Road bike tires

[Catrin]

Indianapolis may not be one of the snow capitols in this part of the US, but we do get snow and ice. I hate to see my Trek 7.6 FX grounded due to the weather - and my lack of experience.

Someone suggested to me that if I were to put mountain bike tires on my flat-bar road bike that my bike would be far less likely to slip in the ice. However, even I know that mountain bikes take a different size tires than road bikes and that I can't use real mountain bike tires.

I did stop by my LBS today to ask them about different types of tires that my bike can take, and one of the mechanics told me that one can find 700c tires with far more aggressive tread than my Bontrager Race Lite tires. They don't sell them, but would mount them for me.

Is this a good idea for a novice cyclist? Right now I am still in the parking lot stage - and if I could practice more consistently I could graduate from the parking lot

I understand that I can go wider than my current 700c28 tires if there is clearance, and I don't know how important that would be if I can find a more aggressive tread. Any suggestions?

I did have a great day today, even if my ride was cut short. It was wonderful to be out on my bike - even after a 2 hour spinning session!

[Eden]

You can get cyclocross tires that are likely to fit your bike fine (I had some on an old Trek 420 with no problems) and some of them do have pretty aggressive tread patterns. They will help you go in the snow/slush, but for slick ice I don't think anything except for studded tires will help much.
I'm also not sure I'd recommend any of this for a learner... it really takes your whole body (lots of core) and a smooth pedal stroke to keep a bike up when it is very slippery.

[Catrin]

You can get cyclocross tires that are likely to fit your bike fine (I had some on an old Trek 420 with no problems) and some of them do have pretty aggressive tread patterns. They will help you go in the snow/slush, but for slick ice I don't think anything except for studded tires will help much.
I'm also not sure I'd recommend any of this for a learner... it really takes your whole body (lots of core) and a smooth pedal stroke to keep a bike up when it is very slippery.

I am thinking of patches of ice as opposed to sheets of it - but of course - ice can get you regardless of the amount. It is the black ice that concerns me rather than the stuff we can see and hopefully avoid.

Thanks for your caution regarding core strength and pedal stroke needed for riding in slick conditions. I am having problems with a consistent pedal stroke right now - once I start building cadence my pedals start "skipping" - and quite a lot - especially on one side. They haven't found anything wrong with my bike - so it must have something to do with the "engine". My cycling instructor thinks that it is either a fitting issue (I have a fitting scheduled in a couple of weeks) or I've one leg stronger than the other.

[Eden]

Tread won't help too much on black ice and indeed it only takes one patch (ask me how far I slid on my back today.... I'm OK, even did the ride - I slid out on a hill on the way to meet the group) Unfortunately not too much helps at all on black ice - maybe studs, but I've never tried them.

[chicagogal]

You can do one-legged drills on your spinning bike, or your trek up on a trainer, to help you master your pedal stroke.

In terms of tires, I put cyclocross tires on my hybrid and love that it gives me the option to ride on the trails when the weather prohibits a road ride. If you decide to do this, you might actually want to find an "easy" trail (unpaved, but not very technical) to practice on. You (probably) won't have as many issues with black ice as you will on the road - and practicing off-road will help you master your bike handling skills as well.

[Eden]

once I start building cadence my pedals start "skipping" - and quite a lot - especially on one side. They haven't found anything wrong with my bike - so it must have something to do with the "engine". My cycling instructor thinks that it is either a fitting issue (I have a fitting scheduled in a couple of weeks) or I've one leg stronger than the other.

How fast are you spinning when it starts to happen? Everyone gets a bit choppy when they get really high. Some people can spin exceptionally fast and smooth (like pros who are known for sprinting ability), but many people start to bounce and get choppy at speeds over 110 -120 rpms or so. I can spin smoothly up to about 130 or so, but I rarely do this anywhere but on the trainer...

[Catrin]

How fast are you spinning when it starts to happen? Everyone gets a bit choppy when they get really high. Some people can spin exceptionally fast and smooth (like pros who are known for sprinting ability), but many people start to bounce and get choppy at speeds over 110 -120 rpms or so. I can spin smoothly up to about 130 or so, but I rarely do this anywhere but on the trainer...

I am not spinning fast at all - indeed am still going fairly slow when it starts (I've only had my bike for 2 weeks). I DO know that one leg is stronger than the other - and my podiatrist suspects that one leg is shorter than the other. I do not notice this on the spinning bike in class, but that is not the same.

The trainer I am working with on conditioning for cycling (and who is a life-long avid cyclist and mountain-bike racer) isn't sure that it is a leg-strength issue - but of course he hasn't been present when it happens. I will ask him to show me the spinning drill with one leg - I do not have an indoor trainer and am trying to wait until next winter for that if I can. (Personal training sessions and new bike support has tapped me out for now

[Eden]

I am not spinning fast at all - indeed am still going fairly slow when it starts (I've only had my bike for 2 weeks). I DO know that one leg is stronger than the other - and my podiatrist suspects that one leg is shorter than the other. I do not notice this on the spinning bike in class, but that is not the same.

It's not particularly uncommon. Even if you don't have a measurable leg length discrepancy you can have a functional one. A few shims in your shoe (if you have clipless pedals) can go a long way to fixing it - and yes it sure can make your spin smoother.