Kona-Jake the snake for road?

[beccaB]

I'm looking to get a faster bike and have been riding a trek 7.3 fx. I'm not sure if a lighter bike would increase my speed or if there is something I need to be doing differently. A salesman at a bike shop was showing me a Kona cyclocross, because I expressed concerns about how bad the roads are here and he said I could switch the knobby tires for something thinner. I like a bike that I don't have to worry about being too delicate for roads that might as well be trails, as bad as some of them are. Some of the roads we ride on could eat bikes, and small cars. I'm looking for thoughts and suggestions on using a cyclocross bike on the road. We like to do centuries, and I'd like to lessen the time it takes to finish, probably around 7 1/2 hours riding time.

[Biciclista]

Becca, how long is it taking you now to do a century?

[beccaB]

Becca, how long is it taking you now to do a century?

About 7 1/2 hours riding time. It's a little intimidating to nearly always be the last ones to finish. Not that it should matter, but I suppose I have a teensy little competitive streak.

[Biciclista]

sorry, i thought you said your goal was 7.5 hours.
(I think that's a pretty good time myself)
The lessons from Raleighdon:
1. spend as little time as you can off the bike. Pre plan your stops, get your business done, get back on the bike. He's beaten many a faster rider simply by not wasting time at food and potty stops.
2. Do more hills. The more hills you do the stronger you will be on the flats.

Having said this, a road bike should speed you up a bit, but not a lot. The different angle you are sitting at alone will make you want to move faster.(happened to me, I can't explain it)
I was also told that the single upgrade to your bike that does the most per dollar is changing wheel sets.

[bikecanada]

My husband has a Jake the Snake that he uses on the road. He just changed the wheels, which was really cheap. He also is as fast as some of the people with their carbon frames so the rider does affect it. He does like the bike a lot though and he's done gravel trails with it, with the knobby tires on.
I guess it depends what you're looking for, if you want to upgrade. If you want a road bike, but one that can do more (for commuting too), then it's a pretty good, sturdy bike

[bluebug32]

I have a Jake the Snake and ride with a guy who has one (though he still rides on the road with his knobby tires). When I got Jake, I was a die hard mountain biker, looking to ride some road, but not wanting to be completely locked in. I have ridden it on some gravel rail trails and dirt back roads. It was fun, but it's a rough ride. I love the versatility of the Jake and I smoke people on rough downhills because it provides such a steady, solid platform, and I never feel like the bike will wash out from under me even though I have slick tires on it.

Fast forward a season and a half. I moved to a place with amazing dirt and country roads and tons of climbs. My mountain bike starts collecting dust and I'm out riding Jake all the time. I sign up for a century at the end of August and slowly start putting in the big miles and long rides. Now I'm reminded that I'm on a cyclocross bike and not a road bike. The bike is heavy for climbing and I feel every bump in the road because the aluminum is so stiff. Also, the geometry is different. An hour-long all-out red zone effort for cyclocross racing is much different than sitting on a bike in the same position for six or seven hours. It's been rough on my body and I've since started shopping for a carbon fiber road bike.

This, of course, is just one experience and as a cross bike, the Jake rocks. It would be a faithful commuter or the perfect companion for a muddy ride or for 20-30 miles of blazing dirt roads, but for my century, I'll take a road bike any day.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, etc. Good luck in your search!