Road bike envy !!

[WobblyBob]

As some of you will probably already know, i've only been on a bike since July this year after not sitting on one for probably 20 years, i'm 44 years old, still slightly overweight although i've already lost about 2.5 stone this year, i bought a hybrid with front suspension (which is mostly locked off) & knobbly 700x45 tyres, i bought the bike to help me try & shift another stone in weight but have been well hooked since i've started

Trouble is now that when i'm out which is almost always on the road i'm looking on in envy watching the roadies wafting by in complete silence as oppose to the wurring buzz of my tyres on the road......not to mention now i've just discovered Strava & i'm feeling a bit ...erm Slow in comparison to alot of people on there ha ha (still have my old competetive spirit but not the fitness ha ha)

The question i suppose i'm asking is would a road bike make much difference to me in terms of fitness/speed & the ability to get the miles in to someone like me or should i just stick to my bike & work on my general fitness/weight ?

Plus.......they are damn sexy !!!

 

[Phil_bucks]

you could always get road tyres for your bike, you'd probably double your speed straight away

 

[Lee_M]

well you'll be quicker on a road bike, but you might get fitter riding a big old lump!

I'm currently riding a lump to work - it isnt fun but I guess it will work in the end, certainly feels good when I get back on the roadbike!

 

[DCLane]

Try some alternative tyres; I'm running Schwalbe Land Cruiser ones when the MTB's used for the commute. City Jet tyres are slicks for hybrids/MTB's.

You'll find a big speed difference.

 

[paulw1969]

^
what he said...to start with.
I reckon after a few more months if you were to go over to a road bike the MTB riding you have done will mean you FLY on a road bike..(SIC good training).............errrr back when i first got my roadie i had the odd MTB ers overtake me on my road bike

And anyway....do you REALLY need an excuse to get another bike

 

[Andrew_Culture]

Hills will be a revelation if you do switch!

 

[BrumJim]

Yes, a road bike will make a substantial difference to speed and fitness.

A road bike will lead to a realisation that what you previously thought of as beyond you is very reasonable.
You will start doing weekend runs that will go up big hills. Several.
You will start thinking about doing a Sportive or an Audax.
You will enter a 50 mile / 100km ride. You will enjoy it. And you will feel superior to those doing it on hybrid bikes.
You will wonder if you can do a 100mile ride. And in order to find the answer, you will do one.
Then it would be rude to avoid the 200km landmark. And you woudn't want to be rude, would you?
Then it isn't the distance, it is the challenge, so you will look for further rides with more hills.

And by this time, you will be fitter and faster than before.

 

[Arjimlad]

 

[WobblyBob]

Yes, a road bike will make a substantial difference to speed and fitness.

A road bike will lead to a realisation that what you previously thought of as beyond you is very reasonable.
You will start doing weekend runs that will go up big hills. Several.
You will start thinking about doing a Sportive or an Audax.
You will enter a 50 mile / 100km ride. You will enjoy it. And you will feel superior to those doing it on hybrid bikes.
You will wonder if you can do a 100mile ride. And in order to find the answer, you will do one.
Then it would be rude to avoid the 200km landmark. And you woudn't want to be rude, would you?
Then it isn't the distance, it is the challenge, so you will look for further rides with more hills.

And by this time, you will be fitter and faster than before.

That pretty much sums up what i was wondering, i have a few freinds/colleagues who get out on their roadies lycra clad & do good run's out (they are varying shapes & sizes aswell) on day's off & the odd event & i would love to join them but i'm not sure if i should just go for it or battle on with my Hybrid over the winter & look into getting a roadie early Spring with a good winter's 'training' behind me.
As alot of other's have suggested i could always change my tyres over & hopefully give myself a boost speedwise & therefore feel more encouraged to keep battling away over the colder upcoming months......
Mmmmmmmm

 

[Andrew_Culture]

That pretty much sums up what i was wondering, i have a few freinds/colleagues who get out on their roadies lycra clad & do good run's out (they are varying shapes & sizes aswell) on day's off & the odd event & i would love to join them but i'm not sure if i should just go for it or battle on with my Hybrid over the winter & look into getting a roadie early Spring with a good winter's 'training' behind me.
As alot of other's have suggested i could always change my tyres over & hopefully give myself a boost speedwise & therefore feel more encouraged to keep battling away over the colder upcoming months......
Mmmmmmmm

There's the thing - when cold weather, winter and hills become your friends you know you're in deep!

 

[tadpole]

Either I’m channelling Wiggo on my WDS BSO or lots of men in Lycia buy ‘road bikes’ too early in the cycling journey, as I often, and by often I mean every day at least once, overtake people with all the right cycling gear but a carp level of fitness.
Keep pushing the pedals on the MTB and you’ll get faster, and then once you’re fast on a MTB, then get a roadie bike, or not.
Swap the tyres for some semi slicks, that will cut down the noise, and maybe make a few seconds per mile difference.

 

[paulw77]

I was in a similar situation to you wobblybob.

I had a mountain bike - a really cheap one from Tesco. I'd been out on a it a few times but found it slow and heavy, although I did do the Manchester-Blackpool on it a few years ago. People told me to put slicker tyres on it, but I found this made almost no difference, maybe a very slight reduction in rolling resistance.

So a few weeks ago I took the plunge and bought a road bike - a BTwin Triban 3 from Decathlon. The difference is amazing. It's SO much easier to get up the hills on it. Now I'm the person gliding past other riders, rather than the other way round.

I'd say go for the road bike - you won't regret it.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Either I’m channelling Wiggo on my WDS BSO or lots of men in Lycia buy ‘road bikes’ too early in the cycling journey, as I often, and by often I mean every day at least once, overtake people with all the right cycling gear but a carp level of fitness.
Keep pushing the pedals on the MTB and you’ll get faster, and then once you’re fast on a MTB, then get a roadie bike, or not.
Swap the tyres for some semi slicks, that will cut down the noise, and maybe make a few seconds per mile difference.

I have never had any other type of bike, well apart from a Chopper and a trike before that.

 

[ColinJ]

Assuming that you can afford a second bike and have space to store two - fit slick tyres to your current bike for winter and bad weather rides, and in the Spring, treat yourself to a nice road bike for fun fine weather rides! (Buy a 2011/2012 bike at a reduced price when the 2013 ranges come out.)

 

[Andrew_Culture]

People told me to put slicker tyres on it, but I found this made almost no difference, maybe a very slight reduction in rolling resistance.

The only thing I found when I switched to slicks was a faster way for myself and my bike to part company at speed when cornering!