Fitness 2013

[mongers]

So I am breaking down and getting a road bike.  I am just doing too much long hauls to not have something that rolls well and climbs better than my old mountain bike.  I am hoping that after I get the swing of this I can start riding closer to 150-170 miles each week, with a couple of 40 mile round trippers in there.

Good luck with that, just don't go too small and hard with the tires.

[PDH]

Good luck with that, just don't go too small and hard with the tires.

I don't have enough money for a monster bike, likely no racing tires for me.  I want to get a frame that is large enough, too.  Still, I want something that will roll well, and I am padded enough on the ass to take a bit.

[mongers]

Good luck with that, just don't go too small and hard with the tires.

I don't have enough money for a monster bike, likely no racing tires for me.  I want to get a frame that is large enough, too.  Still, I want something that will roll well, and I am padded enough on the ass to take a bit.

Yeah, it's tricky to work out what works. 

Currently I'm having a lot of fun on my folder, the tyres were chosen by my friend in the bike shop, at first sight you wouldn't think such a wide, non-slick, low pressure (45-50ppi) tyre would work.
And yet they run really smooth and fast, but grip really well, tend to accelerate real quickly downhill, plenty of braking needed.   

[PDH]

I might actually go for a harder puncture resistant type of tire, simply because of the road surfaces here.  Still, the bike shop owner is a friend and we are going to try out a couple of models with different components tomorrow.

[mongers]

I might actually go for a harder puncture resistant type of tire, simply because of the road surfaces here.  Still, the bike shop owner is a friend and we are going to try out a couple of models with different components tomorrow.

Yeah, I use some real cheap Michelin tyres on my shopping bike, which are surprisingly hard wearing, pretty puncture resistant, a bit heavy, but roll very nicely, though not the best grip on gravel/non-road.

Conversely Schwalble always look like a nicely designed and well engineered tyre, but the ones I've had seem a bit sluggish, though plenty of people swear by their puncture resistance.   

[PDH]

Given that the roadsides I will be riding on have a fair bit of gravel and the occasional bottle fragment on them I will be asking around for the best tires to not go "ffffffttt"

[Jaron]

I gained a pound.

[PDH]

Tested out some bikes the local shop put together for me this morning.  The 58" Specialized is what I went with.  After the haggling and such I took it out...

My God it is criminal.  On the flats and climbs it rolls wonderfully.  I can see by the end of summer that I can do 50 miles at a stretch.  The only learning curve I will have will be descending - it is so light and narrow with the road tires that it feels off.  Still, it is night and day as Fhdhzh said.

[mongers]

Tested out some bikes the local shop put together for me this morning.  The 58" Specialized is what I went with.  After the haggling and such I took it out...

My God it is criminal.  On the flats and climbs it rolls wonderfully.  I can see by the end of summer that I can do 50 miles at a stretch.  The only learning curve I will have will be descending - it is so light and narrow with the road tires that it feels off.  Still, it is night and day as Fhdhzh said.

Sounds brilliant fun.


That's some investment, you've probably spent more on that than I've done on my last five bikes. 


I'm sure that's just the 'twitchiness' you experience when moving to road bikes and the general precision feel of the ride and steering, compared to handling of off-road bikes.

[PDH]

Well, I didn't spend massive amounts on it, it cost less than my mountain bike I bought 7 years ago...

I will have some adjustment, I know.  The position on the bike, the various power output by where I hold the bars, less gears, etc.  Still, it was a thoroughly enjoyable first outing.  One thing I noticed, the pounding on the road wasn't too bad, as I was less vertical than before.  Maybe a new part of my ass will be sore tomorrow.

[PDH]

Sounds brilliant fun.

Oh, and climbing that 2 mile hill I showed you on the roadbike?  I had to play with the gears on the way up because the former monolithic climb now had undulations where I had to play with the speed I was turning.  I like this.

[Maladict]

I found braking on the front wheel the most counterintuitive thing to learn when descending, so used to braking on the back wheel in the low countries.

[PDH]

I found braking on the front wheel the most counterintuitive thing to learn when descending, so used to braking on the back wheel in the low countries.

Yeah, the braking is so different from my mountain bike to the new one.  That will be the big thing to learn.  Around here most of the best routes have at least one good climb (meaning one good descent), so I will have to come up to snuff pretty quick.  Still, I did manage maybe 30+ mph (maybe 50 kmph) today.  I was far back on the saddle though, so I was alright using a bit of front brake.

[mongers]

Sounds brilliant fun.

Oh, and climbing that 2 mile hill I showed you on the roadbike?  I had to play with the gears on the way up because the former monolithic climb now had undulations where I had to play with the speed I was turning.  I like this.

So less just grinding out the miles and more using the bikes performance/sportiness to adjust the both of you to the subtleties of the route?

In fact you've inspired me to get the flat-bar road bike out of the shed and give it a spin around the forest tomorrow. 

[PDH]

So less just grinding out the miles and more using the bikes performance/sportiness to adjust the both of you to the subtleties of the route?

Even into the headwind in the return 10 miles it just seemed to roll better.  I really think I could do longer distances on this bike.