i Am Frightened of my Road Bike

[paulb55]

Hi Everybody

I have a specialized crosstrail hybrid bile which i have been riding for over a year now and love every minute of it but as my fitness is getting better i have purchased a road bike, Carrera TDF.

I picked it up today and the first 2 things i noticed was the weight, very very light compared to my hybrid and secondly the tyres, WOW they are thin, 700 x 23C

I went on a little ride on it and it seems very light to handle so tell me what should i be looking out for and what should i be wary of like:

Going downhill fast, i am frightened that the wheels will skid from underneath me especially in the rain or if roads are wet

Being able to control the bike at speed

Riding on rough roads, will my backbone be jarred into submission

I only intend to ride it in the week on my training rides and will use my hybrid for the weekend on canal towpaths etc, so nay advise on how to handle a road bike as i feel like a learner driver at the moment

 

[aberal]

All this worry is normal. Forget about it. Go out tomorrow and the day after...

 

[NormanD]

Fear nothing, it's all in your mind, it's just the same as riding your hybrid except a different riding position, won't take you long to adapt, confidence is the key and you'll gain that in no time

 

[ELL]

TBH the more you ride it the safer you will feel on it. You have to really push it or be silly with it for the wheels to skid out. it will take some getting used to and you do feel the bumps of the road more but it shouldn't be much worse than you hybrid

 

[Sittingduck]

You will soon adapt to she skinny tyres and looking at your hybrids fat rubber will seem like BMX treads!

 

[Louisearelly]

Cushioned shorts are the way forward, else you'll feel every bump! As for the rest, practice will improve your confidence.

 

[HLaB]

Get out on your road bike more and after a while any twichyness you'll call responsiveness and no you shouldn't fear skidding out and controling the bike is more to do with that responsiveness, leaning slightly into bends and the balance of braking, it'll come naturally with practice. 23mm tyres do offer a harsher ride but unless you've got an existing medical problem, you'll get used to it. Above all, getting back to my original point enjoy the bike and get out there

 

[accountantpete]

As the others say a 23mm tyre is perfectly ok in the dry. In wet conditions just take a rounder line to corners and avoid metal road furniture and painted lines.

 

[biggs682]

keep trying it and doing things a bit quicker you will soon get use to it if not i will give you 50p for it !

 

[User16625]

Know the feeling. Purchased a new CR1 sunday. Went riding it the next day and already managed to bottom out one of the peddles while turning right at a set of lights. Have I just got bad pedals coz they touch the ground at about 15 degrees!? I get very cautios now on downhill bends where I can easily exceed 30 or so, never had to worry about the grip tho. To put it one way, those narrow tyres will produce much better grip on the road than your mountain bike tyres will on gravel and loose surfaces.

 

[paulb55]

LOL

Thanks guys and all the replys have given me extra confidence and thanks

And no i wont be selling it for 50p

 

[vickster]

I will confess to being the same with my carbon bike. I think for me it is the value of the bike if I stack it (not the carbon really). I find braking a bit scary, the position of the brakes is just completely alien to me, tend to be very cautious. Went down a hill the other day at sub 25mph, I suspect most brave cyclists would be doing 40 down that road (is a 50 limit). On the hoods, not the drops, need to WTFU for that one

Also, having clipless pedals adds a further dimension of possible worry. I am getting used to the gears slowly

Need to get used to it as do enjoy the experience, especially the lack of weight. Only done 90 miles so sure will get used to it, just perhaps not this year now

 

[paulb55]

Another thing, the pedals are toe clips and i haven't used them for years so that should be interesting and not really understand the SPD and Clipless pedals thing so will have to learn more me thinks

Going to take it very slowly over the next couple of weeks and will report back

 

[Ian 74]

I was the same first few rides out, shes now my best friend (don't tell the wife)!

 

[vickster]

Maybe try to go for a good ride on a flattish circuit with some mates or folks off here. I did 40 miles with some experienced road riding cycle chatters in the Costwolds a few weeks back which was great fun and a real help. Still tend to hop on the hybrid though for commuting and short hops