How do I know when it's time for a different bike?

[Livin the Dream]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful comments! The reasons I started thinking about a different bike are those you have mentioned -- speed and hills. Your advice/insight/and comments have convinced me that I need to at least start thinking seriously about a road bike and visiting my LBS to ask questions. Although I no longer avoid hills, I still struggle with them and I would love to go faster. Although I'm much more fit than I was a few years ago, I would like to up the ante with exercise and I much prefer the bike to other forms of exercise. I think I might even make the 26 mile RT commute to work a few days per week if the hills and the time it would take with my Trek didn't scare me off. When DH isn't with me, my speed on the relatively flat country roads is about 13 - 14. (DH just likes to cruise along at 8 - 9 mph).

A few more questions come to mind.
- Why is climbing better on a road bike? Bike weight? Riding position? Gearing?

- How much of a mph increase can I reasonably expect?

- How much of an adjustment is the change in riding position -- hybrid to road?

- Those skinny tires look fragile! Do they hold up to bumpy roads well? Are road bikes higher maintenance?

- I'd like to stay under $1000. Any advice on some brands to start my research? I'm 5'8" and not petite by a long shot!

Now to think about how to approach this with DH. I'm thinking the MOTORcycle he bought last year is a starting place for negotiations!

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

[Jiffer]

I'm sure the other more experienced riders can give you better answers, but I'll give you my two cents worth. (In addition to my own limited experience, I have learned a lot from Dh, as well as this board.)

- Why is climbing better on a road bike? Bike weight? Riding position? Gearing? I would say all of the above.

- How much of a mph increase can I reasonably expect? I think it will be fairly significant. I think you are doing very well with 13 to 14 on a hybrid. I'd say you'll quickly be doing at least 15 to 16 or so on the flat on a decent road bike, which is about what I do right now, and will have good potential to increase even more over time on the bike. (Especially as you continue to lose weight, which I have every confidence you will do! )

- How much of an adjustment is the change in riding position -- hybrid to road? Well, I told you how strange it felt to me, but when I started riding the tandem, it didn't really take me too long to get used to it. One thing you may notice, depending on how much lighter your road bike is, you may find your steering is a little wobbly at first as you get used to a lighter bike! Also, I my neck and back had to get used to sitting that way. It takes time for your muscles to get used to the new riding position and may cause you some irritation at first. I ended up getting a sports massage after waking up with a kink in my neck. Turns out, she said it wasn't really from how I slept, as I thought, but on both sides I had big knots .. like from something new I've been doing a lot of. Hmmm! Wonder what THAT could have been!!! (By the way, she said any time you pull a muscle from any sort of activity, ice it immediately, three times a day for three days. She said that over and over! It's one of the best things you can do. After that, appying heat can help.)

- Those skinny tires look fragile! Do they hold up to bumpy roads well? Are road bikes higher maintenance? Dh is a big tire pumping freak. Pumps his tires (and makes me pump mine) before every ride. He used to get flats quite often until he realized the value of a full and tight tire. He hasn't gotten a flat in a very long time now. That's the best I can comment on that question.

- I'd like to stay under $1000. Any advice on some brands to start my research? I'm 5'8" and not petite by a long shot! I'm 5'9" and ride a 54 cm frame. You can go with a woman specific bike, but with your height, I don't know that you'll get the benefits that a smaller woman would get. Which is why Dh and LBS owner decided I should go with a unisex Cannondale (a specific one LBS was able to get an incredible deal on for us). You should ask your LBS about this ... the benefits of a woman specific bike. I know handelbar width is one thing, but with my height and body frame, that's not an issue for me. By the way, the size frame depends on your inseam, not your height, so you might ask your LBS what size you should be looking for with what size inseam you have, to at least get an idea. That way if you see something used, you have an idea if it's a possibility for you. Bike fit is VERY important, though. Make sure you get the right size bike and have the bike professionally fitted once you get it.

I'm not as knowledgable as to what specific bikes you should be looking for in that price range. Specialized, Cannondale and Trek are three of the more well known names. Bianchi and Giant are some you'll hear about around here as well as others. They pretty much all make high end and low end bikes. Hopefully some people will respond who have bought bikes they love in your price range. As I told you, Dh's first decent road bike was a used Cannondale for $700. It served him well until he decided to upgrade.

I hope I have been helpful!

[nicole309]

Well, I am new at this as well, but let me see if I can offer some suggestions. I actually just recently switched from road bike to touring bike. The road bike was just too twitchy and unstable for me and also it didn't fit very well either. A touring bike was much more practical for my needs which include a large variety of activities including commuting, errands, and long ride including a century soon!

Why is climbing better on a road bike? Bike weight? Riding position? Gearing? I think the answer is yes to all of the above. I actually switched to a heavier bike, making hill climbing a bit slower, but I also got the benefit of some lower gears. In the end I ended up faster on the hills and didn't feel nearly as dead at the top.

- How much of a mph increase can I reasonably expect? I think you could expect a lot. You probably won't find a difference on the flats and downhill, but the uphill will be really nice, especially if you can learn to stand on some of the hills. A challenge I am still working on.

- How much of an adjustment is the change in riding position -- hybrid to road? When I first got my road bike the only other bike I had ever riden was a mountain bike. It took some getting used to. Make sure you get a good bike fit. You should not experience any wrist or hand discomfort or numbness. You may get some normal muscle soreness at first. Once you get used to it however, it is great to have all the different hand positions, especially for long rides.

- Those skinny tires look fragile! Do they hold up to bumpy roads well? Are road bikes higher maintenance? Just watch out for glass. I may have just had bad luck, but I felt like every time I would ride on the road with my road bike I would end up with a flat!! In five months I had eight flats and one shredded tire! Since I bought my touring bike which has a little wider tire I have had no problems.

- I'd like to stay under $1000. Any advice on some brands to start my research? I'm 5'8" and not petite by a long shot! My new Jamis Aurora was $850 it is a road/touring bike however. I am 5'10" tall. You can always check on used bikes as well. I got a great deal on my Trek 1000. She might be up for sale soon!

[onimity]

I agree with those that have said that when you start to realize the limitations of your current bike.

I just got a road bike and I love it. My rationale for getting it was that I wasn't able to go much further/faster on my MTB. A 60 mile ride on a MTB takes a lot out of you, especially if you are trying to, say, ride with other people!

I commute a little over 20 miles RT and do that on my MTB as opposed to the road bike. I've commuted a few times on the road bike but find that it is hard to carry all of my stuff (laptop, clothes, food) on the road bike. The aggressive position makes the weight difficult to carry, whereas on my MTB I am more upright and have a good rack bag/panniers. I chose the MTB over a hybrid/touring bike for commuting because one of my favorite routes home is a good singletrack but I think if commuting is one of your goals a road bike might not be the best option for that if you carry a lot.

I'd look for a good used bike or last year's model new (test ride a *lot*, preferably for longer distances if you can.) Know what you are looking for and make sure that you get a good deal. My road bike was last year's model and I got $600 off because of that.

I like the model for upgrading that Jiffers mentions but have heard that you get a much better deal on higher-end components when purchasing them on a bike as opposed to individually since the bike manufacturers buy them in high volumes. That would be easy enough to prove or disprove with some searching online.

I wouldn't say that climbing is better on a road bike, it really depends. On my commute I climb a couple of solid 8-10% grades. I find the climb a lot more difficult on the road bike because I am carrying a lot of weight and I don't have the easy gearing as on the mountain bike. On the mountain bike the hills are pretty painless but it definitely takes a lot less time on the road bike!

My advice would be to take your time, do plenty of reading and research online and then test ride bikes to make sure that you get one that fits you well. I am 5'10" and was told that 5'8" is about the cutoff for women-specific bikes. I always fit the 'standard' frame size better.

Anne

[Torrilin]

Harris cyclry has a page for looking at gearing. I was playing with it using my bike's information yesterday to get a better understanding of how my bike works. I have a K2 Zed 1.0, which means the front chainrings are 24, 34 and 42 teeth. The cassette in back goes from 12 to 32 T. Turns out that several of the gear combinations I use frequently are almost identical *g*.

After all my playing around, I've concluded that if I can build strength and endurance so I'm mostly riding in the toughest gear (42/12), I'll probably have outgrown the gearing on my bike some. I won't have a bigger gear to use for building more strength. So on a new bike I'd want the biggest chainring to be bigger, and to cut down on the number of not very useful gears.

It might be worthwhile for you to play around with your hybrid's gears with their tool. You might find that you have a lot of gears that are really the same, or that you have gears that are really bad for hill climbing. You can even compare the gearing you have to my bike, or to bikes you find online.

I can't really help on the other questions. But if you understand how the gearing you have works, that might help you with buying a road bike.

[rapid cycler]

Hi, LTD. Just a couple of things to add since you've already received good answers to your questions

- How much of a mph increase can I reasonably expect?

Honestly, your mph on a hybrid impresses me immensely! I think I was only averaging 11-12 mph on mine before I switched. Now my average is closer to 15. With the strength you've developed already, you could be doing 17-18 in no time!

- How much of an adjustment is the change in riding position -- hybrid to road?

I'd say this is the most challenging part of switching, because you'll likely feel soreness in muscles you may not normally use. Get into the habit of stretching before and, especially, after a ride (while your muscles are still warm). It can also be helpful to do some cross-training to build core strength (Pilates or yoga) and upper-body strength (rowing, push-ups, or light weights). No need to go join a gym and go nuts over it—there's a lot you can do at home with a couple of free weights and maybe a balance ball, or even with nothing at all—but your time on the bike will be more pleasant for any thought you put into riding while off of it.

- Those skinny tires look fragile! Do they hold up to bumpy roads well? Are road bikes higher maintenance?

I've had far more flats occur on my hybrid and my mountain, simply because all that tread traps and holds glass, nails, etc. If you happen to ride through glass or anything else pokey, stop as soon as it's safe to spot inspect your wheels and carefully remove anything sharp from the tread before it gets a chance to penetrate your tube. In this way, even if you've picked up a sharp, you can often avert a flat. That being said, once you start seeing a whole lot of slits in your tire where grit and glass have entered, the tire may need replacement, because those slits are weak spots that are now primed to introduce all manner of street flotsam to your tube. Finally, it never hurts and sometimes helps to use Mr. Tuffy, a thick plastic liner that sits between your inner tube and tire to provide an extra barrier of resistance. (Some people like Slime, a sort of liquid, spray form of Mr. Tuffy, but it's messy and in extreme temps it can shift within your tire, making it roll unevenly.)

- I'd like to stay under $1000. Any advice on some brands to start my research? I'm 5'8" and not petite by a long shot!

Nicole happened to mention two makes that would be high on my list were I in the market. The Jamis Ventura was Bicycling magazine's editors' pick for best entry-level road bike this year, unseating the winner of the past (three years running, I think), the Trek 1000! Each start at $700. I was trying to find an online version of their annual buyers' guide and couldn't, but here's a link to their online reviews in general (both the Jamis and the Trek are in there): http://www.bicycling.com/topic/0,661...83-0-0,00.html
Also, for consumer reviews, in addition to what you read here, you might check out Road Bike Review: http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/la...S_5668crx.aspx

Now to think about how to approach this with DH. I'm thinking the MOTORcycle he bought last year is a starting place for negotiations!

Um, he bought a motorcycle? Forget about that $1,000 ceiling and get yourself the sweetest ride you can find!

[ace]

Hiya,

I rode my trusty Trek hybrid for about 8 years, and just got my first road bike a month or so ago. My experience:

My road bike actually feels just as stable as a hybrid. As far as speed goes, if I didn't think about it on my hybrid and I was doing a long flat ride, I'd go about 12 mph. On my road bike, IT goes at about 18 mph on the flat- it just feels like it goes without me doing much! I know that sounds weird, but the increase in speed w/o additional effort is nuts. Also, I had a horrible time on hills with my hybrid, though I did them out of necessity because of where I live. It is so much easier with the road bike. I'm both faster on the hills (although still really slow relatively speaking), and can keep going much longer. I think it's more a function of the skinny tires and less rolling resistance than anything else (although my road bike is 10 lbs lighter than my hybrid).

The only downside of the road bike that I've found is that my saddle cuts off all circulation to my genitals (I'm getting a new saddle). Never had saddle problems with the hybrid.

Anyway, if you want to go faster and do hills more, it will be easier on a road bike (as long as you get a decent one that fits you).

-Amy

[Livin the Dream]

Thanks for the continued thoughtful, helpful replies to my questions. I've got a haircut appointment tomorrow just a few blocks away from our closest LBS. Sounds like a great day to start checking out the options and maybe test ride a bike or two! I just need to keep telling myself to take my time, do the research, and look for a good price. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.

Torrillin, I appreciate the link about gearing. I don't understand the difference in different types of gearing at all. I'll sure check this tool out.

[Livin the Dream]

I went to two LBS, one sells mostly Trek, the other mostly Giant. Went to the Trek place first, after asking some questions about what I'm currently riding and what kind of riding I do/ would like to do, the owner recommended a Gary Fisher Monona, which is what he called a "fitness" bike. It's a pavement bike, not a mtn bike. More upright than a road bike, but I definitely am hunched over a bit more than on my Trek 7100. Tires are smaller than I have, not road bike skinny though. He said "you can try a road bike if you like, but I don't think you would be happy with it". I had to get to a hair appt, so didn't have time for a longer ride. I plan to go back on Monday for a longer ride on the bike path adjacent to the shop.

After said hair appt, got to LBS 2 about 15 minutes before closing time. Went through the same types of questions, they recommended a Giant FCR 2 W. Also a "fitness bike", which I've never heard of before. I plan to go there Wednesday after work for a test ride on that bike and the entry-level Giant road bike.

I want to ride longer/faster and not struggle so much with hills. What's your opinion of these two "fitness bikes"? Any chance they'll meet my needs?

[Tuckervill]

Looks to me like they're trying to put you on a bike like the one you have! Could be some prejudices at play here. I find, as a fat woman (not implying that you are!), that bike shop employees tend to think I'm not fit or don't know what I need or am ignorant about bikes in general. Or, maybe you've said something that lead them to believe that's what you wanted--sending a mixed message or something. Anytime someone who doesn't know me assumes to know what I will or won't like, it's a red flag for me.

If I were you I'd get a bike very different from the one you have. I wouldn't get a fitness bike. This way you are prepared for further evolution of your fitness.

Try another shop, and insist on riding road bikes.

Karen

[rapid cycler]

Ditto what Tucker said. There are a lot of presumptuous cycling dudes who see a woman of any age or girth as an automatic hybrid or Townie customer. Even if it turns out in the end that you don't like the feel of a road bike, you have every right to take a few out for test spins!

Do you have an REI near you? REI salespeople tend to be low-pressure, informed folk who'll let you ride their bikes all day and won't bat an eyelash if you say that you're not ready to buy. They also have Fit Kits to take your vital measurements and get a general idea of what might fit you before you start standing over a bunch of bikes. They primarily stock their house brand, Novara (some locations around here also stock Cannondales), which turns some people off because, well, they've never heard of them. They're perfectly respectable bikes. I think they're made at the same factory that makes Giants and are simply branded with the Novara name and graphics (which I think tend to be pretty attractive).

REI is just one way to avoid the potential attitude and intimidation of some bike shops. Maybe we have some TE Ohioans who can point you toward other local shops that'll treat you right…

[Livin the Dream]

Thanks, Karen & Rapid. You both articulated what my gut was telling me. I'm no longer fat, but I still have about 20 pounds to lose and I'll never be small. I'll always have hips and a "booty" as my grandaughter calls it. It's the build God gave me. I'm also not 20-something.

You also confirmed that the bikes they were recommending aren't significantly different from what I've got. I had already made up my mind that I was going to ride a couple of road bikes befire I make a decision. I don't think I'll even go back to the Trek dealer I visited today, but I will go to the Giant dealer again. The Trek dealer where we bought our hybrids is further away, but we'll be camping very close to that shop next weekend.

Unfortunately no REI stores in this area. I checked the store locater on their web page and there isn't one within 200 miles.

Any suggestions of a good LBS in Western Ohio would be appreciated!

[whateveronfire]

One idea (that has some challenges to be sure) is to buy from an online retailer. I would NOT recommend bikesdirect, but had a really great experience buying from Ibex. They make nice bikes at a great price. Jack, the owner, will talk you through sizing and any other issues.

They have a 30 day no questions asked money back guarantee. Their 105 level bike (which is aluminum with a carbon fork) is $999+$35 shipping. Now, you can't ride it and you'd have to either set it up yourself or take it to an LBS to set it up when you got it. It might be worth calling Jack and having a conversation with him. He's a nice guy and can help you to decide if buying an Ibex is right for you.

I have had exactly the same trouble as you. Walk into LBS--ask about road bike. Get told ALL about a hybrid--which they will sometimes refer to as a "fitness bike" or a "flat bar road." A couple of years ago, one shop (Helen's, for you L.A. types) simply would not take down the Trek 1000 I wanted to look at. Another guy only wanted to talk to me about how the wheels would fail under me.

When I went into the place from which I bought my LeMond, they were nothing but nice, treated me like anyone else, and I spent money with them. (The shop was in the Bay Area not L.A.) When rapid cycler bought her Orbea, they kept asking what I'd like to try. When you're making a purchase, you should get to call the shots and you should be treated like you know what you want.

I would definitely go back to the Giant shop, at least and insist that you'd like to ride the OCR1. It's a pretty equivalent bike to the Ibex Aprisa 5600. The size specs for the Ibex fall between a S and a M Giant.

Good luck and keep up updated!

[twinkie]

I've only been riding for a short while, and I decided to get a road bike when I started doing longer rides -- the idea of doing the MS-150 on a mountain bike scared me. I'm nowhere near in enough shape to pull that off (although, i did get passed by people on mountain bikes when i was on a road bike!)

My LBS sells mostly Trek, so I started off trying the Trek 1000. I'm short with short legs, so I'm a little bit limited as to bike frame size (43cm, 650c wheels). I took it in for a few adjustments after a few rides, and I ended up trading it in for a Pilot 2.1 (which is similar to the 2100). It's supposed to have a more "natural" riding position, but it's still a "road bike" (I think). It has road bike gears and skinny tires. Maybe you could take a look at the Pilot line...

And with the 2008 bikes due to come out soon, you could probably get pretty good deals on the 2007 models. I got mine for right around $1000.

[Livin the Dream]

I did it -- I ended up with a Trek Pilot 1.0. Blue & White. I'm at work now, but will post a pic when I get to a computer tonight. I am SO excited! It feels so light and fast - it makes my Trek Hybrid seem so big and clunky!

I rode several bikes on Saturday and this one felt pretty good. I say pretty good because the new position is still a an adjustment for me, but after a 30 minute ride on the Pilot, I wasn't in pain, I was comfortable with the shifting and I felt like I could get used to it. I like that it has "helper" brakes on the flat part of the handlebar. I think that will help me feel more comfortable. I noticed, though, that after riding for 15 minutes, I was comfortable riding with my hands on the hoods.

We got the bike back to the campground and DH couldn't even come close to keeping up with me on his hybrid! It felt good. Unfortunately, I didn't get to ride yesterday -- it rained earlier in the day, then when I was ready to take a ride, we got company So, tonight we'll see how she does!

I'm not impressed with the saddle at this point -- the LBS said they to try it for a couple of weeks and go from there.

So, should I start out riding for a short time and build up, or ride as long as I can tonight???