Road Bikes ARE the new MTBs

[Boris Bajic]

In response to the earlier (extant) thread about fixies being the new MTBs...

I wonder whether road bikes occupy that space in the UK cycling spectrum.

Although I was a farly early adopter of the (then rigid) MTB, I recall after buckling a roadbike rim on potholes on London Wall being advised by non-cycling friends that I ought to be using an MTB in Central London. Road bikes were just sooo yesterday. They thought it was funny that I had a road bike. This was in about 1990.

>> FF >> to roughly 2007 and right up to this day....

What I am conscious of now is the enormous number of road bikes I see when out riding or driving.

Carbo-fantastitude is everywhere and lycra-missile riders are trying everywhere to look at their reflection as they try to look as if they are not looking at their reflection.

Many of the friends of my teenage children are being bought road bikes by loving parents, having got to 15, 16, 17 without ever having sat on one.

I hear people on UK trains in July discussing the TdF. One never heard that in the 80s or 90s. In 'cycling countries' one overheard no other conversations, but in the UK it was not a topic.

It is a good thing. I'm not a die-hard green, but I do like to see people out and about on bicycles.

But if the current proliferation of road bikes (and 'bikeporn' fetishists with an opinion on every component they've never heard of) reminds me of anything... it is the MTB explosion in the early 90s.

Please feel free to offer opinions on this matter, but you ought to be aware that I am right on this and that there is no room for dissent.

 

[Brandane]

Agreed it's a good thing, the only reservation I have is that trendy usually means expensive. So expect a rise in the cost of bikes, accessories, parts and clothing! The up-side will be the glut of second hand, hardly used good quality bikes appearing on the market in a couple of years time, once they have moved on to the next trendy fashion accessory .

 

[jdtate101]

You just have to see the sell out rate of some sportives to see that road bikes are on the rise. Although saying that I still see more MTBs than roadies ridden by younger people.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

I think you hear more people on places like trains discussing TdF and similar because of the investmet and support given to british cycling in general at this moment due to lottery funding and sky. In the 80's and 90's there was not this level of funding or the level of sucess by our nations cyclists in so many disaplines. We never have the wide depth of tallent then which we do now and that raises the profile of the country sportsmen and women and the sport which leads to further discussion and interest.
I also slowly think that commuting by car is becoming unfianacially feasible for some so they are loooking for more cost effectives ways to do this, the sales of mopeds has increased massively since the 90's because like the cycle they are a cheap way in which to commute.
I have only recently taken up cycling, coming from a running back ground and have found certain aspects of the cycling community to be very judgemental by comparison. If you ride a certain bike you are frowned upon, if you wear team kit or a championship top you are a sinner, if you have a specific bike and lack cav level performance people on cheaper bikes like to point out they are faster and make comments such as you are all the gear no idea
if someone is out there keeping fit, enjoying it and preventing the possibilty of them becoming dependent on the health service then im all for it, even if its only for one year.

sent from android tab.

 

[hughonabike]

In response to the earlier (extant) thread about fixies being the new MTBs...

I wonder whether road bikes occupy that space in the UK cycling spectrum.

Although I was a farly early adopter of the (then rigid) MTB, I recall after buckling a roadbike rim on potholes on London Wall being advised by non-cycling friends that I ought to be using an MTB in Central London. Road bikes were just sooo yesterday. They thought it was funny that I had a road bike. This was in about 1990.

>> FF >> to roughly 2007 and right up to this day....

What I am conscious of now is the enormous number of road bikes I see when out riding or driving.

Carbo-fantastitude is everywhere and lycra-missile riders are trying everywhere to look at their reflection as they try to look as if they are not looking at their reflection.

Many of the friends of my teenage children are being bought road bikes by loving parents, having got to 15, 16, 17 without ever having sat on one.

I hear people on UK trains in July discussing the TdF. One never heard that in the 80s or 90s. In 'cycling countries' one overheard no other conversations, but in the UK it was not a topic.

It is a good thing. I'm not a die-hard green, but I do like to see people out and about on bicycles.

But if the current proliferation of road bikes (and 'bikeporn' fetishists with an opinion on every component they've never heard of) reminds me of anything... it is the MTB explosion in the early 90s.

Please feel free to offer opinions on this matter, but you ought to be aware that I am right on this and that there is no room for dissent.

Being old and fat and a little ugly on the side ( I don't look at my reflection ) with loadsa miles cycled me thinks I have an answer...........Ride a Surly Pugsley. Very comfy and you can play in the potholes.

 

[smokeysmoo]

It's an oldie, but it's surprising what you can do on a road bike;

 

[psmiffy]

I was brought up on racers as a kid and rode that sort of bike until the mid 80s when I bought a mountain bike mainly because I liked the improvement in the gears – I discovered very quickly that whilst the posture on the bike suited me the thick knobbly tires were not really suitable for the urban commute – cue a spare set of wheels with slicks on and I had a very versatile bike – a bit of off road – commute/utility – and a great tourer.

Myself I will not be going back to the “racers” of my youth – the posture and relatively upright position of the urban MTB suits me and my sort of riding – steady – I also suspect that road bikes will not appeal to the vast majority of the people who I believe will form the backbone of cycling in the years to come – we may never go over to the sort of bikes the Dutch ride in their millions but the practical, cheap hybrid will probably fill that slot.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

round here CX-ers are, well, seem to be, the new mtb's and trial bikes the new bmx

 

[gbb]

At 53, having always had 'race bikes' for years, (ive NEVER owned a MTB) i remember in the late 90s, maybe early 00s thinking..i want a brand new roadbike, my first. I remember there wasnt actually much choice and it all seemed out of my price range. Roadbikes seemed expensive and exclusive, perhaps they were'nt, perhaps my expectations were too high. I came away despondant...and with a hybrid. What the hell i brought that for i dont know.
Within two years i got a Raleigh Chimera, it was a lot more affordable and TBF, did me many years and miles of good service.
Since then it seems roadbikes have inexorably gained more and more status.
Cycle to work schemes have helped enormously, its given a lot of people an open door into a usually expensive hobby to get into.

If i think back 30 years, i rarely saw guys out on roadbikes, very rarely...now they're everywhere. I did a little exploratory ride after work on Saturday, 10 miles on fenland back roads, i saw two seperate guys on roadbikes, so even out in the sticks, they're popular.

As a measure of their acceptance, non bike riders often will smile and chat at work when they see the bike. MTB/hybrid riders don't even get looked at...i think everyone recognises quality, something a little different and special.

By the same token, they're a huge leap for some people, a leap too far apparently. Several times when ive been talking to colleagues about bikes, theyve intimated they'd like a new bike, i've suggested a roadbike...'noooo, i couldnt' has often been the answer.

 

[doctornige]

It's all good. <------- true fact.

 

[simon.r]

It's an oldie, but it's surprising what you he can do on a road bike;

FTFY

 

[gbb]

There's a strange 'misty eyed' notion about roadbikes in the eyes of non cyclists as well....
I havnt been at my work for long so they dont know that much about me. I just started commuting by bike in the last few weeks..because the factory is in a rural location, hardly anyone else cycles there. I seem to be standing out a bit.
Two of the more senior people there collared me the other day, ribbing me that they were going t get 'racing bikes' and start training with me. But i doubt we'd stay with you for long, one said, not by the way you came hurtling in the yard yesterday..obviously impressed by the speed i was supposedly doing. I say supposedly, because i wasnt actually going fast, the road surface is poor where lorries are turning in.

Again, if i'd been on a different kind of bike, i don't think they'd have even noticed me. Another sign of roadbikes acceptance, even admiration, within the wider general public.

 

[tyred]

My concern is that there is not that there is fundamentally anything wrong with any particular type of bike but different types of bikes are suited to different tasks but I am concerned that people are being sold the wrong type of bikes for their needs. There is a definite increase in cyclists in the towns around here but they are usually MTBs, usually with knobblies (unnecessarily hard work on tarmac) and often with suspension (pointless on tarmac) or increasingly fancy road bikes with nowhere to put mudguards, racks, etc and wheels and tyres which are easily damaged on urban streets.

Practical A - B cycling requires a practical bike, a slicked up MTB can fit the bill, as can sports/tourer with decent tyre clearance, a roadster, either traditional British or more modern type Dutch ones or so called hybrids. The vast majority of people who ride bikes are not going to be doing serious off-roading, or are not going to be racing, so why are they being sold bikes that designed primarily with that in mind?

There again, why do people buy BMW X-5s? The marketing men have a lot to answer for.

 

[VamP]

I actually think having multiple bikes is the new MTB. The number of people I know who have multiple (more than 3) bikes has grown exponentially in the last 5 years.

No bad thing IMO.

 

[Boris Bajic]

I actually think having multiple bikes is the new MTB. The number of people I know who have multiple (more than 3) bikes has grown exponentially in the last 5 years.

No bad thing IMO.

On the basis of this post I reluctantly withdraw my hypothesis.

VamP has it right.

Not me though... I only have three bikes at my house. Last week I moved my better hardtail to my mother-in-law's farm, so it no longer counts.

And when I'm out on one of the three, there are only two at home. I haven't actually counted them, but I did the maths.