why are road bikes

[TonyEnjoyD]

Especially as (if my rudimental French serves me well) @TonyEnjoyD addressed you as his (male) pal

Hey, blame google translate, not me

 

[cyana13]

are you sure it wasnt just male pride that made said riders go fast just so they could show off and pass a female rider

I am amused to see the look on some guys' faces when I overtake them . I see some struggling to overtake me too.
Even my bike has 23mm tires and it's quite fast, there were people on MTB's overtaking me when I started cycling(5 months ago).
I think having a road bike helps but you also need to have a good fitness level. .

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I am amused to see the look on some guys' faces when I overtake them . I see some struggling to overtake me too.
Even my bike has 23mm tires and it's quite fast, there were people on MTB's overtaking me when I started cycling(5 months ago).
I think having a road bike helps but you also need to have a good fitness level. .

Had one lass over take me a while back (winter springs to mind) no way could I keep up, now at the same pace might not have happened, who cares what the gender is, on that day you/they are better or worse than you.

I got over took last night, by a guy in some colours, I sort of stayed with him but was losing in ground slowly, mind he did have considerable skill at track standing well into the junction at the lights, the same one I nearly got toasted at a few weeks back by a red light jumper.

 

[jazzkat]

Bien sûr mon ami

Did anyone else hear that said in the style of Del Trotter?

 

[lulubel]

It is a bit about the bike. If you're on a heavy, upright hybrid (as I was before I got my first road bike), you'd notice a huge difference even in your first ride on a road bike.

As people mentioned, it's more about fitness, though. As you cycle more, and build up "cycling fitness", you don't only get stronger, you are also able to sustain a higher level of effort for longer, and not feel (or look) as if you're working as hard. (I hope that makes sense.) You just get used to it, I suppose, mentally as well as physically, and that makes a huge difference to how fast you are able to go.

 

[Milzy]

Just changing my road tires alone improved an 8 mile segment time by a minute.

 

[sophie]

I find its the other way round when its raining/rained tho, which i guess is like everyone said the type of tyres.

But dose it matter if other cyclists are going faster than you? Just go at the speed you feel comfortable with, i like to potter along at about 10mph and enjoy the ride and scenery and let all the racers wizz past me, as i still seem to catch up with most of them at traffic lights

 

[Nigelnaturist]

I find its the other way round when its raining/rained tho, which i guess is like everyone said the type of tyres.

But dose it matter if other cyclists are going faster than you? Just go at the speed you feel comfortable with, i like to potter along at about 10mph and enjoy the ride and scenery and let all the racers wizz past me, as i still seem to catch up with most of them at traffic lights

I just had that happen this, was well away, but the lights did me, mind I was only about 400yds from home than and didn't bother after that.

 

[Mo1959]

A couple of good cyclists out this morning my way too. Not sure if they were doing a long commute or just a long training run. Both had backpacks. Saw the shadow of the first one coming up behind me. Lean, tanned with legs up to his armpits. Total gentleman. Spoke on the way past for a few seconds then just seemed to effortlessly glide away and was out of sight within minutes. I was seriously impressed and a bit jealous.

 

[clid61]

My claud bultler MTB has 1.5 city jet tyres and have bunged a 48t chain ring on to complent the other 2 girly gears , on down hills and flat it motors , oh and grip your bars either side of stem for aeorodynamics!

 

[clid61]

Oh and dont wear a back pack Kamelbak , use 2 big 750 bottles and a decent sized seat stem bag of Rixen Kaul variety ! Lower center of gravity and more comer comfortble !

 

[fabregas485]

I know for me, moving from using a heavy mountain bike to a light road bike sped me up quite a bit, and my ride to the station in the morning is almost effortless, where as before I would struggle. Also road bikes are faster, so when you get on one, you feel like you can go fast so you do.

 

[Smurfy]

The Guardian have a video article on this topic today, although unfortunately I won't have time to watch it until I get home.