I got me a road bike!!!

[chick on a bike]

I am so excited!!!! The weekend before this last weekend, my first time bf did the sweetest thing and got me a road bike!!! (pawned it off his parents *he he* ) It's not new and is an older modle as the gear switches are on the frame instead of on the break leavers but I don't care as I finally have a road bike!!!!! He got me a saddle for it as it didn't have one and it needs a new tube and some new grease on the chain but other than that, it's a really cool bike!!!!

I forget what the brand is, but it's. My bf is going to look into getting a better gear range on it as the one it has on it now is ok for climbing, but I'd rather have something with a lot of options as I do better with "variety" *lol*. ^^

I rode it around my drive way a few times and a little ways up the road to just get a briefe feel of it, and the possitioning is so different than that of my ornery mountain bike.....the saddle almost doesn't seem like it's up high enough even though it is.

Is there anything I should expect or need to know about switching from a mountain bike to a raod bike???? I know there was a link tha was posted on one of the recent threads that was a huge artical about road riding and all that and it was really very healpful as that's what I'll be mostly doing...... I want to make sure that if there's really important things that I need to know about road riding, road bikes, positioning, do's and dont's and all that, that you girls can help me out. I'm about as much a green horn to it as a they come.

Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated!

Hugs and kisses to all! ^^


~Liz

[DrKMSO]

I too recently made the transition from MTB to road (tho I still MTB once in awhile). The biggest difference to me was that my road bike handled soooo differently. It's a lot more touchy than my big heavy mountain bike is. But, it goes SOOOO much faster! I can ride for longer and go farther faster than I ever did on my mountain bike. And all the extra hand positions are nice. You'll find your position on the road bike is pretty different from the mountain bike, you're more bent over. Also big for me was that my MTB brakes can stop me on a dime, but my road bike brakes at best just slow me down!

Next you'll be going for clipless pedals!

Have fun!

--K

[Kimred]

I mt biked for 5 years before switching to a RB. . The biggest deal for me was how touchy it was on the turns. And of course how fast you can cruise along. I felt that starting off as a mt biker gives you a big advantage on handling the bike. At first I was not used to looking for every little rock,dip,crack,sand patches in the road. I would just go over them with my Mt bike. Did not even think about it. With a road you have to keep a good look out for all that stuff. I feel like I should have gone down a couple times on a road bike. But after Mt biking for so long, it gives you better instinct on handling a road bike, rather than just starting off with a road bike. (hope that makes sense) I love both now and would hate to have to choose one.

[chick on a bike]

Wow, well it sounds like it's going to be fun learning how to deal with the transition from mountain to road. I know that I was getting really tired of being all the way down in the hardest gear (have a 21 speed MtB) and still desperately begging to click down a few notches just to get more resistance. And now with the one tha I have, it's built for speed and hills, so I hope that I can now race the cars! *lol* What I'd really like to get my hands on is a 30 speed....not that easy to find so it seems...and I haven't looked that hard either! *giggles*


~Liz

[Trek420]

chick on a bike sez ....the gear switches are on the frame instead of on the break leavers.....

that's ok you can upgrade to STI you want. But downtube shifters are neet

.....it needs .....some new grease on the chain but other than that, it's a really cool bike!!!!

don't use grease on the chain, you clean and then lube the chain w a bike chain lube

[SandyLS]

Wow, well it sounds like it's going to be fun learning how to deal with the transition from mountain to road. I know that I was getting really tired of being all the way down in the hardest gear (have a 21 speed MtB) and still desperately begging to click down a few notches just to get more resistance. And now with the one tha I have, it's built for speed and hills, so I hope that I can now race the cars! *lol* What I'd really like to get my hands on is a 30 speed....not that easy to find so it seems...and I haven't looked that hard either! *giggles*


~Liz

This one has 30 speeds. That's one of the reasons it was my pick when I bought it this spring.
http://www.bianchiusa.com/561.html

[caligurl]

oh how fun! i'm a roadie that just bought a MTB last weekend... so now the forces are at one again (one for one! )

[chick on a bike]

chick on a bike sez ....the gear switches are on the frame instead of on the break leavers.....

that's ok you can upgrade to STI you want. But downtube shifters are neet

.....it needs .....some new grease on the chain but other than that, it's a really cool bike!!!!

don't use grease on the chain, you clean and then lube the chain w a bike chain lube

Yeah I've been learning that they now have special chain lube stuff and it'll be my bf that does it for me as he's trying to get it better ready to ride. I just called it "grease" as it was the first thing that came to mind...I know...so totaly old schoo! LOL!!! ^^ I kinda ment grease as lube..I knew what I ment in my head.. *giggles* But thanks for pointing that out anyway, I can still use the tips and stuff to help learn the proper terminology as I then won't come off sounding so stupid. *he he* Especially when I go into the bike shops asking for help with mantinance or something. *giggles*


~Liz

[chick on a bike]

oh how fun! i'm a roadie that just bought a MTB last weekend... so now the forces are at one again (one for one! )

Trippy!!!! Mountain biking is indeed fun!! Especially when you get all covered in mud!!! ~big grin~


~Liz

[chick on a bike]

This one has 30 speeds. That's one of the reasons it was my pick when I bought it this spring.
http://www.bianchiusa.com/561.html

That is one sweet lookin' bike!!! Nice!!!!


~Liz

[bikerchick68]

cool beans! congrats on the new ride!!! I have heard that mtn biking helps your road skills and road riding increases your mtn biking stamina... a really great way to cross train is to do both... you'll be a rock in no time at all!!!

[chick on a bike]

cool beans! congrats on the new ride!!! I have heard that mtn biking helps your road skills and road riding increases your mtn biking stamina... a really great way to cross train is to do both... you'll be a rock in no time at all!!!

*giggles* Thanks! Yeah, riding the roads is what really helped me to get better endurance and everytime I'd get back on the trails with my best bud, I could keep up with him a crud of a lot better. ^^ Every now and then, my body will ask for hills and I'll do a whole bunch (really fun 'cause after you get to the top of the hills then you get to down really fast ). I'm to the point where I like hills...I must be a freak I think....

~Liz