Another MBiker contemplating a road bike.

Discussion in 'The Roadie Hangout' started by wheeler, Aug 23, 2013.

  1. wheeler

    wheeler Member

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    Hi All!

    After 20+ years of mbiking I decided to race and gave the OTH series a try. Having a blast! However the one thing I noticed is that I am terrible at racing. The main issue is that I cannot spin very well (keep a high cadence).

    I roadie friend recommended that I ride my mbike on the road and concentrate on spinning faster for long uninterrupted rides. I did….. and it is helping. As a result I think it is time to get a road bike.

    So my question is what bike to buy? I am thinking of a bike that has endurance geo vs. race (but not sure). Also I want a “good value”. Not the top of the line bike for serious racers…but not low end (admitted bike snob :).

    I would prefer to buy new…especially now with so many good deals going on.

    Thanks for your help!

    Wheeler
     
  2. Shu

    Shu Active Member

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    How tall are you? I have a road bike (Cannondale CAAD5 R9000si-54cm I think) that I don't use and is collecting dust. Would be a perfect inexpensive bike to train on w/o breaking the bank....that is if it fits...
     
  3. mfoga

    mfoga Intense Whore

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    I would say if you really plan to ride it get a carbon road bike with 105 (or SRAM equivalent) or better.
     
  4. wheeler

    wheeler Member

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    Thanks. I am 6'2" and think I need a 58cm.

    Yes Carbon would be the material of choice :)
     
  5. F.A.D.

    F.A.D. POWERED BY MUSUBIS

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    go with what fits and feels best. There is no "one" bike for all. just like mtb's, road bikes have subtle differences from one brand/model to another.
     
  6. allison

    allison Active Member

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    This! You can pick your brand of choice. They're all going to be built and ride very similarly. You'll be riding it probably a good amount, so definitely get 105 or better just for durability.

    You can continue to ride the MTB on the road, plenty of people do. It just drives me crazy ;)

    I think even more than cadence/spinning people improve when they ride road because you wind up stopping less.
     
  7. bvader

    bvader Long Live The Gorn!

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    Well if you want to spin have you considered a Fixie... or do you want something more general.
     
  8. wheeler

    wheeler Member

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    More general.......something I can take on long rides....if I get into it :)
     
  9. bvader

    bvader Long Live The Gorn!

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    I might Troll the Roadie classifieds... you can find ALOT of very nice used bike ... like on Road Bike Review etc....
     
  10. MnMDan

    MnMDan Member

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    For the road bike...get an endurance, not competitive, geometry. It'll still be more "aggressive" than whatever your mtb setup is, and that will also engage some slightly different muscle groups.

    105-level is perfect. You can get a new 105-level, carbon-fiber bike for a pretty good price.

    As far as spinning, here's the magic #'s I've been taught (and train to) by the group at Kahler Cycling Academy.

    Sustained climb at 72 rpm. This is the key for a lot of sustained climbs in races, and where races other than OTH are won and lost.

    Cadence along flats should be between 90 rpm and 100 rpm. 90 rpm is more efficient, but being able to spin at 100 rpm helps train the muscles so that the 90 rpm is as fluid as possible, and that you can amp that same gear up to 100 rpm in a sprint.

    Spend the $$ on that cadence sensor so that you can get a feel for what each rpm feels like. If you listen to music through one ear, "White Wedding" is about 74 rpm and the Shotgun-Mix version is good for an 8+ minute climb (I use it going up coachwhip). (Other songs include Born to Be Wild, I Ran So Far Away, Pressure, Born to be Wild...combine them and others and you have a good climbing mix for the MTB going up Maple Springs, Harding, or Blackstar).
     
  11. pachaven

    pachaven Member

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    I echo this from bvader. Road bikes last A LONG TIME!!! They are not as beat up as MTB's. So going the used route the first time out is wise.
     
  12. skflow

    skflow Member

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  13. DM67

    DM67 New Member

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  14. barbanegra

    barbanegra New Member

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    I would recommend a CAAD 10 as well, that thing is a rocket but you said you want carbon...
    The ultegra version is lighter than a lot carbon bikes under 3k
     
  15. giantschwinn

    giantschwinn Member

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  16. crispy

    crispy Wannabe

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    Caution: Thread derailment

    While I don't disagree with anything you've stated, I'd just like to add that everyone is different. The real way to determine your optimal cadence would be to ride a 20 min TT at max effort with a powermeter. Note avg cadence, power, and HR. Then repeat, but hold a cadence 5rpm higher and record avg cadence, hr, and power. Repeat for 5rpm lower. Best cadence is what gives you best ratio of power to heart rate. Then you can continue testing from there to find the optimal. You can do this on flats or hills.

    The problem with all of that is...you need a poewrmeter and those are money.
     
  17. forge55b

    forge55b New Member

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    Another vote for a Caad10. While it isn't carbon, plenty will argue that it is just as good, if not better than most carbon bikes in the slightly higher price range.

    The only problem is if there are good deals on em, they usually get sold pretty fast by people that want em for race spares.
     
  18. WC-Rider

    WC-Rider New Member

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    image.jpg

    I recommend the Caad10. Can't go wrong love my road bike....
     
  19. TranceRider

    TranceRider No, I don't Ride a GIANT

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    I'm gettin' myself a Felt F3 from MVP Cycle Center - picking it up today! They let you demo ride some nice bikes and give some great discounts as well. Planning to take that bad boy out for a Newport cruise on Sunday morning. :)
     
  20. Runs with Scissors

    Runs with Scissors Climbing > desending

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    I've said this in another thread...for relaxed geometry either get a Cannondale Synapse 5 (which by definition is 105 components) or something just like it, in aluminum- I got a brand new 2012 in February for $1,200 out the door, at The Path. They've got sales of this year's models going on now and I highly recommend you check out their selection.

    I just did a double metric century (130 miles, 7K feet climbing) on my Synapse last Saturday. For endurance the Synapse can't be beat. The CAAD 10 is great bike, but it's set up with race geometry.
     

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