First road bike, first ride. Scared witless.

[jo_e]

Bought my first road bike yesterday, took it out for a spin tonight. Utterly terrifying. I'm used to a MTB so this feels entirely different.
I couldn't quite figure the gears out, came to a dead stop going uphill, (I'll get the hang of it) and then the brakes... yikes.

Was going to ride to work tomorrow but worried I'll end up in a ditch or something. Anyone else made the switch? How long does it take to not hug the brake levers for dear life and to feel like you have some control over the bike? I felt like I was starting from scratch.

I did try the bike before I bought it, and it felt fine, but there's a difference between pootling around a deserted car park and trying to avoid real obstacles, people and dogs on tripwires.

Jo

 

[Kies]

Ride it every day and increase your time in the saddle. Yes a road bike is a different beast,but once tamed, there is no better feeling

 

[SWSteve]

Hi Jo,

What was it that you found difficult? The placing of gears/brakes? The width of the bars?

I found my bike really scary and difficult to ride the first time around, I hadn't ridden a bike for years beforehand, and it felt twitchy and difficult to get used to. As time has continued I've found myself getting more confident in the bike, both with braking, shifting, placing hands on the bars, moving to the drops and I hope the same would be the case for you. Give it more than just one ride and it should hopefully come together.

 

[buggi]

LOL the first time i rode mine, i nearly went into the car park barrier at work coz i forgot where the brakes were.

get back on it tomorrow, you will find it much better. soon you won't want to go back to an MTB unless you're actually going off road.

just remember that the brakes are not as good at your mtb, so keep an eye on the road ahead and brake early for junctions. and remember where your brakes are!

 

[jo_e]

Hi Jo,

What was it that you found difficult? The placing of gears/brakes? The width of the bars?

Yup. All of that.
I suppose the riding position on the drops takes some getting used to. I had to stay on the drops to make sure I could keep my hands on the brakes, as I felt safer that way. I'm a little way off joining a cycling club!
My route to work is mainly cycle path so I could use it tomorrow but I am looking fondly at my trusty MTB in the shed right now!

 

[jo_e]

LOL the first time i rode mine, i nearly went into the car park barrier at work coz i forgot where the brakes were.

This, I fear, will be me making a dramatic entrance to work in the morning.

 

[Cuchilo]

Im not long off an MTB and on a road bike . Stick with it and you will love it ! Soon you will be going the long way to get somewhere you don't want to be just so you can go the long way around to go home

 

[SWSteve]

@jo_e you should use the roadie tomorrow, it's too easy to just use what you know

 

[Rob3rt]

Of course it feels different to your tractor. Perseverance is the only solution and some brave pills if you are a proper pussy

 

[buggi]

you will find it easier to ride "on the hoods" (the rubber bits of the handlebars) and you will get used to braking from there also. if you find the reach too long, get a shorter stem. it is difficult to use the brakes from there to begin with, you feel like you're on your fingertips, but you will get used to it, and get used to braking earlier so that you don't have to brake hard. stick with it, you will soon love it.

 

[Easytigers]

Keep at it! Took me a good couple of weeks before I felt completely at ease on the roadie...and a few more with odd pains and niggles...felt at one point that I'd completely made the wrong decision as I felt my body would never get used to it...typically got on the very next day and it felt perfect...never looked back since!

 

[Shortmember]

I switched from a flat handlebar hybrid to a Dawes Giro 300 but I could never get on with the drop bars,no matter how much I persevered.So I took a hacksaw to the bars and cut most of the curved part off,turned the butchered bars upside down and fitted them 'bullhorn' style with the brakes positioned on the remaining section of the upward pointing curved end.
It may not be an elegant solution to the problem, but I find the bike feels a lot more comfortable to ride now.

 

[HLaB]

Its not unusual to feel that uneasy on a first ride on a road bike, I certainly did (twitchyness ) but when you come use to the balance/breaking/gears it starts to feel responsive.

As an aside I assume you are riding on the hoods, trying to ride on the drops will make it unessary difficult untill you are used to things.

 

[GlasgowFinn]

I switched from a heavy hybrid to a road bike and can empathise.

Road bikes are responsive and light and great fun but they take a wee bit of getting used to. Persevere and ride in the hoods for a while.

My hybrid feels like a tractor now - in fact I'm planning on getting an orange light for the back.

 

[jo_e]

Of course it feels different to your tractor. Perseverance is the only solution and some brave pills if you are a proper pussy

My work colleague christened my MTB "that bloody tractor" a few months ago. I think I'm over the initial "good grief I spent how much on this thing?" doubts. I like.

@jo_e you should use the roadie tomorrow, it's too easy to just use what you know

I did, I made it, bruise and dent free.
I took my time and still got here five minutes faster than usual .
Didn't feel anywhere near as tired as I do on the MTB, wishing the day away for the ride home. I couldn't brake on the hoods yesterday, but easier now. Getting used to the gears may take another few rides.
Perhaps jumping on the bike at 8 last night wearing jeans and cycling through a park full of teenage misfits wasn't the best introduction to my new bike, but I think we're going to get along just fine.