how do YOU ride road?

[al]

Now look whats happend. :roll:

You're sounding like moaning roadies.

Nothing good will come of this cross contamination, mark my words.



al.

 

[kaiser]

It will take a bit of getting used to bio mechanically, but it'll come. Cadence wise their are loads of theories, just settle into something you feel comfortable with, again you'll find your own pace. If your using it for training try to mix it up a bit, get yourself a hilly route, something nice and fast, maybe something picturesque. You will start to enjoy it, as you grow into the bike and start covering distances with ease, powering up climbs, plummeting at 50+ theres plenty grins

 

[highlandsflyer]

It is better to spin a little faster than to grind. Depends on what you are trying to achieve, pace or power.

This is not really a roadie thread, as you don't need to be on a road bike to talk about your road riding.

I guess the majority on here do a fair bit on road with their bikes, regardless of what they are.

 

[Neil]

Everyone has an opinion indeed. You are merely a bigger opinion than most.

I base my opinion on my personal experience, I don't base it on news reports or websites that were few and far between back then.

Hardly the basis for a comparison.

Au contraire - my opinion isn't just based on news reports or websites - but from my own experiences, those of friends / acquaintances, opinions expressed here, and news reports and comments on these reports on the relevant websites.

And from what I can remember, you're the only person I've encountered who seems to believe that drivers' attitudes haven't changed over the last few decades - personally, I'm not buying that for a second. Maybe if you're so confident, put it to a poll...

Back then cycling was a risk you took, and if you copped it it was all part of the dangers of being on the road.

Nowadays if you cop it, the driver will be scrutinised from the perspective of having injured or killed a more vulnerable road user.

That was always the case.

Sure, the scrutiny and the analysing and details may be more, um, forensic in approach - and in general, more scientific - but a road death, was always a road death.

We now have many more cycle ways and road markings, etc. promoting the rights of cyclists as protected road users.

Eh?

These are promoting the rights of cyclists as protected road users. They're encouraging the segmenting of cyclists out of normal traffic, and fostering an underlying, but ever-increasing mindset in some drivers that cyclists have no place on the road, should be on the cycle path, and as such don't deserve much (if anything) in the way of consideration.

BITD when cyclists only really could use the road, traffic and drivers had to (by and large) cohabit with cyclists.

The people changing all these things are not just cyclists, they are drivers too.

Most of the people seemingly instigating the changes appear not to be cyclists, nor actually listening to much of the cyclists opinions.

I would say attitudes are much the same, averaged out.

Drivers are definitely more hostile to each other, and the attitude of many of the motoring public, who care to comment, has surprised me, in recent times, of just how negatively they perceive cyclists as part of traffic.

For every casually regardless motorist there is another who is bike aware.

It's not the awareness I think is lacking as much as the care, and the consideration that cyclists have a valid place - and of paramount significance - an actual right to be traffic on the road.

Only problem is there are ten times as many passing you, so five times more of the ones who could not care less about you.

I think that is overly glib and simplistic.

Drivers are more hostile to each other, never mind cyclists.

Roads have become a more hostile place, with a bigger proportion of drivers than in past decades. Costs (fuel, VED, insurance), "safety cameras", the significant reduction in presence of actual traffic pol, an increased aggressiveness, seemingly born out of a sense of (I suspect largely misplaced) urgency, greater contention, roads made more hostile - in terms of "traffic calming", have seemingly increased the frustration in an increasing proportion of drivers, which spills over to other road users like cyclists, easily, but unthinkingly targeted on the basis that as they're not paying VED, and in some cases have a dedicated path, then in general, have no place being in traffic merely slowing down an increasingly angry proportion of drivers.

Misquote as much of that as you will.

Well believe what you like, but any quotes I made of you were verbatim, and hardly grabbed out of context.

An empty road is still an empty road.

And a cigar is still a cigar.

 

[REKIBorter]

Get a room you two.

 

[highlandsflyer]

I don't want to continue dragging the OP's thread off Neil.

Feel free to assume you are correct.

I may start a thread on it later.

 

[djoptix]

On topic... if the stem clamp is over the front hub I would say that's a bit long. Have you got a picture of it? Someone said in another post that a good way to tell if your front end is right is to ride on the tops and look down. The top of the bar should obscure your view of the front axle.

I'd never heard this before but it turns out that my Dawes is exactly that size on me so there you go

 

[lewis1641]

just read my opening post and it just seems to ramble, i guess i'm not really sure what i am asking.

i will add pictures of the bike and try to get some of me on it. the frame seems quite small to be honest.

i am amazed at how differently it rides. i am neither fit nor particularly powerful but put even half a crank rotation down with a bit of force and you feel it instantly, never felt that from a mountain bike before, slicks or not.

and al, i have nothing to say in response!

 

[legrandefromage]

The lighter road wheels will make you feel like a rocket but bad sizing will also make you seize up like a rusty chain.

I'm riding a 59cm/ 59cm frame with a 110mm stem that felt waay too big until I put the seat up and lowered the stem. Back un-seized, ride became easier.

I always end up with frames that are too small, but, they are great for sprints!

With the politest reference to your 'shape' that I can think of, a shorter stem will help and as you get fitter and change shape, you'll find the roadie position easier.

Having ridden MTB and road for about equal amounts, theres nothing like a well sorted road bike to put a smile on your face. I went out last day off just for a 'quickie' and notched up about 22 miles in just over an hour without realising it. The same route on an MTB would have taken me around 2 - 3 hours (I was also saw an interesting 'Eagle' fast tourer in 531 BTW).

I'm not a fan of the modern geometry - bars up around your ears style. I prefer the older style. My MTBs & roadies side by side sit very similar.

 

[pigman]

i use my mountainbike for fun and chilling out but cant really see a road bike operforming those tasks

and I use my road bike for fun and chilling but cant do that on a mountain bike.
The point is not to rubbish your statement, but to illustrate that you will chill when you get used to riding it. I do very little mtbing (ok nature trails with kids, thats it), I do loads of road riding. I shit myself on the smallest rocky off road descent, I hammer down winnatts pass at 50mph without any fear whatsoever. Keep on-roading and you will enjoy it. but, as some have pointed out, traffic might make you nervous and rightly so, but I also believe that the majority of bike v car incidents can be avoided with experience (mown down from behind excepted).
As for position, yes you will feel stretched. Get a shorter stem for the short term. Once you get used to it, you will want a longer stem. The centre of my bars is way ahead of the hub line.