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Considering a Road bike for commuting... good idea?



 
 
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  #21  
Old August 5th 03, 06:54 AM
Bill Davidson
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Default Considering a Road bike for commuting... good idea?

Mike Beauchamp wrote:
I want something that can use my energy as efficiently as possible, and get
me going as fast as possible. Like many commuters here I'm sure, it's
definately more fun going nearly the speed of the cars instead of having
them wizz past you. Is a road bike as fast as I think it is?


Probably not. It will be faster than the MTB but unless you are a very
strong rider or traffic is congested, you won't be as fast as cars--even
in 25mph zones.

Here's my concern. Obviously a road bike is going to be a more harsh ride,
with the small tires and the high air pressure, etc. Are small bumps in the
road going to be as bad as I think they are? Is that why I don't see too
many people riding around the streets on nice road bikes?


It's not that bad. It's just that the general public likes MTB's and SUV's.
This is not for any particularly well thought out reason. They just do.
I've seen tons of people on MTB's that don't seem to ever go off road. It
seems silly to me. Come to think of it, the same could be said of SUV's.
I live in Southern California and most SUV's here have never seen a dirt
road much less mud or snow. A little rain for 5 minutes a year is about it.

I'm going to go try a few road bikes out tomorrow, mainly for fun.. but I'm
wondering what people think in here. Should I stick with a mountain bike?
Another reason for wanting to get a road bike is that I can convert my
mountain bike back to offroad and have two bicycles for whatever type of
riding I want to do.


I'd recomend a touring bike. They tend to have wider tires which run lower
pressures and so have a less harsh ride (not to mention having better
traction in the rain). They also have eyelets for racks and fenders which
can be really nice for commuting. Racing bikes tend not to have those.

--Bill Davidson
--
Please remove ".nospam" from my address for email replies.

I'm a 17 year veteran of usenet -- you'd think I'd be over it by now

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  #22  
Old August 5th 03, 10:55 AM
trg
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Default Considering a Road bike for commuting... good idea?

I use my mtb (unsprung, aluminum) to commute in the winter (rain here rather
than snow) and my touring bike(steel) to commute when it's dry. The mtb has
650x1.7 slicks and the tourer has 700x32. On the same route, I find the
tourer to be smoother (especially over cobblestones).

While I like the tourer, especially for extended touring, just for commuting
and training/fitness riding, I'd get a road bike (and in fact am buying
one). For that type of riding I don't need to be able to carry 40 pounds of
gear on the bike. Aggressive riding and responsiveness is more important
than cargo capacity.

Depends on the type of riding you do.

I do go faster on the tourer than the mtb according to the computer.


"Mike Beauchamp" a écrit dans le message
news: ...
Hey all,
I'm considering purchasing a new bicycle (Maybe $800 CDN total) to replace
my nearly 8 year old Mongoose IBOC Pro mountain bike. I used to use it

mainy
for offroad but a knee injury stopped that, and in the past few years I've
used it purely for commuting (10K's to school and back, 30-40K rides on
weekends, stuff like that).

I'm just wondering if purchasing a road bike would be more appropriate

than
a mountain bike. I most certainly don't want to be one of those kids

riding
on the side of the road with a fully suspended downhill mountain bike with
the seat all the way down bouncing up and down on each pedal stroke.

I want something that can use my energy as efficiently as possible, and

get
me going as fast as possible. Like many commuters here I'm sure, it's
definately more fun going nearly the speed of the cars instead of having
them wizz past you. Is a road bike as fast as I think it is?

In the past few years, I've added slicks to my mountain bike, etc. All in
the name of a smoother and more efficient ride on pavement.

Here's my concern. Obviously a road bike is going to be a more harsh ride,
with the small tires and the high air pressure, etc. Are small bumps in

the
road going to be as bad as I think they are? Is that why I don't see too
many people riding around the streets on nice road bikes?

I'm going to go try a few road bikes out tomorrow, mainly for fun.. but

I'm
wondering what people think in here. Should I stick with a mountain bike?
Another reason for wanting to get a road bike is that I can convert my
mountain bike back to offroad and have two bicycles for whatever type of
riding I want to do.

Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com




  #23  
Old August 5th 03, 01:13 PM
Peter Cole
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Default Considering a Road bike for commuting... good idea?


"Werehatrack" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 4 Aug 2003 18:02:12 -0400, "Mike Beauchamp"
may have said:

I'm just wondering if purchasing a road bike would be more appropriate than
a mountain bike.


Road bikes, largely due to their narrow tires, tend to inherently be
more efficient. If the posture doesn't bother you, and your roads are
in reasonably good shape, a road bike is probably a good replacement
for the mtb.


At typical speeds, the efficiency of a road bike comes from aerodynamics. You
can get a similar position on any MTB, but the flat bar means you'll have to
stay in it. Road bikes are significantly lighter, which helps a little in
hilly country. The real problem with MTBs is that they're geared all wrong for
road riding.


  #24  
Old August 5th 03, 01:47 PM
mark freedman
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Posts: n/a
Default Considering a Road bike for commuting... good idea?

"Mike Beauchamp" wrote in message ...


I'm considering purchasing a new bicycle (Maybe $800 CDN total) to replace



used it purely for commuting (10K's to school and back, 30-40K rides on
weekends, stuff like that).

As I pointed out in Email, theft is an issue when a bike is
locked up for extended lengths of time. By all means, buy a
road bike or touring bike for your recreational rides, but use
a clunker for the 10Km ride to and from school. Anything valuable
will tempt thieves.

Unless you live in an unspoiled Eden.

hth
  #25  
Old August 5th 03, 04:08 PM
ant
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Default Considering a Road bike for commuting... good idea?

"Gazoo" wrote in message .ca...

or a cyclocross bike?


yes!

my commutermobile of choice: surly crosscheck, with 28c tires, and a
front cross lever. burly, fast, comfortable, etc.

'course, these run somewhere around 8-900 US last time i looked, so
thats more than what you were looking to spend, maybe.
  #28  
Old August 5th 03, 09:14 PM
Timothy J. Lee
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Default Considering a Road bike for commuting... good idea?

In article ,
Mike Beauchamp wrote:
Here's my concern. Obviously a road bike is going to be a more harsh ride,
with the small tires and the high air pressure, etc. Are small bumps in the
road going to be as bad as I think they are? Is that why I don't see too
many people riding around the streets on nice road bikes?


A road bike should be good for on-road commuting. If you are concerned
about ride comfort, consider a road bike that can have wider (smooth)
tires installed, such as a touring variety (which also has mountings
and clearance for racks and fenders).

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy J. Lee
Unsolicited bulk or commercial email is not welcome.
No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.
  #29  
Old August 5th 03, 11:17 PM
Joe Potter
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Default Considering a Road bike for commuting... good idea?

Mike Beauchamp wrote:

Well, there's no use me spending all my money on a new road bike if I'm
going to be so paranoid as to leave it home all the time when I have to go
somewhere...


I got a nice Nishiki road bike (say 1980?) for $30 US. The poor old girl
could stand a paint job, but for now it rides very nice. It is a touring
bike with 15 gears; a lot of fun.

I got a 1990 Fuji for $41 US on ebay, but had to pay $30 for shipping. It is
a real hoot to ride. I had had trouble with the darn tires, but I have that
sorted out. It looks like a couple of years old --- not 13.

So, I am saying you need not just ride a beater in town. Get an older bike
that you really like. SURE, someday it will be stolen, but they all are if
you live in the USA.



--
Regards, Joe


  #30  
Old August 5th 03, 11:26 PM
Boyd Speerschneider
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Considering a Road bike for commuting... good idea?

"Mike Beauchamp" wrote in
:

Hey all,
I'm considering purchasing a new bicycle (Maybe $800 CDN total) to
replace my nearly 8 year old Mongoose IBOC Pro mountain bike. I used to
use it mainy for offroad but a knee injury stopped that, and in the past
few years I've used it purely for commuting (10K's to school and back,
30-40K rides on weekends, stuff like that).

I'm just wondering if purchasing a road bike would be more appropriate
than a mountain bike. I most certainly don't want to be one of those
kids riding on the side of the road with a fully suspended downhill
mountain bike with the seat all the way down bouncing up and down on
each pedal stroke.

I want something that can use my energy as efficiently as possible, and
get me going as fast as possible. Like many commuters here I'm sure,
it's definately more fun going nearly the speed of the cars instead of
having them wizz past you. Is a road bike as fast as I think it is?

In the past few years, I've added slicks to my mountain bike, etc. All
in the name of a smoother and more efficient ride on pavement.

Here's my concern. Obviously a road bike is going to be a more harsh
ride, with the small tires and the high air pressure, etc. Are small
bumps in the road going to be as bad as I think they are? Is that why I
don't see too many people riding around the streets on nice road bikes?

I'm going to go try a few road bikes out tomorrow, mainly for fun.. but
I'm wondering what people think in here. Should I stick with a mountain
bike? Another reason for wanting to get a road bike is that I can
convert my mountain bike back to offroad and have two bicycles for
whatever type of riding I want to do.

Mike
http://mikebeauchamp.com



One thing I can't believe no one has mentioned yet is that road handlebars
are considerably safer than MTB handlebars.
Since they are narrower, you are *way* less likely to be clipped by a car
while riding on a road with little to no shoulder.

- Boyd S.
 




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