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.
53
votes
13answers
7k views
Why don't road bikes have disc brakes?
Window shopping for road bikes, can't see many that have disc brakes, any reason for this?
36
votes
9answers
2k views
Protocol for downhill cyclist overtaking a car?
Last weekend, I was driving (yes in a car, something I rarely do) down a fairly steep and very curvy mountain road (thus with very poor sight lines/visibility ahead) when I noticed a cyclist in my ...
25
votes
13answers
4k views
Do skilled cyclists really “use the front brake alone probably 95% of the time”?
Sheldon Brown's Braking and Turning Your Bicycle page states that:
Skilled cyclists use the front brake alone probably 95% of the time
and
"Generally I advise against using both brakes at ...
21
votes
4answers
2k views
Getting over a downhill phobia
I've been riding seriously/regularly for about a year now, although like the majority of the worlds population I've been on a bike since I was a kid.
When I was first starting out I had no real ...
21
votes
3answers
9k views
How do I know when to replace my tires?
The treads on my road bike's 28C tires are almost completely gone—they only persist along the shoulders of the tire. Do the treads matter? What is a good indicator of when the tire as a whole needs ...
20
votes
7answers
2k views
How long should a road tyre hold its pressure?
How long should a road tyre be able to maintain a pressure of around 100psi, and what factors are likely to reduce this time?
Background:
My tyre pressures are consistently dropping to around 60psi ...
20
votes
5answers
5k views
How often should I lube my chain?
I ride less than 200 miles a week, and I'm at about the 200 mile mark on my new road bike. Most of my riding is done on the road in an urban city, so there is a lot of odd, unnatural debris. My LBS ...
20
votes
5answers
2k views
what makes a good entry level road bike?
I've been riding a mountain bike for years, but I prefer to go longer distances on paved ground, so I think a road bike would be better. When I ask what is a good bike, I don't need brands/models - ...
19
votes
11answers
6k views
Is it safe to ride a racing road bike in very wet weather?
I'm used to riding on a MTB, but since I've got a new road bike, I'm quite paranoid about the slick tyres. How good are they in wet weather? I'm scared of braking too hard, or even just turning!!
19
votes
8answers
15k views
How do on-road mountain bike speeds translate to road bike speeds?
When cycling on roads on my mountain bike, I generally get around 10-12 miles per hour on a flat surface.
What sort of speeds can I expect to get on a road bike?
19
votes
2answers
2k views
Does the chain direction make a difference?
Recently, I helped a friend install a new chain on her road bike, and for the first time read the instructions for installing one. It seems to claim that there's a forward direction, and that it ...
17
votes
7answers
7k views
Am I too heavy for my road bike tires?
I am wondering if bike tires have a weight limit. I have to admit, I am a large guy at 6'3" 250lb (190 cm, 113,5 kg), and I have always had issues with my road bike's tires getting pinch flats. I ...
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 ...
17
votes
4answers
361 views
Spokes keep breaking - bad hub or bad build?
Background information
A bit of background information (I'll try keep it brief): Last year I bought an old but unused bike, 5 speeds with internal gearing.
Apparently the shop bought a lot of bikes ...
16
votes
9answers
19k views
What pressure should I run my Road Bike tyres at?
There's a question for mountain bike tyres but I can't seem to find anything on here for road bikes. At the moment I'm running at around 90psi. Is that too much? too little? Also, am I more likely to ...
16
votes
9answers
2k views
Why Do I Need a Better/Lighter Road Bicycle to Train For 'Fitness'?
I'm about to purchase a bicycle in the very near future and have been shopping around at different bike shops to see what I like and what they offer.
My primary goal here is to commute to work. It's ...
16
votes
2answers
7k views
What height should drop handlebars be - relative to my saddle?
I've done most of my cycling with flat handle bars on a mountain bike. I'd like to start commuting to work though and am considering getting a road bike with drop handle bars.
The thing is though, I ...
15
votes
2answers
2k views
What is a “road” bike? Don't they all ride on a road?
Trying to learn about bicycles. I have heard the term "road" bike a lot. What is the difference between a "road" bike and a regular bike?
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 ...
14
votes
9answers
10k views
How can you speed a road-bike up?
So, I have an 80's raleigh bike, reassembled from spare parts. I'm wondering what the best way to get more speed out of the bike is. Wheels? Gears? Lighter gear? Different pedals? I'm rather fond ...
14
votes
11answers
32k views
Can I use a cyclocross bike for regular road-biking purposes?
I want to race cyclocross, and I also want to ride some longer rides out on the road. Can I buy a cyclocross bike and use it for both cyclocross and some serious road rides (I'm talking century type ...
14
votes
7answers
10k views
How often should I change road bike tyres?
My road bike has now done 500 miles, but unlike cars, I've no idea how often the tyres should be changed. It's used on normal road conditions. The brow of the tyre is now smooth.
How do I know if my ...
14
votes
4answers
9k views
Larger tires on a road bike
I am curious if anyone has put larger tires (mountainish) on their road bike. I am thinking about doing this to do some riding on gravel roads/touring/commuting from rural areas. I have an older ...
14
votes
7answers
5k views
What is the biggest component difference between a cheap road bike and an expensive road bike?
I am shopping around for road bikes now, and I wanted to know what components to look for. I am not talking about the frame, carbon or otherwise, I mean types of shifters, brakes, cranks, rims, etc.
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 ...
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 ...
13
votes
3answers
843 views
Is there something particularly wrong with exclusively riding a mountain bike in a city setting?
I live in Davis, and I ride bikes simply for commuting around the university and around town. My last bike is a hand-me-down from my sister's friend over 6 years ago; it's pretty much on it's last ...
12
votes
12answers
26k views
Converting a MTB to a Road Bike
I just bought a new MTB and am planning to change my previous MTB into a Road Bike.
How do I do it? What kind of parts do I need to change or add or remove?
I am not looking to for a full ...
12
votes
4answers
2k views
Why am I slow on flat surfaces?
I've been riding about 300 miles a week for the last 2 years. I'm not riding in races, just riding with friends. I always ride 60+ miles (95+ km), and I'm in excellent shape. I have a low end road ...
12
votes
7answers
2k views
How should I approach hills?
I've been biking to work 2-3 times/week this summer and I enjoy it for the most part. My big problem is that my ride is mostly downhill on the way in to work and mostly uphill on the way home. These ...
12
votes
8answers
6k views
What are the benefits of 700c23 tires?
23s come on almost all new road bikes, and tire selection is much better for 23s than other tire sizes at most shops.
The benefits of 25s and 28s are a better ride, more traction, and are more flat ...
12
votes
5answers
998 views
What should I look for in choosing wheels for a road bike?
I have a commuting/touring bike and my riding is a good bit of commuting mixed with weekend rides of up to 50 miles.
In my lame knowledge, I'll assume that lighter wheels can be had when you spend ...
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 ...
11
votes
7answers
2k views
What is the simplest way to lower the gearing on my touring bike?
I have a 2004 Jamis Aurora with a 52/42/30 triple and an 11-32 cassette in the back. 30x32 (25.3 gear inches) being the lowest gear is frustrating for the hilly terrain where I live (e.g., 7% grade ...
11
votes
4answers
9k views
How do I efficiently shift gears on a road bike with downtube shifters?
I have bought a vintage Campagnolo road bike, so the shifters are on the down tube.
I own a mountain bike and i am used to changing gears on that one, but don't know the proper technique to change on ...
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 ...
11
votes
5answers
3k views
What should I look for when buying a used bicycle?
I'm moving to a city where I can ride a bicycle to the grocery store, coffee shop etc. I want to purchase a decent used bicycle. I'm leaning towards a bike that's in between a "10-speed" or road-bike ...
11
votes
4answers
359 views
How can somebody with Type I diabetes keep blood sugar levels acceptable during and after a multi-hour ride?
I recently upgraded my bike to a Merckx EMX1 and started doing some serious riding. I am riding 50–70km(30–45 miles once a week usually including a second cat climb and sometimes one or ...
11
votes
2answers
1k views
How do you adjust the set-up of road bike brakes for women with small hands
My girlfriend has recently bought her first road bike. While the frame size is pretty much spot on and comfortable for her, she finds that the brakes are difficult to use and she ends up with pain in ...
10
votes
7answers
3k views
What is the best bicycle lock on the market?
What is the best bicycle lock on the market, defined by:
Best security
Easiest usability when securing your bike
Easiest method of transport
Lightest without other compromises
Edit:
In addition, ...
10
votes
5answers
1k views
Looking for a first race worthy road bike - What should I look for?
I am a runner and have been getting into biking just to add some additional flavor to my workout schedule and racing. I am wondering what I should look for when purchasing a new road bike.
Is the ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Should I put my wider tire in front or in back?
My used bike came with a 700x28 tire in front and a 700x23 tire in back. Should I leave the wider tire in front, or should I switch the tires? What benefits or drawbacks are there one way or the ...
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 ...
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?
10
votes
1answer
499 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 ...
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 ...
9
votes
7answers
608 views
Are today's bikes “better” than a few decades ago?
I'm looking to buy a road bike for commuting. There is a guy near me who finds older road bikes (e.g. from the 80's) and fixes them up. Are there downsides to getting an older bike (assuming it's had ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
Can mountain biking shoes be used with road bikes? What are the pros and cons?
Is there anything wrong with wearing mountain biking shoes (SPD) with a road bike? I find that it makes sense because you can still walk around with them on but you still have the ability to clip in ...
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 ...
9
votes
2answers
265 views
Ladies and cycling
I just started cycling with a racebike. I still have some questions concerning ladies biking and personal health issues.
I do find very little information about ladies and biking. I kind of want to ...
