Mountain biker in need of help with skinny wheeler!

[AndyM78]

I'm very much a mtb guy but i'm cycling accross mexico next year and i'm looking at getting a road bike to train on during the winter (less wet n muddy!) i've been drawn to these flat bar racers but thats probably just because they look more like a hardtail mtb. What are the pros n cons of them? i know you can try bikes out in the shops but its only after a good 2 or 3 hour run that you can really start to find out whats good and bad with a bike.

 

[Trillian]

they're basically as you suspect, a slightly relaxed road bike, the dissadvantage of them is, if you've got heavy rain or riding straight into a wind you can't duck out of it like you can on a bike with drop bars, you've also got one hand position, with a drop bar you have at least three (on the levers, on the drops and on the tops) if not more making it more comfortable to be on the bike for a longer length of time (you move about on the bike less than a mountain bike)

personally, I went with a drop bar bike and wouldn't change it for my road use unless i needed to carry lots of gear / kids but that won't be for some time yet for me and not the kind of bike you're after

basically, i'd say go for the drops, you can always fit flat bars if you don't get on with them. if you want to try the difference find a shop that sells two bikes almost the same, one with drops and one with flats - the scott sportster comes in either version, the difference being the bars.

 

[AndyM78]

Thanks Trillion, great help. One of the guys i ride with is after a new mtb so were going on a shopping trip to see whats out there. New toys, I cant wait!!

 

[Trillian]

tell him real mtb's have little or no front suspension and no gears

have fun,

 

[AndyM78]

He's up grading from a £500 late 90s halfords special with absolutely no suspension so i think he's quite looking forward to a bit of comfort. I'm a hardtail only man though (still trying to pursuade the missus about the need for a single speed as well!!)

 

[Trillian]

no no no, singlespeed and a roadie is all you need

the only time i'll be getting gears (allowed gears if you ask my girlfriend) is when i'm the one slowing her down round off road trails or have a 'cargo bike' such as an extracycle to cart things / kids round on (so a few years there then)

 

[AndyM78]

Ok point taken, I'll have the front and rear mech removed first thing tomorrow!!

 

[Trillian]