Road Bikes are the shit!!

[pauk]

Any road bikers out there!?

Used to once chuckle at those roadies from the comfy sights of my car at the red lights, with their tight bicycles shorts and everything.... but damn, what an awesome way to workout!!

Yesterday i tried a friends road bike, a true road bike for the first time in my life (Carbon, 105/ultegra components) i couldnt believe how freakin fun & fast they were, so light, so efficient, so little rolling resistance... i mean i was doing up to 65 km/h (40 mph) on a flat road (80++ km/h downhill if you dare) and could hang about 36-40 km/h (22-25 mph) with minimum effort the entire day.... wtf, i knew they were fast, but this!?

I had tried every bike before, from bmx, to mtb, to hybrids & tried a road bike before (an old 80s one & wasnt that impressed), but man is this a different experience!

I immediately went ahead and bought a Cannondale supersix evo 3 Ultegra (full carbon):



I will be using it for commuting to work almost everyday (can take it inside the office) which is around 30 km/18 miles (ill do that in 40 mins with minimal effort!)... and it does pan out as i dont spend any money (gas/car/sub/bus) anymore and its way more fun way to travel, right now however i am in Montenegro and i do take it out for a spin in the beautiful Montenegro nature (where im at right now & where i bought the bike!) aswell:







I highly recommend you guys try one, you wont believe how fast & fun it is!

[ISHGoat]

Any road bikers out there!?

Used to once chuckle at those roadies from the comfy sights of my car at the red lights, with their tight bicycles shorts and everything.... but damn, what an awesome way to workout!!

Yesterday i tried a friends road bike, a true road bike for the first time in my life (Carbon, 105/ultegra components) i couldnt believe how freakin fun & fast they were, so light, so efficient, so little rolling resistance... i mean i was doing up to 65 km/h (40 mph) on a flat road (80++ km/h downhill if you dare) and could hang about 36-40 km/h (22-25 mph) with minimum effort the entire day.... wtf, i knew they were fast, but this!?

I had tried every bike before, from bmx, to mtb, to hybrids & tried a road bike before (an old 80s one & wasnt that impressed), but man is this a different experience!

I immediately went ahead and bought a Cannondale supersix evo 3 Ultegra (full carbon):



I will be using it for commuting to work almost everyday (can take it inside the office) which is around 30 km/18 miles (ill do that in 40 mins with minimal effort!)... and it does pan out as i dont spend any money (gas/car/sub/bus) anymore and its way more fun way to travel, right now however i am in Montenegro and i do take it out for a spin in the beautiful Montenegro nature (where im at right now & where i bought the bike!) aswell:







I highly recommend you guys try one, you wont believe how fast & fun it is!

Biking is fking amazing in every way, except safety. Getting hit by a car as a biker is no joke, and your risk is especailly elevated since youre commuting 60 km to/from work every day.

Hope you buy premium life insurance.

[Jasper]

Pauk acts like he invented the bike ...

I used to be a 40-50 mile runner a week , but had injuries , so I started cross training with a road bike.
Average ride was 25 miles... on average about 1 1/2 hours.
I moved to northern Wisconsin , where road biking meant less loops and more there and back rides..(I hated it)
So I was one of the first mountain bikers in my area, and started hitting the logging roads etc ... no helmet.
So I will tell you my last logging road workout...
Flying down a rutted hill , my bike caught in a rut , and I flipped the bike and landed on my as$ and back. Fingers , toes wiggled , I'm alright. Looked to my left and 1 foot from my head was a frickin big as$ rock. Right then and there I said from now on a HELMET is on my noggin' .
Now that I am married the wife mountain bikes with me , much more tamer ride , black top and gravel back roads... we average 50 miles a week.
Our area promotes fat tire biking and has some awesome woods trails , , another story.

HAd two potential accidents that just scared the shit out of me , flying down a hill probably 35+ miles an hour , a car pulled into my lane across traffic to park in a garage... an old lady not seeing me... I swerved into left lane , and drove back and asked her to watch out for bikers.
Next one was in dusk , doing a quick ride, riding down a neighborhood street and a pizza guy decided to do a 'U' turn.. I slammed on the brakes and had to walk the bike back home , cause I bent the shit out of it.

[pauk]

Biking is fking amazing in every way, except safety. Getting hit by a car as a biker is no joke, and your risk is especailly elevated since youre commuting 60 km to/from work every day.

Hope you buy premium life insurance.

I live/work in Denmark, Scandinavia has awesome roads, separated bicycle roads (literally everywhere), small population, no big traffic (not many cars at all outside copenhagen especially unless you are on the highway), its safe to ride around here, all flat/no hills, its made for a road bike.... except for the boring scenery... :P Have been biking there most of my life, never had anywhere close to an incidient, never had a helmet aswell, this time however i might have to go for it!

[ISHGoat]

I live/work in Denmark, Scandinavia has awesome roads, separated bicycle roads (literally everywhere), small population, no big traffic (not many cars at all outside copenhagen especially unless you are on the highway), its safe to ride around here, all flat/no hills, its made for a road bike.... except for the boring scenery... :P Have been biking there most of my life, never had anywhere close to an incidient, never had a helmet aswell, this time however i might have to go for it!

Sounds like pretty ideal conditions for cycling. Bike lanes make all the difference.

Definitely get a helmet, because riding without a helmet is max risk-tiny reward. Youre risking your life for $30, a little convenience, and a little more peripheral vision. Its like signing a broken down ex-all star to a long term max deal; don't do it!

[pauk]

Pauk acts like he invented the bike ...

I used to be a 40-50 mile runner a week , but had injuries , so I started cross training with a road bike.
Average ride was 25 miles... on average about 1 1/2 hours.
I moved to northern Wisconsin , where road biking meant less loops and more there and back rides..(I hated it)
So I was one of the first mountain bikers in my area, and started hitting the logging roads etc ... no helmet.
So I will tell you my last logging road workout...
Flying down a rutted hill , my bike caught in a rut , and I flipped the bike and landed on my as$ and back. Fingers , toes wiggled , I'm alright. Looked to my left and 1 foot from my head was a frickin big as$ rock. Right then and there I said from now on a HELMET is on my noggin' .
Now that I am married the wife mountain bikes with me , much more tamer ride , black top and gravel back roads... we average 50 miles a week.
Our area promotes fat tire biking and has some awesome woods trails , , another story.

HAd two potential accidents that just scared the shit out of me , flying down a hill probably 35+ miles an hour , a car pulled into my lane across traffic to park in a garage... an old lady not seeing me... I swerved into left lane , and drove back and asked her to watch out for bikers.
Next one was in dusk , doing a quick ride, riding down a neighborhood street and a pizza guy decided to do a 'U' turn.. I slammed on the brakes and had to walk the bike back home , cause I bent the shit out of it.

Haha yea, MTB'ing is a bit extreme. It is damn scary to go so fast on a road bike though, being so light, with those razor thin tires, today i flied down the hill and almost lost control because i grazed a tiny pebble stone, pooped my pants.

[irondarts]

I biked over 4000 miles last year. But I'm strictly a mountain biker these days, although I do commute to work by bike everyday as well. Had some epic multi day 100-200 mile bikepacking trips last year.

18 miles in 40 minutes is incredibly fast though. 27 MPH pace, that's like pro level speed, even on the road.

[irondarts]

It's funny, I've done some seriously gnarly mountain biking and have never crashed, but in July of this year I had a really serious bike accident commuting home from work. Was going down a hill at about 25 mph, went to turn at the bottom of the hill and slid out on some loose sand. I had a concussion, a gash above my eye that required 9 stitches, severe road rash on most of my body and a hairline fracture in my wrist.

Proud to say though that I was back on the bike less then a week later.

Nothing like riding your bike.

edit: I sure hope you wear a helmet, my helmet really saved me when I had that crash, possibly even saved my life.

[9erempiree]

Noob barely found out about road bikes.

I ride road bikes.

[JEFFERSON MONEY]

That's awesome, pauk.
I was wishy-washy about using a bike, but now it seems quite worth it. Thank you for reminding us to conserve the environment and strengthen our lungs/legs.

When you look at all the gorgeous scenery around you, it's nice to play movies in your head on when they began, how they grew, where they came to be, and their relation to you.

[Andrew Wiggins]

i have one for exercise. not a big fan of the hunched over position you're forced to ride with for extended periods of time. i'm looking to switch over to a hybrid as i rarely go more than 15 miles

[pauk]

Noob barely found out about road bikes.

I ride road bikes.

Like i said, i did ride some road bike(s) before, some 80s/90s ones, wasnt that impressed... any other road bikes ive seen fly by, have never tried working out with one ever though especially not a new Carbon with 105/Ultegra, no other road bike compares, im sorry for being a noob in that regard, i guess its very common for everybody to own these road bikes where you live 9er?
So what road bike(s) do you have/ride?
Is there anything you aint a "noob" at almighty 9er? :)

[pauk]

I biked over 4000 miles last year. But I'm strictly a mountain biker these days, although I do commute to work by bike everyday as well. Had some epic multi day 100-200 mile bikepacking trips last year.

18 miles in 40 minutes is incredibly fast though. 27 MPH pace, that's like pro level speed, even on the road.

Should try it! You will get hooked trust me. Yea, i guess its pretty nice pace, dont want to brag but i am always in good condition (cardio) so to say & the basketball legs are used to punishment & in good shape, used to plow through chunky bikes all my life so this feels like nothing, the same exact cadence/energy i put into my Hybrid (which was fast, i thought!) i averaged 15 mph... the difference is amazing!

[pauk]

That's awesome, pauk.
I was wishy-washy about using a bike, but now it seems quite worth it. Thank you for reminding us to conserve the environment and strengthen our lungs/legs.

When you look at all the gorgeous scenery around you, it's nice to play movies in your head on when they began, how they grew, where they came to be, and their relation to you.

Amen brother!

[pauk]

i have one for exercise. not a big fan of the hunched over position you're forced to ride with for extended periods of time. i'm looking to switch over to a hybrid as i rarely go more than 15 miles

I thought that way about dropbars aswell, but now after having tried it longer on a well fitted road bike i actually think they give MUCH more comfort... flat-bar gives you only one handposition, way to static, kills my hands on longer distances, its horribly irritating when they ache and you cant do anything about it but must keep pedalling... on the dropbar you can rest the hands between the tops, hoods or the ramps if you dont want to hunch over or if you want to hunch over (go into aero position) into the drops & hooks!

Frame Size / Fitting is absolutely essential for road bikes, you have to find a road bike especially fitted for you, if you do you will have the best comfort of any bicycle unless you rock those recumbent bikes lol