Scared of my new road bike :(

[HonestMan1910]

D N B,

I have been riding my new roadie this week for the 1st time and can agree 100% with you that it all becomes so easy and the time saved is amazing.

Get to work earlier , get home earlier

 

[Jonathan M]

Regarding the braking issue, hoods is the way many of us will ride for nealry all of the time.

But if you are finding it difficult to brake effectively from the hoods or that the drops feel too low with luggage on your back or in traffic, you may wish to consider some auxillliary levers such as these: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=27933

It may "ruin" the lines of your Trek, but they can also be removed quite easily if you find in the future that you no longer need them.

 

[dub-no-bass]

Thanks JM - I vaguely knew these existed but had no idea what they were called!
I'm going to see how I get on and get some of those fitted in a few weeks if I never get used to the levers on the drops.

I realised this morning that it is very each to push the top of the levers away (on the spot where the little window shows what gear you're in) with a thumb and brake that way. However, it's such an unnatural thing to do that I will probably never get used to doing it that way - and I have no idea if anybody else brakes that way either. I can't help feeling that if you were supposed to push the top of the hood with your thumb they'd have put a big rubbery thumb indent there, not a plastic window.

 

[potsy]

So, I rode it to work this morning (about 11 miles).

AWESOME!! What a revelation!
I tried to relax, and yes, it helped.
I am amazed at how fast it goes uphill. It's as though it was on the flat, it just zooomed along. On long flat stretches, you can step on it and go at a real pace without even trying. All of a sudden, Cyclecraft makes sense - now I see can you really can take the primary position most of the time. I just couldn't get up to that speed and maintain it on my hybrid so it seemed rude to sit in the middle of a lane and hold up traffic - no such problems on this baby.

The riding position didn't seem very awkward at all, when it came down to it. I think my viewpoint was skewed on Monday by riding it home with a giant heavy rucksack on my back. I'm deliberately travelling light with this bike - no rack, no rucksack, just a pump, tools and spare inner tubes strapped to the frame. The difference in weight makes a massive difference. I usually take 55 minutes to cycle in - today, even being quite cautious, it took 45 minutes.

Good stuff,can't wait to get myself one,been looking at the Trek 1.2 or the Spesh secteur.

 

[Randochap]

I think my viewpoint was skewed on Monday by riding it home with a giant heavy rucksack on my back.

Now, if you could just broadcast this revelation to all the newbies who say, "I'll just carry everything in a backpack" (rather than on a rack).

Sounds like you're beginning to get the hang of things. Majority of riding is done "on the hoods," therefore this should be a comfortable position.

Make sure the bike is fitted to you. It's very unlikely anyone can roll a bike out of a showroom without fitting and adjustment for longer rides.

 

[GrasB]

I think my viewpoint was skewed on Monday by riding it home with a giant heavy rucksack on my back. I'm deliberately travelling light with this bike - no rack, no rucksack, just a pump, tools and spare inner tubes strapped to the frame. The difference in weight makes a massive difference. I usually take 55 minutes to cycle in - today, even being quite cautious, it took 45 minutes.

You've got it, travel light, that's the best way. A heavy rucksack or panniers are just there to hinder your progress. I have an Abus ST250 chain bag on each of my bikes which is big enough for my waterproofs, phone & wallet then a saddle bag with tools & 2 inner tubes, decent micro-pump for get-me-home tyre pressure inflation.

 

[Randochap]

You've got it, travel light, that's the best way. A heavy rucksack or panniers are just there to hinder your progress.

Depends. While we all like to keep things light, when you have a load to carry, panniers or other luggage (not a rucksack) is the best way to go. In that case they wouldn't be a hinderance but a benefit.

In any case, keep any load as low as possible.

 

[GrasB]

Depends. While we all like to keep things light, when you have a load to carry, panniers or other luggage (not a rucksack) is the best way to go. In that case they wouldn't be a hinderance but a benefit.

In any case, keep any load as low as possible.

Totally agree, you're talking to a guy who given the choice of car or bike to take a 35kg cylinder head to his local automotive machinists chose the bike. But it's a case of the lesser of two evil rather than not a hinderance.

 

[BentMikey]

Carradice Saddlebag, IMO. I have a longflap camper, it's awesome.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Carradice Saddlebag, IMO. I have a longflap camper, it's awesome.

Agree, use on an SQR and it's fab! Barley for 'smaller' days.