Switching to roadbike

[liambauckham]

So have made the switch to a roadbike. Currently loaning a 12 year old Dawes and its pretty nifty.... without even trying ive upped my average speed by 3-4mph.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddAOkPlPr6c

 

[Globalti]

Why has it got a skirt on its saddle?

If you thaink that's good, wait until you try one of the latest generation carbon bikes - it'll blow you away.

 

[liambauckham]

thats my trusty seat pad. Yeah would love to try a carbon frame. The place I loaned "Pete" from has a few super light carbons. the lights on the front were heavier than the frame.... MENTAL

 

[mjr]

Glad you're enjoying it. Remember that speed can get you into trouble too and the braking probably won't be as forceful as you're used to from a mountain bike, so it's a good idea to decelerate at the first sign of trouble. As you've noticed, accelerating again isn't as hard. You pass the pedestrian at 2:48 a bit close/fast/unbelled for my taste, but maybe there was some pothole or something that isn't easy to see on the video. Enjoy France!

 

[Jon George]

Enjoy your trip!

 

[HLaB]

Loose the saddle cover, it'll only cause uncomfortable chaffing and Enjoy :-)

 

[liambauckham]

Glad you're enjoying it. Remember that speed can get you into trouble too and the braking probably won't be as forceful as you're used to from a mountain bike, so it's a good idea to decelerate at the first sign of trouble. As you've noticed, accelerating again isn't as hard. You pass the pedestrian at 2:48 a bit close/fast/unbelled for my taste, but maybe there was some pothole or something that isn't easy to see on the video. Enjoy France!

if i remember rightly i dont recall any close shaves so It might have been lens distortion. I do miss my disc brakes for sure.

 

[liambauckham]

Loose the saddle cover, it'll only cause uncomfortable chaffing and Enjoy :-)

my gooch likes the saddle cover..... have had no chaffing so far.

 

[ColinJ]

You pass the pedestrian at 2:48 a bit close/fast/unbelled for my taste ...

I thought that too ...

Another reaction was ... WATCH OUT FOR THE CAT!!!!

A slight reduction in tyre pressures can dampen with most of the vibrations through the skinny tyres, but obviously you don't want to go too far and risk pinch punctures. I run my tyres at about 85 PSI front and 95 PSI rear. Many people go way above that, but I find higher pressures uncomfortable on our rough roads.

 

[ColinJ]

Oh, and choose a comfortable saddle rather than trying to dress up an uncomfortable one!

 

[gbs]

Oh, and choose a comfortable saddle rather than trying to dress up an uncomfortable one!

Spot on, Those narrow perches are for me uniformly comfortable on rides on 6 hours or so and I am relatively skinny and weigh 80kg.

 

[mjr]

Another reaction was ... WATCH OUT FOR THE CAT!!!!

A slight reduction in tyre pressures can dampen with most of the vibrations through the skinny tyres, but obviously you don't want to go too far and risk pinch punctures. I run my tyres at about 85 PSI front and 95 PSI rear. Many people go way above that, but I find higher pressures uncomfortable on our rough roads.

Oh cats are too big to jam the spokes and small enough that you can roll over them... ah whoops what have I said? The cat fans will be after me now but I don't want to see any hurt but they move so quick that you can line up to pass one slowly at 3m and it'll dart across at the last moment.

I run my road bike tyres at 45+65 but they're 30mmish

 

[Dogtrousers]

You choose your own saddle. Listen to your backside.

 

[HLaB]

my gooch lIkes the saddle cover..... have had no chaffing so far.

So far, trust me on a long hot ride you'll be better without it ;-)

 

[mjr]

So far, trust me on a long hot ride you'll be better without it ;-)

How can you know? I don't like them and few people here do, but if it works for @liambauckham, so be it. I suspect just ditching the cover won't work - it'll need a better-fitted saddle and/or padded shorts.