lukesdad
Guest
I was wondering what I was going to have for breakfast
1st bike - do you think it's a bad idea to go straight for a road bike
- Thread starter Mazzin
- Start date
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Tosh!
On a flat road, aerodynamic drag is by far the greatest barrier to a cyclist's speed, accounting for 70 to 90 percent of the resistance felt when pedaling.
So an extra 4 inches either side could make it 30 to 40% harder to move along for some people depending on their build.
If the majority of your ride will be road go road.
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
i like how your apparently scientific rebuttal is full of conditionals and assumptions.
1. assuming your first statement is factual, it is irrelevant because the claim i made is not that aerodynamic drag does not exist. i would suggest that within a fairly broad range of anatomical designs, the aerodynamic drag generated by riding on a 580 mm flatbar and that generated on the hoods of a 440 mm drop bar are sufficiently similar to be insignificant in relative terms for the amateur cyclist.
2. try as i might, i cannot come up with an image in my mind of what these "some" people would actually look like, that were so anatomically arranged that by moving from a position where they were an extra 12 cm forward and 14 cm narrower, to one 12 cm back and 14 cm wider, they became 30% more drag inefficient. presumably they have heads the size of cows and large flat arms like pelicans' wings?
3. and where are these legendary flat roads of which you speak?
joking aside, i do think youve hit on a key point with one word. "majority". it presupposes there will be a portion of the riding that would not be on road. in which case i wouldnt recommend a road bike as although i take mine off road as the occasion demands, i really miss my hybrid when i do so.
I went riding with my buddy last night. We did 17 miles in 57 minutes at an average speed of 18.2 mph
I was on a Defy road bike, he was on a rapid 2 flat bar hybrid.
The only time I had a very slight advantage was on a downhill where I was on the drops and could really tuck into the wind.
I was on a Defy road bike, he was on a rapid 2 flat bar hybrid.
The only time I had a very slight advantage was on a downhill where I was on the drops and could really tuck into the wind.
OP, I would choose a sporty hybrid, Sirrus maybe. You've already mentioned the roads are in poor condition on your 12 mile commute, that's not a journey I'd choose to do on my road bike. I commute (& do the food shopping) on my hybrid with rack & panniers and use my road bike only for pleasure, I wouldn't like to have one bike but if I had to, then the road bike would have to go, it's restrictive compared to the hybrid, I often do Leeds to Skipton on the latter, trail & road, I hop on and off whenever I feel like it, most enjoyable, it's an extremely useful machine.
If you fancy a bit of trail or towpath riding, or touring (I've ridden across France & Spain on a bog standard hybrid), then get the hybrid.
If you fancy a bit of trail or towpath riding, or touring (I've ridden across France & Spain on a bog standard hybrid), then get the hybrid.
I would suggest that fitness may come into it.
I am sure that you do, but you couldn't ride it on part of my commute, should I choose to use the scenic route, that's what I meant by "restrictive", he needs to consider what sort of riding he is likely to do, if it's only ever going to be on the road and the surface is doable, then yes, he could get a road bike.
vickster
Legendary Member
OP says he'll be riding 12 miles on roads, albeit poor surfaces. No mention of more scenic 'off road' routes. No reason why a roadbike on decent tyres shouldn't work. Many of the roads on my rides have more holes than tarmac it seems! And how many drain covers are really needed?! 
Of course. I was trying (poorly) to illustrate how there isn't a big difference between roadies and road hybrids. My friends bike came with 25c tyres and he plans to put 28c nobblies on it for winter trails.
Cyclist33
Guest
- Location
- Warrington
28c knobblies on a Rapid?! Good luck with that!
Thanks for the many replies. I didn't expect to generate such a healthy discussion. I only considered a road bike because so many members of various forums say they very quickly switched to a road bike and express their regret in buying a hybrid.
I will be sticking to mainly roads. But there are areas during my journey where the surface is patchy, but not quite a pothole..similar to the following pic
http://www.saddleworthnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/photo61.jpg
Do most road bikes handle this sort of surface well? Vickster mentioned decent tyres on a road bike should handle poor surface, what tyres are considered decent?
Also, I hear from friends that carbon fork on a road bike handles poor surfaces better? Is this correct? And would that be for road surfaces as shown in photo and maybe slightly worse?
I also hear carbon forks can't be repaired easily, so would an expensive carbon fork bike be suited for a relatively new commuter on dodgy roads who may have a few gentle falls, or does it take much more serious falls to cause serious irreparable damage to carbon forks?
Finally, can you come off a 4 inch kerb safely on a road or hybrid without suspension without causing damage to the bike?
I will be sticking to mainly roads. But there are areas during my journey where the surface is patchy, but not quite a pothole..similar to the following pic
http://www.saddleworthnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/photo61.jpg
Do most road bikes handle this sort of surface well? Vickster mentioned decent tyres on a road bike should handle poor surface, what tyres are considered decent?
Also, I hear from friends that carbon fork on a road bike handles poor surfaces better? Is this correct? And would that be for road surfaces as shown in photo and maybe slightly worse?
I also hear carbon forks can't be repaired easily, so would an expensive carbon fork bike be suited for a relatively new commuter on dodgy roads who may have a few gentle falls, or does it take much more serious falls to cause serious irreparable damage to carbon forks?
Finally, can you come off a 4 inch kerb safely on a road or hybrid without suspension without causing damage to the bike?
Boon 51
Veteran
- Location
- Deal. Kent.
Which is best for you, a road bike or hybrid bike.... I think we all have different needs and ride differently.
I did buy a road bike at first and wish I hadn't, sold it and now I have a Bad Boy 2 and a Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disc.
So I would have to say hybrid..
Just my bobs worth..
I did buy a road bike at first and wish I hadn't, sold it and now I have a Bad Boy 2 and a Specialized Crosstrail Comp Disc.
So I would have to say hybrid..
Just my bobs worth..
Julia9054
Guru
- Location
- Knaresborough
You may not realise that you can take advantage of the Cycle to Work scheme more than once. I didn't until recently. I now have my workhorse hybrid and my carbon roadbike. I love them both for different reasons.
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
We have roads like that near to us. Norfolk's rural roads are not the best. We both have roadies and we just slow down a bit over the really rough sections. Our wheels are fine.
