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Any road bikers?

machine gewehr

machine gewehr

Sep 17, 2005
3,320
570
Istanbul
#1
So, 9 weeks ago I went from MTB to road bike. I do love MTBs but lack of trails in my area forced me to ride my bike 99% of the time on the road so I made the transition.

I know I'm going to miss riding in the dirt and buy a MTB in the future, but seeing 50 kmh with a small effort is unbeliavable. The only downside being the brakes, I love this road bike thing. I bought myself a Team Sky jersey, but can't wear it due to beer belly at the moment.:D

I've been watching Tour of Turkey, Giro d'Italia, Tour of Norway lately and I can't wait to get on my bike and ride like the wind. (I had an accident after 45 minutes on the new bike and broke my wrist, it's almost healed though).


So, go ahead, MTB'ers have a nice thread going on, share your experiences, show pictures of your bikes, talk specs, stories and whatever comes to mind.:thumbsup:


I also have a question, I have meniscus in my both knees, would SPD pedals be good or bad, any ideas?
 
#2
machine gewehr said:
So, 9 weeks ago I went from MTB to road bike. I do love MTBs but lack of trails in my area forced me to ride my bike 99% of the time on the road so I made the transition.

I know I'm going to miss riding in the dirt and buy a MTB in the future, but seeing 50 kmh with a small effort is unbeliavable. The only downside being the brakes, I love this road bike thing. I bought myself a Team Sky jersey, but can't wear it due to beer belly at the moment.:D

I've been watching Tour of Turkey, Giro d'Italia, Tour of Norway lately and I can't wait to get on my bike and ride like the wind. (I had an accident after 45 minutes on the new bike and broke my wrist, it's almost healed though).


So, go ahead, MTB'ers have a nice thread going on, share your experiences, show pictures of your bikes, talk specs, stories and whatever comes to mind.:thumbsup:


I also have a question, I have meniscus in my both knees, would SPD pedals be good or bad, any ideas?
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Good luck with the wrist. I broke my left elbow last summer, and banged my left wrist up pretty good, as well. I was out of riding commission for the whole riding (mtb) season. It sucked! As far as clipless pedals go, just make sure you get the cleats fit properly on your shoe. If they're off at all you'll get knee pain fairly quickly. I used SPD mtb pedals with no float for years without issue, but last season I switched to Crank Bros pedals. They have cleats with adjustable float, so your knees can center a little easier. I don't know if road pedals are designed to have float, but it's worth looking into. The main thing is to have your cleats set properly from the beginning. Plenty of professional riders have knee issues and are able to use clipless pedals.
 
#3
Tbone76 said:
Good luck with the wrist. I broke my left elbow last summer, and banged my left wrist up pretty good, as well. I was out of riding commission for the whole riding (mtb) season. It sucked! As far as clipless pedals go, just make sure you get the cleats fit properly on your shoe. If they're off at all you'll get knee pain fairly quickly. I used SPD mtb pedals with no float for years without issue, but last season I switched to Crank Bros pedals. They have cleats with adjustable float, so your knees can center a little easier. I don't know if road pedals are designed to have float, but it's worth looking into. The main thing is to have your cleats set properly from the beginning. Plenty of professional riders have knee issues and are able to use clipless pedals.
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Thanks man. Falling comes with the riding, but this is the first time I broke something in my body, other than my teeth.:D

I've been looking into clipless pedals for a while but was concerned about the knee injuries. I shall read a lot more on it, I'll also go see how they work, I don't really get the cleat and float thing. :)
 
#11
I just got a bike this past Sunday and it's my first road bike. I road mountain bikes in the mid 90s but haven't ridden since. It's been fun and a great workout since there is no flatland where I live. I suppose the hills will be good for me in the end. The bike is a 2013 Giant Defy Composite 3. I'll have to get a picture up when I get back to my laptop.
 
#12
Bass_Thumper said:
I just got a bike this past Sunday and it's my first road bike. I road mountain bikes in the mid 90s but haven't ridden since. It's been fun and a great workout since there is no flatland where I live. I suppose the hills will be good for me in the end. The bike is a 2013 Giant Defy Composite 3. I'll have to get a picture up when I get back to my laptop.
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If I stick around the area where I live, it's only hills. Hills aren't that nice to my meniscus as my legs aren't strong enough so I found a route that's flat, also has a bicyle lane and sticking with it till my legs get stronger. I think I have two matches instead of legs.:D
 
#13
Yup--I used Look pedals for years, all the while telling people with knee problems they needed Speedplays. After I had knee surgery for torn meniscus, I switched to Speedplays. It turns out my advice was very good.

The right pedals are cheaper than new knees. Save up for some Speedplays.

Hills are fun.
 
#14
Mysterion said:
Yup--I used Look pedals for years, all the while telling people with knee problems they needed Speedplays. After I had knee surgery for torn meniscus, I switched to Speedplays. It turns out my advice was very good.

The right pedals are cheaper than new knees. Save up for some Speedplays.

Hills are fun.
Click to expand...

I would definately go for Speedplays instead of new knees. The thing is, I think I have to buy them online as I haven't been able to locate a dealer here and buying very expensive shoes online without trying can cause problems.
 
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#15
Mysterion said:
Yup--I used Look pedals for years, all the while telling people with knee problems they needed Speedplays. After I had knee surgery for torn meniscus, I switched to Speedplays. It turns out my advice was very good.

The right pedals are cheaper than new knees. Save up for some Speedplays.

Hills are fun.
Click to expand...

Ha! I haven't gotten to the place where hills are fun yet, at least uphill anyway. I'm using some Shimano clips and so far, no knee pain, just that good ole quad burn :)
 
#16
machine gewehr said:
If I stick around the area where I live, it's only hills. Hills aren't that nice to my meniscus as my legs aren't strong enough so I found a route that's flat, also has a bicyle lane and sticking with it till my legs get stronger. I think I have two matches instead of legs.:D
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Are you in a low enough gear? If your cadence is too low it can put a lot more stress on the knees. Work on being able to "spin" a little more than you are.
 
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#18
machine gewehr said:
I would definately go for Speedplays instead of new knees. The thing is, I think I have to buy them online as I haven't been able to locate a dealer here and buying very expensive shoes online without trying can cause problems.
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I get that. I have stupidly-wide feet, so finding shoes is a challenge, and no brick-and-mortar store carries my size. Buying shoes without trying on is a crapshoot.
DerHoggz said:
Hills never get easier, you just go faster. :smug:
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Eh, they do get easier. And I wasn't kidding--I do love climbing (though I'm off two wheels on the injured list right now.) Some people are genetically predisposed to that kind of endurance, generally complemented by a preponderance of slow-twitch muscle fiber. When I'm fit, I love going up.

Do not ask me to sprint.
 
#19
Mysterion said:
I get that. I have stupidly-wide feet, so finding shoes is a challenge, and no brick-and-mortar store carries my size. Buying shoes without trying on is a crapshoot.
Eh, they do get easier. And I wasn't kidding--I do love climbing (though I'm off two wheels on the injured list right now.) Some people are genetically predisposed to that kind of endurance, generally complemented by a preponderance of slow-twitch muscle fiber. When I'm fit, I love going up.

Do not ask me to sprint.
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I love climbing as well, but being 15lb over my racing/climbing weight means it hurts.
 

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