Road Biking: Convince Me

[mlctvt]

Riding with group provides the dynamic I can't generate on my own.

On an avereage day, I climb faster and cruise at a higher speed than riding on my own.

exactly. Most riders riding on their own won't push themselves beyond a "comfortable" pace. Riding with a group of better riders will drastically improve your ability.

It can be tough when you're riding with a better group and they are all talking while climbing and you can just barely breath, never mind talk!

 

[MR. evil]

Get anything yet?

I purchased a used bike that was a trade in at my LBS this weekend, picking it up from the bike shop tonight. Its a 2009 Specialized Robiex Expert. I also know its old owner very well, and the bike is in mint condition

Carbon fibre frame & fork

Full Shimano Ultegra group

Flight Deck computer with controls built into the brake hoods

Brand new wheels - The former owner had a set of very high end wheels on the bike that were nicer than the set that came on his new Cervello C4. So he kept his old wheels, and the brand spakin new ones from the Cervello found their way onto this bike.

 

[bvibert]

I purchased a used bike that was a trade in at my LBS this weekend, picking it up from the bike shop tonight. Its a 2009 Specialized Robiex Expert. I also know its old owner very well, and the bike is in mint condition

Carbon fibre frame & fork

Full Shimano Ultegra group

Flight Deck computer with controls built into the brake hoods

Brand new wheels - The former owner had a set of very high end wheels on the bike that were nicer than the set that came on his new Cervello C4. So he kept his old wheels, and the brand spakin new ones from the Cervello found their way onto this bike.

Sounds really nice! We need pics now...

 

[MR. evil]

Sounds really nice! We need pics now...

I get some pics tonight when I pick it up. It came down between this bike and a brand new C-Dale Synapse 105 from Suburban Sports. This bike was not only several hundred bucks cheaper becuase its used, but its a much higher level bike and the shop owner threw in a free in-depth fitting well beyond what they normally do with a bike purchase. The fitting alone was well over an hour.

 

[o3jeff]

I purchased a used bike that was a trade in at my LBS this weekend, picking it up from the bike shop tonight. Its a 2009 Specialized Robiex Expert. I also know its old owner very well, and the bike is in mint condition

Carbon fibre frame & fork

Full Shimano Ultegra group

Flight Deck computer with controls built into the brake hoods

Brand new wheels - The former owner had a set of very high end wheels on the bike that were nicer than the set that came on his new Cervello C4. So he kept his old wheels, and the brand spakin new ones from the Cervello found their way onto this bike.

Nice, we'll have to go riding sometimes.

Is this it?

 

[MR. evil]

Nice, we'll have to go riding sometimes.

Is this it?

It's similar, but it's dark blue and I don't think the top tube curves that much.

 

[marcski]

Nice, we'll have to go riding sometimes.

Is this it?

Nice purple ride, Jeff. It's like the color of the old VW Beetles.
:flame::grin::grin:

 

[drjeff]

I took the roadie plunge this week! My LBS just had their grand opening celebration after a MAJOR expansion this winter/spring and I went for it! (okay the fact that a sizeable stick getting inbetween my ear spokes and rear derailleur last week, ripping my rear deraillaur off and having my mt bike in the shop in my serial upgrading of my drive components due to breakage might have also played a part )

a 2011 Jamis Xenith Endura 2 61cm carbon frame road bike. Should be at the LBS and assembled for its maiden ride by Saturday!

 

[mlctvt]

I took the roadie plunge this week! My LBS just had their grand opening celebration after a MAJOR expansion this winter/spring and I went for it! (okay the fact that a sizeable stick getting inbetween my ear spokes and rear derailleur last week, ripping my rear deraillaur off and having my mt bike in the shop in my serial upgrading of my drive components due to breakage might have also played a part )

a 2011 Jamis Xenith Endura 2 61cm carbon frame road bike. Should be at the LBS and assembled for its maiden ride by Saturday!

Nice bike DrJeff! I like how this bike is outfitted.
With that SRAM Apex group and it's very low gearing (11x32 cassette) you should be able to easily climb all those nasty hills in the NE corner of CT! As well as the even nastier hills around Mount Snow!

I'm looking forward to riding in your neck fo the woods on the Steeplechase century ride in August.

 

[drjeff]

Nice bike DrJeff! I like how this bike is outfitted.
With that SRAM Apex group and it's very low gearing (11x32 cassette) you should be able to easily climb all those nasty hills in the NE corner of CT! As well as the even nastier hills around Mount Snow!

I'm looking forward to riding in your neck fo the woods on the Steeplechase century ride in August.

Thanks! And yup, the owner of my LBS was equally enthusiastic about the gearing of the SRAM Apex group with respect to climbing in my *cough*flat*cough* corners of the world! :lol: (I figure my true hill test will be up in VT when I ride the rte 100 fro Mount Snow South to Dover Hill Road, up and over to Rte 30 in Newfane, up 30 to 100 in Wardsboro and then back to Mount Snow for a 45 mile or so loop )

 

[marcski]

Thanks! And yup, the owner of my LBS was equally enthusiastic about the gearing of the SRAM Apex group with respect to climbing in my *cough*flat*cough* corners of the world! :lol: (I figure my true hill test will be up in VT when I ride the rte 100 fro Mount Snow South to Dover Hill Road, up and over to Rte 30 in Newfane, up 30 to 100 in Wardsboro and then back to Mount Snow for a 45 mile or so loop )

That will be quite a nice ride. Riding through beautiful country back there. I know a few people along your proposed route! But Route 30 through Newfane would not be one of my favorite types of road to ride... Enjoy the new wheels....and put a profile up of your proposed route...I'd be curious to see the elevation gain of that ride.

 

[drjeff]

That will be quite a nice ride. Riding through beautiful country back there. I know a few people along your proposed route! But Route 30 through Newfane would not be one of my favorite types of road to ride... Enjoy the new wheels....and put a profile up of your proposed route...I'd be curious to see the elevation gain of that ride.

Yup, the Route 30 part, based on how I was looking at it the last time I drove it in April (I kind of knew I'd be pulling the road bike string back then and had been thinking about this route so) will be the "riskiest" part given the curves and types generalized limited shoulder width on the road. As for the elevation part, lets just say that one of my good friends who lives up in West Dover, and thinks nothing of riding to either Bennington or Brattleboro and back for lunch(she's a hill climbing maniac! ) , said "Nice, that sounds like a fun route!" - I'm scared, very scared! :lol:

 

[mlctvt]

Thanks! And yup, the owner of my LBS was equally enthusiastic about the gearing of the SRAM Apex group with respect to climbing in my *cough*flat*cough* corners of the world! :lol: (I figure my true hill test will be up in VT when I ride the rte 100 fro Mount Snow South to Dover Hill Road, up and over to Rte 30 in Newfane, up 30 to 100 in Wardsboro and then back to Mount Snow for a 45 mile or so loop )

My wife and I have done this loop dozens of times except we usually do it in the opposite direction. Nothing like the 10 mile climb from route 30 to the top of Dover Hill Rd :grin:
Of course if you do it the way you mention you've got an equally long climb up from Route30 through Wardsboro.
Either way we both think this ride is more difficult than many of the Century rides that we've done. Route 100 through Wardsboro is in very bad shape so that doesn't help either.

One good thing we noticed a couple of weeks ago is the once very bad section of Route 30 through Newfane has been paved earlier this year!

If I remember right I think the vertical for this ride is something like 4800 feet total starting from our place at the Bears Crossing Condos

 

[drjeff]

My wife and I have done this loop dozens of times except we usually do it in the opposite direction. Nothing like the 10 mile climb from route 30 to the top of Dover Hill Rd :grin:
Of course if you do it the way you mention you've got an equally long climb up from Route30 through Wardsboro.
Either way we both think this ride is more difficult than many of the Century rides that we've done. Route 100 through Wardsboro is in very bad shape so that doesn't help either.

One good thing we noticed a couple of weeks ago is the once very bad section of Route 30 through Newfane has been paved earlier this year!

If I remember right I think the vertical for this ride is something like 4800 feet total starting from our place at the Bears Crossing Condos

Yup, I know that I've had the mental debate in my head over and over already about which way to ride this route, and is the climb from Newfane up or the climb from Wardsboro up the lesser of 2 evils! :lol: I think I settled on the Wardsboro way, if for no other reason than starting from my place, almost at the top of Timbercreek, the climb out of Newfane would let me finish with climbing the last hill on 100 before the North entrance to Mount Snow and then immediately up to the top of Timbercreek. Atleast the Wardsboro way, my legs will have about 2 miles to somewhat "recover" before my last climb up to the top of Timbercreek :lol:

 

[MR. evil]

One thing I have noticed is that I don't drink nearly as much water on the road bike as I do when on the mtn bike. I think it's because it's slot more work to reach down for a water bottle that to take a drink from a CamelBack. Been thinking about getting a very small (water only) CamelBack for the road rides. Is this a huge roadie fueax-pas?

 

[drjeff]

Did my 1st 1/2 century today on a group ride with my local bike club! Also happened to be my wife's and one of our good friends (who had a 40-something birthday today ) first 1/2 century too! All in all there were about 20 of us riding and even though i'm a newbie on the road, I found myself very comfortable riding in the pack, and ended up riding lead for over 20 miles since I was finding the pace a bit too slow for my taste! multiple bike club members, who my wife rides with regularly were commenting to her about how I need to bypass the basic group ride groups and go right out with the "big boys!" :lol: What can I say, i've got a fast bike, I LOVE cardio endurance sports, and i've got a set of legs that like to climb!

 

[o3jeff]

One thing I have noticed is that I don't drink nearly as much water on the road bike as I do when on the mtn bike. I think it's because it's slot more work to reach down for a water bottle that to take a drink from a CamelBack. Been thinking about getting a very small (water only) CamelBack for the road rides. Is this a huge roadie fueax-pas?

I noticed that too, I barely drink a half a bottle in my 10-15 mile rides.

 

[bvibert]

One thing I have noticed is that I don't drink nearly as much water on the road bike as I do when on the mtn bike. I think it's because it's slot more work to reach down for a water bottle that to take a drink from a CamelBack. Been thinking about getting a very small (water only) CamelBack for the road rides. Is this a huge roadie fueax-pas?

Big Faux Pas! Don't do it!

Seriously eff those road guys! They're just jealous of the awesome MTB efficiency! :lol:

 

[mondeo]

One thing I have noticed is that I don't drink nearly as much water on the road bike as I do when on the mtn bike. I think it's because it's slot more work to reach down for a water bottle that to take a drink from a CamelBack. Been thinking about getting a very small (water only) CamelBack for the road rides. Is this a huge roadie fueax-pas?

It's because it's a more constant effort, cooler ride in general. You don't sweat as much because of the wind; those ugly, 1-2mph climbs on the MTB that you get to the top and chug down water don't happen on a road bike. In moderate temperatures, I'll do 40 miles and not drink the two bottles I take, and not because of the effort with reaching for the bottle (I'd actually rather grab a bottle than find the CamelBack tube.)

I'm very anti-pack on the road. Not because of the culture, but because of how uncomfortable it is. Just an awful, big, hot spot on the back.

 

[Nick]

What do you guys think of road bike quality vs. mountain bike quality? I've always thought it makes more sense to spend more money on a mountain bike since the conditions are so much more dynamic... seems like a road bike the benefits are pretty much weight related.

IOW in a "race" type of scenario I kind of thought a difference in MT bike makes a much greater impact on the ride than on a road bike (unless you get down to the real cheapo ones)