Is road biking for me?

[Andrea]

Be sure when you're trying bikes out that you ride 1 or 2 with a more "bent over" position. You may find that you prefer that to more upright...

But just like everyone else says... find a good LBS that will let you test-ride everything to see if you like it or not!

[indysteel]

I had a hybrid for all of 3 weeks before I decided to get a roadbike. I've haven't ridden the hybrid since. For some reason, I just knew that it would suit me. I wanted to go longer and ride faster than the hybrid would generally allow.

As others have mentioned, not all roadbikes put you in a very aggressive position. If fit properly, I actually think a roadbike (or touring bike) can be more comfortable to ride than a hybrid. You can move your hands around a bit on the bars and your weight is, at least ideally, balanced between your arms/hands and butt/legs. It's certainly easier to deal with the wind on a roadbike.

Good luck and have fun!

[KSH]

I didn't read all the responses, so forgive me if I repeat something that was said.

My boyfriend wasn't sure he would like riding a bike, and didn't want to go out and just buy a road bike immediately. So he would go and rent a road bike. After doing that for about a month, he knew he wanted to buy one.

Maybe you can try that route? Then you can find out if you like one for very little investment. Just keep in mind that once you buy your own bike it will probably be more comfortable, since it will be fit to you.

[lovelylibrarian]

Thank you all for the suggetions. I'm going to try to find a LBS in San Francisco that's not a huge chain store and that can help me out with making the best choice. You've all been very helpful. I would really like to be able to participate in group rides and keep up.

Karen

[bluebug32]

You could also try a cross bike. I was into mtbing for a long time and decided on the cross bike for the trainer in the winter and to still have the option to ride light trails and gravel (a nice cross between road and mountain). If you want to ride the road, you can just throw road tires on it, and it's basically a road bike too. To me, it's the best of both worlds.

[roadie gal]

1+ on finding an LBS that will rent you a bike. You could talk to them and try to work out a deal where you would apply the rental fees to a purchase.