road bike newb questions
 

Y'all
I've been lurking around here a while…since my folder! To spare you the backstory, I got my first road bike today. A used Specialized Allez that was new "three years ago" per the CL poster. I've not quite gone on a full test ride yet but i gotta lean a lot about road bikes.
First of, those breaks/shifters things…is there a cable adjustment on the shifters other than at the derailleur end? I think my shifters need some adjustment

Second, any riding tips? I'm used to mtbs, and generally things with fatter tires. Would these be ok on the DC streets and "paved" trails?

lastly, from what I read there are several varieties of reh Allez. How can I find out year and other info?

thanks !!!
Y

The best way to adjust cables is to set all of the barrel adjusters to their loosest setting (i.e. tighten the thing). Then go about loosening the retaining bolt which holds the cable in the derailleur/brake. Tighten the cable well and tighten the retaining bolt. Then begin to shift, if you notice it's not shifting well tighten the barrel adjuster (the one on the derailleur, since the one on the top tube is useful for mid ride adjustments on the move). Make sure the limit screws are set correctly.

With the brakes do the same thing but when you tighten the cable make sure there is still some room between the rim and the pads, from my experience residual slack isn't enough. After you have tightened the cable then begin to play with the barrel adjuster on the brake to get it where you want it.

Yes, a road bike is not fragile, they are very tough when used correctly. I ride through sections of gravel very often since throughout the IL country there are many random loosely graveled roads. I don't see the point of a road bike if that'll be your primary terrain but if you do have open roads then it makes sense

Thanks, Szczuldo

I'm familiar with derailleur adjustments, but couldn't find the barrel adjustment–i'm used to them being right on the shift mechanism. Now that you told me they exist, I followed the lines and found them. Now I'm a happy camper. Hope to go out for a few miles this evening to fine-tune and play and get the feel for the wheels. I also found the little wing thingy on the breaks that loosens them up, I assume to ease wheel removal.

Primarily around here I ride on "paved" trails and roads. "paved" can mean anything from well-maintained asphalt/concrete, to not-so-well maintained pavement, to washed out pavement (more rare), to brick or faux cobblestone sidewalks. We'll see how well I do on that.

Peace,
Y

If their bikes survive so will yours. Just make sure to keep it clean since and well adjusted since too much shacking can loosen something up. So don't worry about taking your bike on not so smooth roads, just don't hit huge potholes head on.
http://www.paveproductions.com/images/parisroubaix.jpg

Thanks! I promise you I won't baby it (while riding)!
BTW, from what I can gather, it's a 2006 Allez triple. Looks like this one: http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkM...006&spid=21577

Weird that it looks like that one though because the seller said he'd had it for three years.

Check out the southeast and northeast regional forums (DC area is schizophrenic), the bikewashingtondc yahoo group and bikewashington.org and waba.org and bikepptc.org for DC biking info. Just about any shop can do the derailluer and brake adjustments and they are easy to learn how to do for yourself. You should also learn how to fix a flat. As far as dealing with DC streets, when the current tires wear out, replace with 25 or 28mm tires with good puncture resistance (I like Continental Gatorskins but there are many to choose from) and don't use race-weight (uber lightweight) tubes. Proper inflation pressure (which can start arguments almost as passionate as campy v shimano and carbon vs anything else) can make a huge difference in ride comfort (e.g. max pressure isn't always or even often the bets way to go).

Many great places and groups to ride with in DC; maybe the only one that could be challenging on a road bike is the C&O Towpath (packed gravel/dirt) and I've seen road bikers on it with wider tires, at least on the sections closer to DC.

ks1g
thanks for taking the time. I visit bikewashington.org and wbata.org regularly. I also dig the new dc mike maps. Thank you for the other resources though.

My issue was not that I don't know how to adjust the derailleurs…i just couldn't find the barrel adjustments. I'm used to mountain bikes where they tend to be right in front of yoru face! I've adjusted the derailleurs themselves (cable, stops, etc) a bit and went out for about 7 miles today. I see what you mean by tire pressure. It shakes quite a bit the way they're inflated! I'll have to get me a presta pressure gauge! Guess I'm too used to the baloon tires anyway so I'll leave as is for now and play with tire pressure after a few weeks to find what I like rather than bait a "recommended pressure" thread ;)

Thanks also for the tire/tube recommendations. I'll be visiting city bikes when these finally give out. Part of the reason I was worried about it:
1) a few years ago I hit a pothole in my car: holed the tire and bent the rim
2) about a year and a half ago on my folder (dahon ciao), I got a flat twice on the same ride, and again a flat two days later. Replaced with a fatter and more resistant tire and things have been better on my folder since, but the fatter tire can rub against the breaks when the wheel slides forward, which it does. But folder issues are for another time.

I also tend to ride in the dark at least part of the time…I go to SW DC (DC Sail) once or twice a week, and when I'm done it's already dark. I can deal with the dark except for a section along Rock Creek Park when passing cars blind you. But I can always find alternative routes around that.

thanks again
Y