What flat bar road bike?

[j20nyh]

Johny H, where do you live? I'm not very fit on a road bike and manage the South Pennines on a compact with a 50/34 and an 11-32 cassette. I may be selling my Cube Peloton Race 2014 shortly, and it won't be massively over your budget. If nothing else if you fancy a test ride, and would fit a 56 (5'8" to 5'11" ish) you are welcome to try it.

Hi Cubist, I live in Wiltshire so a bit too far to come and have a test drive unfortunately. I'm 5'7" and would need a 54 so your Cube is slightly too big for me anyway but thanks for the offer, if I was closer I would of took you up on it. I have only been cycling for a few months, I still consider myself to be unfit but I'm averaging about 20 miles every other day and climbing approx 1300ft each time.

This is what i'm currently riding... http://www.rutlandcycling.com/231641/products/cube-2014-ltd-cls-pro-mens-mountain-hybrid-bike.aspx

I think i'll bite the bullet and buy something with a compact, there's not much choice when it comes to road bikes with triples and from what i've read as my fitness improves I won't need to use the 'granny' cog at all. I'm curious to know what spinning up a steep hill on the compact is like compared to being in the lowest gear on my triple.

 

[Cycleops]

A cyclocross bike will have a longer wheelbase and slacker frame angles making it more stable and less twitchy than a road bike. It will also have wider tyres.

You can calculate your gear inches from this chart:

Gear Inches for this wheel in these gears
RingCog 40414243444546474849505152Ring Cog
1195.798.1100.5102.8105.2107.6109.9112.3114.7117.0119.7122.0124.411
1287.689.992.194.296.598.6100.7103.1105.2107.3109.7111.8113.912
1381.082.885.087.188.991.093.195.297.099.2101.3103.1105.213
1475.277.178.980.782.684.486.588.490.292.193.995.797.614
1570.271.873.675.577.178.980.782.384.286.087.689.491.315
1665.867.369.270.772.373.975.777.378.980.582.383.985.516
1761.863.465.066.568.169.771.372.674.275.777.378.980.517
1858.460.061.362.964.265.867.368.670.271.573.174.476.018
1955.556.858.159.461.062.363.665.066.567.969.270.572.119
2052.653.955.256.557.959.260.561.863.164.465.867.168.420
2150.051.352.653.955.256.357.658.960.261.362.663.965.221

 

[Leaway2]

Also the Cyclo will have disc brakes.