Hmmm is anyone looking to sell their road bike in the next few weeks ? 
Road bike vs Hardtail Mountain bike
- Thread starter Jono
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Why anyone would ride a road bike is a mystery to me
GT Zaskar with semi slicks 4TW
GT Zaskar with semi slicks 4TW
Soldato
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- 26 Aug 2003
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Have you spent any length of time on one? Mine felt like my spine was going to snap at first but now I'm completely in love with it, and if I'm honest it's a cheap piece of ****.
If you're riding on tarmac, a proper road bike is just so much faster than anything else. You get where you're going with way less effort.
I'm quite a chubby bloke but last week I hit 34.9 mph down a fairly tame hill, and my skinnier, fitter mate hit over 36. Neither of us though really are 'bike fit'.
We'd have been going half that speed on MTBs. It's horses for courses - if you want to ride round the woods, get an MTB. If you want to ride on the road, get a road bike, and if you're not sure... get a hybrid.
What is it, if you don't mind me asking?
I'm now in two minds about what to do. I could keep my MTB and buy a cheap piece of **** and see how I get on with it. Or spend 2-3x as much on a decent road bike, trade in my MTB (for which I'm looking at getting about £200) and just have a road bike...
What to do what to do?
I suppose if I had both I could take one to Dalby Forest etc and ride the other on roads in comfort... then if it's not another one of my fads, get something decent if I'm really into it.
I've got two bikes, a Kona Blast MTB on which I run 60psi 1.5 totally slick tyres with toe clips and a Planet X carbon road bike with SPD-SL. For hooning across town on my 3 mile each way commute the MTB is better. There are quite a few curbs to jump, bike paths, gravel paths through a park etc. I do sometimes take the Planet X, but it too fiddly a route really.
On the open roads it's a different game entirely though, each weekend for the last four weeks I've done over 50 miles rides on the Planet X - lovely ride where the Kona would just be horrid over those distances.
I recently picked up an old Dawes Galaxy 531 frame on ebay and build it up for my partner. Been riding that a bit and although it's a little bit small for me, it's a lovely ride. Next year I'm going to replace the Planet X carbon frame with a custom built steel frame. Steel tourers is what cycling's all about!
So, for Jono's original point: First get some decent tyres on the MTB, I used these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-rubino-pro-slick-mtb-tyre/
Then keep and eye on Gumtree, ebay, local paper etc for a decent road bike. £200 will get you something good. Don't bother with new, really bad value. A good quality old steel frame will be a lot cheaper and a lot better than a many aluminium frames on cheap road bikes.
On the open roads it's a different game entirely though, each weekend for the last four weeks I've done over 50 miles rides on the Planet X - lovely ride where the Kona would just be horrid over those distances.
I recently picked up an old Dawes Galaxy 531 frame on ebay and build it up for my partner. Been riding that a bit and although it's a little bit small for me, it's a lovely ride. Next year I'm going to replace the Planet X carbon frame with a custom built steel frame. Steel tourers is what cycling's all about!
So, for Jono's original point: First get some decent tyres on the MTB, I used these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/vittoria-rubino-pro-slick-mtb-tyre/
Then keep and eye on Gumtree, ebay, local paper etc for a decent road bike. £200 will get you something good. Don't bother with new, really bad value. A good quality old steel frame will be a lot cheaper and a lot better than a many aluminium frames on cheap road bikes.
I my opinion, everyone needs two bikes. One for hooning around short distances then one for either long distance road riding or proper mountain riding (which ever discipline you prefer). I don't know many people who do both seriously. 1 bike just ends up being a compromise.
Cheers for your input mr clv101 Much appreciated!
Guess I'll see what I can do with tyres (not sure totally slicks would suit me).. it's grim up north and the roads are generally damp and greasy.
Then keep an eye out for a road bike.
Much appreciated!Guess I'll see what I can do with tyres (not sure totally slicks would suit me).. it's grim up north and the roads are generally damp and greasy.
Then keep an eye out for a road bike.
Soldato
- Joined
- 26 Aug 2003
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It's an Infinity Alpe D'Huez - it retails at about £400 but it's not worth that much imo. I didn't pay that much for it, I got it through a mate. This 'brand' only make one bike - from what I can tell it's an importer that have several brands and basically they're just cheap bikes. It's not awful, it's just an alloy frame, steel forks, with low end shimano components. It'll do.
Still, it's twice as fast on the road as my Specialized Hardrock.
There are B'twins and Carreras for £300 though that aren't bad bikes at all for the money.
Now I just need to find somewhere that sells 26 x 2.00 tyres
Soldato
- Joined
- 23 Nov 2004
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Cheap - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-city-jet-mtb-tyre/
Puncture protection - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-marathon-original-greenguard-rigid-mtb-city-tyre/
Fully slick - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...dium=shopping&utm_campaign=Google-Products-UK
The kojak comes on the cannondale badboy hybrid and looks like a balloon once it's on.
Puncture protection - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-marathon-original-greenguard-rigid-mtb-city-tyre/
Fully slick - http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...dium=shopping&utm_campaign=Google-Products-UK
The kojak comes on the cannondale badboy hybrid and looks like a balloon once it's on.
Now I just need to find somewhere that sells 26 x 2.00 tyres
Go for 1.5.
I ended up getting the Cheap ones that Jonny ///M posted, from local bike shop. They'll do for now Much, much easier to ride on roads now. Still a heavy beastie but I can cope
Just need to find some padded shorts and some decent lights, since the nights are drawing in.
Much, much easier to ride on roads now. Still a heavy beastie but I can cope Just need to find some padded shorts and some decent lights, since the nights are drawing in.
Soldato
Do a search for:
1W 2-Mode 50-Lumen LED Bike Light with Mount (4*AAA)
£5. I paid £15 each for mine two years ago and it's very good indeed. I use two, one flashing and one solid.
I use a Fenix L2D torch which is like a car headlight. Amazing light.
I picked up some half price sets from Evans, before I'd read the replies yesterday Lunchtime. Quite happy with them. Went for a 7.5mile nocturnal ride... probably didnt' go over about 25mph, but I didn't die. A bit more light would have been nice, but I'm not going to complain.
I should perhaps have waited and got some cheaper ones but I'm impatient.
OOooh I love riding again!
I should perhaps have waited and got some cheaper ones but I'm impatient.
OOooh I love riding again!
can you link the ones you got?
i use x2 cree led torches one on my helmet other on the handlbar.
it was these:
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/smart/lunar-25-1-2-watt-lightset-ec020480?query=smart lunar
Mixed reviews, especially the rear light's non-waterproof seal, so some claim... I'll try the silicone grease trick. I have opened the rear light a couple of times with a 5p coin and managed to not damage the casing, so people moaning about that must be a bit heavy-handed.
I would describe the light output from the front one as "Perfectly adequate for *MY* needs", but I'll admit that something costing 4-8 times as much would no doubt be loads better. And that something costing 1/4 as much is possibly just as good
Also no issues with the fixing/fitting of the lights. The front you have to actively *click* in, otherwise I can see how a bit of a jolt would knock it off... but if you do that then it's as secure as a secure thing.
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/smart/lunar-25-1-2-watt-lightset-ec020480?query=smart lunar
Mixed reviews, especially the rear light's non-waterproof seal, so some claim... I'll try the silicone grease trick. I have opened the rear light a couple of times with a 5p coin and managed to not damage the casing, so people moaning about that must be a bit heavy-handed.
I would describe the light output from the front one as "Perfectly adequate for *MY* needs", but I'll admit that something costing 4-8 times as much would no doubt be loads better. And that something costing 1/4 as much is possibly just as good
Also no issues with the fixing/fitting of the lights. The front you have to actively *click* in, otherwise I can see how a bit of a jolt would knock it off... but if you do that then it's as secure as a secure thing.