New member here - looking for some road bike advice

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
Am I right in thinking that the more sporty, the less comfortable?

Doesnt follow IMO
A road bike with skinny tyres, provided it has a saddle that suits your "countours", is the right size, and is set up righjt will only be uncomfortable if you ride like a sack of potatoes.
Road bikes (usually) come with dual-pivot brakes - just as effective as V-brakes or cantis, and only noticeably weaker than disks when it's really wet.
Try a few drop bar bikes in shops to see if you get on with them - you may be pleasantly surprised.
 

Scilly Suffolk

Über Member
Yes I should have said, they were only examples.

No that isn't necessarily the case. There are many factors that will affect your comfort on the bike and a hybrid can be just as uncomfortable as a dedicated road bike.

Fatter tyres will provide more cushioning and a cross bike can take a similar range of tyres to a hybrid, say 28mm to 35mm; a road bike will likely use 23mm to 28mm.

Contrary to what common sense would suggest, a heavily padded saddle is less comfortable than a thinly cushioned one. Your "sit bones" will sink into deep padding, which puts pressure on your perineum and the rest of the soft tissue between your legs!

The saddle is one of a rider's most personal choices: what is an armchair for one will be torture for another; don't be surprised if you have to try more than one.

As noted above, dropped handlebars give you a wider choice of hand positions which will relieve stress on longer rides. Bars can also be fitted with gel pads, or even old inner tubes if you're on a budget, for insulation from road buzz.

The frame's material and design are also considerations: steel is more springy than aluminium, but over-sized tubes and better alloys mean that there are very good aluminium frames to be had now. Carbon fibre is considered by some to be the best of both worlds: light but with enough "give" to soak up vibration from the road, but out of your budget and not without its own problems.

A frame with tight clearances and steep angles will be less forgiving. Look at the gap between the back wheel and the seat post (the near vertical frame tube with the seat on top): the bigger the gap, the more spring the rear of the bike has to soak up bumps (because the tubes between the wheel and the seat tube are longer). On the other hand the more the frame flexes, the more some of your pedalling effort will be lost between the cranks and the back wheel.

But perhaps the most important factor is getting the "fit" right, by which I mean both buying a bike that is the right size for you and also adjusting it to suit your body specifically. This is where a good bike shop wins hands down over the internet: you really should "try before you buy". There is no hard and fast rule as to what size bike a person should ride, everyone is a little different and things like your height, the length of your arms & legs and the ratio of the length of your limbs to your body will affect your choice.

A good bike shop will help you choose your bike and then set it up for you, the internet won't!
 
OP
OP
machin05

machin05

Member
That's good to know Pete. It's worth destroying my preconceptions before heading into the shop.

As long as the brakes have plenty of clearance from the rims when not being applied, then I'll be a lot happier than I am know!
 

lejogger

Guru
Location
Wirral
Hi Machin05,
Just a thought, does your work offer a cycle to work scheme? The savings you could make would really enhance what you could get on your budget and make some of the cyclo-cross bikes affordable.
Might be worth enquiring.
 
OP
OP
machin05

machin05

Member
So after a visit to Leisure Lakes Bakes I'm seriously considering the Specialized Sirrus Elite

What is the etiquette when it comes to test riding a bike? Do they let you take it out at all?
 

Scilly Suffolk

Über Member
It's up to each retailer, but I'd say that it is a mark of a good one if they let you do more than ride it around the car park.
 
OP
OP
machin05

machin05

Member
I bit the bullet and bought the Specialized Sirrus Elite after a lovely chat and impressive test run at Leisure Lake Bikes. It's as light as a feather and a breeze to ride. Gear changes were smooth and brakes were sharp. I pick it up on Thursday after they've set it up fully.
They offer a free 6 week service to readjust the cables/brakes etc after they have "settled in". They also do a half price service after 6 months.

Can't wait.

Cheers for the help guys.
 
Top Bottom