macteacher

In in the market for a bike. So far i've been using mountain bikes to get by. I've added slimmer tires, but the fact is...my bike is 20 years old and slow. I want to pamper myself and get a new bike.

So why do some or many of you use road bikes, instead of a dedicated commuter that comes with racks, and more comfortable handlebars?

Do you prefer the roadbike because of speed? Every time I see a bike like that, I just keep thinking how much my back or neck would hurt from being slouched over for extended periods of time. How do you deal with that issue? Or is it even an issue at all?

Are dedicated commuter bikes with more upright riding position a lot slower than road bikes?

d2create

The lighter and stiffer the bike and the more aerodynamic the riding position, the faster you will be.
It's up to you to determine what level of comfort you need to keep you coming back for more.
Everybody's different.

jomconra

Mostly for speed...and the drop bars offer you more hand positions, not to mention the reduced wind resistance.

JeffS

Good god... so many false assumptions I don't know where to start.

- road bikes can't have a rack?
- I personally prefer drop bars to everything else (meaning they're more comfortable)
- my back and neck don't hurt
- I'm not slouching


Honestly, I'm not even sure what a "dedicated commuter bike" is. I'm assuming you're talking about some sort of hybrid, but that doesn't narrow it down much.

macteacher

Im afraid to 'buy' a bike only to find it's not comfortable.

uke

Keep in mind road bikes don't have to have drop bars.



I commute on that because it looks damn good.

Also, I chose flat bars over the drops because they were more comfortable. Ditto with trigger shifters over brifters. In essence, I wanted something slim and fast with stable handling. Hence the Coda.

MMACH 5

I don't ride a road bike for speed. I ride it for comfort. So, every time I see someone commuting on their MTB, I can't help but think how uncomfortable they must be.

If you are slouching over, then you aren't sitting correctly.

There are road bikes that are built for a more upright position.

This is my road bike. It's a Fuji Touring and it rides like a dream.

one_beatnik

I had my road bike before I started commuting. I love the bike and never even realized there were differences in "commuter" bikes and road bikes. I use it becasue I love it, it's paid for, it does everything I need.

d2create

Take it easy, guys. He obviously doesn't have road bike experience and has asked a legit question. I believe "slouch" was meant to imply the bent over riding position that requires your neck to arch back to see forward rather than look down a the front tire. That hurts my neck, too. It's quite a different experience from the more upright position of a mountain bike.

Catgrrl70

I went from commuting on a street-converted MTB (Gary Fisher) to a road bike (Soma Smoothie ES). It rides lighter, faster, smoother and the handling is better. It's built for the road. I discovered the drop bars are more comfortable and the seated position is more natural than sitting up. I mounted racks and fenders and lights and other things to make it my daily commuter. Try a bunch of bikes before you buy. The more you test-ride the more you'll know.

Fairmont

My bike is classified as a hybrid (half mountain bike, half road bike),but there isn't much about it that is mountain bike.

It does have upright handlebars, and the tires are slightly wider than road bikes (and with a little less pressure--90 pounds per inch), and the rims are a little stronger than most road bikes.

But it's definitely designed for commuting. That's precisely what Trek had in mind when they designed it.

You can add all kinds of stuff to it.

You won't keep up with road bikes, however, as the gearing is not as high, the tires are not as narrow, and the weight is not as light.

But it's still a fantastic bike. Oh, and the disc brakes add a little weight as well, but they're incredible (just don't touch them after riding....ouch).

Trek Soho 1.0

macteacher

That's exactly what i was asking. Also with a bent over position isn't there more pressure on the 'family jewels'?

ItoDoeblin

I find my MTB extremely comfortable for commuting - the only complaint I have is the rolling resistance from my knobs

That being said, I'm in the middle of building a commuter that will be a sort of hybrid - but I'm building it so that I can have a dedicated commuter (and keep my MTB off the roads). I like road bikes too - but for my purposes and personal comfort, I'm happier on other frame geometries.

d2create

Nope. Seat choice and seat position/angle has more to do with that than anything else.
Almost no bike comes with the perfect seat stock unless you are really lucky to have anatomy that works perfectly with it. Most people go through several seats before finding the right one. Some are still looking.

KZBrian

I commute on a road bike because:

Our roads are in reasonably good shape.
I like to do fast rides on my lunch hour.
Upright positions feel unnatural to me.
It's my only bike.

hxzero

I think with a bent over position there's LESS pressure on the groinal area. Since more of your weight is on your hands, there's less weight on the other end. If your seat and cockpit are well adjusted, you should have no problem with pressure on the ol' twig and berries.

ronaikens

I went from a MTB to a road bike. The first time on the road bike I was like "this sucks". The second time I was like "man, this is a lot faster". Later I was like "this is actually comfortable". Point is it just takes getting used to. When I get on my MTB now, i feel like it's the uncomfortable bike. Your body will get used to it, assuming the bikes fits your body......

tjspiel

I switched from a MTB to my old road bike when I decided to train for a triathlon. It felt strange at first but I really became enamored with it. Last Fall I got a newer road bike.

Even if I were to stop doing triathlons I'd probably keep commuting on a road bike. The ride isn't as cushy but that's not something I really care about.

Drop bars aren't uncomfortable, - I really like them. Riding in a more aggressive position doesn't bother my back. Actually fighting a headwind on my MTB will more often lead to a sore back than anything I experience on a road bike.

It did take awhile for my neck to adjust. You have to remember though, even on a road bike the aggressive riding position is optional.

The biggest comfort issue with the rather aggressive position I've adjusted my bike for is getting the saddle right. That wasn't as much of a problem on my mountain bike but then again I never put quite as many miles on it.

Yes a road bike is faster, but it's partly bike and partly attitude.

InTheRain

Most of my commuting is done on a touring bicycle. This type of bicycle has a geometry that is more similar to a road bike than to a hybrid or mountain bike. I prefer the drop bars because there are more hand positions available than on a straight bar. I prefer the "slouched" or "bent over position" because it actually takes pressure off of my butt. The position I ride in is a little more upright than a racing position and my bars are only about an inch lower than my saddle. The touring bike is great because it does take racks and fenders.

In the summer, when I have very little to carry on my commute (just what fits in my jersey pockets) I prefer to commute on my road bike because of the speed and agility. My road bike, a cannondale synapse, is set up so that there is not a huge drop between the saddle height and the height of the handlebars. I, again, am riding in a more upright position than a typical racer. The road bike is much more efficient because of its light weight and stiff frame. The frame is carbon fiber so I still get a fairly comfortable ride. I don't like to commute on this bike in the rain because it does not take full fenders and can only take a seat post rack.

I think that if your commute is more than 10 miles one-way you will appreciate the efficiency of road frame geometry and the efficiency of the more aerodynamic position that you ride in versus an upright hybrid. But, a racing frame does not take fenders and racks the way that they are intended for a commute.

Tyrell

Why I use a road bike: because I don't want to swap tires/wheels on my MTB for actual trail riding, I have a 9-mile one-way commute on regular roads, I already had a road bike and I could fit a rear rack on it.

corripio

I commuted on a road bike for about 6 years because I only had one bike and it was a road bike. I lived in small apartments and sometimes it was annoying enough finding a place to store a single bike without tripping on it.

I liked commuting on a road bike because that was the bike I was used to riding most of the time, the geometry was comfortable, and it was pretty fast. I was used to drops, but hardly used them on my commute. Since I used the bike for non-commuting activities as well (i.e. road biking), I didn't want to put a rack, fenders, or heavier duty tires on it; if I had a second road bike at the time, I may have put these thing on a it...but I didn't want to put this stuff on my "fast" bike.

One big drawback I found was just related to the area where I had to bike to get to work...there were several sections of roads that I couldn't avoid (and parking lot entrances) that were beat to hell...covered in pot holes and bad attempts to patch those pot holes. This terrain doesn't necessarily mix with skinny tires and rims meant for racing.

I was able to bring my bike into my office, so I never really worried about locking it up...but I was always concerned leaving my road bike locked up in front of a store or something. My road bike had too many expensive parts on it that would cost lots of $$$ to replace if they were stolen or just vandalized (and a nice bright, shiny, fancy looking road bike sticks out on a bike rack next to a beat up huffy).

I recently bought a dedicated commuter...I had initially thought of getting a road styled commuter (or building up an old road frame), but since my commute is pretty short (6-12 miles RT), I instead went with a bit more beefy urban bike which handles the crappy road conditions well and decked it out with a rack for hauling lots of stuff (this is also my grocery/errand bike).

However, if my commute were any longer than 6 miles one way, I would definitely ride it on a road bike with some heavy duty tires, just so I could get there fast.

mijome07

I went from this hybrid to this 'cross bike in less than a year. And I have no regrets.

KZBrian

Exactly!!!!

Andy_K 

I ride a cyclocross bike with road tires. Cyclocross bikes tend to be a little more upright than a road bike but definitely still in the road bike family.

My commute is 11 miles one way. I find the road riding position to be much more comfortable for a ride of this distance. I have an urban bike (flat bar, rigid fork, more upright position) that I ride when it rains. Generally, I find that's the bike that gives me trouble. My wrists get sore -- it needs bar ends. It's also a bit harder on my butt.

I did have problems with groin pressure, but a combination of a new saddle and better saddle positioning fixed it. I do ab and back exercises to prevent back pain, but I don't think that's much of an issue for rides under 20 miles.

JR97

Speed, efficiency, less effort, wind resistence, and weight.

I find the drops just as or more comfrortable than my mtb that I commuted on last year and part of this year. If your back hurts, I think you're doing it wrong. Like in hockey skating, keeping the back straight even though hunched over is how to generate power and maintain balance. The back might get a little sore after or the day after because of using muscles that aren't developed yet, but back pain while on the bike is an issue.

When I first switched to drops I a bit sore the next day, but it's fine now. Subsequently, my skating is now a lot better. Even enough to illicit comments after this past weekend's game.

But the clincher for me is even though I didn't shave a ton of time off my commute, going to a road bike has been a drastic reduction in effort required compared to the mtb. Easy sell there for me.