amazer

Hi,everybody,

I'm totally new to this site, so forgive me if I'm breaking some ettiquette rule by asking a question that's probably been addressed elsewhere.

My question is this: after 10 years of riding only a Trek aluminum mountain bike with big knobby tires (1.95"), I'd like to get a road bike. Should I get a racing bike (one with "comfort geometry) with the skinny 23mm tires or more of a cyclocross bike with 28mm or 32mm tires?

About 25 years ago I had a Raleigh Super Grand Prix steel bike, which rode very nicely, as I recall. That was followed in 1992 or so by a slightly used Trek alu racing bike with shifters on the down tube and alu forks, which, tho very fast and responsive, was an amzingly harsh ride, especially on the frost-heave ridden roads of New Hampshire.

I'm now thinking of buying a Bianchi Imola (2005 model at $999), since from what I've read (and experienced years ago) steel is the most comfortable ride south of $1500, and the Bianchis seem to have a great rep. My only concern is that the very skinny tires might not be optimal for the roads around here. Sure, the state routes are smooth enough, but a lot of the secondary roads are riddled with cracks, bumps and potholes of various sizes.

I know that lots of cyclists on tricked-out bikes ride these roads every day, pedaling like bats out of hell. At 54 years, I'm into getting a good workout but don't need to eke out that last .5 mph. Recently, I've been going out for 15-18 mile rides on my Trek, but pedaling that rig, with its big double shocked fork, along the local roads takes a fair amount of energy and I can sense I'm not moving as fast as I'd like.

So, I've noticed that bikes like the Bianchi Axis (which unfortunately is in aluminum, not steel) billed as Cyclocross, come with fatter tires, cantilevered brakes and somewhat lower gearing. I'm thinking that maybe I'd be happier with a bike like one of these. Is it accurate to assume that you trade off a bit of speed and lightness for more stability and smoothness when you move to a cyclocross? I guess the resounding question is, how much performance/fun/responsiveness does one trade?

If some of you readers have both a cyclo+ and a performance bike, I'd be interested to hear if cruising along on the former is nearly as satisfying as it is on the latter. I just don't want to delude myself into thinking I have to have a superfast racer if it's not right for me.

Thanks!

Andy

dtrain

You can fit 25mm, and probably even 28mm, tires on that Imola. Sounds like a solid buy if it fits you.

vpiuva

Just have the LBS set up the Bianchi for a new road rider - don't let them put you in an aggressive riding postion to start off with. By this I'm mainly referring to saddle/handelbar drop. You'll want none to very little. As you get more comfortable it's easy to add (or is it really subtract?) some drop.

I'd say start w/25 tires if you're unsure about the road conditions. Keep them aired up to avoid pinch flats.

amazer

Ok, thanks guys. So what you are saying is that jumping from 23mm to 25mm will yield a noticeable difference in the ride quality? Is it fair to say that the rolling resistance of a 25 or 28mm is a little greater than the 23mm , but the road adherence and shock absorption is also increased a bit?

Just to satisfy my own curiosity: if one were to ride exclusively on paved roads (but including ones with marginal quality), would it ever make sense to choose a cyclocross style bike over a racer?

Cheers,
Andy

c_m_shooter

I would go for the cross bike if you have your doubts. I ride almost entirely on rough roads, the best in my area are chip and seal, and they get worse from there. I ride a Cross Check with 28mm tires at 85 or 90 psi right now and the ride is nice. If I am going on a club ride I air them up to 105, since the club rides are usually on much smoother roads than I live on. I did have a road bike with 23's and can't say it was any faster, but the ride was hasrsh, and 50 miles into a ride comfort starts to count more than that little bit of rolling resistance.

late

Hi,
I am 56 and ride a bike with 28mm tires. That is big enough to add some cush.
I am thinking of going to 32c next year for even more cush.

From what you are saying, I would suggest something that will allow a really relaxed riding position and midsize tires (28-32).

The Specialized Sequoia is an inexpensive choice. The Surly pacer is a really nice bike. I ride a Gunnar Sport, but that is pretty expensive.

There are other ones to look at, certainly, but that is my 2 cents on the subject.

amazer

OK, so I made my decision. I checked out the Surly on the Web, and it's an intriguing option, but no place in spitting distance of southern NH seems to handle them. Even the somewhat nearby places listed on Surly's website no longer carry the bike, but this sysndrome seems common. A lot of vendors list stores on their Web sites that no longer carry their products-- I guess they don't think it's very important to provide customers with an accurate list of where to buy their products... very strange.

So I asked the bike shop to recommend a slightly beefier tire for the Bianchi than the 23mm VIttoria Zaffiro Pro's that come with it. The fellow there was very agreeable to swapping them for Conti Grand Prix 4 Season 25mm
ones for an extra $30 per tire. Considering that the stock tires go for $22 and the Conti's go for $60, that seemed fair-- hope I can tell the difference! (Can't help but suspect I'm being a bit of a fool about all this, though).

Anyway, should get the bike toward the end of next week, so all I can do is wait and see!

Thanks everyone for your comments!

2Tired2Shift

Racing bikes have racing (aggressive) geometry. Touring or "performance" bikes have more relaxed ("comfort") geometry.

Retro Grouch 

At equal air pressure the 28mm tire will have LESS rolling resistance than a 23mm. In real life, however, that's not too important. The real advantage of the 28mm tire is that you can use less air pressure and not pinch flat. That'll give you a much nicer ride with no noticeable difference in rolling resistance.