything else you can upgrade as it dies. Nice thing abour road parts is they last alot longer than mountain parts - barring any crashes.

Expect any Shimano STI levers to die in a few years, they just do.

Look into a steel frame, it lasts forever and it's easy on the joints.

Happy hunting.

bomberz1qr20 · May 10, 2004

Originally posted by math2014
Cheers, i am looking into Campy Veloce or Centaur for components, and mavic xyrium equipe wheels or campy scirocco wheels. As for frames... most of the affordable frames are aluminum ones. Plus i got a Bianchi fetish... i might just shoot for the ML3 or SL3 models.

As for the fitting, i ll spend some time fitting the bike for sure...
for a first stop i ll check wrenchscience.

Thanks again for all the advice.
Back to my dirty SX now!!! (enough roadie stuff said...)

:devil:

If a Bianchi fits (shortish TT) look at this one:

http://www.bianchiusa.com/veloce.html

We sell those where I work, pretty nice rigs for the price.

Serial Midget · May 10, 2004

Aluminum road bike frames are a harsh ride - you really should consider quality steel if you can afford it.

Bianchi lower & middle priced bike frames are outsourced from Tiawan, the brand no longer has the chache it once did; they'll slap their name on anything. You can get a similar quality frame from many other makers for much less - no sense in paying for mass marketing if you don't have to.

LordOpie · May 11, 2004

Originally posted by math2014
So only the high-end frames are still made in italy? If that is the case...then i ll probably get a Giant OCR, or generally something else...maybe an Orbea or a Specialized Allez. I would opt for bianchi only for the "made in italy" thing. If this is lost to a "made in ...something" then i wont.

If you get lucky and find a shop that'll measure you up without breaking the bank, you won't choose the frame, the frame'll choose you... so to speak. The friend who just bought a bike had never heard of Orbea, but measuring her up and the bike seemed a good match according to the shop.

neversummersnow · May 11, 2004

The whole aluminium offers a harsh ride thing is only sort of true today. They've done a GREAT deal with shaping/swagging/butting of tubes to give aluminium a stiff yet compliant ride. It's definitly the material of choice for me and most guys over 180 lbs. Lighter guys still may prefer it but don't neccissarily want it as much as the bigger guys. Specialized is doing some really cool integration of quartz inserts/carbon into their price concious (sp?) road bikes to take away all high frequency vibrations yet still keep things stiff and fast. The most important thing is NOT material or weight but FIT.

I just did a fit yesterday, I'm 6 2" and believe it or not a 57 or 58 CM Cannondale fits me dead on. (got lucky, I bought a 57)

The fit found that a 120 leangth 100 degree (96 depending on stack height), Easton 44 handlebar, semi-setback post (alla NOT thomson) will fit me dead on. It's a pretty cool process you go through to get fit. Totally worth it.

Hopefully my bike will be built up by next week.

Best deals going are coming from---
Cannondale
Giant
Specialized

as they do the highest volume thus can offer bikes a better prices.

CANT WAIT!!!

I am considering a road bike..is that a crime? please advise...

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