Bikes designed for road use only. Could be any road-only bike, but typically means bikes optimized for speed / racing / club rides with drop handlebars, narrow tires and a crouched-forward rider position.
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448 views
Road Tire Performance in Rain and Snow
How well do road tires perform in rain and the snow? I've heard narrow tires are better because they actually can put more weight/pressure on the road through the wet/ice.
I just bought Continental ...
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2answers
2k views
What are good bicycle review and comparison sites?
I'm thinking of buying a new road bike on the new year but I'm unsure which model to go for.
Are there any websites that maintain comparisons of currently available models?
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3answers
1k views
What is the stopping force of your average road bike?
Does anyone have any data on the stopping force of a modern road bike? IE when a road biker slams on the brakes the force applied to the ground is x.xxx Newtons (or lbf).
Another way to ask would be ...
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2answers
423 views
bike suggestions for a commuter who takes an occasional long road ride
I'm shopping around for a new bike. I ride 4-10 miles a few times a week and an occasional ~50 mile road trip. I'm looking for recommendations on bikes similar to a SE Lager, Surly Steamroller, or ...
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2answers
820 views
What is the purpose of the 'tire guide' screws on shimano brakes
On Shimano Ultegra and Dura-ace brake calipers there are round-head slot screws in the lower section of the brake pad holder. In the BR-6600 spare parts catalogues they are labeled as 'tire guide' ...
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4answers
669 views
Is it better to get an entry-level carbon bike or a similarly priced aluminum bike?
I am going to buy my first proper road bike, and I have been comparing entry-level carbon frames with top-level aluminum frames in the same series (Giant Defy). What are the benefits of carbon vs. ...
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1answer
249 views
How feasible is it to transfer modern (2010) components to a 90s frame (road bike)
My 2010 aluminum frame may be toast (stripped bottom bracket) and I was considering getting an older chro-mo frame and transferring the components to it. It's a racing/sport style with drop bars and ...
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1answer
109 views
Number of gears for a racer
I am looking to upgrade my racer, I currently have a Bottecchia racer from the mid-80s and it has 14 gears. While looking around for newer racers I noticed that a number of them had 20 gears while ...
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1answer
670 views
Android/EVO bike mount recommendations
Does anyone have experience mounting an EVO phone on the handlebars of a road bike?
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1answer
1k views
How to get more tire clearance with caliper brakes?
I've discovered the brakes on my Bike Friday Tikit don't allow for enough clearance to run Schwalbe Marathon tires. The bike - a folding bike with 16" rims - ships with Kojak treadless tires. It looks ...
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3answers
16k views
How do I correctly set the angle of my drop bars
Are there any tricks to setting the correct angle for the drop bars on my road bike, when adjusting my handlebars in the stem?
Is it just a matter of personal preference or is there a general ...
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1answer
2k views
Brake lever placement on a road bike
I am just going to re-wrap my road bike's handlebar tape tomorrow. Before I do that I was wondering what the proper place is to put the brake levers. I know they should be pointed vertically, ...
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5answers
2k views
Are road tyres suitable for any off-road riding at all?
I'm looking to buy a bike for my commute - 6 miles a day. The commute itself is all on roads, so naturally I'm looking at road bikes. My main worry is that if I invest in such a bike I won't be able ...
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6answers
455 views
How do I estimate how long it will take me to ride my commute?
How can a cyclist, new to commuting by bike and not all that experienced in riding, estimate how long a commute will take?
I have been riding for 4 days to and from work. 156km over over 4 days. I'd ...
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votes
5answers
4k views
Starter Road Bike for Tall Man
I'm a marathoner that is interested in mixing in some biathlons and triathlons, but I am having trouble finding a starter bike (< $1500) made for a tall man. I am 6'6". Any brands and models that ...
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2answers
4k views
Why does my gear slip when going uphill / standing?
I have a road bike that I use to commute ~6 miles to work every day. Some of the portions of the ride are at a steep incline, and I've noticed that when I get up to stand on some of these hills, my ...
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4answers
4k views
How do I calculate the power required to climb a hill at a given cadence?
Suppose I ride at a cadence of 50RPM for 10 minutes with a 39x23 gear ratio on a hill with 10% grade. Is there a simple formula to calculate the power output required?
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2answers
591 views
Legal to ride bikes on sidewalks in Seattle?
I know in parts of the US it is illegal for bicyclists to ride their bikes on the sidwalk. I've been seeing it a lot in Seattle, WA, US and not sure if it's allowed.
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4answers
866 views
Road bike that is gentle on body, but can go in some dirt
I found out that a racing type road bike is hard to shift as hurts the arthritis in my fingers. And even the frame is harder on the hips. I need something more gentle, but fast enough to keep up with ...
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3answers
1k views
Should I get a road bike?
Last year I started biking again. My current ride is a quite good "cross" bike weighing a bit more than 10kg (~22lb, I didn't weigh it). Currently I'm doing around 200km (~120 mi) per week, mostly on ...
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votes
2answers
605 views
Recurring flats
I've had 4 flats in three rides, all rear wheel. I can't see anything in the tyre, the tyres relatively new, the rims look good. Needless to say I'm getting pretty hacked off with having to keep ...
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votes
4answers
239 views
bike routes around san francisco?
I'm fairly new to San Francisco. I've taken up biking the last few months while I have been here, and I want to do a variety of rides around the city. I am having no trouble making up my own, but I ...
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4answers
954 views
Why aren't sportive' 'bikes popular outside the UK?
I recently bought a 'sportive' bike, i.e. very much like a road bike but with a taller head tube to give a slightly more upright, more relaxed, less 'heads-down' riding position, and a triple chainset ...
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votes
2answers
548 views
Is it worth converting a steel frame Trek Roadie to a Cyclocross?
I have a Trek Elance 330 from the 80s and love it! However, I find myself needing something that can handle fire roads (gravel jeep paths) and am wondering if it is worth the effort. Also, if it ...
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votes
4answers
330 views
Building a road bike
I've seen a lot of answers here about building a fixie specifically, but I'm looking to build up a road bike. I currently have a Surly Pacer frame and fork, a Richie handlebar and stem, and that's ...
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1answer
3k views
How do I stop my brake from sticking?
The rear brake (calliper) on my road bike sticks. When I pull the brake it pulls down but only half springs back and there's then slack in the leavers. This is causing rubbing on the rim.
It's a ...
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3answers
3k views
Deep-Profile Carbon Wheels — How to choose depth?
I'm doing research for a future purchase of new wheels (for everyday riding) for a 2012 Cannondale CAAD10 Ultegra. I want to spend ~$1000 (give or take $200 or so). In my price range I've found: Boyd ...
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7answers
1k views
How much of a difference will I notice going from a Mountain bike to a road bike?
I have a Mountain bike with 1.95 tyres on it. Most of the cycle path I take into work is fairly well paved/asphalted, I'm not going over any dirt tracks or anything like that although there is the odd ...
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6answers
9k views
Is a 51cm frame road bike the correct size for someone almost 6ft?
Looking for some advice on my first road bike.
I've had my eye on a Carerra Virtuoso for about 6 months now, they haven't budged from £350, however I've just spotted one on ebay second hand.
None of ...
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votes
4answers
210 views
Is a custom road frame worthwhile?
I've been riding a Marin San Anselmo hybrid for some 13 years and I'd guess I've done over 7000 miles on it almost exclusively on the road (and it's not my commuting bike).
I'm gradually doing more ...
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votes
7answers
5k views
Most Crucial Gear/ Accessories for a (Road) Cycling Beginner?
Some background information on myself before I get to the question:
I've decided to get in to cycling both as a hobby and because I need the activity. (Though I'm honestly driven more by the former - ...
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3answers
315 views
Muscle spasms while riding?
I've ridden 90 KM (and at reasonable speeds - 30+ KM/h) without issues, but rode my first Gran Fondo (140 KM) and experienced various spasms while riding. There were aid stations with food so I ate ...
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2answers
708 views
How do I evaluate the quality of a road bike?
I am specifically looking at a Fuji Finest Womans road bike - 51cm. I am not sure what year it is. The ad description says:
Women's specific geometry, 51 cm
Shimano Sora, Ritchey stem, ...
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3answers
258 views
What do I need to know about Turbo Trainers?
I'm about to get hold of my first turbo trainer (borrowing it from my triathlon club). Before I start, what do I need to know about turbo trainers?
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3answers
187 views
What factors determine stem length ?
Recently I went to a local bike shop to get a bike fitting advice. After taking body measurements, I was given a frame size recommendation. According to that, seat tube size, top tube size and stem ...
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4answers
319 views
Trek Domane and undamped motion with Isospeed?
Being a car guy and autocrosser, I'm familiar with suspension systems and the necessity to find a balanced spring/shock combination to create the best possible compliance, ride quality and performance ...
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2answers
636 views
How do I descend faster on the straightaway?
I've heard a lot of advice about descending mountain roads involving cornering and braking. I want to know how to go faster when descending on the long straightaway. Is it worth pedaling at speeds ...
3
votes
2answers
128 views
Disassembly and Shipping of bike
I have a road bike lying around in a garage in California. I would like to use it here in Illinois. However, there's no one out there who can disassemble and pack the bike for me in California, ...
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1answer
695 views
Is it practical to replace two sprockets on a cassette?
My bike has 53/39T chainrings and a cassette with 12,13,14,15,17,19,21,23,25 sprockets, but I like to ride up steep mountain roads. Is it possible (without great expense) to replace two sprockets to ...
3
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3answers
309 views
Wheel set consideration
Background: I'm overhauling/refurbishing my second road bike that I use mainly for training. It needs new wheels.
I found a couple of nice used 2011 wheelsets that were spares for a women's bike team ...
3
votes
3answers
180 views
Sizing guide for road bikes vs mountain bikes
i usually take a 21 inch size in mountain bike, but I want to buy a road bike. I'm 6'2'' and have a 34 inch inner leg. How do the sizes translate from mountain bike to road bike?
Thanks
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4answers
258 views
Suggestions on buying a road bike for the city
I'm looking to buy a bike with which to get around Atlanta. My budget is about $500.
I've seen lots of suggestions for a fixie but those seem relatively difficult.
I plan to ride about 5-10 miles ...
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6answers
726 views
Finding a road bike for 5'2'' girlfriend
Last year I bought myself a used (although almost never ridden) road bike from around 1985. I love the bike. It is reasonably light and I love the diamond geometry.
My girlfriend wants to get a ...
3
votes
3answers
641 views
Back wheel skidding out
On my cycle to work this morning I noticed my back wheel was skidding out as I was going up a fairly steep hill. It did it enough that I thought I'd probably gotten a flat, however upon inspection it ...
3
votes
3answers
322 views
Need a well-fitted bike for urban commuting
I started cycling to work every day. The bike I'm currently using is a mountain bike with a tiny frame and has begun to hurt my back. So, I'm looking to purchase something new. I'll be cycling around ...
3
votes
1answer
109 views
Electronic bicycling ranking for the office cyclists?
in the office many of us cycle to work. We though it would be cool to have ranking of cyclists with different sorting (distance, avg. speed and such). We can track our trips with Android or iPhone ...
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4answers
463 views
What are the possible upgrades for a 40-year-old Bottecchia 10 Speed?
I have a 40 year old Bottecchia (entry level model) that I took for ride yesterday after letting it sit for 20 years. Just inflated the tires and oiled the chain and off I went.
The tires and brake ...
3
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1answer
315 views
Will a road brake lever work with a v-brake?
I'm planning on changing my commuter handlebar to a drop handlebar. As the diameters are different, I need to know if the new brake lever will work with the existing v-brakes.
(My intention is to ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
What are the advantage of the different gear shifters
I have just buy for the first time a road bike (Boardman Team Carbon) after long years on hybrids bike and unfortunately due of a injury I didn't have much time to experience with it.
The bike has a ...
3
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1answer
367 views
Campagnolo QS Front Derailleur/Shifter Compatability
I have older Campagnolo Chorus 10-speed shifters. They are marked 'Carbon BB System'.
I am replacing my front derailleur and have a spare 10-speed Record QS front derailleur. QS stands for Quick ...
