For casual road touring, long distance road riding, and commuting ?
04-06-18, 06:25 AM
#26
Senior Member
Thread Starter
What’s the budget, and the good point someone else brought up, flat or drop bars? Do you plan to do any “spirited” riding or just a casual pace? At this point I feel like we probably have a good enough idea to recommend something with those answers. If you’re mechanically inclinded, I’d lean toward recommending an old mtb conversion(flat or drop) or the newer termed gravel bike(if drop bars). Only lots of reading can answer the question for you of which one.
Flat bars
04-06-18, 08:05 AM
#27
don't try this at home.
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Bars
For all-day rides, I'd want drop bars instead of flat bars, for the many different hand positions. My gravel / all-day bike has the bars set a little higher than my road bike. I can easily stay in the drops as just another hand position. "Shallow drop" bars work great for me.
Go test ride with drop bars about level with the saddle, or an inch or so higher or lower.
Fenders! Big tires!
Fenders are great for wet roads, I can go ride right after the rain and stay completely dry. And I'm more likely to go ride with a possibility of rain during the day.
The newer wide tires with flexible sidewalls are amazing on very rough roads, and perfect for crushed stone rail trails. My 38mm smooth tread tires at 38 psi front and 45 psi rear are fast and efficient on smooth roads, and great on the rough parts too.
Disk brakes have fewer compromises than rim brakes for wide tires.
Toe overlap
I never worried about toe overlap of the front tire on any of my bikes -- it's only a problem with sharp turns at walking speeds. But I do wish my gravel bike didn't overlap -- on steep gravel roads, I have to be very careful when steering on the loose surfaces. Those speeds are slow, and it takes larger steering inputs to stay upright.
For all-day rides, I'd want drop bars instead of flat bars, for the many different hand positions. My gravel / all-day bike has the bars set a little higher than my road bike. I can easily stay in the drops as just another hand position. "Shallow drop" bars work great for me.
Go test ride with drop bars about level with the saddle, or an inch or so higher or lower.
Fenders! Big tires!
Fenders are great for wet roads, I can go ride right after the rain and stay completely dry. And I'm more likely to go ride with a possibility of rain during the day.
The newer wide tires with flexible sidewalls are amazing on very rough roads, and perfect for crushed stone rail trails. My 38mm smooth tread tires at 38 psi front and 45 psi rear are fast and efficient on smooth roads, and great on the rough parts too.
Disk brakes have fewer compromises than rim brakes for wide tires.
Toe overlap
I never worried about toe overlap of the front tire on any of my bikes -- it's only a problem with sharp turns at walking speeds. But I do wish my gravel bike didn't overlap -- on steep gravel roads, I have to be very careful when steering on the loose surfaces. Those speeds are slow, and it takes larger steering inputs to stay upright.
Last edited by rm -rf; 04-06-18 at 08:08 AM.
04-06-18, 09:18 AM
#28
Banned
Yea ,pre suspension fork MTB..
but a long blade rigid fork was made as a substitute for a suspension fork, thereby not changing the head tube angle/height.
but a long blade rigid fork was made as a substitute for a suspension fork, thereby not changing the head tube angle/height.
04-06-18, 09:34 AM
#29
ambulatory senior
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04-09-18, 06:52 AM
#30
Senior Member
That’s quite the budget for a pretty basic bike. Honestly, spend half of it and have a nice bike considering your needs. Spend some of the rest on nice, light weight gear if you don’t already have it. I think in your situation I would buy a new flat bar, large-ish tire 700c bike(possibly marketed as “29er” for some dumbf***k marketing reasons, but it’s the same size) that’ll fit a 700x50mm tire, or find a nice older steel mtb frame and build it up with nice 9sp components and wheels. If you get a new bike, skip the single chainring marketing and get something with a triple chainring.
04-09-18, 03:06 PM
#31
Clark W. Griswold
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That’s quite the budget for a pretty basic bike. Honestly, spend half of it and have a nice bike considering your needs. Spend some of the rest on nice, light weight gear if you don’t already have it. I think in your situation I would buy a new flat bar, large-ish tire 700c bike(possibly marketed as “29er” for some dumbf***k marketing reasons, but it’s the same size) that’ll fit a 700x50mm tire, or find a nice older steel mtb frame and build it up with nice 9sp components and wheels. If you get a new bike, skip the single chainring marketing and get something with a triple chainring.
Simplifying your bike can be quite a good thing and I would try it.
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