Decided to try out this road bike malarkey

[Woz]

Interesting reading your first experience.

The Shimano front trimming is something to definitely master and fiddle with; seems weird to have all those clicks at first just for a front change. When you say "finding the right gear" I suppose you mean cadence for the terrain?

 

[novocaine]

oi, don't knock SORA, it might be budget but it's Deore budget at worst. Claris is below it. Then Tiagra is more LX region given it's 10 speed and follows 105 which is XT with ultegra being XTR with Dura Ace being off on it's own really (I guess more inline with Saint). (said with a smile on my face rather than being a rant)

I've ridden on Sora for a long time on the winter bikes as it sits as the best price point for crap weather. (two sets now, one would be considered retro ) it's good dependable stuff, although I agree the plastic in the current rear mech is pants and it failed after only a few thousand miles.

anyways, off topic. sorry.
it does take a few miles to get used to road bikes after riding MTB for so long, I still have a feeling of discontent when I've been out on the MTB for a day. the real buzz comes the first time you achieve something, like riding 50-60 miles and feeling fine afterwards, blasting past someone on a far more expensive machine (because jealous), slipping in to the oh so sexy lycra onesie and......... whoops, wrong sort of forum.

I know there is always going to be an us and them between road and mountain, but bridging that divide is the love of riding, not to mention the hatred of gravel riders, I mean, come on, whats the point.

 

[CassidyAce]

Once again, thank you for the comments.

Day 2: I took note of some of the above suggestions (No! Not the Lycra and veg oil on the nuts. ), made some tweaks, studied the trimming, and tried them out for 10 miles this evening—on gravel (@novocaine). And it was pretty good. Average speed was better and roughly equal to my MTB speed and the trimming gave me four extra, useful mid-range gears. It's still far from intuitive but the potential was much more apparent today than yesterday.

The tweaks? I changed the saddle and raised it slightly; I reduced the reach by about 1cm (saddle forward 0.5cm, bars tilted upwards a touch, as per @KermitGKona88's suggestion); and I swapped the 25mm tyres for 32mm Vittoria Zaffiro Pros, which I'd bought from @Fatal Swan a few weeks ago for a different project which has stalled. I also lowered the tyre pressure from 90 PSI to 50 PSI. (However, 50 PSI is perhaps a little too low.) Coupled with the trimming, it was a much more comfortable ride with some good turns of speed in places. There's more to do but the signs were encouraging this time. Once it becomes more intuitive, I expect my speed will increase further, to beyond my typical MTB speeds, and the objective will be achieved.

@Woz The right cadence? I find it easier to think of it as the right gear, which I would explain as the one yielding the right cadence-torque combination for me in the given terrain. After all, I could keep the same cadence but in a lower gear and feel dissatisfied by the lower speed and easiness.

@Peachy I know I said that Claud Butler's parents' spelling was unusual but trying to lure me into a death trap is a bit strong, Sunshine! I hope that hasn't got steel wheels.

 

[Peachy!]

Lol… no it’s got Fiamme aluminium track rims with tubular tyres… at 18mm wide & about 95psi she roles soooo sweetly

 

[mattr]

FWIW, Shimano dual pivots are every bit as useful as v-brakes. And don't have to deal with the frame bosses moving out during heavy braking either!
Decent cables and pads on the cheaper versions will transform them. (Most bike brands fit the cheapest cables they can and often skimp on the caliper as well!)

 

[eightyeight]

32mm tyres? This is now just a retro xc mtb with drops.

Roadies don't need body armour, we have thick skin due to all the mocking from our mtb counter parts.

 

[eightyeight]

Looks a good bike to start though and a better choice than all the noobs i see on £3K worth of carbon as a first bike.

I got into road back in the 90s whilst still racing mtb. I had older friends who were roadies and it seemed a good way to get fit for mtb racing. In later years it was an easy way to fit quality riding into a narrowing schedule.

If you find the gears a problem you could always go fixed

 

[Woz]

..... starting to be a proper useful bike now for country lanes.

I'll probably get slaughtered for some of these comments, but anyway, here goes about "finding the right gear".

So, it's a 10 x 2 set-up, which practically will give 18 gear options for your riding style and terrain. This is where
road bikes and especially Shimano start to get ahead of themselves I think. What sells road bikes is the quest for going faster and it's incredibly ironic that the highest gear of an 11T sprocket with a 52T or 53T front chainring pretty much appears on Tour de France winning bikes down to supermarket bikes. If you are doing an Alpine descent at 70 kph fine, if you are tucked in aero on the hooks like Chris Boardman fine, or if you can turn it over in a uphill sprint like Mark Cavendish fine.

If you are wanting to tootle along in country lanes, you would struggle to turn this massive gear. When you go on gravel, plus adding the 32C tyres, your top massive gears will be gathering dust. Practically, you are now down to about 14 gear options.

What should actually be specified on entry level bikes is something like a 34T / 46T upfront with a maximum range cassette on the back; I think your RD-4600 will go upto 28T or even 30T. This kind of combination is very suitable for varied terrain. If it's flatish then finding the right mid gear with a stupid 34T / 52T compact chainset can be a mess due to the front cross-over changes. The compact chainset design was specifically made for no gear redundancy, which can be a shock compared to a retro MTB triple which as a lot of gear redundancy. A front chainring for flat would be something like a 39T / 49T.

It's when you get familiar and trained up do larger gears and more close ratio corn-cob cassettes make more sense. Along with said Lycra and ball lotion of course....

 

[trailstar82]

Just my experience of road riding…

To start, it’s on two wheels generally I’m there.

I started proper road riding in 2018 after spending years looking at my mountain bike and not having the time or enthusiasm to ride. I did the ride London 100 with my company and got to meet Geraint Thomas as part of it all (he won the tour that year). After that it became my go to exercise and hobby. My mountain bikes rule my heart and it’s really a privilege/treat when I get the time to ride off road now. For me, whether road or mtb, each helps me obtain that visceral thrill and sense of freedom that has always been there from childhood. It’s just that road riding makes that thrill more accessible.

Riding with others also makes the road experience better (as long as they’re not d*€ks). Riding with mates means the miles go quicker, and you can take turns on the front if the wind is in your face. Group rides are a great way to learn new routes and discover new places locally and it’s a community. It helped massively in the last 18months.

Now the mtb in me can’t help using my “obviously superior” bike handling skills in front of my roadie bike club friends (I will come a cropper one day ) I find that downhill you’re normally faster than non mtb’ers. Also being able to track stand when clipped in is somewhat cavalier but I try use every sensible opportunity as practice to be better on a bike regardless of type.

I just signed up to the Essex 100 on the 5th September if anyone else is interested.

I used to laugh at roadies as a street riding scally then you become one

 

[The History Man]

What he said up there. Woz that is

I am old and slow but love a bit of road action now and then. My front big ring is largely for polishing on whatever I ride. My rear big ring is well used with my granny. If you're doing the quest for speed just find a big hill, wind up and tuck in. My best is about 55mph including overtaking a car. Thrill enough for me. Various threads on here espouse fatter tyres being faster as at our level aero doesn't really come into it. Oh and both my remaining road bikes have triples. Whatever you do to it enjoy and experiment until you find your sweet spot. Your perfect cadence balanced with just enough resistance can make riding longer distances far more enjoyable and less draining.