Originally Posted by Marty232
I want to get a road bike because my mountain bike is giving me a saw back and is too hard to pedal. I think it’s hard to fit me a bike because my legs are larger than my upper body. The reason I get a saw back on my mountain bike is because I think the top tube on it is to long so I am reaching to the handle bars bending my back. What Road bike shoes will I need and pedals? And do you guys know what the best bike store is in Adelaide, Australia to get the best fitting bike for me.
Gday marty. Your post is a little tricky to answer given that you have back pain. The best place to start would be to get properly fitted, especially if you think that your body is an unusual shape. Make sure you are provided with your measurements and calculated frame dimensions so that you can take them with you as you move from bike to bike.
As for you position on the mountain bike (AND any roadbike you purchase), there are a number of different elements that can be adjusted to relieve or even eliminate your back pain. These include saddle height, saddle position (fore/aft), saddle tilt (should normally be zero degrees), stem height, stem length, stem angle, handlebar width, and handlebar shape. All of these can be adjusted or changed to give you a better riding position. If you take your current bike along to your local bike store (LBS) they should be able to make you far more comfortable in a matter of minutes.
Especially if you tell them that you're going to buy a nice road-bike off them....
As for shoes, cleats, and pedals: it's your choice. You can use something compatible with your current bike if you want to be able to swap from one to the other with a minimum of fuss and expense. Or you can go for tried and trusted Look style cleats and pedals, and any cheaper road shoe. I use Shimano SH-R060 shoes for training because they're cheap, reasonably stiff, and not too heavy