Getting used to a road bike

[crikey]

I could do with a bit of advice on the above please.

A bit of background: I took up riding about 18 months ago as a way to get fit and to help lose a bit of middle age spread, and it worked a treat, using what could be considered a snotter of an MTB I bought from Halfords a few years ago and didn't use for a few years. I even managed to do the London to Brighton Night Ride on it this year.

Last week I treated myself to a road bike but I'm finding it extremely hard to ride, 5 or 6 miles and I'm absolutely knackered. I tore my ankle ligaments back in August and it took 10 weeks until I could get back on the bike again, during which time my belly increased and my fitness decreased, so I know there's a bit of work to do that would help with getting used to the new riding style.

I intended to stick to the MTB when it's dark on the basis that it's a little more forgiving on iffy road surfaces which is a lot safer when I can't always spot things I'd avoid on the roadie.

So, the plan is to do that and just do short rides on the roadie at weekends while I build my fitness back up and my gut back down. Hopefully before long I'll be able to breath on the roadie and start building up the miles on it.

Would it be an idea on the road bike to alter the angle of the handlebars upwards a little and slide the seat forward a bit so that it puts me in a slightly more upright position, just until such time as my fitness is back up and the belly has been reduced, or would that be pointless/counter productive ?

[NitroNick]

My only advice would be to get the bike set up properly for you, make sure the saddle height etc is set up for you, you could easily damage your knees with a saddle at the wrong height.


+ Patience, if you have been off the bike it'll take you a while to get fit again. Just stick with it. Use the MTB until you feel more comfortable taking the road bike out.

Good luck, take it easy to start with and enjoy it.

[MocMocaMoc]

You'll get far better replies than this one, but I switched to a roadie from a MTB and found it quite bewildering! I had no idea a frame with two wheels could feel so far removed from another - and yeah, the roadie took more effort as you're travelling faster you're more inclined to pedal faster... least that's what I found.

Doesnt take long to get used to, though. I'm back on the MTB for the wet roads and loving how solid and chuckable it feels - it's like driving a monster truck after getting used to an F1 car - but I'm also itching to get back on the lightweight roadie.

[S1_RS]

I have a few MTB's and also a hybrid for the road. If I've let myself go which happens quite often I find it very difficult to ride the Hybrid for any length of time. My belly restricts my breathing if I set the saddle too high so I have to tuck down more to reach the bars. A few weeks MTB'ing is usually enough to lose some inches of the tummy to make it easier on the hybrid.

[anonymous-user]

go for a ride, take an allen key to adjust the bars and seat position/height, alter one thing at a time and only by a mm or tiny degree. that way you can find out what fits. it might be how you currently have things set up, it might be completely different.

[crikey]

Thanks folks. Having a nose around I might try swapping the stem for a riser type but other than that I'll just stick with it and hope my plan works !

[TonyHetherington]

Don't make too many, and too varied adjustments to begin with. Seat height adjusted by just a few mm can be the difference between comfortable and painful, to give you an idea.

Make sure you're spinning quite high too. The first thing I noticed when riding road bikes is that the cadence you need to keep (90-100rpm) feels surprisingly high. Now it's entirely natural, but until I got used to it it did feel odd.

In addition, go to your local bike shop (or where you bought the bike) and do double check it's at least close to where it should be in set up terms for you.

[McFsC]

High RPM... Spin them legs - that's the biggest thing I found. The next biggest thing for me was the position. Get into your LBS and get it set up properly.

[crikey]

The saddle height is right, I just can't breathe when riding it. A big part of the problem is me being out of condition so my plan above should resolve some of that, I'm just looking at other ways to help myself.

[TonyHetherington]

It will hurt for a couple of weeks; your lungs (particularly as it's cold), bum, legs etc, so it is a case of riding through it, I fear.

[crikey]

TonyHetherington said:

It will hurt for a couple of weeks; your lungs (particularly as it's cold), bum, legs etc, so it is a case of riding through it, I fear.

I suspect I am just going to have to ride through it, but I can do an hour on the MTB (as I did last night) with issue.

[G0ldfysh]

On the road bike you are likely to be constricting your breathing dropped down on the bars.
Will help doing road bike rides focusing on your breathing and teaching your body and breathing technique to adjust to the different position on the bike.
On the MTB you can stand up, straighten your body breathing into your belly* without effort.

Worth starting with shorter rides getting your breathing practise on the road frame and gradually building up. Raising the bars to start might help as well, if it suits you forget what the 'velominati rules' dictate until your comfortable.

*I know biology means you don't really breath with your belly but you know what I mean. :-)

Edited by G0ldfysh on Tuesday 13th November 16:42