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

Fabrizio Mazzoleni wrote:

Tom Sherman wrote in message ...

they could no longer say, "I climbed such and
such with a 39/22 gear".

Tom, you only need 39x21 on a road bike,
there are only eight climbs in North America
that require a 23 cog.

Show up for a group ride with a 23 cog and
guys like me will notice!

Anyway, no one ever climbs with a even number
cog. You must use a 19 or 21.

I have a 22T granny ring and 24, 28 and 34T [1] cogs on my bike.

[1] Among others: cluster is an 11/12/14/16/18/21/24/28/34 XT.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

Tom Keats wrote:
...
That has been my experience, too. If mere width was much of
a concern, all kinds of trikes, pedicabs, bike trailers,
cargo-carrying "work bikes" and other stuff would be getting
clipped all over the map....

Motor vehicle operators give me a much wider berth when I am riding my
tadpole trike than a single-track bicycle. Many of them probably think I
am handicapped.

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

"Mike Latondresse" wrote in message
...
"Fabrizio Mazzoleni" wrote in
. ca:

Tom, you only need 39x21 on a road bike,
there are only eight climbs in North America
that require a 23 cog.


Name them.

and video, please.

Pete

I just did this last week, a car munched my old mountain bike (trek
830) and a very guilt ridden motorist bought me a new cannondale (R4).
I enjoy a 12 mile each way commute through downtown chicago every day,
and i have to say that the road bike actually has a smoother ride than
the mountain bike. That and the road bike cut nearly 10 min. off of my
commute. I would recommend either getting fitted at your LBS or
breaking out the measuring tape and go to this site
(http://www.bsn.com/Cycling/ergobike.html). I took a 20 min. test ride
before and after fitting. you would not believe how much more
comfortable a road bike is when it actually fits.

Mike Beauchamp wrote:

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

Tom Sherman wrote in message ...
I have a 22T granny ring and 24, 28 and 34T [1] cogs on my bike.

Tom did you read my post awhile back where I
stated the well known fact that roadies NEVER
climb with a even number cog!

Use a 19 or 21. And a 23 for climbing mount
Zoncolan and the Alto L'Angliru.

If you're stuck stateside then keep the 23 off, you
only need a 21. Guys will check your cogset out
before the ride starts, you don't want someone
like me finding a girly 23 on your bike.

On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 14:39:05 -0700, Benjamin Lewis
may have said:

It's been over 3000 miles since my last flat tire on my road bike.

Ride through downtown Houston once and say that.

--
My email address is antispammed;
pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Yes, I have a killfile. If I don't respond to something,
it's also possible that I'm busy.

Ride through downtown Houston once and say that.

Everybody knows you Texans aren't Catholic.

--

_______________________ALL AMIGA IN MY MIND_______________________
------------------"Buddy Holly, the Texas Elvis"------------------
in.edu__________

Fabrizio Mazzoleni wrote:

Tom Sherman wrote in message ...
I have a 22T granny ring and 24, 28 and 34T [1] cogs on my bike.

Tom did you read my post awhile back where I
stated the well known fact that roadies NEVER
climb with a even number cog!

Use a 19 or 21. And a 23 for climbing mount
Zoncolan and the Alto L'Angliru.

If you're stuck stateside then keep the 23 off, you
only need a 21. Guys will check your cogset out
before the ride starts, you don't want someone
like me finding a girly 23 on your bike.

Fabrizio,

Wouldn't an "elite roadie" such as yourself be rather embarrassed if you
were seen to be checking out my bike [1]?

You are also forgetting that I am not a roadie, but a degenerate
recumbent lowracer rider.

[1] http://www.ihpva.org/incoming/2002/sunset/Sunset001.jpg

Tom Sherman - Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

"Tom Sherman" wrote in message
...
You are also forgetting that I am not a roadie, but a degenerate
recumbent lowracer rider.

[1] http://www.ihpva.org/incoming/2002/sunset/Sunset001.jpg

WARNING! DO NOT LOOK AT THIS!!!

Bill "conjuring visions of mad chiropractic torture devices" S.

Werehatrack wrote:
In the early '70s, when road bikes were All the Rage, and the mtb
wasn't even a gleam in a marketer's eye, cheap road-pattern bikes were
plentiful...and just as crummy as the Mall-Wart mtbs that are being
pumped out today.

I don't think that's quite true - the mass market ten-speeds were at least
reasonably good at going from one place to another quite quickly. :-/
--
David Damerell Kill the tomato!