Newbie Road Bike Questions

jeannetteok

Hey ladies,

I bought my first bike 5 years ago at a outdoor recreation store (REI, for those of you who know it). It's got fat but not-too-knobby tires, upright handlebars, no suspension in the front or back, and it's a triple. It's not really a mountain bike, the guy called it a bike suitable for commuting, which is what I initially used it for. I never use the "granny ring" and I've found that as I've gotten better and stronger, I can pedal faster than my top gear will go.

I've talked to my husband (who loves his 1980ish Bianchi and pretty much just laughs at my bike) and he was suggesting that I have the granny ring taken off and have a larger sprocket added. Now that I'm talking about wanting to do some long distance rides (century and double century) he's suggested I look for a new bike. That's cool, but a couple of things are of concern to me:

Do all official "road bikes" have those skinny, naked tires?

What about those handle bars? I'm used to riding more upright... could I be happier with those... uh... curly things? Does it make much of a difference?

I know there are a couple of threads about advice on buying new bikes, sorry if this is duplicate, but recommendations for great beginner bikes under $1000 would be welcome in addition to any advice you have for me.

Best,

Jeannette

jhuskey

The smaller tire are high pressure tires usually aroud 120 psi and have less drag than larger tires. Drop bars are the curly things you are talking about and give a rider a more aerodynamic position or positions.It only takes about 10 % of your energy to move the bike the rest is eaten up in overcoming wind drag.
I you are riding for speed,performance and distance then a road bike is advisable. If you are just strolling around the neighborhood a Mtn bike, Hybrid or Cruiser is ok. Either way you will be happier on a non-department store bike with good components that is fitted to your size.I recommend a new bike over trying to upgrade and old bike. Check with a local bike shop for fit. There are a lot of good frames out there. Just get decent components on it and you will enjoy the ride much more.
Good luck

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pam_in_sc

If you are going to ride long distances you really want drop bars, as they give you at least four different places to put your hands when your arms and hands get tired in one position.

The bent over position (though it doesn't have to be too much so) has another advantage--some of your weight is on your hands rather than on your seat. Your rear will get much less sore riding long distances.

The place where weight matters the most is in anything that is spinning, like the wheels. Those lighter higher pressure tires make a bigger difference than anything else in how fast you go and/or how easy it is to go a long distance.

I went to my local bike shop to buy a bike and I said I wanted to go fast but I wanted a bike that wouldn't be too fussy. I bought an Orbea and it is in some ways more bike than I am ready for, but I've ridden about 400 miles in the last 5 weeks or so without a flat tire or any other breakdown. You might look into touring bikes, which are built to be sturdy without being heavy. I used to tour years ago, but now I want more exercise in a shorter time so I am more interested in going fast.

Pam

galaxycycle120

I was using the same type of bike you have and switched to a road bike a few months ago. I got a Mercier Galaxy road bike with sora components and it cost $350 on ebay - I'm happy with it, but you could get a much better bike since you have more $. Somewhere on this site there is a thread about good bikes at about your price but I can't remember what they were and I don't know much about bikes.

The first time I rode it I thought ! But turns out it just takes a little time to get used to - after a few rides (maybe 3 or 4) I really liked it a lot, although I did have to change the seat. It really is a lot zippier than the old bike with fatter tires, and the curly handlebars give you more places to move your hands and are better. Also, the skinny tires are good - they are faster. The road bike is just much more fun to ride than the hybrid bike was.