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Road Biking: Convince Me

severine

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I'd been toying with the idea of picking up a road bike... It's not always easy to get childcare so I can drive to the trail and get into the woods. But I did get up early quite a few times last summer and ride the roads from my house--on the mountain bike. Thinking that since it's more likely I'll be able to get rides in that way, maybe I should have the right tool for the job.

I don't know though... Do I want to spend the money? I kind of had my heart set on the iPad 2 instead. ;)

My budget is very low... no more than $600, which won't get me much of a bike but it would be more suited to road riding than my Specialized Hardtail...

Convince me!
 

riverc0il

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If you want to do it for fitness, I will say that I lost 20lbs last year getting back into road biking. :D You'll certainly enjoy riding paved roads on a road bike much more than a mountain bike, I would imagine.

I always pedal right out the door (excepting group rides though sometimes I'll ride to the start location if it is a short ride) so you're definitely more likely to get more days in if you find driving to a trail head is difficult. You can get in a full ride in the time of round trip driving.

Hope you don't mind speed. When S got her first road bike (having only been on rec bikes before), I think it was a little intimidating for her.

Given the Mr. Green emoticon in the subject line, I wonder if you really need convincing or if you are fishing for the MTB crowd to pull you back from the dark side? :lol:
 

severine

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Just get a pair of road tires for it and the ipad
I like your thinking! :beer:

I definitely want one... but I'm afraid I'll get it and I won't use it. Sort of like my gym membership. I hate getting up super early but that's the easiest time to get exercise in--before B goes to work. Clocks will be changing next weekend so it'll be a little easier to get up earlier.

Luckily, I still had my big chain ring on my mountain bike. But would top out pretty fast. I think my fastest was 28 mph, according to the GPS, and that freaked me out a bit when I realized it. Speed is scary. But kind of cool, too.
 

marcski

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I love my road bike. I have been in the best shape of my life since I bought it about 5 years ago. I have come to really love road biking....and before this bike its something I hadn't done in like 20+ years. (had only been Mtn biking during those yrs). The speed, feel of a smooth road, climbing........the mental aspects of the physical challenges and pushing myself in order to get faster and stronger is something I have come to crave in my life.

Here's an idea try and borrow someone's or demo/rent one a few times and see if you like it before taking the splurge....

Also think about where you'd ride....quiet roads ...near your house....good shoulders, etc. I tend to enjoy riding alone or with just one or two others as opposed to large groups. Lots of variables.
 

severine

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Don't know anyone I could borrow one from, but that's a good suggestion. Maybe I'll go talk to the guys at Suburban Sports and see what they have to say. I think they do demos or something there. Though it's kind of slim pickins with my budget...

I don't like stopping a lot so the ride from my house is basically about 1.5 miles of residential roads then a state highway where the speed limit is 45mph (and people go 60mph). The other direction would be the same. Most likely by myself. Don't know anyone in the area to ride with and my decision to ride is often last minute.
 

severine

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I guess where I'm going with this is that if I can get the job done with the mountain bike, should I even bother investing in a cheap road bike anyway? It's not like I can get something substantial so maybe just getting some road tires like o3jeff suggested will do the trick, making it a little more pleasant anyway.
 
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mlctvt

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Bikes Direct has some pretty nice road bikes for under $600. http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm
There's even one with a carbon fork and full Tiagra group for $549.00. You couldn't buy the components for that! An equivalent Trek at a bike shop would go for about $1100.
Some people have great experience with Bikes Direct others not. It does help if you or a friend are handy making small adjustments etc.

If you still use your mountain bike off road I think a second wheelset with road tires mounted for your existing mountain bike might be the cheapest way to enjoy the road more. You can pick up a wheelset for less than $200. With tires you're ready to go for $200-$300.
Or look for a used road bike. Last year I sold a perfectly functioning road bike for $120. Yes it was 1992 technology but it worked perfectly.
 

bvibert

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Bikes Direct has some pretty nice road bikes for under $600. http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/road_bikes.htm
There's even one with a carbon fork and full Tiagra group for $549.00. You couldn't buy the components for that! An equivalent Trek at a bike shop would go for about $1100.
Some people have great experience with Bikes Direct others not. It does help if you or a friend are handy making small adjustments etc.

If you still use your mountain bike off road I think a second wheelset with road tires mounted for your existing mountain bike might be the cheapest way to enjoy the road more. You can pick up a wheelset for less than $200. With tires you're ready to go for $200-$300.
Or look for a used road bike. Last year I sold a perfectly functioning road bike for $120. Yes it was 1992 technology but it worked perfectly.

Yeah, she has a friend who is okay with adjustments. Not convinced on Bikes Direct though, might be worth looking into. Used is a good option. My problem is, while I know a fair amount about MTB, I know nothing about road bikes. I wouldn't really know what I was looking at on a used road bike, nor do I really know anything about fit.

The second wheelset isn't all that appealing to me since she has rim brakes on her MTB. I don't want to be futzing with readjusting the brakes every time we switch wheels.
 

ts01

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Short answer: DO IT. A lot of crossover fun between skiing and roadbiking, and the ease of going out your front door can't be beat.

Long answer: With $600 and a little patience you can get a really nice road bike if you watch your local Craigslist. I'd suggest reading up a bit here: http://forums.roadbikereview.com/forumdisplay.php?f=98 . And then figure out your fit parameters here using the online fit calculator here: http://www.wrenchscience.com/. It is not that complicated though bike nerds can out-nerd ski nerds any day. If you like biking, great; if not, then sell it next year and take a modest loss if any.

Even more than ski tech, bike tech goes through fads and model year "upgrades" that are meaningless to most riders. With your budget you'd have much more fun on a 10-y/o mid to high level performance bike than you would on new gear, and you'd probably have $$ left over for shoes, shorts, and helmet (the real essentials). Don't worry too much about frame material -- IMHO the aluminum frame/carbon fork combo on most budget bikes these days rides great -- nor should you really care that much about name brands, there are just a couple of factories that pump out similar quality bikes with different paint jobs -- and Shimano 105 level components are cheap and reliable as is the competing group from SRAM (though that's going to be mostly on newer bikes). Depreciation is your friend -- I've bought a couple of really nice road bikes for myself and family or friends, spending $300 - $500 on bikes that were in the $1500-2000 range new.
 
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Jisch

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I put slicks on my old mountain bike and use that on the road, but for me, its a second rate thing to do when I can't mountain bike (time or trail conditions). It is a great way to get a workout and it really is fun.

I would bet that a road bike would make it even more efficient, but slicks pumped up to 60 PSI offer a ton less resistance than mountain bike tires. That said, if you think about it, if you are riding purely for fitness and only by yourself (like I do) why do you need lower rolling resistance? You don't need to keep up to anyone, you just need a workout. More efficiency means you cover more ground in less time, not a better workout. If you never ride on slicks you don't know what you're missing (I didn't for years).

My wife has been riding a similarly set up mountain bike and is about to buy a road bike - she is buying one at a bike shop though, so she gets a professional fit - you can certainly use a calculator to give you a good idea of frame size, keep in mind that because you are spending a lot more time sitting when you're on a road bike, the fit is way more important on a road bike than a mountain bike.
 

severine

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I would bet that a road bike would make it even more efficient, but slicks pumped up to 60 PSI offer a ton less resistance than mountain bike tires. That said, if you think about it, if you are riding purely for fitness and only by yourself (like I do) why do you need lower rolling resistance? You don't need to keep up to anyone, you just need a workout. More efficiency means you cover more ground in less time, not a better workout. If you never ride on slicks you don't know what you're missing (I didn't for years).
Excellent point. If I'm not looking to ride with groups or do any races, it probably doesn't matter in the long run if I'm on a MTB or something else, as long as I'm comfortable enough for what I'm doing. Maybe I'll wait and see how it goes on my MTB again before making any decisions. Been too many months to recall exactly.
 

marcski

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Excellent point. If I'm not looking to ride with groups or do any races, it probably doesn't matter in the long run if I'm on a MTB or something else, as long as I'm comfortable enough for what I'm doing. Maybe I'll wait and see how it goes on my MTB again before making any decisions. Been too many months to recall exactly.

Yes, you can...it will work...but it's akin to using a big stiff GS race ski to ski the bumps. The right tool for the job will certainly make it easier and more enjoyable. Plus, speed is cool....and fat tires, smooth or not just have more drag. (Plus...the aerodynamic seating position of a road frame). It depends on what you want to do really. How much you want to try. I think an investment of an extra 400 bills now...(600 cost of new bike - 200 for new slick wheels) will do a big difference. You can still hop on your mtn bike..but having a "real" road bike will really make it that much better, IMHO. Lots of good ideas of how to find a good 2nd hand bike in this thread....
 
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john1200c

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I bought a road bike last year for fitness. My theory was more speed=more miles=more scenery = less boredom = more fitness. It worked...
 

Jisch

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I bought a road bike last year for fitness. My theory was more speed=more miles=more scenery = less boredom = more fitness. It worked...

That's the theory we are banking on with my wife's new road bike purchase.
 

hammer

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FWIW I took my mountain bike with "city tires" on a few 25-milers and a 50-miler with my son last summer. I'm sure that a road bike would have been easier but with the smooth tires the mountain bike wasn't too bad. I rarely use my mountain bike for its intended purpose so I just swapped out the tires (and tubes) that were originally on the bike.
 

andyaxa

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I have a CX bike from Bikes Direct and love it. Slicks for road and triathlon. Knobbies for CX and trail riding (nothing technical).
 

mlctvt

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I have a CX bike from Bikes Direct and love it. Slicks for road and triathlon. Knobbies for CX and trail riding (nothing technical).

I love my road bikes but If I had to own just one bike a Cyclocross bike would be it. I put fenders on mine and use it to extend the season. I rode it Saturday on lots of sandy and wet roads and didn't get splashed at all. Great for touring or for forest roads too.
 

riverc0il

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Yeah, she has a friend who is okay with adjustments. Not convinced on Bikes Direct though, might be worth looking into.
I got my bike from BD and it has been great. The bikes are legit (though I suspect the really cheap ones you get what you pay for). You just are rolling the dice on fit. If you know your size and geo preferences, BD is a good deal. Just depends how comfortable you are with buying a bike without riding it first and the associated risks of not matching up the geo with your body's needs.

:beer:
 
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