Road bike advice.

[nappadang]

I've just borrowed a road bike and will probably take my inaugural trip tomorrow.
I've been cycling for about 10 months on a mountain bike but I find I'm spending more time on the roads so I thought I'd at least give road bikes a go.
I probably have a thousand questions I'd like answering but ill start by asking people if they'd give me a run down of the differences and things I need to be aware of. The bike needs a new back tyre which I'll get tomorrow. The tyres on it at the moment are 700c 25. Do I need to replace it with exactly the same size?
I'd appreciate any advice or hints.

Thanks,

Mick

 

[raleighnut]

I'd stick to 25s but I would also suggest putting the front tyre on the rear and fitting the new one on the front wheel.
Front tyres wear very little but can degrade before they wear out swapping them in this way maximises usage and the new tyre normally has better grip once it has scuffed up a bit.

 

[bicycling_nurse]

Well I'm far from an expert but in April I bought my first road bike after 20 years riding MTBs/hybrids so it's all pretty new to me - and fresh in my mind! The first obvious thing for me was changing gear and braking - I'd definitely advice a quiet run on roads you know to practice gear changes and braking before you mingle with traffic. It felt seriously odd to me after years of not really thinking about changing gear and remembering which way to click the levers takes a bit of practice. Having said that it really only took a couple of rides before it started to feel great and now I've really got the road bike bug - my poor old Orange is feeling neglected!
What pedals are you used to? I stuck with MTB SPDs to start with because I didn't feel confident trying a new pedal system but have now bought some lovely new road pedals and shoes.
Re the tyre - I believe you need the same size front and rear tyres but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly to advise you. Have fun!

 

[nappadang]

What pedals are you used to? I stuck with MTB SPDs to start with because I didn't feel confident trying a new pedal system but have now bought some lovely new road pedals and shoes.
Re the tyre - I believe you need the same size front and rear tyres but I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly to advise you. Have fun!

SPDs for me too. I've only borrowed the bike so I'm not going to shell out for new shoes.
Interesting and very helpful tip about the tyre size, I'd have overlooked that, thanks.

 

[MikeW-71]

I keep it simple with road bike tyres and fit the same size and type front and rear. I put slightly less pressure in the front, which seems to work well for me.

 

[Kestevan]

It's going to feel as twitchy as a twitchy thing
This is normal, you'll get used to it very quickly, but for the first few miles you'll be convinced you've forgotten how to steer a bike.

Oh, and if you're used to disk brakes..... you're going to be disappointed with rim brakes - esp in the wet

 

[Profpointy]

same size tyres front and back doesn't matter. There are debates on "best" size - 25mm being the norm. Something to be said for wider if doing towpaths etc. I agree with earlier poster best to put new tyre on front - though confess I tend to just replace the worn one. You probably know this, but road tyres should be smooth not knobbly (nor any tread at all) - and pump em up hard - 100 to120 psi

 

[nappadang]

Wow!

 

[raleighnut]

120 rear-100 front is average on 25s

 

[GreigM]

Good luck with the road bike, I went to a roadie from MTB and the one biggest thing I noticed was using the front brake a lot more on the roadie.

 

[MikeW-71]

Wow!

I think he likes it

 

[nappadang]

I took the first couple of miles easy and still shaved approx 40 seconds per mile over an 18 mile run. This included 4 decent hills around Gateshead and Washington.
All the above advice and tips were very helpful especially @Kestevan comment about brakes. Thanks guys and please keep them coming.
I found bumps in the road are more noticable , gears aren't as easy to change, though I got used to riding leaning on the brake leavers, which helps.
All in all, a really positive first go and an urge to go again. I can feel a depletion of my savings coming, or possibly a dip into the cycle to work scheme.
Anyone want to buy a mountain bike?

 

[raleighnut]

I took the first couple of miles easy and still shaved approx 40 seconds per mile over an 18 mile run. This included 4 decent hills around Gateshead and Washington.
All the above advice and tips were very helpful especially @Kestevan comment about brakes. Thanks guys and please keep them coming.
I found bumps in the road are more noticable , gears aren't as easy to change, though I got used to riding leaning on the brake leavers, which helps.
All in all, a really positive first go and an urge to go again. I can feel a depletion of my savings coming, or possibly a dip into the cycle to work scheme.
Anyone want to buy a mountain bike?

You'll need that for the winter.

 

[nappadang]

You'll need that for the winter.

Good point

 

[GreigM]

Nope, will just need mudguards on the roadie