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Help me get unscared of my road bike

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Help me get unscared of my road bike

Old 10-09-13, 05:38 PM
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In other words ipare gator skins slippy....err no not even off road so Kong as its dry...so inroad were there designed to be they should be fine....
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Old 10-09-13, 05:49 PM
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speaking from falling on a motorcycle, it was mostly psychological. I was using factory tires that weren't bad but they still went out from under me. So eventually I bought a pair of NICE sticky tires. It gave me the piece of mind to start pushing myself again until my confidence increased again.

Now, I am sure that even my sticky tires would have failed me at the point where I fell on my original pair, but when you're tense onthe controls and worried about the silghtest imperfections in the road, you're going to make yourself worse off by reacting in adverse ways (i.e. you see a tar snake in the road mid turn and instead of comitting to rolling over it you let it push you over towards the shoulder, until theres no shoulder left and you HAVE to go over it, but now you're at a terrible angle and your chances of it making you fall are now even higher than if you were to go straight over it in the first place). Does that make sense at all?

Anyway, its psychological, I think getting really good tires and making sure you have them at the correct pressure will go a long way helping you recover before you return to your gatorskins, just my $0.02

Last edited by Norrick; 10-09-13 at 06:01 PM.
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Old 10-09-13, 06:00 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by antimonysarah
What pressure are you running the tires at, and how much do you weigh?
Originally Posted by gsa103
What's your weight, tire size (assuming 25mm), and tire pressure? A lower rear pressure may help stabilize the bike. I'd start at about 80 psi, and see how that feels.
I weigh 190 to 195. I usually run a little under 90 psi.

Originally Posted by gsa103
Loosing the rear tire is much more recoverable than the front. What are your pedals?
Clipless. I think it's called SPD-SL or "Look" style. The ones that clomp a lot when you walk on the cleats.

Originally Posted by bbattle
memebag, I suggest you contact your local cycling club and see about getting into some group rides. Not only can they increase your confidence but they can recommend an LBS that can fix your shifters.
I'm doing that. I rode with them last week on my hybrid, but I was the only one on a hybrid. I was going to take the road bike this week, but when I think about the route it seems like the hybrid is better suited to it. The speed and distance are both easy on my hybrid. And most of the ride is in the dark, and I'm scared of unseen cracks and debris.

I think I'll take the hybrid again this week, but spend time over the weekend trying to get more comfortable on the road bike.

Originally Posted by bbattle
I ride a lot out in the country, sometimes driving for 45 minutes to get to my starting point. Far less traffic and country folk seem a lot more tolerant of bicycles.
I don't have a lot of free time to spend driving someplace to ride. I usually just ride on the MUP and city streets after work for an hour or two.

Originally Posted by bbattle
In town, I will stay in residential areas and attack the short, steep hills all around me.
I live in Houston. The closest hills are a 30 minute drive away, and they aren't that steep.

Someone asked about the fit. I got a professional fitting after I bought the shoes and pedals. It just feels like there's very little grip. Some of it is in my mind, but some of it is that the bike has less grip than my hybrid.

Last edited by memebag; 10-09-13 at 06:07 PM. Reason: fix quote
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Old 10-09-13, 06:34 PM
  #29  
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Just get out and ride and don;t worry about the details. You learned a lesson about gravel, congrats! you are
now a safer cyclist
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Old 10-09-13, 07:42 PM
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Maybe it's your bike, but in my case I own a Trek FX (hybrid, 700c x32 tires) and a Cannondale CAAD10 (road, 700c x23 tires), and between the two the CAAD10 handles a lot better. I had been commuting on my FX for a while, but since buying the CAAD10 I've enjoyed riding it so much that I have been riding it to my office (I keep it inside). I throw the CAAD10 into turns and it just goes, the harder I push it the more it takes, and the ride to work is a real blast. Today the weather wasn't looking too hot so I took the Trek, and I guess I have gotten too used to the cornering speed on the CAAD10, because taking turns on the FX I was going into them too fast and the bike was not responsive at all. I kept saying to myself, "jeez, I have to really manhandle this thing into turns," whereas the CAAD10 just goes. I've also ridden my CAAD10 down dirt trails, on gravel paths, and across fields. Mind you, not for extended lengths, but for 100-200m at a time. Maybe I'm just ignorant, but the CAAD10 doesn't feel horrible on this terrain, even with x23 tires. I know it's not ideal, while I do have to slow down for rough terrain, but I never feel particularly afraid if a rough section is coming up. I just try not to make it a habit, even though I think a few scratches and chips add character to a bike ... In no way do I think my FX is a bad bike, in fact it is ideal for commuting and fitness riding. I love my CAAD10, and it is definitely a lot more bike than I am capable of pushing to the limit, but I think that is part of why I enjoy riding it so much. After riding the hybrid when I get on the road bike it just feels like it wants to go faster, smoother, and farther. If you don't feel this way when switching between a hybrid to a road bike then something is seriously wrong. That road bike should be capable of infusing confidence, enthusiasm, and joy every time you get on it.
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Old 10-10-13, 08:15 AM
  #31  
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As others have said already, more time in the saddle will make you more comfortable.
I ride skinny 23mm on MUP a lot & it doesn't scare me. I just adjust my speed in advance. Since MUP's are usually packed with people this is expected.

If you're going to crash, you're going to crash doesn't matter what style bike you're on.
My uncle crashed bad on his hybrid this summer, just hit a patch of sand while in a turn on he road. His intentions were to get a road bike, but that scared him off a bit.
Same happen to me on my MTB in the winter.
(Thank god I love my drop bars too much to ever give them up)


Best piece of advice is be aware/be vigilant, when you fall get back in the saddle.
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Old 10-10-13, 08:36 AM
  #32  
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Most importantly, get back on the horse. But yes, you might enjoy putting on the widest tires that fit your bike. I happen to like 28 and 32 mm tires.
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Old 10-10-13, 08:46 AM
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Nothing helps if you're going too fast in any type of turns.
Be aware of the terrain, & the environment around you.
Make small adjustments, make sudden movements often ends badly. Look well ahead, & prepare yourself.
Refine your reflexes for road riding.

I think wider tires make the ride more plush/comfortable/lower PSI.
Thin tires handle better,I was told to go thinner when riding in the snow. It act like a blade, & cuts through the snow.
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Old 10-10-13, 09:02 AM
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Keep riding it and you'll feel more comfortable. Nothing else will help but miles. I'm still recovering from a bad wreck in July. It just takes time.

I've ridden three century ride on a mountain bike so no excuse not to ride a hybrid :-)

Last edited by 99Klein; 10-10-13 at 09:06 AM.
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Old 10-12-13, 03:16 PM
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Alright, I got back on that horse!

And the chain fell off the front small ring when I tried to shift to the middle ring. And the front shifter is still messed up.

So I took it to the LBS today. They had 4 or 5 people look at it, ride it, etc. They tweaked it and lubed it and replace the cable. All of them can operate the front shifter with no problem. The chain fell off for one of them. They found and replaced a bad link in the chain they say was causing that problem.

When I try to shift (using the brake lever) it either won't move, or it does move and it takes a long time for the shift to happen, or the chain gets kind of hung up half way. It was never a great shifting bike, but it's basically unusable by me right now.

One of the guys told me that when they fixed it after the crash, they replaced the front deraileur and the new ones have a shorter lever, so they don't quite match with the old shifters. He said he will look for a better shifter or a deraileur that works with the existing shifter and give me a call on Monday.

What would you folks do? Should I consider replacing a bunch of stuff? If so, how much?
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Old 10-12-13, 03:26 PM
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I would just leave the bike with them until they get the rght parts installed. IMO you shouldn't have pay for work if its not done right. Just cause they can "Mickey Mouse" something up to get it out the shop doesn't make it right.
I don't get why they didn't have the right component in the 1st place. If it wasn't in stock, they should've just said so, & ordered the right part in.
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Old 10-12-13, 04:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Ghost Ryder
I would just leave the bike with them until they get the rght parts installed. IMO you shouldn't have pay for work if its not done right. Just cause they can "Mickey Mouse" something up to get it out the shop doesn't make it right.
I don't get why they didn't have the right component in the 1st place. If it wasn't in stock, they should've just said so, & ordered the right part in.
Dude said the part I had isn't made anymore. It's 2007 Trek Pilot. The new part with the same name has a shorter lever.
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Old 10-12-13, 05:10 PM
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I think you need a new LBS. Also some have said ( and I agree) put the wider of the 2 tires on the back. I bet most of the posters on here have wrecked their bikes turning on sand, rocks, debris. I had a blow out on my rear going 30 miles an hour on a downhill corner. Slipped for miles on bare metal and finally did an endo into a field and summersaulted with my bike still attached to my feet. I'm a very brave soul and used to mnt bike and rode dirt bikes for ever and it still took me all summer to totally get over that experience. You'll be allright, just ride !!!
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Old 10-12-13, 06:11 PM
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OP - sorry to hear of your mishaps. The tech talk has already been covered but think the best is to climb back on that steel horse and ride. For now, leave it one medium gear and screw fixing it. Just temporary. And for riding, keep the narrow (and replacements) on. Drop the seat a bit lower than what you properly should ride. Slowly ride some crushed limestone or pea-gravel paths or if not by you, hard to loose dirt / grass fields in a park. Take it slow and work your way to speed. Get loose, experiment like a kid Beat it up a little... I mean in a good way. Do some rear brake exercises to near lock ups. Once you feel a sense of confidence, get on that road.

Seriously, I sometimes look for shortcuts and ride a 700 x 23C slicks on gravel paths and dirt roads. Fun and fast. Downhills are a rush. Takes a bit of confidence and thinking at speed but eventually you learn modulating both front and rear brakes to letting up, counter-steer works in harmony. You may not realize it but at high speed, counter steering comes naturally. If you think counter steer at high speed, you'll be flying thru corners. Now if I'm on a descent, asphalt surface and see a patch of dust or loose gravel, I relax and think of the line, straighten out and let up on the brakes.... ride thru it until you feel the grip again on the asphalt. Try this with heavily loaded touring bikes and you'll feel like your riding a bike made with pasta noodles! Then it gets a bit scary.

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Old 10-12-13, 06:17 PM
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Oh Christ almighty, just ride, HTFU and stop crying about it, or don't. It's not that important.
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Old 10-12-13, 10:07 PM
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I run gator 25 front and back. It will not matter what you're running hitting gravel fast on a turn you probably will go down.
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Old 10-13-13, 06:51 AM
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I am having trouble with the "lack of grip" idea. I have always ridden 20-23 mm tires and never felt low grip except early in a rain storm when the streets were super slick from floating oil. With road tires though you have to stay on the road. Sand, dirt, gravel are just not friendly to a road wheel. Sure lots of guys do this all the time, but I don't think they realize that they are using bike handling skills that not everyone possesses. It just come naturally to some folks. Anyway, my advice is stay on good roads, and even with 23s you will never feel a lack of grip.

Once thing to remember if you should find yourself on loose surface roads or paths is to gear way DOWN. You don't want to be in a high gear with a road bike on a loose surface.
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Old 10-13-13, 07:22 AM
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Dont run the max tire pressure in your tire. If max is 110 psi then run 95 - 100psi
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