Bend in the Road: The end of the road bike (Bike Radar Article)

[Deleted member 35268]

So true, the fragmentation of the "road bike" means there are now endurance "road" bikes, aero "road" bikes, adventure "road" bikes, pure "road" race bikes, gravel bikes, climbing bikes, time trial, cross bla bla bla.

Full article posted 11 March
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/bend-in-the-road-the-end-of-the-road-bike-43776/

I am a serious roadie, but I am quite keen to get a CX / Cross next time round, or perhaps an endurance bike with disc brakes.

e.g. Colnago World Cup Disc

or Giant Defy Advanced

 

[Simontm]

So true, the fragmentation of the "road bike" means there are now endurance "road" bikes, aero "road" bikes, adventure "road" bikes, pure "road" race bikes, gravel bikes, climbing bikes, time trial, cross bla bla bla.

Full article posted 11 March
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/article/bend-in-the-road-the-end-of-the-road-bike-43776/

I am a serious roadie, but I am quite keen to get a CX / Cross next time round, or perhaps an endurance bike with disc brakes.

Funnily enough I have just filled out a survey and it asks what type of bike my main bike is?

Needless to say, there doesn't seem to be a choice for the Diverge

 

[GrumpyGregry]

So true, the fragmentation of the "road bike" means there are now endurance "road" bikes, aero "road" bikes, adventure "road" bikes, pure "road" race bikes, gravel bikes, climbing bikes, time trial, cross bla bla bla.

Certainly that is what the marketing men, and their acolytes in the media want us to believe, yes.

Then they can sell me several bikes instead of one.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Ale, porter, stout, lager, barley wine, mild! Beer is dead!

 

[mjr]

It was ever thus: path racers, cafe racers, roadsters, tourers, track...

 

[John the Monkey]

I'm not sure whether it's part of this trend, or the "CX as do it all bike" stuff from a couple of years back, but the increased numbers of road bikes that will take bigger tyres & discs while still being fairly light/quick is welcome, I think.

 

[Eurostar]

The popularisation of 'endurance' bikes is long overdue. There's been far too much of the 'stiffest is best' mantra over the years.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Ale, porter, stout, lager, barley wine, dark mild! Beer is dead!

Long live black beer.

 

[Deleted member 35268]

I seem to remember when I bought my first new/proper road bike I was asked, do you prefer an Audax style or Race style.

 

[mjr]

I'm not sure whether it's part of this trend, or the "CX as do it all bike" stuff from a couple of years back, but the increased numbers of road bikes that will take bigger tyres & discs while still being fairly light/quick is welcome, I think.

We're only just back to the 32mm width of the old 27x1¼" racing bikes, aren't we?

The wheels of marketing just keep on spinning round and round...

 

[snorri]

End of the road bike? Good!
It all started going wrong when they renamed the 'racer' as a 'road bike' even although some of these were barely suitable for cycling on the general road network.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I seem to remember when I bought my first new/proper road bike I was asked, do you prefer an Audax style or Race style.

fast touring bikes are the thin end of the wedge.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

fast touring bikes are the thin end of the wedge.

I was just thinking a couple of days ago that I'd quite fancy a tourdax. The fact that they haven't spotted this particular marketing opportunity yet means that I might have to wait a while. But I suspect it would be rather wedge endy.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I was just thinking a couple of days ago that I'd quite fancy a tourdax. The fact that they haven't spotted this particular marketing opportunity yet means that I might have to wait a while. But I suspect it would be rather wedge endy.

touring goes downhill

You start off with a road bike
Then you buy an Audax bike so you can ride further
Then you get a full on fast tourer
Then a full on touring bike
Then you think "Why not?" start taking it off road
Then you buy an HT MTB to go adventure touring
Then you buy an FS MTB to revisit, sans luggage, some of the places you went on the loaded HT
Then you buy a downhill bike so you can just ride downhill.

It's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

End of the road bike? Good!
It all started going wrong when they renamed the 'racer' as a 'road bike' even although some of these were barely suitable for cycling on the general road network.

Dont know why but I've got that yellow pages advert with the saddle like a razor blade running through my head now