Experienced in Mtn biking/Bmx looking to have a Road Bike season (noob questions)

So I've been on a bike in some form for as long as I can remember. I know my shit when it comes to BMX, DH, DJ and XC bikes but I've never owned a roadie.

I always kinda made fun of spandex wearing road cyclists, but I believe my time has come. My knees are getting wrecked and I'm tired of getting injured. Plus I want to get as much of a health benefit from my time on my bike as possible, time is getting tight.

Now, I want something I can do long solo sessions on the road with. I'm not looking for a tri bike btw. Should I go used? Should I build something up on my own or go for a complete bike? What pedals/shoes are good value? How do you stay hydrated, I'm used to a CamelBack and one water bottle won't cut it. What shops are good for roadies? Most importantly what options do I have other than spandex?

rollingsound said:

.I always kinda made fun of spandex wearing road cyclists, but I believe my time has come.

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Dont do it man. Stay with us on the dark side. BMX is where you belong...

Seriously, I'm also considering getting a road bike this summer. Couple of my friends are doing it and are also competing and they got me intrigued.

If you live in the city i suggest you make the transition to a fixed gear rig it's not a spandex thingy! Still damn fast and well going upwards to 50ish km/h on a brakeless bike is something!

Eeeeeeeeeevil.

MyRidzPhucked said:

Eeeeeeeeeevil.

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I haven't done it yet...

It's just if you're riding DJ's or even street, and you're progressing, you're getting hurt now and again, you just get hurt, that's a given. I can't afford to get wrecked anymore. Just to give you an example, I broke my pinky last year, stupid little injury and it bothers me constantly now... I have shitted my knees up etc... It used to be part of the fun but now it becoming less appealing

We're geetinggg old, admit it

In the summer i used to bike from my house in ile-perrot to the old port or to mount royal for the exercise. I used my dad's old road bike from the 1980s and it still works great, although he does take good care of it. It's a 10 speed if I remember well.

I used the two water bottle setups and i was fine, filled them up on occasions.

As for the spandex, just get a comphy seat. I did around 100km a day and my ass never hurt

I'm starting to look for my own bike too now

It's all dependent on your budget. you haven't said I you'd be buying new or used, so here's some info for both:

Most new bike that are around 1200$ are very decent and can last you for quite a while. Almost all the bikes are made overseas, so one company doesn't really stand out at this price range (1000-1400$).

The heart and soul of the bike is the frame, If you have a good frame than you can build on it later on, swap components, and get a really enjoyable bike. Aluminium frames are the norm for that price (or lower), and a carbon-framed bike is usually over 2000$. Giant, Cannondale, Trek, Specialized (and many more) are all good choices.

If you get a new bike, the wheels on it are gonna suck: that's life. A good upgrade later on is to get good used wheels that are both lighter and stronger than your stock wheels. 99% of road bikes use the same wheel size (700C), but you can't swap rear wheels between Campagnolo components and Shimano or SRAM components.

Most bikes are either 2x10 speed or 3x9 or 10 speed (Front x Rear). If you're in decent shape, just get a 2x10 setup. You have the choice of having a compact crank, which makes for easier climbing or regular crank, which has a better spread of gear between the front rings, but no real "bail-out" gear if you have to face a wall. My choice would be to go with compact if the bike is used for fun/commuting.

Used or new, your bike has to fit, most companies have their own numbering system which can't be compared in between. A 50cm Giant is similar in size as a 52cm Cannondale or a 54cm from another bike company (for example).
If you buy new, the guys at the shop will most probably do a good job at sizing you up.

Used bike are usually well maintained, but you have to know your size first. You'll most probably get more bike worth when buying used and can get a really decent bike for 500$ if you hunt.

Shoes and pedal with clips are life-savers in terms of efficiency and power transmission. Most new bike don't come with pedals. You can get OK pedals for 35$, and shoes for 50-60$.

1 bottle should last you about 1hr, so a 2 bottle setup on the bike is good for 2 or more hours depending on the weather. You can also bring 1 bottle in your shirt back pocket for extended range. For long rides (100+km) I might bring a Camelback as well, but nothing stops you from refilling your bottles along during your ride.

You can get regular shorts with the inseam having a paddled section (like a tight short):
http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_...4442631940&FOLDER<>folder_id=2534374302692435

Or get the spandex, put shorts over them...

rollingsound said:

I haven't done it yet...

It's just if you're riding DJ's or even street, and you're progressing, you're getting hurt now and again, you just get hurt, that's a given. I can't afford to get wrecked anymore. Just to give you an example, I broke my pinky last year, stupid little injury and it bothers me constantly now... I have shitted my knees up etc... It used to be part of the fun but now it becoming less appealing

We're geetinggg old, admit it

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I've been on a bike maybe 15 times in the past 2 years, which would have been how many times I was on it in two weeks back in the day..

Old indeed. I'm still investing as much as I have to this year to FINALLY have a bike that is perfect for what I need it for. Always been two steps behind.

Max said:

go for a cyclocross bike, I'm telling you. best of 2 words (road and mtn). You can fit 32mm tire (which is very wide for a road bike), cantilever brakes, etc... For summer you can stick a pair of slicks and the bike will be as fast as any bikes. I won a road race this summer on a cross bike, people couldn't belive it.


Too bad that Brodie bike's color are so gay, because they make very good frame.
http://www.brodiebikes.com/2011/bikes/romax_al.php

I would love to try the Cannondale CAADX, you can search for an CAAD9 too (used).

with eggbeater pedals, your all set.

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If I'm doing pure road I don't want to compromise so I don't think I'd get a cyclocross bike. If I do anything off road it would require at least 180mm of travel .

Just so I can get an idea of how much going NEW would cost me, what complete bike would you suggest for pure road?