Are Road bikes worth it and how much should I pay???

[light_sabe_r]

I have been riding my mountain bike (my only bike) on the road (because I am scared of actually doing a mountain!) for the last couple of weeks for fitness (I am thinking of doing a triathlon). Its really not that comfortable but I figured I would get used to it. Someone recently mentioned that I would be more comfortable and be faster in a tri if I purchased a road bike. How true is this? Is it a big difference?

And, if getting a road bike is a good idea, which one is good and wont cost me alot of money (alot being a thousand dollars).

First HI!!!

I have a hybrid... It's kinda accross between both a mountain bike and a road bike. Doesn't cost as much as a Roadie but it does the job if you're commutting or training. But It's heavy and slows me down.

If you want speed and you want to be able to climb road hills fast then I HIGHLY recommend testing out a roadie. (I did! I want one so BADLY now!)

Think about how heavy your mountain bike is. Then divide it in three and you're looking at probably what a roadie feels like at least. ^_^ Or at least that's what a few bikes felt like to me. lol

The other thing is the WHEEL size. Unless your mountain bike has 700cc wheels (which is rare I think there's 2-3 brands in the world that carry 700cc mountain bike wheels) you don't roll as fast or as quickly.

The wheels on a roadie are thin and don't have much resistance. See all those knobbly things on your mountain bike tyres? They're to cause friction between you and sand, dirt gravel etc so you don't go sliding all the way down the mountain. So unless your roads is in desperate need of work by your local council then they're just slowwing you down.

th downside to roadie tyres is they puncture easily. Like REAL easily. BF has blown three tyres in the last 2 weeks!! O_O



http://forums.teamestrogen.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40

This link on the boards leads you to all the bikes that the women on these forums have tested (or at least are drooling over... like I am) or bought. Check em out.

Finally you mentioned your mountain bike isn't that comfortable. How long have you had it? Were you fitted to it correctly? Is the saddle right for you? If you have no idea what I'm saying read LOTS of the stuff in here and you may get an idea of why it's uncomfortable and what you can do to change it. ^_^

Good luck in the tryathlon!

[emily_in_nc]

One way to get a better road bike for a lot less is to buy used. It can be difficult to find odd sizes (very small, very large) though, and you'd definitely want to be able to test ride any bike you're considering buying used as a newbie, since fit is so important. Once you know the size/geometry that you need, buying off eBay, TeamE For Sale/Wanted section, craigslist, etc. become possibilities - but I wouldn't do it as a newbie.

Good luck!
Emily

[Nanci]

If you only have one bike that you are going to ride on the road, it should probably be a road bike, not a tri-specific bike. I think it's nice to have both kinds- road and mountain. Even if you just ride easy trails, you can't do that with a road bike, and the mountain bike _can_ go on the road, but things will be so much easier and more fun if you have a skinny tire bike.

You do see mountain bikes at triathlons, but infrequently. But if that's what you have, and you want to do the tri- go for it!!

Nanci

[KSH]

Your situation is similar to mine.

Back in September 2004... I decided I want to start doing tri's. It was then that I realized that I needed a bike.

I went into the shop and looked at hybrid's and road bikes. A tri bike crossed my mind briefly, but they were out of my price range.

So, after looking at hybrid's and road bikes, I decided I would take the plunge and go with the road bike, as it seemed a bit more "serious" as far as competition in tri's goes.

I have not regretted that decision!

My budget pretty much dictated what bike I would get, so I ended up with a Trek 1000 ($600). 3,200 miles later... I am still riding that bike an average of 80 miles a week!

I *dream* of having a really nice road bike AND tri bike someday... and honestly, I hope get a tri bike to prepare for my Ironman (2010 is my year!).

But, a road bike is a great place to start... you will do just find in sprints and olympic distances with it... AND you can ride in groups and not get nasty looks.

To learn more about tri's and all the details about the equipment... check out the "triathlon" section on this board and check out: www.beginnertriathlete.com.

GOOD LUCK!

PS- What should you expect to pay? For a new road bike, the price will start around $600 and go UP from there! I wish I had been able to spend another $500 on my bike, so I could have gotten better gearing on it. My gearing is a pain!

[freshsushi]

I really don't know much about Triathelons, but since it's August and almost fall, mabey you could hold off on purchasing a bike until September - since cycling season is almost over, you can probably get a really good deal on a road/tri bike from your LBS. If you can still find a leftover model from last year, that will probably be a good deal too...

[Bikingmomof3]

Welcome to TE! I cannot be of a lot of help, since i am new to biking. I did however discover that one can indeed buy a very nice road bike for well under $1,000. I bought a Trek 1000 which I love (it was about $650). I looked at 3 other models and all were under $1,000. Yes, there are bikes I drool over, but my budget only allows me to drool, not actually buy.

[mimitabby]

First HI!!!

The other thing is the WHEEL size. Unless your mountain bike has 700cc wheels (which is rare I think there's 2-3 brands in the world that carry 700cc mountain bike wheels) you don't roll as fast or as quickly.


Good luck in the tryathlon!

Hey, I have to disagree with you on wheel size. There's nothing that says you need that size wheel to go the fastest.
I know some darn fast women bikers on road bikes with 650's.
(they're height challenged, okay? )

and you can find a road bike for UNDER 1000 dollars, I am certain.
good luck