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.
6
votes
4answers
2k views
Drop handlebars with drops that don't fit. Replace or adjust?
I bought a Surly Long Haul Trucker a couple years ago, and it has the stock handlebars. My hands don't really fit in the drops, and I sometimes would like a lower handlebar position where I can still ...
2
votes
1answer
958 views
Shimano Nexus Inter-3 internal gear hub stuck in second gear?
The situation My Shimano Nexus Inter-3 internal gear hub is stuck in second gear (it's a 3-gear hub). When I take the external cable housing apart, I can move the pin that goes inside to change gears, ...
3
votes
3answers
642 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 ...
5
votes
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 ...
2
votes
2answers
324 views
Lower Top Tubes on Road Bikes
My girlfriend wants to buy a used road bike as well. She is pretty small 5'2'' with shorter legs so it has been tricky finding anything that would fit her.
She suggested that we should look at ...
3
votes
3answers
323 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 ...
5
votes
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, ...
10
votes
2answers
4k views
What are the benefits of external bottom brackets?
Pretty soon, I plan to replace the bottom bracket on my early 90's Sakae Litage road bike. It takes a standard, English-threaded bottom bracket. Right now I think it contains loose bearings--I was ...
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Spokes loose on a new wheel, is this expected or a bad build?
So a couple of months ago, I bought a new front wheel from the local bike shop. It's a 28 spoke wheel, rims are the DT Swiss RR465 and the hub is a 240s.
I put 500-600 km on it and noticed a rattle ...
8
votes
5answers
630 views
What to do about hypothermia on a long ride?
Recently, I had a long ride in winter, about 100km (62 miles) and was about 5-8 degree c (41-46F). I was wearing a windstopper jacket and basic cycling pants.
At later stage of the ride I felt legs ...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
Proper Posture on a flat bar road bike
I've been commuting on a flat bar road bike for a couple of years now. The ride feels comfortable but whenever I see myself riding I always think my posture is wonky.
Is there a guide somewhere or ...
4
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 ...
8
votes
1answer
726 views
How often should I strip my bike down?
How often should I give my bike a full service? Strip the bottom bracket, clean and grease it. Strip the groupset and freewheel.
And what products (or type of) should be used for each process?
It's ...
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 ...
11
votes
6answers
1k views
I keep breaking my road frames - why?
I've gone through four frames in the last decade or so, all from different manufacturers, all steel but both lugged and welded. Every one of them has eventually developed a crack, been repaired and ...
9
votes
2answers
2k views
Can I convert a road frame to a mountain bike?
Some years ago, I picked up a Cannondale R3000 and moved all the components to my current bike as an exercise in bike building, never repeated (in fairness, the Cannondale fit me a little better but ...
3
votes
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 ...
5
votes
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?
5
votes
1answer
670 views
Android/EVO bike mount recommendations
Does anyone have experience mounting an EVO phone on the handlebars of a road bike?
10
votes
2answers
2k views
What are the advantages and disadvantages of turbo trainers and rollers?
In a previous question I asked what I need to know about turbo trainers, but several answers mentioned the use of rollers. What are the pros and cons of turbo trainers and rollers?
14
votes
1answer
2k views
How Strong is my road bike?
Background: I have spent most of my time riding mountain bikes but I have recently started riding road sometimes too. I really like the position the road bike puts you in and the fact that you have ...
3
votes
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?
17
votes
6answers
2k views
How do I change a road bike into a commuter bike?
I have a road bike that I commute to work on, just a 9km trip each way. I also have some tightness in my lower back, especially since I usually sit in front of a computer screen. My wife wants me to ...
6
votes
4answers
1k views
What should I look for in a cycling jersey?
Time has come to refresh the wardrobe a little, and the old woollen cycling jerseys need some young blood to compete against. What should I be looking for in a modern cycling top? Is lycra used ...
7
votes
1answer
357 views
Older Carbon Bike Safety
I have an older Trek 2100 that has carbon fiber tubes with aluminum stays (The frame is used early 90's 2100/2150/2200/2300 road bikes)
After a recent accident with a car (going down hill, guy pulls ...
7
votes
4answers
7k views
What is the point of pedal straps?
What is the reason for pedal straps? They look as if they are more awkward and I can't see what the benefits are.
I can't remember the last time my feet slipped off my mountain bike, so why would ...
9
votes
9answers
3k views
Why is a proper road bike pedal preferred for road bikes?
I've been riding road bikes for a couple of years, but with mountain bike pedals, I've been thinking about switching over to a road bike pedal, but what's the reason? Is the performance improved or is ...
10
votes
1answer
504 views
How can I tell which road bike components/groupsets are better?
Shimano has new models of their groupsets every year but the lines generally keep the same names. This makes it difficult to figure out what year/version a particular bike has. Is there an easy way to ...
11
votes
6answers
1k views
Mountain Bike on Paved Roads
I'm an occasional biker. I bought a mountain bike (nothing fancy) with the idea that I might use it off-road or on mountain trails (of which there are many here in Calgary). However, since I've bought ...
6
votes
2answers
574 views
What should I consider when choosing a bike frame?
In thinking about building a road bike from scratch, what should I consider when choosing a frame?
I'll be building from all new components and plan on just doing day rides of a few hours a piece, ...
5
votes
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 ...
0
votes
4answers
233 views
What is your favorite/preferred road shoe?
I recently purchased Specialized Sport MTB Shoe for my Dual Shimano pedals. Love the clipless pedals, but this specific shoe seems to rub/apply pressure to both my big toes after a long ride.
They ...
14
votes
4answers
3k views
what benefits does a road bike give over a regular mountain bike for casual cycling?
I'm a casual cycler, for recreation.
I have a carerra kraken, MTB with front suspension and wide tyres. I use this for forrest trails and local back roads cycling (normally do a 15mile or 30 mile ...
9
votes
3answers
9k views
Upgrading straight handlebars to drop handlebars
I have a two-and-a-half year old Giant FCR 3 (with a road-bike-like frame and thin tires; it's somewhere in the loosely-defined "hybrid" range) that I use to commute to work, twenty-five miles ...
15
votes
4answers
4k views
How do I make sure my bike's the proper size?
I recently received a used road bike. I took it to a bike shop where they told me the seat and handlebars had to be raised for my height, so I had them make the adjustments. I now have trouble getting ...
