does it get less scary

[chonkers]

hi all
been riding a rockhopper comp the past yr done just over 4000miles now thought i would progress to a road bike,but meant waiting till sept till i had finished paying for rockhopper on cycle to work scheme and getting one then on a whim nippec out yesterday and bought the carrea virtuso now my questions are lol

jeez does it get better to ride ive found the ten mile i did yesterday was scary but also fun faster but also struggled to reach the brakes when on the drops found i had to keep hands on top bar found it very twitchy compared to rockhopper to point i was crawling round corners also found i had to break a lot sooner.

is it just a question of sticking with and get use to the different riding style etc as really want to stick with a road bike but using for work mon and to be honest bum is squeaking lol out of bioth fear and excitement if that makes sense.

cheers for replys and any hints or tips u may wish to pass on

ian

 

[addictfreak]

It gets easier mate dont worry.

I found the steering in particular very different from my MTB. Now I cant get enough, just wish i had more time to indulge both passions.

 

[Theseus]

As they say, practice makes perfect. Different bikes take a little getting used to, more so if they are different types of bike.

 

[palinurus]

You'll get used to it, just ride.

If after riding for a few weeks you find you aren't finding the position of the brake levers quite right you can move the levers further up or down the bend to suit (unfortunately this does involve a bit of buggering around with bar tape).

 

[ttcycle]

Glad of your new ride, is it set up correctly though? Correct height and reach?

+1 User3143 beat me to it, was going to suggest seeing if it gets better in a bit of time (ie one or two weeks) if not look at your setup-competitive cyclist's fit calculator is quite useful for working out the reach and height.

Happy riding! Once you get the hang of it- they'll be no stopping you!

 

[marinyork]

You do have to brake a lot sooner and more often on a race bike just because it picks so much more speed going downhill. It'll probably be picking up an extra 5-8mph for the same effort. If you're going downhill it feels silly having to break almost continuously.

On the flats you have to brake vs a mtb or hybrid as it just accelerates so fast and numbers continue to climb. When you get slowed down slightly by the traffic you have to brake properly whereas on the fatter tyres you just let it roll and slow down without braking. Don't worry so much about the flat, worry about the corners and steep downhills.

 

[GrasB]

A lot of people mention that bikes these days tend to be shop setup with the bike setup for riding the hoods as the way to ride the bike, this makes the brakes hard to reach from the drops. I've got my brake levers set further down the bar but it means that I've got reasonable hood position but on the drops I'm comfortable. When cornering at higher speeds you should really be on the hoods or better yet the drops.

 

[chonkers]

cheers for advice just hope snow clears for mon as itching to be on it i found the miles i did yesterday which i have done lots of times on rockhopper were much eaiser even though ihave 1.50 road tyres on hopper. palinurus i looked at moving brakes yesterday and as u say i left it as due to fact of messing on with bar tape i have moved seat as far forward as possible and will see how that feels mon or tomoz weather permitting.

cheers

ian

 

[cyberknight]

Glad of your new ride, is it set up correctly though? Correct height and reach?

+ 1 on this

I have had a road bike for about 6 months and i have suffered with back ache and numb hands all for the sake of a slightly shorter riser stem that cost me £10 .
Since i put it on last weekend it has transformed my ride.my hands and back are fine and because i can put the seat in the correct position reach wise i am pedaling more efficiently,by the end of the week my legs are normally tired but it just feels a lot more natural .
I can also reach the drops a lot easier and i will use them a lot more, before hand i always felt that i was going to let go of them,an effective rise of maybe 2 cm and a reduction in reach of 1 cm made all the differance.

 

[chonkers]

to be honest dont think it is set up right its from halfords and lad wasnt much help when on seat i struggled reaching brakes on drops ive since lowered seat and moved it forward and find it helps a bit also when of the saddle feet on ground there is no clearance now i thought at time a would of been suited to a med size frame as only 5.7 he said i needed large frame i will get used to it i guess just never had a road bike since aged 14 and marinyork your right there mate pulling away etc and when peddling i noticed how much faster it was and found i was always reaching for brakes.

cheers

ian

 

[ttcycle]

Hmmm? I'm wondering from what you've said above if the frame is a tad too big -what bike was it again?

 

[marinyork]

Halfords

The Carrera Virtuoso uses compact frame geometry this provides for a lighter stiffer frame with increased standover height. Use the guide below to assist with selecting the correct frame size if in doubt please visit your local Halfords to be fitted to the bike.
Medium bottom bracket to top tube = 48.5cm which is equivalent to our standard 54cm frame, Large bottom bracket to top tube = 51cm which is equivalent to our standard 58cm frame.

Hmmm, I do wonder about that.

 

[Sheffield_Tiger]

You'll get used to it, just ride.

If after riding for a few weeks you find you aren't finding the position of the brake levers quite right you can move the levers further up or down the bend to suit (unfortunately this does involve a bit of buggering around with bar tape).

Or just twist the bars slightly upwards - doesn't need a vast amount of movement - that's what I did on the Virtuoso after finding the levers just a tadge on the low side and awkward to ride on the hoods.

Doing that on my bike as a temporary measure, I've never felt the need to move the bars back and alter the lever position. Maybe when the bars are due for new tape...

Or turn them upside down 1980 10-speed stylee!

HOWEVER

I'm 5'8" and ride the medium, I think the bike may be too big for you, IMO you were advised incorrectly. F***ing Halfrauds strike again with their custom-corsa-chav barry boys working in what they think is the "toy department"

 

[addictfreak]

I find braking while riding the hoods is less efficient anyway.

Does your Rockhopper have disc brakes? If so you will notice a vast difference between the two.

 

[chonkers]

yea marinyork thats what i;am thinking as like i said they werent much help looks like maybe a few tweeks here and there maybe a shorter stem etc and just ride to get use to it as already dont want to go back to hopper unless weather dictates cheers for that tiger going to move bars slighty upwards see if that helps when on drops.

cheers

ian