Help me get unscared of my road bike
 

Last night I realized I'm too scared of my road bike. I think it started when the rear tire failed. I took it to the LBS and they sold me a Gatorskin tire, saying it was really tough. Only recently did I discover that the new tire is narrower than the old one (the front is still a 28mm while the back is 25mm).

Some weeks later I hit a bad patch of gravel too fast and the back tire slid out from under me. I got dinged up and so did the bike. The LBS fixed it up as much as they could, but the shifters are still a little wonky. The right side downshifts by 2 gears sometimes, and the left side requires a lot of effort to upshift.

While the road bike was out of commission, I spent time on my hybrid. It has 32mm tires that feel firmly planted on the ground. When I get back on the road bike, it feels slippery, like it's about to slide out from under me on every crack, pebble, or even when riding through a thin layer of grass clippings on the MUP. The result is I get tense and don't enjoy the ride.

I could just say screw it and ride the hybrid all the time, but I want to do the MS150 next spring, and I don't think the hybrid is the right bike for that.

So I come here seeking advice. Are mismatched tire widths a bad thing? I know that makes me carry two sizes of inner tubes, which is a pain. But is it contributing the squirrelyness of the bike?

Or is the Gatorskin tire just too slippery for my environment? I ride on roads and MUPs, all of which are fairly heavily cracked, with bits of sand and gravel here and there.

Should I go to a wider tire?

Or should I just butch up and stop being afraid of falling? It really sucked last time, and I'm old. Healing is slower now.

" I hit a bad patch of gravel too fast and the back tire slid out from under me"

This was not the fault of the tire. You were riding too fast for the conditions of the road. ^ ^ ^


Just ride it More.
Practice shifting.
Tubes expand to fill the tire. One size is good for both tires.

The difference in the tire width is not a big deal. Some people intentionally run different sized tires, but its usually wider in the back, such as 25mm front, 28mm rear.

I would put a 28mm on the rear. Your problem is mostly in your head. Putting the wider tire back on the bike, will take one issue out of your head, will give a tiny bit better grip, and won't cost you any noticeable amount of speed.

Then, just relax. Riding afraid, and with a death grip, is more likely to make you crash. Loosen up, and make sure your elbows are flexed. The bike wants to stay up right, and if you don't fight it, it will recover from most minor disruptions.

Also watch for gravel, sand, painted lines, disruptions in pavement, and try to turn before or after them, not on them.

But mostly ride more, and you'll get more confident.

I saw a study a few years back that accidents per mile dropped dramatically for cyclists who rode more than 1000 miles a year, presumably because their competence rose with more mileage.

I've got one tube that says "20mm-25mm" and another that says "28mm-32mm". Which would be better if I was only bringing one for 25mm and 28mm tires?

That's good to know. Maybe I should try swapping them.

Ride the road bike on the road. The skinny tires suck for the MUP conditions you're describing. I only ride my cross bike with 35mm tires on the MUP.

You want to a run a tire sized for the terrain you're riding in. For pavement, a 23-28mm smooth tire is best. For hard packed trails you really want a wider cyclocross tire with a tread pattern.

The larger factor probably has to do with rider position. Generally, a hybrid is more upright which may help you feel more stable. Road bike geometry is really optimized around efficiency and stability at speed, not low speed maneuvering over uneven ground. I find actually find hybrid's too upright for good balance. Getting your bike properly fitted may help you feel more stable. If the bike is too small it'll feel twitchy and too large becomes difficult to control.

In general, MUP are poorly suited to road bikes. There's too much debris, and the turns are optimized for pedestrians not cyclists. On a long ride like the MS150, you'll be happier on the road bike, but hybrid is definitely nicer for those MUPs.

Bring the 20-25mm. It'll expand more and become an "ultra-light" (thinner) 28mm tube.

My opinion, don't worry about the different size tires. I run a 32 front and 28 back on my #2 bike because I believe that it gives me more control in some of the rougher stuff. I just use the same size tube for both.

Regarding traction on the MUP with grass, twigs, pebbles etc I feel more confident on the bike with a 28mm front tire than on the one with 32mm. It's psychological, what we're used to. The 28 is fine; a 25 or 26 would be fine also, not my preference but not a problem at all. Going through mud, gravel or standing water I want the 32mm (It's why I still have that bike), but for rides like you describe I think the narrower tire feels like I have better control.

It sounds like you LBS didn't do a very good job repairing your bike.

I'd take it to a different shop.

Also, the 28-32 might be crammed into a 25 tire, making it easier to pinch when you install it.

There is nothing wrong with a wider front tire than rear, and one school of thought recommends that, as it may improve handling on mixed terrain. A wider front tire is less sensitive to unplanned steering input from the road (like a crack or stone or sand). Most people do wider on the back for the improved ride comfort, and it also lets you match pressure front to rear, if you are one of the mismatch tire pressure folks to begin with. With same width tires, many folks (myself included) run 5-10 psi less on the front tire.

You can do the MS150 on a hybrid. Whether or not it is or is not comfortable depends on you and how it is set up. I have done 152 miles in a single day on a hybrid, and it was no more or less comfortable than similar distance on a drop bar bike.

Huh? All he says is that there were grass clippings. I'm guessing your MUP is gravel, but I didn't get that from the OP.

Or at least tell the manager that it is not shifting properly, and ask them to try again (for free, assuming you already paid). Let them know you crashed, which should remind them to check the rear derailleur hanger alignment.

They've already tried to fix it again once. The guy working on it said he didn't think the gear skipping was something he could fix. There's usually a click and some tactile feedback on the shifter that lets you know when it has engaged. That seems to have been broken in the crash, so now it's a guess.

The other shifter requires a lot of force, but that seems to come and go. It goes when they have it on the stand and comes when I have it on the road.

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I'm not sure where I can ride this road bike if I can't ride it on the MUPs. The roads around here are in about the same shape as the MUPs, plus they're filled with cars. I think some of the cars are driven by people who view bicycles as part of a global communist conspiracy.

I'll try to keep riding it. I just wish the rear tire didn't feel like it was sliding side to side underneath me so often.

I hate that so many bike shops will tell you "we couldn't hear the noise you're talking about" when all they've done is thrown it on a work stand and turned the pedals. Work stands do not replicate the forces of a bike on the road. For a start, bikes find it hard to go uphill (where most shifting issues arise) with a work stand attached.

Yea this whole LBS situation sounds kinda iffy. Even if they can't replicate it, they can suggest/try some things. And as for the gear skipping, they should be able to fix it (whether that fix requires replacing something or not is another question).

As for riding/sliding, your tires seem pretty big as is, I would look for something with more aggressive treads if you plan to do anything other than smooth road. I can ride my cross bike with treaded 32's on the road, I cant really ride my road bike with 23's on gravel, however

If the roads in your area suck, try taking the bike somewhere else (in your car) until you get used to things and more confident.

As the saying goes 'When you fall off the horse-bike, you have to get back on'....or something like that

Great discussion. To summarize:

(a) swap front and rear tires - wider on the back, newer on the front

(b) find a different repair shop and have the gears checked again

(c) ride smarter, be aware of conditions, speed, and technique in advance of the situation

(d) toughen up, you'll be fine

Seems pretty odd that both shifters would be damaged in what sounds like a minor crash. I would expect some scrapes, cosmetic damage, and maybe a bent lever, but the internals of the shifter are pretty well protected. I vote second opinion.

Squireliness is mostly in your head, the rest is more then likely you tensing up unconsiounsly. Which feeds extra, un-needed, wrong input through the handle bars. You are over thinking it. Fix your bike (replace bits that are broken), and just ride more.

Take your hybrid and practice riding on dirt paths, easy-moderate singletrack, fire roads etc. I did some MTBing back in the early 2000s, and when I got back into road biking I felt WAY more confident and in-control handling a road bike, which has never really gone away.

What pressure are you running the tires at, and how much do you weigh? You may be overinflating or underinflating, both of which can lead to poor handling if taken to an extreme.

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.

Loosing the rear tire is much more recoverable than the front. What are your pedals?

Go to your nearest golf course, and practice slides and skids on the green furthest from the club house, and when the grounds keeper (assistant grounds keeper) comes to chase you out, practice your sprinting... OR since its all in your head, get the same tire you had before, and carry on. Gunga Galunga.

Good advice, especially about relaxing the death grip on the handlebars and riding more to gain confidence.

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 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.

In town, I will stay in residential areas and attack the short, steep hills all around me.

If it makes you feel any better, you are far less likely to get hit from behind than from a left or right hook by a car driver reading his tweets or guzzling a Starbucks Grande.

Everyone is gonna flame me for it, but I run gator hardshell 25mm and can't puncture them no matter what I try, I decided today to take a short cut home, about 1/2 mile single track on a slight down hill! On 25mm tire boy is that fun! I went over huge roots and down holes and over terrain I'd never thought a road bikes should go on let alone an old steel road bike! And iv learnt that actually the road bike can handle much much much more than your expect, I find coming off the MTzb gives the same feel when I take the road bike out like its really slippy so I say just go ride like 10 miles and I'm sure it will start to feel fine again, I actually felt OK off road on my road bike so long as I wasn't going past 15MPH, I rode over horse chestnuts (Big green spike things) and didn't have any problem! I do however hate ridding in the rain and no what you mean I go slow in the rain as any corner I take or manhole I go over o think I'm gonna wipe out! So yhea I think you just need to go ride and get used to it again its you not the bike I'm afraid!

And now that I know what a road bike feels like offroad I am deffintly wanting to take up cylocross, although I'm not sure the road bike will be up to it on 25 as it was a bit hairy in places but took huge roots no problem, I think a cross bike with some worded knoblys is gomma be fun!

And yes I know I shouldn't have done it but if you have a old steel bike or cheap bike take it off road its amazing going that fast offroad such a fun experience! And scary!

I think people under estimate just how much grip you get on these skinny tires there only slippy in wet conditions IMO!