Road bikes are good.

bradh

bradh

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Who would have thought? :)

I just thought I'd share a quick story:

I bought a road bike late last week (a Columbus SLX-tubed frame, probably late-80s/early-90s vintage, made by an Aussie builder, Lawson — if anyone knows anything about them, even which state they're in, I'd love to know). Anyway, I took it out for the first time this morning; fuck it's fast! And fun! But also scary. (I'll definitely be putting some STI levers on it... reaching down for downtube shifters on busy and wet Melbourne roads wasn't exactly confidence-inspiring.)

I bought it in the interests of getting some exercise; although once accustomed to training six days a week and being pretty fit, I haven't been able to do much since breaking my ankle last April. I found out this morning just how unfit I am. I haven't been on a road bike since the 27"-steel-rimmed Repco that I had when I was about 12. This is much better, and a very good investment, I think.

Anyway, that's all. I just thought I'd share my newfound excitement for roadies. Thanks for reading.
 
C

Cúl-Báire

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yeah they rock... As much as I'm not a real fan of road riding coming from an MTB background from years back- you can't deny how fast they are and how much consisent power you can produce after training on one for a while. It's awesome.
 
ScottD

ScottD

Likes Bikes and Dirt
roadies are awesome, i went from an heavy XC bike with hookworms to a roadie with STI and it was soo good, i found at first i had to watch where i was heading on the road a bit more but after a while i got use to looking a bit more carefully, its soo much easier to carry speed along the flat. the riding poisition was weird at first and do were the skinny handle bars but i love it now, but it will never replace MTB
 
bazza

bazza

look at me
yer i have the bug hahaha. i am just putting on a nice new set of carbon zeus zeta bars on my orbea hehehe. my old reynolds roadie got totalled i loved that bike so much.....but the new ones heaps fun! bit stiff but ah well. its still lovely. i think i gotta get some proper spd SL clips though. the normal spds are just way to small i find. i still havent got the hang of clipping in quickly AT ALL. or maybe i just have them set up wrong. meh. who knows.
 
tu plang

tu plang

knob
as a recent convert all i have to say is it rocks. i'm pretty unfit atm (waaay too much beer at uni) and can still pump out 70km holding a reasonable speed without succoumbing to fuzzy vision :p . obviously hoping to be able to do 150+ eventually.

fitness aside, it's definitely a buzz to be able to hit 60+km/h down even the slightest incline.
 
leitch

leitch

Feelin' a bit rrranty
i love my roadie, sooo much fun... i rode from nerang to lennox heads last year, in driving rain, and it was STILL fun.... :D

hey Tu Plang, you should come and do the river ride from Park Rd on saturday mornings.. what kind of speed do you average for your 70km?
 
tu plang

tu plang

knob
leitch said:
i love my roadie, sooo much fun... i rode from nerang to lennox heads last year, in driving rain, and it was STILL fun.... :D

hey Tu Plang, you should come and do the river ride from Park Rd on saturday mornings.. what kind of speed do you average for your 70km?
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heh... havent done a bunch ride yet :eek: but the river ride is my main route. the guys from work have been trying to convince me to go on one of our road rides.... but i dono.

last 70km i managed around 27km/h from memory.
 
leitch

leitch

Feelin' a bit rrranty
haha mate you should just come down and go with the slower group, we average around 30/35 up to about 45/50 coming back on coronation drive, but by that time its pretty much every man for himself.... its pretty easy to maintain it in the pack, and you wont get dropped cos they stop at a couple of spots (top of dornoch tce, just before the chelmer loop) to regroup... if you come down on saturday ill be the unco looking 17yo on a red cannondale haha
 
bradh

bradh

Likes Bikes and Dirt
tu plang said:
fitness aside, it's definitely a buzz to be able to hit 60+km/h down even the slightest incline.
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mmmmmmmmmm, speed.

Maybe I should get a computer... haven't had one in years...
 
bazza

bazza

look at me
i like my little topeak 50 dollar job. does the trick quiet nicely. although the only function that its missing is average speed per ride. that one is the only function missing that i would love to have. i mean who cares about total average speed ahahaha.
 
scratchy

scratchy

Farkin Activist
It's OK to enjoy Road riding, just don't go shaving your legs. Remember your a MTBer, hairly legs, SPDs and heavy looking shoes. That way they'll really hate you when you drop them! :)
 
ScottD

ScottD

Likes Bikes and Dirt
i resort to wearing lycra pants only because there more comfortable than baggy mtb pants, i wear my mtb shoes and spd cleats haha. some dad yelled out "this is bloody mountain bikes, who the hell would shave there legs" at the start of the div 1 race at interschools when colin battserby staggered the feild according to shaved legs and cleats
 
Binaural

Binaural

Eats Squid
scratchy said:
It's OK to enjoy Road riding, just don't go shaving your legs. Remember your a MTBer, hairly legs, SPDs and heavy looking shoes. That way they'll really hate you when you drop them! :)
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Hahaha, I toasted a peleton of roadies this morning on a commuter MTB with flat pedal and riser bars. I was even dressed in my bogan best with a singlet and some ratty shorts and sneakers :)
 
tu plang

tu plang

knob
Binaural said:
Hahaha, I toasted a peleton of roadies this morning on a commuter MTB with flat pedal and riser bars. I was even dressed in my bogan best with a singlet and some ratty shorts and sneakers :)
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arghh... i hate it when people on mtbs sit on your tail for a few k thinking they are PwnIng teh roadie. its pretty easy to keep up with or beat a roadie given that they are holding a pace over lots and lots of k's where as you are just putting in for those few ks to piss them off :mad: . didnt mean to sound overly harsh or like an arrogant roadie - im really just an mtber with a road bike, but it just shits me when people do that.
 
Techno Destructo

Techno Destructo

Riding In Peace
bradh said:
Anyway, that's all. I just thought I'd share my newfound excitement for roadies. Thanks for reading.
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When on pavement, roadies rock... Man, I love tight S-bends at speed on them! Leaning it WAY over! Try that on some fat knobby tires!:eek:
 
Binaural

Binaural

Eats Squid
tu plang said:
arghh... i hate it when people on mtbs sit on your tail for a few k thinking they are PwnIng teh roadie. its pretty easy to keep up with or beat a roadie given that they are holding a pace over lots and lots of k's where as you are just putting in for those few ks to piss them off :mad: . didnt mean to sound overly harsh or like an arrogant roadie - im really just an mtber with a road bike, but it just shits me when people do that.
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I had just ridden 15kms, so I wasn't that fresh! I have been toasted by roadies before and will again, but just this once, I triumphed :p
 
tu plang

tu plang

knob
Binaural said:
I had just ridden 15kms, so I wasn't that fresh! I have been toasted by roadies before and will again, but just this once, I triumphed :p
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haha fair call, just something thats been ticking me off lately so i had to get it off my chest.
 
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