Just bought a road bike and have questions

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Jamy

New Member
Hi all!

Now I've just moved on from a casual mountain bike to a shiny new road bike mainly for work and fitness purposes and have a few things I need some help with.

I'm new to taking biking slightly seriously this time around so bare with me if i get terminology wrong etc.

The bike I went with was a Giant Defy 4 XL;

Firstly the gears were (skipping?) when i bought the bike and saw a video recommending that i adjust the derailleur. I did this and it solved the skipping issue but I still get some stiffness in certain gears while changing and a general rattle noise while cycling any tips for this? should i just further adjust the derailleur?

Secondly I'm really not used to riding a road bike and have managed to fall off twice in 2 days of having it. I'm not a confident rider at all so I tend to stick to cycle paths where possible as i live in a congested area. Both times I've fallen were while trying to go up the shallow part of a curb, I just end up riding along side it and buckling. Any tips on this as I struggle keeping it stable all round but seem to manage in that regard just about.

Lastly (Sorry to go on!) Should i invest in some higher grip tyres for winter time, I am using the stock tyres at the moment and can't see them doing to well when the ice hits.

Many thanks!
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
Hi all!

Now I've just moved on from a casual mountain bike to a shiny new road bike mainly for work and fitness purposes and have a few things I need some help with.

I'm new to taking biking slightly seriously this time around so bare with me if i get terminology wrong etc.

The bike I went with was a Giant Defy 4 XL;

Firstly the gears were (skipping?) when i bought the bike and saw a video recommending that i adjust the derailleur. I did this and it solved the skipping issue but I still get some stiffness in certain gears while changing and a general rattle noise while cycling any tips for this? should i just further adjust the derailleur?

Secondly I'm really not used to riding a road bike and have managed to fall off twice in 2 days of having it. I'm not a confident rider at all so I tend to stick to cycle paths where possible as i live in a congested area. Both times I've fallen were while trying to go up the shallow part of a curb, I just end up riding along side it and buckling. Any tips on this as I struggle keeping it stable all round but seem to manage in that regard just about.

Lastly (Sorry to go on!) Should i invest in some higher grip tyres for winter time, I am using the stock tyres at the moment and can't see them doing to well when the ice hits.

Many thanks!
Take the bike back to the shop and ask them to index the gears as they are slipping . Kerbs you need to hit at a sharper angle or they will take you out as you have found .
 

Supersuperleeds

Legendary Member
Location
Leicester
Not sure on the gear adjustments. more knowledgeable people will come along and help on that.

It takes time to get used to a road bike but you will get used to it. Hit the shallow part of the curb at shallow angle and you will risk coming off, I tend to pull up on the handle bars as I go up them

Re winter, if it is icy unless you are on spiked tyres you are likely to come off, most road bikes won't take spikes
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Is the bike definitely the right size? An XL Defy is a big bike suited to big guys well over 6ft
 

NorthernDave

Never used Über Member
The advice above is all good.

After riding a hybrid, my road bike felt bloody terrible to ride for the first few rides after getting it. Honestly I thought I might have to explain to Mrs ND how I'd thrown £xxx at a bike I wasn't going to ride. Skittish didn't start to cover it.
But I made some fine tuning to the set up and stuck with it. I love it now - in fact given the choice it will be the road bike every time.

The hybrid is still fun, but I'll only take it if the weather is terrible or I know I'm going off road for part of the ride.
 
OP
OP
J

Jamy

New Member
Take the bike back to the shop and ask them to index the gears as they are slipping . Kerbs you need to hit at a sharper angle or they will take you out as you have found .

I bought the bike online so it wouldn't be possible, the adjustment I made, made it better but still needs further adjusting I think?

Is the bike definitely the right size? An XL Defy is a big bike suited to big guys well over 6ft

Definately the right size as I'm 6ft 6 and fairly weighty aswell! :biggrin:

Re winter, if it is icy unless you are on spiked tyres you are likely to come off, most road bikes won't take spikes

So would you say its just better to hoof it rather than ride If I don't have another bike? Also I see your in Leicester, is there any shops you would recommend if I need to look for any gear in person or get some word of mouth advice?
 

Cuchilo

Prize winning member X2
Location
London
I bought the bike online so it wouldn't be possible, the adjustment I made, made it better but still needs further adjusting I think?



Definately the right size as I'm 6ft 6 and fairly weighty aswell! :biggrin:



So would you say its just better to hoof it rather than ride If I don't have another bike? Also I see your in Leicester, is there any shops you would recommend if I need to look for any gear in person or get some word of mouth advice?
Take it to a Giant store and let them do it . You may have to pay but they like having their bikes working perfect :okay:
 
Take it to a Giant store and let them do it . You may have to pay but they like having their bikes working perfect :okay:
.... then work out whether buying it online was actually any cheaper.
 

Pat "5mph"

A kilogrammicaly challenged woman
Moderator
Location
Glasgow
On ice? Oh yes! I fell several times before discovering studded tyres. As @Supersuperleeds mentioned, they probably won't fit your bike.
If you want to ride when ice is present, get a cheap mountain bike and fit Marathon winters.
Some on here that have extremely good riding skills ride their road bikes on ice, but be prepared for an off.
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
It took me about six months to feel comfortable with the riding position on my first road bike but I'm pretty ancient. The bars felt terribly twitchy compared to straight ones, and my neck position didn't feel natural at all. I love it now though. As others have said, always try and cross raised bits in the road/kerbs at a steep angle, say 30 degrees at the least, steeper if it's wet.. Do the same when riding over grooves or alongside manhole covers.

Road tyres are a lot less forgiving that MTB ones but you'll learn fairly quickly.
 

lpretro1

Guest
Trouble is if he has fallen off twice gear hanger may well be out of line - needs LBS to check it as he won't have the alignment tool
 
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Karlt

Well-Known Member
Regarding the kerb issue - it's a road bike. It's not designed with bumping up and down kerbs, even dropped ones, in mind.
 
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steve50

Disenchanted Member
Location
West Yorkshire
Hitting a kerb, even a low kerb can result in punctures, if you hit the kerb fairly hard it can compress the bike tyre and nip the inner tube against the wheel rim. I wouldn't bump up any kerb with my road bike, you also risk buckling your wheel.
 
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