First Road Bike

[old bell]

I would appreciate some advice.

I have been riding a lightweight mtb for a while, but this time of year its too muddy, etc in the forest, so I have started riding on the road and towpaths.

It has been suggested that I would be better off with a road bike, so where to start.
I ride about 3 times a week, twice for 30/40 minutes and once for 70/80 minutes, mainly to keep fit, but I enjoy it too.

The first question is - are road bikes OK on towpaths which can be a bit bumpy in places.

I plan to buy 2nd hand so that if what I buy doesn't work out I can sell it and try something else. However, I want to try and get it right 1st time.

Do I go for a lightweight ali bike, costing new £500 - £1000 or a carbon one, costing new £2000 - £3000.

 

[Hacienda71]

You might want to look at cyclocross bikes if you considering riding on rougher surfaces.

 

[old bell]

Thanks.

Having had a look at cyclo cross bikes it seems to me that the difference them and mtb is not really great enough to warrant having both.

Whereas if a road bike would handle sightly rough surfaces for about 20% of the time, I would gain with the big improvement on the road.

The problem is that I do not have any experience with road bikes, particularly modern lightweight ones, and so am looking for advice from those that do.

The tow paths I have been using are in London which at some point have been properly surfaced but with time have become somewhat potholed and uneven in many places.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Thanks.


The tow paths I have been using are in London which at some point have been properly surfaced but with time have become somewhat potholed and uneven in many places.

- much like what are known as roads around here! I ride a road bike on towpaths and loose surfaced cycle paths on occasion, and as long as you are sensible it is fine - 23mm tyres too.

 

[iAmiAdam]

As others have said, don't go bombing around the towpaths and the roadie will be fine, might want some guards in the winter or wet weather though.

 

[old bell]

Thanks for the advice, but now the 2nd question:

Should I go for a lightweight ali bike, costing new £500 - £1000 or a carbon one, costing new £2000 - £3000.
Although I plan to buy 2nd hand.

 

[TheBoyBilly]

....or steel. I have to say that you seem to need a bit of a 'do-it-all' bike. So I would suggest (at around the £1000 mark new) a Surly Long Haul Trucker. Comes in Double or Triple format and you can play around with the rear cassette sizes if you don't want MTB gearing. It'll take all the racks and mudguards you may need to make this a superb go-anywhere, anytime bike and will last a lifetime if looked after so will be really cost-effective. To me it has a certain kudos . You will only need one bike then, so can offload the mountain bike.

Bill

 

[rb58]

Have you thought about a hybrid? Good for towpaths and roads. I had a Specialized Sirrus and it was very fast and a pretty decent all-rounder. Didn't break the bank either.

 

[SimonB]

Hmm I'm not sure you should dismiss the cross bike idea so quickly.

They are the most flexible and useful of bikes. Put road tyres on them and they are fast road bikes - I competed in a triathlon on mine in the summer and I don't think I could have gone any faster on any road bike I could have got for the same money short of an out and out TT bike.

Swap the tyres for 35mm knobblies and you're off into the woods going pretty much anywhere an mtb will go... just quicker.

I find road tyres tramline much too easily for comfort or safety when it gets gravelly or sandy so if you are planning to ride on towpaths a cross bike would be ideal. If you're cycling for fitness you don't want to be cycling "carefully", pootling along, you probably want to be pushing it hard and the thicker tyres will let you do that. You'll be able to ride it in the woods too. My son does much the same. He trains with a junior triathlon club and in the winter, they go mountain biking in the woods. He rocks up on his cross bike and they make him start at the back because as they put it, his bike is too damn quick.

I do like the flexibility. For example I wouldn't take a road bike around Rutland Water but a cross bike eats that kind of track for breakfast. Feel like doing some road cycling though - I've got more triathlons and sportives planned - and all you have to do is swap two tyres and you have a road bike.

Try some out, they are very, very different from mtbs

As far as how much to spend though... how much can you afford / justify / hide from your wife? Good luck with that one.

I'm not sure I can see the justification in spending £3k on a bike you're primarily riding for fitness. Aerodynamics and weight? - big deal - just work harder and do the same exercise in a shorter distance! In the winter I do a lot of my cycling exercise on a turbo trainer - so weight and wind resistance mean nothing. It is worth it if you're riding for fun though. Spend the money on slick gearing and a lighter bike if you're riding up hills in the countryside and you'll probably not regret it. I can't see you'd need to spend more than about £1,500 on a cross bike though - unless you're competing in the world championships. Wiggle used to sell the carbon framed cross bike their sponsored Focus team did win the world championshi[p on for £1,800. It is lovely though - I've got one.

As theboybilly said you could always offload the mtb. I never ride mine now.

 

[mcshroom]

The other go anywhere type of bike is a tourer like the Dawes Galaxy or Revolution Country Explorer. Not quite as quick as a road bike but my tourer (Dawes Vantage) handles rougher tracks well enough to not worry about them too much and has the added bonus of being a load carrier if needed.

My MTB has only recently come out of retirement to ride in deep snow.