MTB to Road - New Bike Advice

[NetBiker]

Hi everyone,
I am pretty into mountain biking and want to start getting into some road riding as well for some fitness training and general riding with mates as something different. I am not sure if I would do racing, if so only relatively social. I am no pro but I know how to ride relatively well and pretty confident on the bike or on big distances.

Just after some opinions if I am looking at the right type of bike before I go and test ride a few and get into it further.

Background is I am 23 yrs old, pretty fit, 6ft tall, 80kg. I have up to maybe $3k to spend and I am looking to go for a carbon frame. I have been reading differences between ‘comfort’ or ‘endurance’ bikes vs ‘race’ bikes, I currently ride a hardtail mountain bike with slicks on the road which feels pretty flexxy when you go to put the power down so I was thinking the race type geometry might be the go. As I already have a hardtail mountain bike and have ridden for a bit I am not too keen to get a cheap $1000 bike to start out on as I feel I will probably be looking for something better pretty quickly and then that money could’ve been spent towards something that will last many years.

Bikes I am considering are Specialised Tarmac, Willier GranTurismo, BH, Pinarello FQuattro, Cannondale, Fuji. Although open to anything really but I am looking for a sweet looking ride aswell not a bland/plain looking bike like some seem to be. Sounds like the 105 or Ultegra gearing would be the go without going too expensive (btw that Campagnolo stuff looks soooo nice).
Am I on the right track here?

Also I have pretty good MTB shoes with carbon soles, are these compatible with road pedals or alternative I guess I can just put XT mountain bike pedals on the roadie.

 

[pistonbroke]

I think at your age and fitness you will go good on the race style of bike. I think the endurance style of bikes are for old folk like me(35).
Don't like the Giant TCR Advanced?
I've always liked Cannondales and think there roadies look stunning.
You will get a great bike at your budget. You should be able to get a pretty good carbon frame with Ultegra for $3000. Earlier in the year you could pick up Giant's TCR Advanced with Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting for $2999. That's a steal.
Riding the roadie is different for your legs. It's so constant. You just pedal the whole time. I think it has made me much stronger on the mtb. But I'm still rubbish at both.

 

[Capone]

Hi everyone,
I am pretty into mountain biking and want to start getting into some road riding as well for some fitness training and general riding with mates as something different. I am not sure if I would do racing, if so only relatively social. I am no pro but I know how to ride relatively well and pretty confident on the bike or on big distances.

Just after some opinions if I am looking at the right type of bike before I go and test ride a few and get into it further.

Background is I am 23 yrs old, pretty fit, 6ft tall, 80kg. I have up to maybe $3k to spend and I am looking to go for a carbon frame. I have been reading differences between ‘comfort’ or ‘endurance’ bikes vs ‘race’ bikes, I currently ride a hardtail mountain bike with slicks on the road which feels pretty flexxy when you go to put the power down so I was thinking the race type geometry might be the go. As I already have a hardtail mountain bike and have ridden for a bit I am not too keen to get a cheap $1000 bike to start out on as I feel I will probably be looking for something better pretty quickly and then that money could’ve been spent towards something that will last many years.

Bikes I am considering are Specialised Tarmac, Willier GranTurismo, BH, Pinarello FQuattro, Cannondale, Fuji. Although open to anything really but I am looking for a sweet looking ride aswell not a bland/plain looking bike like some seem to be. Sounds like the 105 or Ultegra gearing would be the go without going too expensive (btw that Campagnolo stuff looks soooo nice).
Am I on the right track here?

Also I have pretty good MTB shoes with carbon soles, are these compatible with road pedals or alternative I guess I can just put XT mountain bike pedals on the roadie.

Giant will provide the best bang for your buck and they do make a nice bike. I have an Defy advance (Endurance) with Ultegra mechanical and its a super commuter weapon. TCR (Race) is another option too.

Dont get wrapped up in the Di2 debate, its nice but not must have, roadie gears shift well in any form.

If you get road pedals you will need new shoes and cleats (Known as SPD-SL). This is my preference as i found the SPD to become uncomfortable over a long distance. If you go new shoes spend the cash, flexi sole's get found out very quickly on the roadie.

 

[sockman]

Have a look at the Cannondale CAAD 10. I may be slightly biased because I ride one, but for a sub $2k bike I challenge you to find better bang for buck.

http://roadbikeaction.com/Most-Popular-Stories/content/67/5871/RBA-Test-Trek-vs-Cannondale.html

Have a read of that. One of the important things to remember as mentioned in the article is in regards to frame construction. Just because it's carbon doesn't mean it's the dogs bollocks. I'm racing the cannondale and doing plenty of long rides with lots of climbing here in Vancouver... It works a charm!

 

[mtb101]

get yourself a copy of Ride Cycling Review and have a look through their tests, very comprehensive. For the money you are spending, yes Giant, Specialized, Scott, Cannondale, maybe Fuji, Felt, would probably keep away from more exotic brands as the components can't compete with Giants etc.

As the road culture has a higher snob value, you should also look at a brand that features in the Tour.

Ultegra is the XT equivalent of shimano mtb, pretty bomb proof and reliable.

at 6ft, you want a frame that's robust and non-flexy in BB area, not hard to check by pushing sideways on cranks.

pedals, can go Ultegra again, need road specific simply because it's a fixed platform compared to floating mtb, when you are belting along or jump up to sprint, the fixed system is the way to go.

BMC, if you could find one on sale, pretty nice bike, that's what I might upgrade to in the future, otherwise pretty hard to go past a Speccie for value, build quality and price. for $2500 you'd probably get an upgrade on brakes etc 105 gear for 3000.

 

[Yet1]

Titanium?

I recently got my first roadie after many years of mtb. My theory when it comes to road bikes is to ride something that you enjoy and inspires you to ride. For me this wasnt a generic carbon bike from various manucturers that all essentially look the same.. So I went with a titanium framed bike from Van Nicholas (http://www.vannicholas.com/). Reasonably priced, awesome to ride, nice to look at and gets heaps of comments when Im out riding it. I got the bottom of the range Mistral for $2500 and it comes with Sram Apex which I have been very happy with it (my first ever roadie). A mate who is a big roadie (and rides top of the line bikes) was also very impressed with the shifting/braking of the bike. Also, it ticked another box as I already had a steel, carbon and aloy bikes!

 

[pistonbroke]

I started riding my roadie with my mtb shoes and pedals but didn't like the float in them. It just feels like your feet are squirming around all the time and not secure. The road shoes and goofy road cleats just feel rock solid.
I bought a package off torpedo 7 for shoes and pedals for $80. They've been pretty good considering the price.
Also don't get too focused on spec level. Roadies are snobby and will tell you Ultegra is the absolute minimum. But this is total Bull shit. Even my $1000 Scott with Tiagra and 105 rear works perfectly for the road. I think a good frame and wheels is more important.

 

[Brett]

Was in your shoes a few months ago. Get yourself a race bike, if you get anything else as soon as you start getting quicker you'll want a better bike. As far as i'm concerned you can't beat the value of a Giant. You can pick up a nice TCR for around the $3000 mark and you'll be pretty happy. They also have awesome warranty support.

 

[RB 24]

Have a look at the Cannondale CAAD 10. I may be slightly biased because I ride one, but for a sub $2k bike I challenge you to find better bang for buck.

http://roadbikeaction.com/Most-Popular-Stories/content/67/5871/RBA-Test-Trek-vs-Cannondale.html

Have a read of that. One of the important things to remember as mentioned in the article is in regards to frame construction. Just because it's carbon doesn't mean it's the dogs bollocks. I'm racing the cannondale and doing plenty of long rides with lots of climbing here in Vancouver... It works a charm!

I must say I love the caad10's. Can pick them up pretty well priced at the moment also. I was tossing up between a caad10 and a Boardman slr and the boardman won out only due to cost..
I came off a Giant defy adv and the thing was awesome but felt like a couch. The boardman is a crit machine which is what I wanted.

check out the Lapierre's. Awesome frame and a great price.

good luck and keep us updated.

 

[pistonbroke]

I was tossing up between a caad10 and a Boardman slr and the boardman won out only due to cost..
I came off a Giant defy adv and the thing was awesome but felt like a couch. The boardman is a crit machine which is what I wanted.

I am looking at upgrading my roadie and I was looking at the Defy adv. Can you tell me more about the defy and why you changed. At the end of the day I guess I'm looking to upgrade to go faster, so would the defy be a mistake? I've just seen the Boardman slr in the last couple of days and am pretty impressed.

 

[The Duckmeister]

I am looking at upgrading my roadie and I was looking at the Defy adv. Can you tell me more about the defy and why you changed. At the end of the day I guess I'm looking to upgrade to go faster, so would the defy be a mistake? I've just seen the Boardman slr in the last couple of days and am pretty impressed.

Depends what you're looking for in the dynamic of the bike. The whole Defy series, right from the $1000 entry level up to the top Adv. SL is intended as a "recreational/endurance" style bike that you can ride all day, not a racer. It's actually designed to have a bit more flex than the racy TCR, in order to enhance comfort, and the geometry is also geared towards just getting out & cruising; the longer wheelbase takes some flickability out, while the shorter top tube & taller headtube than the equivalent size sit the rider a tad more upright than on a get down & go racer.

(Incidentally, the Pro-Team-Formerly-Known-as-Rabobank uses the Defy Adv. SL in races such as the Paris-Roubaix, where the extra flex is more beneficial than the power-efficient stiffness of the TCR on the rough cobblestone sections).

Professional disclosure: the shop I work in sells 'em, as Moorey will be quick to point out if I don't... :yawn:

 

[pistonbroke]

Ok. Tell me about the Boardman?

 

[RB 24]

Ok. Tell me about the Boardman?

pretty much the Giant defy is as mentioned prior. Taller headtube and generally a bit more compliant in the feel. Was sporty enough to race on (which I did in D grade for 1 season) but always felt not really confident tracking in to corners at high speed and as silly as it sounds never felt into the bike. Tried adjusting stem height etc but no matter what I did it was still a zebra with strips not a race horse. I had broken my back 3 years ago and it was perfect for what I wanted.

I decided I wanted to take my racing more seriously and the back got better and I could handle a bit more aggressive frame etc. Test rode a Caad10/1 and a Cannondale evo and a S works SL4. All great bikes but as mentioned the Boardman won out. The slr is pretty stiff and coarse to ride on a gentle cruise. The difference between the giant and the slr is streets apart from the way it turns at high speed to how much more speed in a straight line it produces. The day I got the slr I went on my normal ride and pulled 16minutes off my pb... mental or bike assistance not sure but it felt awesome.

I have adjusted the boardman to be a little more aggressive again just to try out how much my back can handle before getting sore. Happy with the setup now. High speed turn in and power through the frame is always a surprise and I figure everytime you walk past a bike in the spare room and smile and cant wait to ride it next is a good thing. I got a great deal through the Aust distributer who honoured a 20% off floor stock price. Think from memory the slr9.2 came to $2800 with sram force and mavic kysrium elites etc.

hope this helps?

 

[Capone]

Depends what you're looking for in the dynamic of the bike. The whole Defy series, right from the $1000 entry level up to the top Adv. SL is intended as a "recreational/endurance" style bike that you can ride all day, not a racer. It's actually designed to have a bit more flex than the racy TCR, in order to enhance comfort, and the geometry is also geared towards just getting out & cruising; the longer wheelbase takes some flickability out, while the shorter top tube & taller headtube than the equivalent size sit the rider a tad more upright than on a get down & go racer.

(Incidentally, the Pro-Team-Formerly-Known-as-Rabobank uses the Defy Adv. SL in races such as the Paris-Roubaix, where the extra flex is more beneficial than the power-efficient stiffness of the TCR on the rough cobblestone sections).

Professional disclosure: the shop I work in sells 'em, as Moorey will be quick to point out if I don't... :yawn:

Best comment i have read on Rotorburn in a long time. This is what makes the Defy a perfect bike to commute on. However TCR all day if you would out and out speed

I think of the TCR as an Anthem and a Defy as a Trance

 

[99_FGT]

I bought my first roadie about 6 months back, and limited my budget more than what you are talking about and got a Defy 1 Ally. A lot of talk about the Defy here, all of which rings true to me. It is a comfortable bike for longer rides, wouldn't exactly describe it as a couch though. As someone who has spinal problems (AS) I couldn't go straight to the lower set up of the TCR. Probably could now, and kind of regret not going a carbon version (to take out some of the chatter) but couldn't justify the $ at the time.
As far as pedals go, I started off using eggbeaters on MTB shoes, then eggbeaters on road shoes (with the Quattro road cleats) but found after about 40km I was getting hot spots on my feet from the smaller platform. Have just changed up to road pedals, amazing how much more stable they feel, but still getting them set up right.
I can't add much more than that sorry.
Al..

 

[pistonbroke]

Thanks RB 24. Great info.

 

[pistonbroke]

Double post

 

[Mafra]

On the roadie, fit, feel and test riding are probably more critical than on the MTB.

Most of us move around on the MTB a lot more than you do on a road bike, the aim of which is to find the "perfect" position and stay in it for long periods of time bashing out metronomic rhythms of pedaling - vs the variety of terrain, gradients etc most of us come across on single track.
The risk of repetitive strain type injuries on a poorly fitting and/or set up roadie are pretty big.

Get the fit right on a bike that feels good to ride is the way forward.

105 is more than adequate, but if the ultegra comes at a minimal cost go right ahead. (personally I like the SRAM road mech - I use a mix of Force and Rival)

Don't forget to look beyond shimano for pedals, speedplays, time etc are all out there - often at a price premium, but often with properties that some people will find of benefit to them - for instance my crap knees and preference for double sided pedals sees me rocking the speedplays - but they aren't for everyone.

 

[Stefan]

RE: pedals, if you have clipless pedals on your MTB and want to wear the same shoes, just get some MTB pedals in the same cleat design for your roadbike.

If you like building bikes, don't dismiss modern steel frames. I built a road bike around a secondhand SOMA Smoothie and a mix of new and secondhand parts for around a grand. This included secondhand dura ace 9 speed brakes, STI shifters, mechs, cassette, new SRAM rival cranks, decent wheelset (Pro Lite Bracciano), GP 4000s tyres... may not be quite as light as carbon but it's super light compared to my XC bike, and the road feel from steel is great!

 

[NetBiker]

Thanks for the replies,
It sounds like a relatively stiff race style bike is more the go. Titanium is interesting haven’t heard of this type before. Also sounds like 105 is good enough but if I can go higher then sweet. The wheels are likely to be the winner in this level of bike I am guessing but if I get a good frame, can always upgrade the wheels later if I really get into it although usually they are expensive.
The reason why I was hoping to get away with the mtb shoes is as I have S-works carbon soled type worth quite a bit and they are very light and stiff, so the shoe itself is pretty good for this purpose. But it sounds like the connections on the road bikes are much more stable than the mountain bikes which I can see could be a fair benefit. I may even start out with these shoes and MTB pedals and can then upgrade to road shoes down the track if I think I need to/when coin allows.
I was pretty keen on some of the boutique brands as I don’t know why but there’s this subconscious thing that if your riding something special it promotes you more to ride it. I think I will just have to go and sit on a few and see how they go. Some of the specialised and cannondales look really nice though.
The problem is people say test ride them but typically bike shops aren’t too accommodating in you coming in, they getting you all setup and let you ride to then not buy off them. Is there any days where you can test multiple bikes at the one place which to give a good idea of what’s out there? I mean I have never ridden a road bike before so I don’t really know what to look for (except bright colours haha).