How long does it take to adjust to a road bike?

[rs2k]

I have only ever ridden flat bar bikes and my new one arrived yesterday:

I can imagine that on a nice weekend ride of 20 or 30 miles it would be a lovely machine but to ride such a bike on a 5 mile london commute to work constant stop start stop start its a pig! Part of me still thinks I should've gone for a high spec hybrid instead...

My question is though, how long was it for you to get used to a road bike? To me (and I think ive set it up well) it still doesnt yet feel natural to ride.

 

[LosingFocus]

What part of riding it made it a pig?

 

[thnurg]

Not long at all.
I went 16 years between writing off my last road bike and getting a new one this year so I was not used to it. I rode it the 22 miles home from the shop on the Tuesday.
I commuted my 11.5 mile round trip on it for the rest of the week and was used to it by the weekend.
The only gotcha was the state of the roads. I hadn't realised just how rough some of the road sections on my commute are because I had been going over them on hybrids and mountain bikes previously.

 

[rs2k]

What part of riding it made it a pig?

Its only a fairly short hope of 5 miles but its stop start stop start all the way. (Junctions, traffic lights, ****nig school kids etc) the constant changing of hand position, foot out the pedal straps back in again etc. Its far to much hassle for a stop start commute to work. I'd rather be back on my hybrid.

Not long at all.
I went 16 years between writing off my last road bike and getting a new one this year so I was not used to it. I rode it the 22 miles home from the shop on the Tuesday.
I commuted my 11.5 mile round trip on it for the rest of the week and was used to it by the weekend.
The only gotcha was the state of the roads. I hadn't realised just how rough some of the road sections on my commute are because I had been going over them on hybrids and mountain bikes previously.

+1 on the roads. Its a nice bike but you feel like you could run over an ant and it would break your wrists! I need to get more miles under my belt on it, might save it until the weekend so I can do a nice countryside ride. Should really appreciate it then.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Why not just keep using the hybrid for the commute?

 

[fossyant]

Clipless pedals not straps !

 

[HLaB]

When I got my first road bike after a long break, I thought it felt terrible and I'd made a mistake, should have stuck to the flat bar sirrus. On its second ride however it was the exact opposite and it felt really responsive and now a few years later I'd rather have it in traffic, having said that I still go into the town/city on a flat bar Ridgeback Velocity as I'd rather leave that locked up. Like said above ^^^^^^ get clipless they are much less faff in traffic IMO, in traffic I prefer to use the mtb type.

 

[LosingFocus]

Its only a fairly short hope of 5 miles but its stop start stop start all the way. (Junctions, traffic lights, ****nig school kids etc) the constant changing of hand position, foot out the pedal straps back in again etc. Its far to much hassle for a stop start commute to work. I'd rather be back on my hybrid.

You could always ride on the hoods the entire way in until you are more used to it. Hell, I probably would for 5 miles unless I was really getting the power down.

 

[Fuzzball]

I see the bike has white bar tape so it won't be long till it looks tatty and you'll want to change it, invest in good tape it will help with the buzz from the roads.

It would be a good time for a good handlebar upgrade as well, its the excuse i used anyway and went for easton carbon bars i could not believe the difference this made to the feel of my road bike, much more forgiving on the potholes round glasgow.

 

[HLaB]

You could always ride on the hoods the entire way in until you are more used to it. Hell, I probably would for 5 miles unless I was really getting the power down.

+1 Even on a rural ride, I'd ride most of the way on the hoods, only really dropping down on long straights into a wind or when I've been dropped by the club and am chasing back

 

[Moodyman]

Took me about 150 miles to feel as comfortable on my road bike as I was on the flat bars. Most of that time, I was tinkering with the saddle and handlebar positions.

I still use flat bars for commuting and ride drops for the odd weekend ride. I happily interhcange between the bikes.

 

[rs2k]

Clipless pedals not straps !

Can you suggest some and shoes to get please?

RE the White Tape - I'm leaving the plastic wrapping on there until I get some white gloves!

 

[HLaB]

Can you suggest some and shoes to get please?

RE the White Tape - I'm leaving the plastic wrapping on there until I get some white gloves!

I prefer the ease of walking in spd's and with my road bike I use A520's (touring pedals) and stiff soled Specialized BG MTB Sports. On my summer bike I used SPD-SL's and Shimano Carbon sole shoes. There might be a marginal efficiency gain in the latter but for commuting I'd prefer spd's (walkability), plus the Shimano shoes have an air hole between the toes and other air holes which would make them rather cold for commuting. I also find the spd easier to pedal in when I miss clip and I can clip in at a later time when its safe to do so.

 

[slowmotion]

I got my first ever road bike earlier this year after riding a hybrid. I use it for an eleven mile round trip commute in London and for longer rides at weekends. To begin with, I felt hopelessly stretched out, and I had pains from my fingers to my elbows due to not being used to the brakes and shifters. All in all, I was pretty uncomfortable for about six weeks and sometimes came close to despair, but it eventually came good. Once used to the riding position, I got some SPD pedals which are really good fun compared to flats. I hav'n't been on the hybrid since the day I bought the new bike.

Stick with it.

 

[Orange]

Surely the narrower bars on a road bike are a boon in heavy traffic...and if using straps you soon get used to slipping in and out of them.