What Road Bike?

[squiffy]

Ez-Fire and Rapid-Fire are similar (flat bar thumb shifters) but I prefer the placement of the levers on rapidfire.

Ez-Fire

Rapid-Fire

I would suggest you do a hundred miles on a road bike, you will get used to it. It's really not that bad. You're just used to the soggy ride from a hardtail MTB. And buy a good saddle, changing from stock to Brooks made it much better (36 mile journey with Pizic Pave was slightly uncomfortable, on the Brooks much nicer for the same journey, and at the end no pain)

 

[Jonny ///M]

I really just couldnt get used to the brakes not being on the flats and constantly being leaning right forward. Surely its not that big a drop in efficiency going to a flat bar with similar geometry?

I will certainly be spending money on good saddles,the one on the kona gives me arse ache after about 5 minutes.....my cousins atomlab DJ seat was bloody comfy compared to it.

Yeh i thought that was ezfire,had them on my first bike lol. Got so many deore shifters lying about its no true...

 

[6thElement]

You shouldn't need to go right down into the hoods to brake, you rest your hands on top with your fingers pointing down.

 

[squiffy]

You shouldn't need to go right down into the hoods to brake, you rest your hands on top with your fingers pointing down.

What? Road bikes don't have brake levers on the flats (like cyclo-cross) you have to be on the hoods or drops to use the brakes.
I think you're getting confused with "hoods" and "drops"

 

[Jonny ///M]

The other thing that gets me is shifting......takes too much thinking.

So i would flat bars with 'normal' brakes and rapidfire triggers.

 

[squiffy]

The other thing that gets me is shifting......takes too much thinking.

So i would flat bars with 'normal' brakes and rapidfire triggers.

If you're confused with gears, get the Shimano Nexus. Single shifter (grip urgh) 9 speed.

You don't need disc brakes on a road bike. Go for V brakes. As for flat versus drop shifters/brakes, you still have brakes/shifters, just done differently and two major brands (Shimano/Campag)

 

[Jonny ///M]

If you're confused with gears, get the Shimano Nexus. Single shifter (grip urgh) 9 speed.

You don't need disc brakes on a road bike. Go for V brakes. As for flat versus drop shifters/brakes, you still have brakes/shifters, just done differently and two major brands (Shimano/Campag)

I just didnt like the whole pushing the brake lever to shift up....disk brakes on a road bike lol.....bit like the carrera gryphon i think.

 

[squiffy]

I just didnt like the whole pushing the brake lever to shift up

Then get Campag. My two bikes have Campag (Mirage and Velorace)

 

[PlatinumFX]

Then get Campag. My two bikes have Campag (Mirage and Velorace)

Im looking into getting a road bike at the moment and the one I fancy might come with Veloce (I assume you meant Veloce, I haven't heard it reffered to as velorace?). How do you rate it for reliability of accurate gear changes and longevity? Ill be racking up atleast 150 miles per week on any new road bike I get, so I want something that can take heavy usage yet I cant afford Ultregra/DuraAce/Chorus/Record. How do you find being unable to change gear properly when on the drops? It was for that reason that I was considering getting Shimano 105 instead, for the ease of gear changing.

 

[xolotl]

I just didnt like the whole pushing the brake lever to shift up....disk brakes on a road bike lol.....bit like the carrera gryphon i think.

On STI levers you push a little lever behind the brake to shift up on the rear derailleur and then you push the whole lever to shift down.

 

[squiffy]

Im looking into getting a road bike at the moment and the one I fancy might come with Veloce (I assume you meant Veloce, I haven't heard it reffered to as velorace?). How do you rate it for reliability of accurate gear changes and longevity? Ill be racking up atleast 150 miles per week on any new road bike I get, so I want something that can take heavy usage yet I cant afford Ultregra/DuraAce/Chorus/Record. How do you find being unable to change gear properly when on the drops? It was for that reason that I was considering getting Shimano 105 instead, for the ease of gear changing.

Yeah sorry I meant Veloce. Shifting is superb. I've done 1000+ miles on my roadie (Mirage) and only needed adjustment on the barrel. Tourer has done fewer miles. Veloace is quieter than Mirage (rear derailler)

I really don't ride on the drops, bit too low (medium size frame, seat post reasonbly high probably 6-7" from seat post entry to top of saddle)

Regardless you have to be on the hoods to change down (so you can use the little thumb lever)

 

[monkeypants]

I found that I could use the thumb lever from the drops easily, it was positioned so that I just lifted my thumb over it and pushed down. I didn't need to move my hand at all.

 

[fatherdougal]

Cyclescheme

Have you checked out whether your employer is involved in the government cyclescheme? Basicallly your employer loans you, interest free the money( upto £1000) for a new bike. You then pay back the loan from your gross salary, so you are not taxed and NI'd on the money.

I recently did this and my £950 Alucarbon Bianchi is costing me just over £600.

Personally I would avoid Ridgeback/genesis like the plague ( I have had 2 replacement frames in 3 years on mine and the wheels they supply with the entry level bikes are pap.

On any entry level factor in the cost of a new wheel set(Mavic 32 spoke open pro's seem to be a real sweet spot for cost and reliability for commuting).

If you are thinking of recreational cycling as well as commuting definitely buy a drop bar bike. Buying a flat bar commuting bike only left me unsatisfied until I purchased a 'proper' road bike to go with it.

Good luck

 

[andywalsh]

Nice to see some proper bikes in this thread.

If you are commuting by road then a roadbike is the way to go. But I would also say that you should also get the mudguards and a rack to really make it comfortable.

I have a Racelite T with Campag Veloce (although Daytona shifters). Campag, in my experience is way more durable than Shimano, but I am a bit of a fanboi! For wheels I have gone for Mavic Askiums which for just of £100 are amazing value. The trouble with this set up is that you would have to build it yourself or find a shop that would do it for you. If you buy all the stuff from the same shop they will often build it up for free.

Nice review here

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/review...nesis-Racelight-T/rcn/109/rgn/7/v/1/sp/#60669

 

[LordSplodge]

What's the road bike equivalent of LX kit? I don't want to go lower than this...

 

[squiffy]

Looking at the price, Sora (Around £75 for Sora shifter/brake, same for LX flatbar shifter/brake)

 

[LordSplodge]

Looking at the price, Sora (Around £75 for Sora shifter/brake, same for LX flatbar shifter/brake)

But isn't Sora the bottom Shimano drivetrain?

I have decided to not go lower than Tiagra. However, i have read that Campo drivetrain is better but as an MTB'er i have no experience...

 

[andywalsh]

I did the Three Peaks cyclo-cross race with Campag Veloce kit and it was better than the LX on my mountain bike at the time.

See told you I was a fanboi.

 

[6thElement]

What? Road bikes don't have brake levers on the flats (like cyclo-cross) you have to be on the hoods or drops to use the brakes.
I think you're getting confused with "hoods" and "drops"

Oops, typo'd, I was thinking one thing and typed the other

The Shimano 105 is supposedly very good, that's probably about LX in MTB terms.
As below in ascending order (there might be even lower on Shimano...).

Shimano:
Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, Dura Ace.

SRAM:
Rival, Force

Campagnolo:
Xenon, Mirage, Veloce, Centaur, Chorus, Record

There's other less common groupo's too

 

[LordSplodge]

Oops, typo'd, I was thinking one thing and typed the other

The Shimano 105 is supposedly very good, that's probably about LX in MTB terms.
As below in ascending order (there might be even lower on Shimano...).

Isn't LX only a couple up from the bottom Shimano MTB groupset? Av..something,Deore, LX, XT, XTR?