First go on a road bike - crapping myself

[ED209]

Mate has gone on holiday and loaned me his specialized allez for a couple of weeks. Had it out for a trial today, only did about 10 miles. Being a fairly frequent mountain biker I had no issues with the physical side but christ did i feel unstable and out of control!!

I was nervous around traffic, wobbly under braking, no confidence to go fast, every time i had to brake it was as if i didnt know where the brakes were. To sum up i didnt really feel in control!

[Antony Moxey]

Had exactly the same riding my lad's Allez for the first time - after years of MTBing you can't believe how close your hands are together on the bars on a roadie. However, persevere with it and you'll soon get hooked on the speed and acceleration.

As it is now, I do probably do ten times the roadying then I do MTBing, and now find it weird how wide the bars are and how fat the tyres are on my Rockhopper. Brakes are still a billion times better though...

[ED209]

Is there a halfway bike between a road bike and a hybrid? Something quickish but comfortable and forgiving?

[Jimbo.]

ED209 said:

Is there a halfway bike between a road bike and a hybrid? Something quickish but comfortable and forgiving?

Not really. There're cyclocross bikes, but the riding position etc. is road bike-like, but often with shorter gearing, slightly more relaxed geo. etc.

Stick at the road bike: you'll soon be sailing along wondering why it was so hard

[craigb84]

ED209 said:

Mate has gone on holiday and loaned me his specialized allez for a couple of weeks. Had it out for a trial today, only did about 10 miles. Being a fairly frequent mountain biker I had no issues with the physical side but christ did i feel unstable and out of control!!

I was nervous around traffic, wobbly under braking, no confidence to go fast, every time i had to brake it was as if i didnt know where the brakes were. To sum up i didnt really feel in control!

You do initially but you'll get used to it.

Traffic still scares me especially cars coming up fast. Where I ride i have to be around a meter from the kerb as the roads are rubbish but when i look back i find i'm all over the road. I only really tend to go out after 7 these days though.

[ED209]

Jimbo. said:

Not really. There're cyclocross bikes, but the riding position etc. is road bike-like, but often with shorter gearing, slightly more relaxed geo. etc.

Stick at the road bike: you'll soon be sailing along wondering why it was so hard

Ony got it for 2 weeks so will se how it goes. Was thinking about commuting the 18 miles to work on it but theres some fast busy roads and i think i have bottled it!

[MadDad]

As an MTB-er you will be familiar with speed equalling stability! Don't forget a road bike is designed for making good progress along the road, not wobbling along through traffic.

I was an MTB-er for years before I jumped on a road bike, like you I found it very fast but incredibly light and slightly unstable at very low speeds. Stick with it, in a weeks time you will be posting up asking how to increase your average speed!!!

Also, while your bike fitness will be good due to your MTB-ing the muscles, technique, bikes skills etc are totally different on a road bike to an MTB. Stick with it but try to find some less congested roads where you can hold a decent speed for a few miles, you won't want to give it back!

[RRS_Staffs]

I first got on a 'proper' road bike about 5y ago
Id always been a MTBer and really didnt get on with roadies or ever see myself being one

It was bloody scary just as you described
And it didnt have enough gears either making me get off and push on hills

Awful thing

But you know the funniest thing happened after a few weeks......
I started to like it

And 5y further on youve got the world at your feet I hardly ride my MTB
In fact Im sat here having a beer having just got in from a 2h night road ride

So be careful - you might get to like it after all

Cheers

[MadDad]

[quote=RRS_Staffs I hardly ride my MTB
In fact Im sat here having a beer having just got in from a 2h night road ride


Cheers
[/quote]



Sat here polishing off a glass of wine after an evening spin to Woking and back to watch the Halford Tour Series, something I would not have considered 2 years ago!

[Gizmoish]

Have to say I don't ever ride on the tops on mine - only ever on the hoods and drops. As you say - bit wobbly.

But every time I get on mine I still marvel at how easily it bounds forward with so little effort. My hybrid is like running in wellies by comparison.

[FleshMechanic]

I've ridden mountain bikes more than anything else. About 6 months ago, I bought a fixed gear....and it made into road riding. So much so, that I bought an Allez a couple of months ago.

The only "problem" I have is when switching back to the fixed gear, I sometimes forget that I can't stop my feet....I see it as a little bit of fun until my head realises I better let my legs go.

[Barbarossa]

When I swithched from a mountain bike to a road bike, it took me months to get over the fear that the wheels were going to colapse at every bump in the road

[MadDad]

Barbarossa said:

When I swithched from a mountain bike to a road bike, it took me months to get over the fear that the wheels were going to colapse at every bump in the road

I recently bought a CX bike, there is an 'experience' - riding road wheels in light MTB territory at 20-25 mph. On my first few outings I kept expecting the spokes to explode, I did a run through the Ridgeway and threw downhills at it that would test even an MTB but they coped admirably and were just as true and straight at the end as at the beginning!

[ED209]

Just been out and done 20 miles with the woman, i was slow and got a bit wobbly on some of the downhill bits, due to the speed and the bloody sheep that loiter at the side of the fell roads up here and have a habit of jumping out in front of bikes/cars.

2066 ft of climbs though in the little circuit we did.

[rhinochopig]

Think I'll always be a MTB'er. There is another dimension to riding off road which requires you to think a hell of a lot more in terms of picking your line, braking points, etc. that just isn't there on a road bike. I always find road cycling less engaging because of that.

[warp9]

I bought a road bike for my commute, but also really struggled with the drop bars, unsteady and uncomfortable as I'm either on a towpath or weaving through traffic.

I fell off a number of times and got so fed up with it I ended up changing the drop bars to a flat MTB bar and much prefer it.

[Gizmoish]

rhinochopig said:

Think I'll always be a MTB'er. There is another dimension to riding off road which requires you to think a hell of a lot more in terms of picking your line, braking points, etc. that just isn't there on a road bike. I always find road cycling less engaging because of that.

You should see the roads in London.

I missed a pothole earlier that had kangaroos at the bottom of it: no different to avoiding a tree root or a sharp-looking rock. And on a road bike it's all coming at you a lot faster...

Having said that I do enjoy mooching around at 10mph getting muddy too.

[okgo]

Why would you ride the drops in traffic? In fact, apart from when you need to be aero, why bother with the drops at all?

I ride the hoods, or the bar (which is no different to a flat bar) 99% of the time when commuting, just because it has drop bars, it doesn't mean you need to ride in them, and indeed most people most of the time don't.

[ED209]

rhinochopig said:

Think I'll always be a MTB'er. There is another dimension to riding off road which requires you to think a hell of a lot more in terms of picking your line, braking points, etc. that just isn't there on a road bike. I always find road cycling less engaging because of that.

really? i spend all my time looking for potholes and manhole covers. I cannot settle on the road.

[MadDad]

rhinochopig said:

Think I'll always be a MTB'er. There is another dimension to riding off road which requires you to think a hell of a lot more in terms of picking your line, braking points, etc. that just isn't there on a road bike. I always find road cycling less engaging because of that.

Hmmmm, I am not totally sure I agree. I consider myself to be both a roadie and an MTB-er. Initially I bought a road bike for fitness, but soon became bitten by the roadie bug and have put a few thousand miles on the road bike this year vs about 500-ish on the MTB’s.

I totally agree with your sentiments re the skills involved with riding MTB’s off road, but you require the same skills in a different context on the road. Descending a winding hill on a road bike at 40+ mph requires a lot of attention and choosing the right line, identifying your braking zone etc is incredibly important - and a skill only gained through experience.

Also, on a road bike you have to be aware of a lot more ambient hazards like road debris, other road users, pot holes etc.

As someone who enthusiastically rides both road and MTB I think it’s fair to say that both disciplines require differing level of skills. It’s a bit like comparing rallying with formula 1………..