All sorts of noobie questions for the roadies

3x10

 

If you are interested I have a standard Ultegra crank. I will sell it to a STR family member for $50. There is maybe 1K on them. Gearing is 52x39.

 

I am going to stick with the triple for now. So far I dont see any reason to swap out for a compact double.

 

mark... are you changing your screen name to "that guy..." LOL

 

I could care less what a bunch of roadie scum thank about me.:lol: Hell when I get in shape enough that I can hang I going to wear Dh shorts/jersey, a bucket helmet and put my spd pedals back on w/ DH shoes for rides once in while just for the hell of it.:lol::lol:

 

LOL.. excellent!

 

I have to admit I got the idea from Sea otter when I saw Gee doing a road ride in his normal DH kit with a bucket helmet.

 

Fixed for ya. :lol:

Edit: BTW when are we having a "welcome Mark to road riding" century?

 

Ohh no it will happen. That is my only reason for getting the road bike. I would rather ride dirt but on a road I can cruise out my door ride a couple miles and hit SGRT and ride as far as I like and ride back. For me to ride dirt I have to spend at least 45 minutes driving there and back so its not as easy to just go ride.

 

Spend $100 and get a professional bike fit. From a racing shop, not some guy at Jacks. (I use Edge in Laguna Niguel, a drive, but so worth it)

They will document all of your measurements and from there you can see what frame you should be riding with the smallest number of parts to swap out.

The tilt of the saddle is no big deal, depends on how the bike fits you. My Cervello P2C saddle is tilted a bit to ease the pressure on the taint, but that bike fits different than a road geometry.

 

David, I climb Chantry at least once a week, its one of my favorite rides. You are getting some good advice on here. I found two tubes is crucial, I carry a small pump along with the 2 Co2 cartridges, I put a Nite Rider Cherry Bomb light on the back of my bike for evening and early morning rides as well. I carry about 8 inches of duct tape, and chap stick in my seat pouch as well as a multi tool. In my pockets, phone, id, money, debit card, 2 gels and will cary a spare tire on my upcoming century.

As far as v brakes, they are not that great when holding from the top but when you are in the drops and have good leverage, they stop great, I a complete Shimano 105 group and brakes.

Dont listen to music, always stay as close to the right as you can, make eye contact with drivers when they are pulling out in front of you and watch car's side view mirrors for drivers exiting their vehicles.

I'm going to get fitted for my bike soon as well!

Ride well and I hope to see you out there, here is a picture of my ride!

 

-The skinny tires already scare me enough, so how often should they be replaced? and though it's a bit more obvious, how do you know? If you see threads where there should be tread then replace them. Any tears, bulges or cracks means a replacement as well. Road tired typically last quite a long time

-The V-brakes scare me. I'm just used to that hydraulic feel and almost instant stopping power of good hydros. Better pads, or just the nature of v-brakes? They need to break in. Good caliper brakes stop quite well when they are adjusted properly and broken in to the rim surface.

-Hand position: There's about a half dozen different ways to grab the bars. I guess it's just a learning thing, but any tips in this department? I found myself changing it up a lot while climbing. Whatever is comfortable is what you should do. Typically most riders spend a majority or their time on the hoods and use the flats for recovery periods and the drops for headwinds and downhills.

-I go through water pretty fast and had just enough when I got to the top and refilled at a fountain they have up there. Where do you guys typically refill at if you're riding the regular roads? the thoughts of popping into some fastfood restaurant and getting some ice popped into my head. Refill anywhere there is water and (if you are lucky) ice. Gas Stations with a soda fountain, fast food joints, restaurants, etc. Typically you won't be turned down for water.

-and last but not least, any way to keep white handlebar tape clean?! No.

-There is no easy way of riding through traffic at 5pm. You will get better at it the more you do it. When in doubt, take the lane. In time you will be able to predict what a driver will do before he does it with surprising accuracy. You will get comfortable merging with traffic and riding on the left side of cars should you need to.

-I can't imagine riding with music if there is a possibility of a car being around like I saw one guy doing today. I was already on pins and needles the whole time hearing imaginary cars as it was. Again you will get more comfortable with it as you do it.

 

Nordstrom's? Macy's? or were you looking for something more...

 

How does one select road tires? I'm due for some new ones and don't know much about them. All for street riding, I've seen a lot of the Gatorskins but at about $50 there pretty pricy. I had Vitorria Rubano Pro's or what ever ad I liked them.

 

Its all preference... I ride Michelin Pro Race 3's. they are way pricy but you can find them on eBay for almost a 2 for 1 deal. Michelin Pro Race 2's are also an amazing tire...

I would check eBay for the deals on the tires you want...

 

There are a few threads here with tire recommendations. You could search those. Ask some friends. Go into a shop and ask their recommendation based on your riding style. Not much different than choosing mountain tires.

Gatorskins may seem expensive until you get 3000 miles on them without any flats. Then they'll seem worth it. Not really a tire for speed, but I'd rather be slower and not waste time changing tubes.

 

Ended up getting the Gatorskins from REI for $33 each on sale right now.

Happy with them so far but only time will tell!