Aren't Bicycles Great.

Johnmcl7

I agree entirely with what you've said, I like the feeling of control and stability on the mountain bike whereas the road bike feels so skittish and the brakes unpredictable. Then again the way the road bike picks up speed and carries it with ease make it enjoyable in its own way as it can easily eat up the miles but it's so sensitive to the road surface which isn't great on a lot of the back roads here.

I hadn't realised there were CX bikes with decent hydraulic disc brakes within a reasonable price range which has got me down this path, the one I tried today felt better on a fast downhill piece of roads as it had mechanical disc brakes, not as twitchy at the front and a bit longer overall. I think for the cycling I'm doing on the road, a CX bike would be better suited but I don't want to spend a couple of grand and find myself wanting to use the road bike still.

I see Pinarello are testing a road bike with rear suspension:

http://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/news/article/pinarello-dogma-k8-s-rear-suspension-road-bike-released-43982/

Obviously going to be very affordable although some of the initial results don't sound great, I quite like Trek's design on their CX bikes and now some of their road bikes that they call Isospeed and allows the seat tube to partially move independently of the top tube/seat stays taking some of the vibration of the frame away from going through the seat. Although I like Trek, sadly one of their CX bikes with hydraulic brakes and Di2 is way over the price I'd consider.

John

armyknife

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

I agree entirely with what you've said, I like the feeling of control and stability on the mountain bike whereas the road bike feels so skittish and the brakes unpredictable. Then again the way the road bike picks up speed and carries it with ease make it enjoyable in its own way as it can easily eat up the miles but it's so sensitive to the road surface which isn't great on a lot of the back roads here.

...

John

This now seems to be a big and growing problem, some of the road 'surfaces' I encounter on back roads makes me wonder how roadies with slick high pressure 23/25 manage on suck broken surfaces.

I've recently moved from marathon 28c to a soft semi-knobbly 30C to cope with these conditions.

Johnmcl7

armyknife wrote: »

This now seems to be a big and growing problem, some of the road 'surfaces' I encounter on back roads makes me wonder how roadies with slick high pressure 23/25 manage on suck broken surfaces.

I've recently moved from marathon 28c to a soft semi-knobbly 30C to cope with these conditions.

That would be another advantage of the CX bike, if I knew I was going on a rougher ride then I'd have the option of running bigger tyres thanks to the additional tyre clearance. The touring group I'm thinking of cycling with have a ride next month but it looks like there's some light off road sections which there's no way I could do on the road bike but a CX bike with the right tyres would be ok.

John

armyknife

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

That would be another advantage of the CX bike, if I knew I was going on a rougher ride then I'd have the option of running bigger tyres thanks to the additional tyre clearance. The touring group I'm thinking of cycling with have a ride next month but it looks like there's some light off road sections which there's no way I could do on the road bike but a CX bike with the right tyres would be ok.

John

This is an interesting issue, sounds like several of us are after something broadly similar.

I too need a reasonable light swift bike to do longer distances on, along with those occasional bits of slight off-road that link up the road bits of the routes.

Currently I'm using my disc-equipped Boardman flat-bar hybrid, which is ok, but perhaps I should be aiming for something more like you guys are looking at?

Though I too am uncertain about a more skittish road bike like handling, and also at my age I'm not sure I could comfortably go to drops, unless there's a less agressive more relaxed geometry for their set-up.

Nebulous2

There's nothing like a road bike in my opinion, and if you have a decent set of wheels (probably not the wheels it came with) then it will stand most road surfaces. Slick road tyres actually grip the road better than nobbly ones - though there is a move away from 23 mm ones to 25s, even with the top-end racers, because you can run them at lower pressures, which improves comfort.

I commute on a fairly basic Edinburgh bike cross bike with mechanical discs. I've had it for over a year. It has done all I could want it to do, with a rack and guards on, I quite like the understated gray, but it doesn't really excite me.

One boost is that I have never had a puncture, even on the standard tyres. I replaced the rear tyre with a marathon because it had worn out and it now feels faster with a smoother tyre.

Prior to that my go anywhere bike was again an Edinburgh bike one, but a tourer this time. It was faster than the cross bike, robust frame and the next one up has disc brakes. Again it came with pretty good tyres and I never had a puncture.

The main thing that gives a bike skittish or 'twitchy' handling is a short wheelbase. You get used to that fairly quickly, but if you don't like it a tourer has a longer wheelbase and more solid handling.

Either of those will cope with rougher surfaces and a bit of cyclepath or gravel, particularly with fatter tyres - they'll come with 35s or so. They don't have the pure speed or excitement of a stripped down road bike but they are more practical, particularly if you are carrying clothes, laptop, work papers etc.

So in essence, like buying a car it is a compromise. Speed, practicality, price, weight, protection from rain have all to be balanced and everyone finds the point they are happy with.

I can't see me ever going back to a flatbar bike though. With drops you can ride with your hands on the tops, on the hoods or on the drops, which gives a range of positions. This helps to give your neck and arms a break and allows a more aerodynamic position- into a strong wind for instance.

brat

I'm afraid I don't analyse bikes too much - I just get out and ride!
Family day today, so I'm just back from a nice flattish 27 miler at 20.5 average, then hopefully out again this evening with the family for 20, after a day out.

My Cannondale has very much a race geometry, the frame being their 2012/13 TdF frame. It's a lovely ride, stiff, but still flexes enough to make the ride comfortable. I have 23mmConti GP4000S tyres on carbon wheels, the Contis seem to have a slightly wider profile for 23mm than the out and out race tyre, and they are bombproof if you keep your pressures up over 100.

I used to get some back pain with the ride angle, but not any more. I find if I switch position a little from the hoods to drops, to the flat bars, I can pretty much keep little niggles at bay.

I tend to use the Cannondale most of the time, because it's such a lovely ride. It tips the scales at just over 6kg, you can lift it with your little finger, so it almost feels like you've got an engine for the hills.

I also have a Whyte Charing Cross cyclocross bike which is 9.5kg (Aluminium frame and carbon forks - Tiagra groupset - mechanical disk brakes). I've got guards on it and a pannier rack, so it's what I use for bad weather days and holidays. It's shod with 28mm Conti Gatorskins again because they are grippy and bombproof.

I'm probably retiring in just over two years (unless I can stay on to complete my 30 years) so it's my plan to see what range of disc braked road bikes there are for my retirement treat!

Tobster86

Lovely weather this week. I'm getting moderately sunburnt (Northern ghost living down south!).

Good thing too as cycling is my only choice this week. The car is off the road awaiting major engine work this weekend (full retiming after replacement timing chain guides, with specialist tools that arrived today and are bloody heavy; the ride home should be fun!).

armyknife

Tobster86 wrote: »

Lovely weather this week. I'm getting moderately sunburnt (Northern ghost living down south!).

Good thing too as cycling is my only choice this week. The car is off the road awaiting major engine work this weekend (full retiming after replacement timing chain guides, with specialist tools that arrived today and are bloody heavy; the ride home should be fun!).

Yep; I must get out every evening this week, shame to waste it.

edit:

Did 30-odd miles round the forest this evening, nice weather.

brat

Been out this morning in the beautiful hazy sunshine - a very pleasant 100k round Coniston.

This wasn't today, but this view was my companion for 8 or so miles.



Glasson Dock 20 miler with the kids this afternoon...

Got tan lines already!

armyknife

Nice photos Brat, envious, inspired by that I think I'll visit the seaside this evening.