Road Biking - anyone here do it? **Update- test rode few bikes**

[Zeze]

bump - updates are in OP

 

[SketchMaster]

---7/31 update---
Now, it's become clearer to me that I'm looking for a road bike, not MTB. I tested out Specialized Diverge DWS Elite


So apparently, what I'm looking for is actually a recent trend. A primary road bike with a hint of off-road capability, but nowhere near hybrids/cyclocross.

I guess they call them Adventure bikes today.

This thing is a bullet. You spin/crank, and it feels like every energy from you is sent to the bike. It glides and keeps the momentum.

Maybe in couple years I can do a weekend trip by biking all the way to the tip of Long Island.

I found the controls bit awkward. I don't know if that's because I'm just not used to the drop bar. The brake trigger felt too far from my fingers and too close to the your mom. As a result, I braking wasn't intuitive and made me nervous of the whole ride.

I want to check out Jamis Renegade series too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8boqEoSFmDg

Will do so sometime this week or next weekend.

Recommend other bikes of this type? Giant Revolt 3 falls under this right?

That Spec and Giant are both great bikes. Drop bars take a few rides to get used to, but once you get the feel for them they are very natural. Learn how to ride on the "hoods" of the levers, and practice transitioning to the drops. You can always adjust the position of the brake levers to bring them closer or swap out the bar to something that fits you better (they come in all shapes and sizes).

If your new price range is $800-$1,500, here are some bikes I would have on my short list (ranked by "want" factor):

- Salsa Vaya: http://salsacycles.com/bikes/vaya/2017_vaya_claris
- Kona Rove Series: http://www.konaworld.com/platform_rove.cfm
- Fairdale Weekender Drop: http://fairdalebikes.com/bikes/2016-weekender-drop/
- Specialized Sequoia: https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/adventure/sequoia/116171
- Fairdale Weekender MX (If you really don't like drop bars): http://fairdalebikes.com/bikes/2016-weekender-mx/
- Surly Orge (Blend of Adventure and MTB): http://surlybikes.com/bikes/ogre/frame_highlights

A note on Steel Vs. Aluminum (because you will hear about it):

You will hear "Steel is real" chanted by many cyclists, and for good reason. Bike manufacturers have nearly perfected working with steel to make them strong, light, and compliant. Because steel will flex means it will absorb minor vibrations/bumps from the road, providing a more comfortable ride. The added bonus of steel is it's easy to work with and repair, and if you take care of it, the frame can list a lifetime (or more!).

Aluminum has a few things on steel: Alum doesn't rust, so you don't have to worry as much if it gets a bit wet. It can be cheaper to mass produce alum bikes, meaning you can get better components for the same money as a good steel bike. While it's not as strong, Alum is much lighter than steel so more material can be used to make a VERY stiff frame that weighs less than a comparable steel frame. Why is a stiff frame good? When you need every watt of power to make it to the wheels you don't want that energy getting absorbed by the frame. Alum gets a bit of a bad reputation for being harsh because of this. In recent years bike makers have started playing with Alum alloys that have more give to them, so they can make the frame "softer" for a smoother ride while still being very strong. That being said, there are two MAJOR issues I personally have with Alum frames:

It has a more crystalline like structure to it, making it brittle. While Steel will bend, alum will crack if overstressed. Also, lower grade alum bikes have a pretty short lifespan, about 5 years before you should consider replacing the whole frame. That's due to the fact that micro fractures can start to form in the metal, increasing the risk of a catastrophic failure. While you shouldn't write off a bike simply because it's alum, you should be aware of the pros/cons.

 

[Zeze]

Amazing input!

I'll check out your recommendations too.

How come there are on direct comparison reviews of Jamis Renegade vs Felt V85 vs Salsa Vaya vs Giant Revolt 3?

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I wouldn't recommend any bike on the internet. Maybe brands. You need to spend at least a grand and find the bike that fits you best. Get geared up and test ride the heck out of a good number of them. You'll know when you find the right one. A road bike tuned for endurance and comfort would be my suggestion. A full on race geometry would be pretty tough physically on a beginner.

 

[cbrunny]

Amazing input!

I'll check out your recommendations too.

How come there are on direct comparison reviews of Jamis Renegade vs Felt V85 vs Salsa Vaya vs Giant Revolt 3?

Direct comparison reviews are impossible to find online for road bikes. My guess is they're too expensive to review in this way. Most people have just one.

One thing to consider with a road bike: fit supercedes every other thing about the bike by an overwhelming margin. If they don't do a proper fit at the shop with the purchase go somewhere else. This cannot be stressed enough. Fit is king, everything else is secondary. This gets tricky because a lot of LBS have one frame size per model and inventory is expensive. They often try to say the frame is close enough. Close enough is not a fit. Fit is king.
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[WaTaGuMp]

If you have a Performance Bicycle in your area, buy from them, use it for years, then take it back. :twisted:

 

[PricklyPete]

If you have a Performance Bicycle in your area, buy from them, use it for years, then take it back. :twisted:

Congratulations, you get an F for ethics!

 

[yllus]

I have basically the same requirements as you, and ended up purchasing a Kona Jake at the start of the year. That is to say that while I spend 85% of my time on a paved bike trail or on a separated portion of a regular road, I occasionally also get on one of Toronto's many gravel or dirt trails for a little while. A cyclocross bike was a fairly obvious choice.

That said, a Kona Big Rove is probably the bike configuration that is the most utilitarian of what's out there. It's got a flat bar that lets you have your hands near the brakes at all time (something you do get used to on a cyclocross bike, but it is suboptimal) and generally can float between worlds a bit better than the Jake that I own.

 

[SketchMaster]

I have basically the same requirements as you, and ended up purchasing a Kona Jake at the start of the year. That is to say that while I spend 85% of my time on a paved bike trail or on a separated portion of a regular road, I occasionally also get on one of Toronto's many gravel or dirt trails for a little while. A cyclocross bike was a fairly obvious choice.

That said, a Kona Big Rove is probably the bike configuration that is the most utilitarian of what's out there. It's got a flat bar that lets you have your hands near the brakes at all time (something you do get used to on a cyclocross bike, but it is suboptimal) and generally can float between worlds a bit better than the Jake that I own.

The Jake is a damn good bike, I debated adding it to my list. It's a Cyclocross bike so it has a more aggressive fit and stiffer frame. It never hurts to test ride one just to see how it feels, but for long rides some may find it uncomfortable. The Rove straddles the line between CX and Adventure, just aggressive enough to be spirited without being hard on the rider.

On the topic of reviews and comparisons: While they are great for calling out a crap bike, reviews are a lot like movie reviews in that you and the critic may not have the same tastes. I would take their opinion on a with a grain of salt and ride the bike for myself to make up my mind. It goes back to the fit aspect that everyone has been bringing up because a great bike can still be a bad fit for you. I've hopped on $4K bikes that felt like garbage but loved the feel of a $600 bike. A great fit is critical, everything else is just gravy.

 

[MrSquished]

I'm digging the Jamis Renegade Steel Road Bikes with disc brakes. The feel of steel is real!

I just don't like drop bars for riding in the city streets

 

[thedarkwolf]

The only problem I see with the Diverge is the 35mm tire limit. I'd prefer to see 40mm for gravel/light mtb trail riding. I replaced my road bike with a carbon nashbar brand CX bike, it is a fuji, earlier this year and couldn't be happier. Does everything my road bike did and a gravel bike and I've done some rather stupid things on it out on mtn bike trails. If I could do it again though I'd go for a gravel bike with their slacker head angle, the cx bike is little twitchy.

 

[GasX]

I second having 40mm tire cleaerance..

I ride a single speed CX bike. The best thing I did was put 40mm Nano tires on it. I can ride on ANYTHING up to the gnarliest of gnar...

 

[isekii]

Yea! Are there any way to get back to NJ from southern end of Manhattan (Battery Park)?

At worst, I can take WTC path to Jersey City. This is exciting!

Where are MTBR.com equivalent for road bikes? I'd like some reviews for different price points. (most likely $500-600)

I do this and bike back up to gwb with that big ass hills.
I guess you can take the bike on the ferry and go across to Weehawken or take the path across to hoboken.

 

[Zeze]

Jesus Christ.. so many effin' bikes. The more I research, the less I know. I mean WTF. The bikes available for my needs (adventure bike @ 90% road) are:

All in the $700-1400 range

Specialized Diverge DSW Elite (tested)
Felt V85 or V100
Raleigh Merit 2 or 3
Giant Revolt 1 or 3 (although these lean less toward road for my liking)
Jamis Renegade Exile or Expat
Salsa Vaya Claris
...and more

I test rode something today, I don't even remember WTF it was.

I'm just operating on an assumption that the STOCK tire width these bikes come in are naturally their primary purpose.

So skinnier = more road (30mm~), fatter = slower, better comfort & off-roading.

Is my approach of above + test riding okay/correct/sufficient?

So Specialized Diverge DSW Elite is 30mm. This bike felt super fast, but what I do know, I have nothing to compare it to. I don't know if something is comfortable or not because my ass hurts from roadbike seats + getting used to drop-handle bars.

It's both exciting and frustrating. I wish there was a huge bike shop which had all these bikes side-by-side so I can ride them all.

I'm charmed by that ad video of Jamis Renegade series, but judging by its 36mm, I feel that's too much towards off-road. Who knows. Only way to find out is by riding.

 

[Herr Kutz]

There are many choices out there but at some point you just have to buy. I ended up with this (http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2481045) after hemming and hawing for a couple years.

If you plan to go on gravel often I would recommend wider tires or at least more tread. The 30mm (or maybe it's 32?) with little tread on the Diverge makes the bike very squirrely on gravel. If it's just hard packed dirt I could see it being okay.

Edit: I also noticed the stock bike seat made by sit bones hurt so I am now trying out the Selle Royal Respiro (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VG61P4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) which I cannot say feels super comfortable, but my sit bones are not hurting after a ride (I rode ~40 miles this weekend. Two ~10 mile rides and one ~20 mile ride).

 

[foghorn67]

The Diverge is the funnest bike I've ridden. I have a really lightweight Allez road bike that is close to race trim and the Diverge doesn't give much up on responsiveness compared to my bike. And the Diverge is infinitely more comfortable.
Avoid Claris and Sora groupsets. They are mechanically sound, but a pain in the ass to upgrade. Easier with the Tiagra or better yet 105.
Reason, Sora and Claris are 9 speed systems. Everything upscale is 11 speed, causing issues with cassette and wheel hubs spacing if coming from the 9 speed. Tiagra is 10 speed and some wheel hubs have room for either 10 or 11. The Diverge you listed has Tiagra, ask the bike shop mechanic if there is room to upgrade on the current hub with any bike you purchase. Just in case.


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[foghorn67]

The Felt looks awesome. I would test ride that.
On your seating, you'll probably have to find a dealer with a seat pressure tester thingy. They will measure your sit bones so your are sitting on something you're not supposed to.
Also, the padding is on the garment, not the seat. I ride with MTB shorts with padded liners. No need for road bike vulgar spandex.

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[Zeze]

The Diverge is the funnest bike I've ridden.

The mechanic at the LBS was comparing his Raleigh Merit 3 (he owns it) to Diverge DWS Elite, both at pretty much same price.

He was wondering why his Merit 3 has all Shimano 105, yet the Diverge don't even them have 'em. Then where's all the money going?

I obviously couldn't answer. Can someone tell me?

 

[Zeze]

I ride with MTB shorts with padded liners. No need for road bike vulgar spandex.

I'm with you. One of the deterrent of doing road biking was that I didn't want to look like those douchey cyclists with maxed out logo-spammed tights.

 

[thedarkwolf]

He was wondering why his Merit 3 has all Shimano 105, yet the Diverge don't even them have 'em. Then where's all the money going?

to the Specialized stickers on the frame.

What size tires the bike comes with stock doesn't really tell you that much. Pure road bikes are going to be generally limited to 28s max and come with 23-25s while gravel, cx, endurance whatever are all over the place. What matters is the geometry of the frame. My CX bike for instance is basically just a road bike with clearance for 40s and changing the tires changes the bike. Gravel bikes generally have slacker head angles and longer wheel bases for more stability.

 

[Zeze]

to the Specialized stickers on the frame.

Isn't Raleigh also a big brand name also? (Merit 3)

 

[thedarkwolf]

I'm with you. One of the deterrent of doing road biking was that I didn't want to look like those douchey cyclists with maxed out logo-spammed tights.

I use to be that way but those clothes actually make a lot of difference both in aerodynamics and keeping you cool. I felt like an ass wearing them for awhile but I got over it. You don't have to buy neon pink ones with sponsor BS all over them. I don't even wear my baggy stuff mtn biking very often anymore due to the better cooling of the roadie gear.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Isn't Raleigh also a big brand name also? (Merit 3)

Yes but they aren't as cool as Specialized and all the snobby roadies won't be impressed with a Raleigh. Nothing at all wrong with Raleigh.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

I'm with you. One of the deterrent of doing road biking was that I didn't want to look like those douchey cyclists with maxed out logo-spammed tights.

At a certain point you'll say screw it and you'll just want to be as comfortable as possible and wear it.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Find something no more than $1000 for the first bike. You really have zero idea what type of riding you're going to do. $1000 is a good enough bike to stick with awhile and also not so much to cost yourself a fortune if you decide to go for another bike shortly thereafter.