Road Cycling - I don't know squat about road bikes.....

...but I'm thinking about gettin one! I know it'll help me with my endurance on the trails - so what d'ya think?

FYI:
Female
5' 2.5"
don't ask my weight

I ride my rocky mountain mtb regularly at nights and weekends
I spin
I lift in the am

what else do you need to know? $$? I'm not sure. How much do I need to spend to get a decent bike - with like XT level components (what's that in roadie....Ultegra?)

THANKS!

If you'll be riding the bike for "training" purposes only you really don't need Ultegra level components, 105 will be adequate and offers very good quality and workmanship.

Try several different bikes and brands and get the one you like that FITS.
Let us know what you buy.

This late in the season? Buy CHEAP or better yet used, as long as its got STI (shifters with the brake levers).

Being the buff athlete that you are, next year you are going to be addicted to the speed and want better.

Right now, a heavier bike will still feel light to a mountin' person and the heavier road bike will help you up your endurance.

Yep...it's late in the season so make sure you buy any 2002 bikes for cheap! :D

Cannondale already stopped production on their 2002 road models :/

Once you ride a dedicated road bike on the road, it will be difficult to talk yourself into riding your mtn bike on the road again.

Riding a mountain bike on the road is like riding a road bike in the mountains. You CAN do it, but WHY bother?

Originally posted by mike
Once you ride a dedicated road bike on the road, it will be difficult to talk yourself into riding your mtn bike on the road again. Riding a mountain bike on the road is like riding a road bike in the mountains. You CAN do it, but WHY bother?

That concept would have seemed silly to me just a few months ago. However, this mountain biker got a road bike this year. Now, I wonder why I spent all that time training on the road, riding my old mountain bike with slick tires!

With this new street-specific steed - I'm addicted to the speed, the long rides and the distances I can now travel. I'm still going to ride the single-track, (once my knee is ready - another story!), but I'll never ride my old mountain bike on the road for training purposes. I did, however, convert it to a commuter bike.

:D

Originally posted by MtnBikerChk
...what else do you need to know?
THANKS!

Are you free Friday night? :beer:

I started riding on a mountain bike, I really got into it and built some pretty sweet bikes. One spring about 5 years ago, the trails were really wet and muddy up here in new england so I put together an old road bike to get a jump on my saddle time for the year. Well, that really woke me up, I liked the road so much I built up a brand new road bike and started riding it every day, then I built up a commuter and started riding to work, 18.5 miles each way, then I built up a brand new touring bike and started seeing the country. I'm now in the +10,000 mile a year club. Here's my feelings on frames and component levels base on personal experiance.
Frames: Better frames all ride well, material is more a personal preferance, and fit is the most important thing. I like steel because it rides a little softer then aluminum and I dont like the cost and feel of Titanium.
Components: I ride shimano, it works well and holds up with minimal maintnenance, I like to mix component level to get the best value and the most durability. On my road bike I ride an Ulregra double crank (39 - 53), front and rear derailures and hubs, Dura-ace chain, cassette and STI shifters (nothing shifts with the presision of dura-ace), on my touring bike I ride a dura-ace tripple (30 -39 - 53) and front deraillure, STI shifters and an XTR rear derailiure and cassette (12 - 34), I build my own wheels using Mavic T520 rims and wheelsmith spokes for durability and run Contiental ultra 2000 700-28 tires. I built a set of race wheels using velocity rims and run conti 700-23 on them. I use only Chris King headsets and tompson seatposts and stems. I like the richey WCS bars and cinelli tape, and use selle-itallia pro link saddles. It's not the cheapest way to build a bike but they ride quiet and smooth and hold up mile after mile. If you will put a lot af time on the bike go for the ultegra level components, other then the STI shifters, there is no real world difference between ultegra and dura-ace. Have fun and welcome to the road crowd, We go places.

Entry level with tiagra components around $500 if you can be patient for a month or two when the season ends. Maybe a little more for 105's. Trek 2000 WSD would be a good one to look at with 650's. I'm your height and also thinking about a new road bike. WSD is the only way to go for us shorties. Even though we may get a barely passable standover on the top tube on a non-wsd, the seatpost height is no good for power up. We have to look for 650's since fit is everything.

I'm so "on the fence." I wake up some days and think "yep, I'm gonna get a road bike." THen I get up the next day and think "I don't want to spend the money :( ." I have to go get my MTB from the shop tomorrow. Perhaps I'll just see what they have :)

Thanks guys - I'll keep ya posted.

I always road my MTB on the road for the past 2 years. I have my snow tires (lotsa grip) on them. I thot i was fast and everything. I got a road bike.. OMG what a difference. A week after i rode my road bike i took my MTB out for a spin and i could barely push the thing on the road. Road bike, best purchase i ever made.

Oh my! I was already tempted enough to buy a road bike without reading this thread.

I see a test ride or two coming up in the near future.

Hope no one from my LBS is looking at this forum.

Carl

Yeah... compared to my roadie, riding my MTB [a '97 Specialized S-Works M2 and no slouch] is a bit like driving a bus.

I'd say to stay away from the Tiagra stuff. It's not bad, but if you're used to XT/XTR, you'll never love a bike with Tiagra. Go for 105 and Ultegra or check out bikes equipped with Campagnolo Veloce and Centaur. I'm a Campy guy and I really like the way it feels. Unlike in MTBs you actually have an alternative in road bike components.

One thing MTBers realize first when they hit the road is just how fast a human powered vehicle can go. One day, you'll be cruising and you'll look down at your speedo and see that you're doing 45 km/h. It's a rush.

I've been riding a Trek 2000 WSD for three years and absolutely love the fit (I'm 5'2"). I bought it with the entry level STI components (RSX, on the same level as Tiagra), but just this past spring, I upgraded to Ultegra components. The nice thing about the Trek2K is that it's got a quality, upgradeable frame. In fact, on my bike, the only thing that's original IS the frame. I've upgraded everything else. FWIW, the STI shifters and rear derailleur on the 2002 model are Shimano 105. For a few bucks more, you can get the 2200, which is equipped with Ultegra components.

Of course, the most important thing is which bike fits you, but for someone of our height, a women's specific frame is a good starting point.

Sue

5'2" as well, and , cranky old lady that i am, just wanted to weigh in as the voice of dissention re: WSD.

first of all be careful. many of the smaller WSD designs have 650c wheels. be sure that you really really WANT and NEED those if that is the case (it's a whole new debate and too long to go into here).

many of the "stock" WSD bikes are aluminum. be sure that that is your material of choice. as a 110 lb rider i *still* prefer steel, even though the high-quality al frame team bike i have is better(more comfortable) than low-end steel. just something to think about.

ask yourself about you, your riding style and your fitness level. as a racer i actually went from a 48 cm to a 50 cm frame this year to be MORE stretched out. if you are racing having a nice flat back is key. the WSD bikes have shorter top-tubes. great for beginners and touring....sucks for getting aero.

as other mentioned...if you are already a serious mtber go for at least 105.

the speed is addictive BTW !!!!

happy test-riding!


:)

Ladies,

Thanks for the words! What's the deal with wheel sizes? MTBs come in one (generally).

Also, I know the differences (on paper) between steel and aluminum but I haven't ridden both to compare. My goals are really to improve endurance and lung capacity for mountain biking so I can keep up with the boys ;)

I'm interested in the Trek WSDs - I spoke to my LBS and told them and they said of course they have them and would be happy to show me but the problem with them is that they are on the expensive side for a first timer. He said that if I wanted to spend less, he was sure they could properly fit me on something else.

I'LL TRY THEM ALL!!

Thanks again!

Yes, the bike I've got has 650c wheels, due to the fact that the frame geometry is different (shorter top tube) from the "men's" bikes, necessitating smaller wheels for clearance. For a recreational rider, it makes no difference in functionality. The only problem I see is that the availability of tires is a little more limited. I've been riding Continental Grand Prix 3000 tires since I bought the bike (that's what they came with) and have gotten incredible mileage out of them. I put over 2,000 miles per year on my bike and have only replaced the tires once, when I had new wheels built this past spring. They're on the expensive side--about $45 per tire--but they've more than paid for themselves with durability. There are less expensive 650c tires available, but I'm sticking with what works best for me. I do check the tire pressure before every single ride, and pump them up to their maximum capacity to accommodate the excess weight I carry around on my body ;)

Once again, what's most important is fit and comfort on your bike. A 53 cm bike in Brand "A" will fit you differently than a 53 cm bike in Brand "B" so it is possible for a shorter woman to get a good fit on a non-WSD bike.

To explain the wheel sizes a bit more, I should point out that, as I understand it, "triathlon" and time trial bikes sometimes come with the smaller 650c wheels, due (I think) to the fact that the bikes are built for time trial riding and the smaller wheels work better with the frame geometry, which is slightly different from standard road bikes. Your normal road bike comes with the standard 700c wheels. Some of the bike manufacturers who have come out with a women-specific line of bikes have incorporated the 650c wheels in the design (and even 24" wheels in the front, as is the case of some of the Terry bikes) to allow for clearance on the smaller frames.

MtnBikerChk;
My wife is one of those "Longstem American Beauties"(God I love that woman and don't know why). All the bike fitters seam to think that she should be riding a 54cm frame and after 10years of discomfort we found that she is REAL COMFORTABLE on a 48cm frame.. Its a top tube thing. She can reach the peddles on a tall bike but has to stretch out way too much to reach the handle bars! The LBS have always said "use a shorter stem" when the bike was actually TOO DANG BIG.