Buying my first road bike, tips?

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RiflemanSmith

Senior Member
Location
London UK
Hi, I will be buying a carbon frame road bike next month.
Are there any tips as I have never had any thing other than a mountain bike, riding and maintanance.
It comes with Tiagra shifters, Presta valves
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Get the right size, take your time in the shops getting the right bike (although it sounds like you may have chosen one, although Tiagra and presta valves accounts for a pretty big proportion of road bikes in the shops, 100% if you just consider the valves :whistle: )

Don't drop it or crash it :smile: Be especially wary if it's wet - especially wet white lines and drain covers etc. There are also about a squillion potholes in London's roads so don't ride in the gutter

Buy from a bike shop and it'll get a free check over after 6 weeks / 100 miles

Buy a proper track pump with a gauge

Stop at red lights :whistle:

What else do you think you need to know?
 

ianwoodi

Well-Known Member
If you are buying from a bike shop you should get the fitting for free about £95 worth then take it for a test ride i did and it fits me perfectly and is comfortable
 
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OP
RiflemanSmith

RiflemanSmith

Senior Member
Location
London UK
Get the right size, take your time in the shops getting the right bike (although it sounds like you may have chosen one, although Tiagra and presta valves accounts for a pretty big proportion of road bikes in the shops, 100% if you just consider the valves :whistle: )

Don't drop it or crash it :smile: Be especially wary if it's wet - especially wet white lines and drain covers etc. There are also about a squillion potholes in London's roads so don't ride in the gutter

Buy from a bike shop and it'll get a free check over after 6 weeks / 100 miles

Buy a proper track pump with a gauge

Stop at red lights :whistle:

What else do you think you need to know?

I am used to riding on and off road just not on a roadie.
I have chosen the bike already from an online shop.
Was a bit confused about the shifters but just had a Google, you shift down with the little paddles and up with the levers?
What do you unscrew to use a Presta valve?
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Ref the valve, take the cap off and you'll find a little screw at the top of the valve - undo this and put the adapter on and screw it up tight. There should be a video on YouTube. You won't want to be too heavy handed, the valve looks a little fragile

The lever changes gear to make the pedals easier to turn, the lever harder - I never know which is up and which is down :whistle:

Just make sure the bike is the right size - it maybe cheaper online but you don't get help like from a good shop! Make sure you have sent them all the correct measurements. Online you won't get the check over, so you may want to pay an LBS to check all is well after 6 weeks if you are not confident with gears etc yourself

There really isn't much difference riding a roadbike to say a flat bar hybrid on the road, you just hold on a bit differently, brake differently (unless you have cross levers like I do) and change gear differently. No great mystery :whistle:
 
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OP
RiflemanSmith

RiflemanSmith

Senior Member
Location
London UK
Ref the valve, take the cap off and you'll find a little screw at the top of the valve - undo this and put the adapter on and screw it up tight. There should be a video on YouTube. You won't want to be too heavy handed, the valve looks a little fragile

The lever changes gear to make the pedals easier to turn, the lever harder - I never know which is up and which is down :whistle:

Just make sure the bike is the right size - it maybe cheaper online but you don't get help like from a good shop! Make sure you have sent them all the correct measurements. Online you won't get the check over, so you may want to pay an LBS to check all is well after 6 weeks if you are not confident with gears etc yourself

There really isn't much difference riding a roadbike to say a flat bar hybrid on the road, you just hold on a bit differently, brake differently (unless you have cross levers like I do) and change gear differently. No great mystery :whistle:
What about tyre grip?
I put some Marathon+ on my Hybrid went round a corner on my usual commute, usual speed and lean, was off.
I didn't think tyres would have made a difference on the road, I even thought road tyres would of been more grippy?
 

vickster

Legendary Member
What bike is it and what tyres? I've never had a problem myself. Just slow down going round corners especially in the wet
 
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OP
RiflemanSmith

RiflemanSmith

Senior Member
Location
London UK
It was on my Voodoo, I took off my nobblies and put on Schwarbe Marathon+ 700 x 32c, first ride came off.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
No, the road bike...folks will be able to tell you if the tyres are any good and what to change to. Will it be an every day commuter or fair weather bike (to avoid the carbon disintegrating in the rain :whistle: )
 

Spally

Well-Known Member
When I first started looking for a road bike was looking for carbon frame. Every LBS I went to said the same thing "don't bother will low end carbon bikes". I was looking at spending around £1500 and the advise was to go higher end alloy framed bike.
 

Spally

Well-Known Member
What they told us was the entry level carbon frames weren't fully carbon, can't remember exactly what they said it was
 
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