Upright to road bike

[Willow]

Bother I typed this once and it disappeared!

I commute on a mongoose 450 hybrid which 7.5 mile trip. I am happy with progress and the bike but am curious about road bikes and the transition from one to the other. So few questions apologies if answers seem obvious to the rest of you

1. Is gear changing and braking difficult when you start off given the different riding position - it looks complicated from a distance!

2. How do you balance, cope with poor road surfaces and corner on those rubber strips that are supposed to be tyres but really aren't wide enough to be anything.

3. Is the riding position difficult to get used to. I'm worried I may prefer being upright, even now sometimes on easy straights I'd like to be more upright but my bars don't go higher and I'm 5ft 10.

Any other interesting info. welcome.

 

[wafflycat]

Do you mena riding a bike with drop handlebars as opposed to straight (flat) bars?

If so - I'm glad I changed from straights to drops - I'd not willingly go back to straight bars. Why? Well, I found, like so many others before me that having drop bars gives a greater range of hand positions which is far more comfortable (especially on a long ride). It took about a month to feel completely confident and as I said, I'd not willingly go back to flat bars. Riding position - not a great deal of difference unless you are actually on the drops, and most riding isn't on the drops.

 

[Willow]

I do mean drops - the bike looks to me like I'd end up with backache but some of the bikes look much yummier than hybrids

 

[RedBike]

I think you need to borrow a drop bar bike for a bit.

The new bike is going to feel very strange at first; but you'll soon get used to it.

 

[gratts]

I've wondered similar things actually!

Is it any harder to keep balance on thinner tyres?
I'm worried I go to buy my bike, try to ride it home and have a mare!

When's the right time to use the drops?

 

[cadseen]

I've wondered similar things actually!

Is it any harder to keep balance on thinner tyres?
I'm worried I go to buy my bike, try to ride it home and have a mare!

When's the right time to use the drops?

No the faster you go the easier it is to balance.

 

[Willow]

No the faster you go the easier it is to balance.

that sounds like the sort of think you'd say to a kid learning to ride in the hope it means they get their feet off the floor! should I believe you?

 

[wafflycat]

I do mean drops - the bike looks to me like I'd end up with backache but some of the bikes look much yummier than hybrids

You shouldn't get back ache if the bike fits. Have a think - why have touring bikes for years and years and years had drop bars? It's not because they are less comfortable - if you're in the saddle all day you require comfort. Drops are more comfortable, especially on longer rides due to the greater range of hand positions available. I didn't try drops until I was in my late 40s. If I can manage them anyone can!

 

[wafflycat]

Is it any harder to keep balance on thinner tyres?

No.

 

[wafflycat]

When's the right time to use the drops?

Whenever you feel like it! Seriously

I find using the drops when cycling into a headwind is useful as it makes it a bit easier.

 

[4F]

When's the right time to use the drops?

When you are commuting home and you see another cyclist in the distance

 

[amasidlover]

I switched from using a mountain bike for commuting to a drop bar bike some years ago; balance certainly wasn't an issue even from 2.1" knobbly tyres down to 25 mm slick tyre.

I started riding 'on the hoods' i.e. thumb one side of the back of the brake lever and fingers on the other side and braking from there is very natural, I now ride a lot more on the drops and braking from there also comes naturally and with integrated shifters in the brakes gear changes are no problem.

I originally started with down tube shifters which I found less than ideal when in traffic as I had to look down to shift gear... I then moved to Sora shifters which have a tab on the inside of the brake lever to shift down a gear (rather than a secondary lever below the main brake lever) and found that much better, but could only shift riding on the hoods - I now have 105's which mean I can shift easily from either the hoods or on the drops and I would highly recommend avoiding the Sora shifters as it was quite an expensive job to change them.

Overall, I'd say that if you get a bike with Tiagra or above STI shifters, then you'll find braking and shifting quickly becomes very natural - I've ridden bikes with friction shifters on the bars, down tube shifters, mountain bike STI shifters, gripshift and the road bike STI shifters (not all at once!) and the STI shifters on drop bars are my favourites.

A big difference though is that I found the steering less responsive on a road bike, mountain bike steering has very wide bars and a very 'direct' feel - although this may be less noticeable coming from a hybrid. It wasn't a problem as such, but took a little getting used to.

I'm about the same height as you and don't have a problem with the position - the nicest thing about drops is being able to shift position if you get uncomfortable in one position, I use bar-ends on my MTB to do the same.

The main thing that changed, going from a hybrid/MTB with slick(ish) tyres to a road bike was that the riding position and the ease of accelerating made me much more inclined to up the pace and do the commute quickly...

Good luck with the deliberations!

Alex

 

[Willow]

I switched from using a mountain bike for commuting to a drop bar bike some years ago; balance certainly wasn't an issue even from 2.1" knobbly tyres down to 25 mm slick tyre.

I started riding 'on the hoods' i.e. thumb one side of the back of the brake lever and fingers on the other side and braking from there is very natural, I now ride a lot more on the drops and braking from there also comes naturally and with integrated shifters in the brakes gear changes are no problem.

I originally started with down tube shifters which I found less than ideal when in traffic as I had to look down to shift gear... I then moved to Sora shifters which have a tab on the inside of the brake lever to shift down a gear (rather than a secondary lever below the main brake lever) and found that much better, but could only shift riding on the hoods - I now have 105's which mean I can shift easily from either the hoods or on the drops and I would highly recommend avoiding the Sora shifters as it was quite an expensive job to change them.

Overall, I'd say that if you get a bike with Tiagra or above STI shifters, then you'll find braking and shifting quickly becomes very natural - I've ridden bikes with friction shifters on the bars, down tube shifters, mountain bike STI shifters, gripshift and the road bike STI shifters (not all at once!) and the STI shifters on drop bars are my favourites.

A big difference though is that I found the steering less responsive on a road bike, mountain bike steering has very wide bars and a very 'direct' feel - although this may be less noticeable coming from a hybrid. It wasn't a problem as such, but took a little getting used to.

I'm about the same height as you and don't have a problem with the position - the nicest thing about drops is being able to shift position if you get uncomfortable in one position, I use bar-ends on my MTB to do the same.

The main thing that changed, going from a hybrid/MTB with slick(ish) tyres to a road bike was that the riding position and the ease of accelerating made me much more inclined to up the pace and do the commute quickly...

Good luck with the deliberations!

Alex

that's really useful thanks not considering it seriously yet but will keep your comments. When DS2 goes to Senior School next year I'll beable to cycle everyday and I think that would be the time to change. would keep hybrid for when out with boys or even for them to use to get to school quicker than the mountain bikes.

 

[HLaB]

When I first picked up a dropped bar bike, last year, I thought I'd never get used to it, it felt so skittish and I thought I might of made a mistake. That all went away on the second and subsequent rides and I now wouldn't be without it. I've converted my other bike since to drops too. My commuting bike is a heavy, wide tired, flat bar and touchwood reliable bike but I only commute 3-5 miles if I was going any further I think I would change it for dropped bar one.

 

[Priscilla Parsley]

Willow, I have just changed from Hybrid to drop bar and I have to say the transition was a cinch, i was quite worried about it but i got used to it very quicky, what i noticed most other than lightness and speed is how sensitive they are as opposed to my Claude Butler (which now feels like I am riding a brick when i go on that) and yes you do have to much more considerate of crappy roads so i tend to ride further out now which i am just getting used to but has been a bit nerve racking at times.

i do think you should consider what you want it for though, road bikes are better looking but they come at a price, personally i don't think its worth it for short commutes (under 5 miles) unless you plan on going on some longer weekend rides to get the best out of it. only an opinion though.