Braking on a road bike

[vickster]

Ok, I am a woman so please don't laugh...

I have been thinking about a bike upgrade from my Sirrus sport and a road bike seemed the logical step especially after looking at a Bianchi the other day

Went into London today and went to the big Evans store where they have pretty much everything. Got chatting to a nice Scottish lad and he convinced me to have a test ride on one of these - he was certain I'd get on much better with Shimano than Campag shifters. Bike was a 57cm frame which felt fine from a size PoV, 5'10, long arms and legs once we had the saddle in a position where I could touch the ground!

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/bianchi/via-nirone-7-105-compact-2011-road-bike-ec025812 Not nearly as pretty as the Xenon equipped model and about £200 over budget

Quick lesson on how to change gear and position hands over the brakes and off I totter through London in the rain!

Quick ride round the block, yes felt nice and quick but bl**dy hell my hand and forearms were killing me after about 5 minutes and braking was really awkward and felt very unsafe! Now I realise this is a man's bike, designed for bigger hands and that the stem could be shortened and the bars 'flipped' over, but I have to say I far prefer the hybrid/flat bar position! The bike was also really rattly, hopefully just needed adjusting and lubing?!

Maybe I should upgrade some bits on the Sirrus like the wheels and tyres rather than blowing a grand on a bike that I won't enjoy! Is this normal the first time you ride a dropped bar bike?

 

[chris-s]

It's going to feel quite different from the Sirrus as I'm sure you realise. The brake levers can be adjusted with the supplied shim to suit smaller hands and the stem can be flipped too raise the bars by a good inch. I'm sure once you've had it set up for your fit you'll love it, after all it's a bianchi! Tho owning a via nirone myself I might be slightly biased

Chris

 

[HLaB]

I went the upgrade route for my sirrrus but in the end I still ended up buying a bianchi, yes the braking is different but you soon get used to it and having it customised to your dainty hands will help :-). The transition to braking on the hoods of the road bike forced me to develop my braking technique (use the front brake more) and I'm glad I did it has also helped with the braking of the sirrus and my other hybrid and my balance on all bikes.

 

[Trickydicky]

Ok, I am a woman so please don't laugh...

I have been thinking about a bike upgrade from my Sirrus sport and a road bike seemed the logical step especially after looking at a Bianchi the other day

Went into London today and went to the big Evans store where they have pretty much everything. Got chatting to a nice Scottish lad and he convinced me to have a test ride on one of these - he was certain I'd get on much better with Shimano than Campag shifters. Bike was a 57cm frame which felt fine from a size PoV, 5'10, long arms and legs once we had the saddle in a position where I could touch the ground!

http://www.evanscycl...d-bike-ec025812 Not nearly as pretty as the Xenon equipped model and about £200 over budget

Quick lesson on how to change gear and position hands over the brakes and off I totter through London in the rain!

Quick ride round the block, yes felt nice and quick but bl**dy hell my hand and forearms were killing me after about 5 minutes and braking was really awkward and felt very unsafe! Now I realise this is a man's bike, designed for bigger hands and that the stem could be shortened and the bars 'flipped' over, but I have to say I far prefer the hybrid/flat bar position! The bike was also really rattly, hopefully just needed adjusting and lubing?!

Maybe I should upgrade some bits on the Sirrus like the wheels and tyres rather than blowing a grand on a bike that I won't enjoy! Is this normal the first time you ride a dropped bar bike?

1. If you want the color scheme of the Xenon, the Bianchi Dama 105 comes is that color scheme.

2. I know that some1 bought the bike above for 999 brand new in feb from epic cycles and a free fitting was included. (they will customs alot of the parts to ur sizing)

3. Did u have a female Specific Handle bars fitted? (These i know made a big difference to the person who purchased the above bike)

4. Were there inserts into the Breaks to cause the leavers to be closer to the handle bars makin the reach shorter and more comfortable?

Hope this was helpful and if anything else is needed just ask.

TD

 

[aberal]

You'll get used to it. Honest.

Road bikes do feel very strange compared to hybirds/mtb's but they're the bees knees and I doubt very much that you would regret the transition when you go for it. Very few do I think. But have a good look around and test ride more than one bike before you commit. Bianchi make wonderful looking bikes but I have ridden one once and it felt extremely "stretched out". You will be amazed how different very similar bikes from different manufacturers ride and feel, when you test ride a few. I suggest that you try female specific bikes - they are designed to take into account the female body and have a quite different geometry from male bikes.

 

[vickster]

Thanks guys

The problem with the female specific bikes is they seem to come in a max frame size of 53cm which is too small for me - my hands aren't dainty really but probably compared to the rest of me - I am a big lass with short fingers

It's a shame as I do prefer the colouring of the ladies bikes - not black/grey/black + grey/black+red.

It never occurred to me that you can change the handlebars? The 'hood' bits just felt massive and really uncomfortable - I think the ladies' Bianchi's stop at 53cm too? I think I'd regret getting a bike that is too small as much as one that is too big (I am riding an XL Sirrus, now have a shorter stem but it feels fine size wise)

I am trying to avoid the big American brands (yes yes I know you get better components for your money but I'd like something different

I was also rather taken with an Orbea in Cycle Surgery, a women's bike - they only have a 53cm it felt like a toy...I'd bang my elbows on the handlebars

http://www.cyclesurg...p-product/22496

I have a good Bianchi retailer locally, I'll have another chat. If I cannot get a celeste with the right bits (what are the views on Campag vs Shimano or is this is as controversial as helmets and jumping red lights? , I could go red ...

http://www.evanscycl...d-bike-ec025813 The other one really is a bit expensive and I am not sure I'd appreciate the 'better' bits

Or I get Pearsons, my Local shop to custom build as suggested by the chap in Cyclesurgery...?

Hmmm Specialized women's bikes go up to a 57cm...aaarrrrgh...nooooo

 

[Garz]

Taken a look at the boardman fi range?

 

[HLaB]

Campag vs Shimano

Its an Italian bike it deserves Italian kit I run Campy on my Bianchi and 105/ Ultegra on the Kinesis and they both have good aspects.

 

[vickster]

Taken a look at the boardman fi range?

I have looked at the Boardmans before, was personally unimpressed by the finishing. I know they are not Halfords but only they sell them and I couldn't bring myself to buy from them - in fact I'd very much like to avoid chain stores if at all possible...Evans & Cycle Surgery purely served a purpose today

I will look at the ladies bikes...as long as they aren't pink!

 

[aberal]

Didn't realise that women's bikes only stopped at 53cm. How odd. I'd still try around and ride as many as you can. Don't worry about being a pain in the neck with the bike shops - they're there to sell you stuff and you have a right to try before you buy, especially if you are unsure about sizing/fit etc. I would have thought that at 5'10 you should theoretically manage to get a man's bike to suit somewhere down the line. The size of the bike should still be related to the inside leg - the difference between men and women being in the length of the torso - so size a bike to suit your inside leg and if you have to change anything you could consider changing the stem. Campag/Shimano are eaksie peaksie - neither are better than the other though some people prefer one to the other for their own good reasons.

 

[Baggy]

It took me a while to get used to drops, felt much more comfortable with narrower bars fitted - and it may be that the hoods were fitted low on the bars so your weigh was on your hands. Turning the bars back towards you could help.

Pearson's built a bike up for me a few years ago, they were very helpful and were quite happy to swap stems/seatposts etc around afterwards.

 

[vickster]

It was the reach around the hoods I think that was the problem, simply too wide with short fingers - they felt massive! I guess it may be better with a shorter reach. I really struggled to get any purchase on the brakes, felt very dangerous, no control!

Specialized do a 57" women's but I so don't want one having 2 Specialized bikes already!! I have about a 32-33" inside leg. The problem is the selection of women's bikes is woeful - maybe I am destined to no road riding

Hmmm Cube go up to a 58cm women's, where on earth I find one to test though...!?

http://www.tredz.co....-Bike_39713.htm

Wiggle have 3 women's road bikes, how crap is that!! And nothing over 50cm!!

 

[Fiona N]

Why are you so set on a women's bike? Why restrict your choice when you're obviously tall enough to consider standard men's frames?

If you've got small hands, levers can be adjusted closer to the bars or Campag have slimmer brake hoods that I for one find more comfortable than the Shimano equivalent (I ride both).

As is often pointed out, the more restricted sales of women-specific models means they tend to be less well specced for the same price as a man's bike from the same maker. It seems like you'd be better off going to a bike shop which can fit a bike to you by changing the stem/bars/saddle/levers as appropriate rather than getting a women-specific off-the-shelf bike.

Also be aware that women-specific frames often get a shorter top tube - to fit women's supposed shorter upper body and arms - by steepening the angle of the seat tube. However, for long-legged women, the thigh bones are longer than the equivalent height male so this 'fix' will just make it more difficult to get a good position over the pedals, and if you have to move the saddle backwards to fit your upper leg length, you've just cancelled out the steeper seat tube effect. So why not just go straight to a man's frame?

 

[Trickydicky]

It was the reach around the hoods I think that was the problem, simply too wide with short fingers - they felt massive! I guess it may be better with a shorter reach. I really struggled to get any purchase on the brakes, felt very dangerous, no control!

Specialized do a 57" women's but I so don't want one having 2 Specialized bikes already!! I have about a 32-33" inside leg. The problem is the selection of women's bikes is woeful - maybe I am destined to no road riding

THe biggest that Bianchi do is a 55, i doupt it will be big enough. The most important sizing is the reach, u can get longer seat tube if needed so the hight is not a problem. I am male, i am 5 ft 9 and ride a 52cm, and have an inside leg of 29in. The girl who bought this also had an inside leg of 29 in and she is 5 ft 2, and they fitted her with a 50cm. so who knows what will be needed till you sit on it and try the sizes.

 

[vickster]

Fiona - I am not set on one at all I rode a man's bike, but my hands are still hurting from a 10 minute test ride trying to use the brakes! Most of my riding is urban so being able to brake properly is kind of crucial! I had no intention of getting a women's bike as they are always too small - been there, done that

Thing is I don't want to spend a grand on a bike that I like the look of (there aren't many men's bikes with a colour scheme acceptable to my fairly latent feminine side, no black, no grey, no silver, red I may accept if there is plenty of white too) and then I have to spend hundreds making it comfortable to ride!

As I say, maybe the whole dropped bar, funny brake position isn't for me

Just seen the other post, I have a dodgy knee and a history of back pain (disc removed 20 years ago) so I need to be fairly upright and a relaxed ride. I much prefer having a taller bike with a short seat post, a really long stem is just one of those things I find downright odd