How many people own road bikes?

[FSSS]

Since it's that time of year to get in touch with your "inner roadie" (the trails are still recovering from winter and they're too wet to ride)... I was wondering how many people own and ride road bikes.

True road bikes - 700c or 27" wheels, road bars of some sort, road gearing, and a road bike riding position (cyclocross bikes included).

If you do have a roadie, what do you have?

If you want to get one, what are you looking at?

Post a pic if you have one...


pc

[FSSS]

My roadie... a mid-80's Trek fixed gear conversion:

(but I'm considering a geared road bike at some point in the future)

http://www.morcmtb.org/photopost/data/500/Trixie_001.jpg

[igor]

http://www.specialized.com/OA_MEDIA/2004/bikes/04AllezEliteCrMo27_d.jpg
04 Specialized Allez Elite Cr-Mo Triple. I use it more than I thought I would.

[syntaxjunkie]

03 Salsa Campeon. It's been stuck to the trainer all winter long, and I'm itching to get it out for a real spin.

[stoneage]

8-10K a year. Bianchi Carbon painted like a Luna. Full DA including wheels. Speedplay and Easton carbon seatpost.
roadie (http://67.190.229.114/~williamoreilly/road.JPG)

[TrailPatrol]

2005 Marin Venezia. It's like a sports car compared to my SUV (Trek 4600) and cargo van (Trek 930SHX set up for off-road touring) It even knows the way to Caribou by itself!

http://www.chari-u.com/marin05/venezia05.jpg

I put a WTB road saddle and custom built wheels on mine, toe clips and a rack for light touring with my smaller panniers. I also bought a Blackburn trainer stand with my REI dividend to use in after skiing goes to heck. It felt great to get it out on the North Hennepin/CR Dam paved trail yesterday! I will ride it most until the trails dry out, and then it's my "grab and go" bike for errands, coffee, quick exercise or whatever, after I can get back off pavement.

Ride safe,
:banana:
Hans

[danger!]

Not at the moment, but hope to be getting a cyclocross bike soon. Never thought I'd say those words...

[jjrsds]

2003 Bianchi EV3 Al. Full Ultegra 39-53, 12-25, Mavic Cosmos wheels. Ride it to work a couple of times a week when weather allows me. One ride with a road only buddy on his easy/spin day (I'm clydesdale class, he is about 6 foot 2 inch, 155 and I try to keep up :sick: ) and try to put in 1 40 mile ride by myself once a week. It is fun to hop on a light skinny tire bike and cruise down the road.

[Thewavebb]

I just bought my first road bike this year and I love it. I am now riding to work everyday and getting out way before I would have in the past. Its a 2006 Trek 1500. Here's the pic I took of it.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d105/PADproject/Ben/trek1500.jpg

[FSSS]

Ride it to work a couple of times a week when weather allows me. One ride with a road only buddy on his easy/spin day (I'm clydesdale class, he is about 6 foot 2 inch, 155 and I try to keep up :sick: ) and try to put in 1 40 mile ride by myself once a week. It is fun to hop on a light skinny tire bike and cruise down the road.

I don't think that qualifies as "hardly use it" ;)

[SpecHR55]

I ride my dads older Allez when hes not riding it. A very basic bike thats pretty light to my standards haha.

[soupboy]

Got a nice one. Sold it a year later. 50+ miles on the road just bored me to tears. Late onset ADD I guess. Also, why take several hours to achieve something exercise-wise done far faster?

[jonbodin]

I actually have 2: 2004 Trek 5200 for long rides on weekends and a 2005 Specialized Sirrus for weekday morning rides (for paved paths-the upright geometry makes it easier to 'avoid' cars! :crazy2:

[stoneage]

why take several hours to achieve something exercise-wise done far faster?
HUH!!! There is no better way to get in shape with less trauma (other than XC skiing) than a road bike. It does take more time than other activities, but the benefits are huge. Almost all top off-road riders do nothing but ride their road bike until race day. The euros started winning immediately after we invented the sport, because they knew how to train. You can get a good workout on an off-road bike, but it takes it's toll.

[SprocketHead]

I bought the first road bike ever last year, what a great way to get around.. You can relly cover some miles! It's a whole different type of workout than MBing.

I have a Cannondale R600 Triple, so, I'm not really a roadie. No self respecting "Roadie" would be caught dead with a Triple Chainring!:etard:

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/cusa/images/large/4RR6TRED.jpg

[Ogre]

1998 Croll 853 custom frame and fork
2000 Dura Ace Group
2000 Salsa stem and handlebar
Chris King headset
2001 Selle Italia Trans Am Prolink
2000 Speedplay stainless
2005 Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset
:D

Somebody should take Soupboy on a hill climb route.
Nothing boring about it. The constant spin of a road ride is
SOOOO much more of a workout.

Einstein had some interesting comments about people
that get bored easily.:jumpy:

[bigwheel]

No self respecting "Roadie" would be caught dead with a Triple Chainring

No respect. I'm still using the old 21 speed that I built in the early 80's. Back in the day, it would get about 6k miles every summer. (all touring - no racing) Now, it is lucky to see 500. It has a 26 1/2 inch cro-mo steel frame, which is really comfortable on long trips, so I don't want to part with it.

The bike still has the set of Phil Wood hubs that I bought back in 1973 while I was in high school. They were from the first batch of 150 Phil Wood hubs ever mass produced. The hubs have only been rebuilt once, about 15 years ago. Still smooth as ever. I'm guessing that they have about 30+k miles on them. (I also bought a second set of hubs in late 80's and laced up a set of very skinny rims for chasing fast people.)

This spring, I'm finally getting rid of the 27-inch rims and lacing up a set of sturdy 700c wheels that will be better suited for my uber-clydesdale status. This will be the third set of rims for the old Phils.

We are also rebuilding my wife's 20-year old road bike, and switching her to my second set of Phil hubs. She likes that bike because it is blue. I like it because it is cro-mo steel, it fits her well, and it has every possible braze-on you can imagine.

So, we'll be the ones still riding the retro bikes with the suntour components and kickstands.

[tedsti]

I do believe that she was the only one this weekend sporting a kickstand. Maybe you can hook up some parking lights to automatically come on when the kickstand is down.

So, we'll be the ones still riding the retro bikes with the suntour components and kickstands.

[bigwheel]

I do believe that she was the only one this weekend sporting a kickstand. Maybe you can hook up some parking lights to automatically come on when the kickstand is down.

lol.

Kickstands are a neat invention. It's kind of rewarding to be on a road ride stop where there are a bunch of $3,000 bikes all laying in the dirt, with our cheapies standing above them all.

[Wolfchimp]

2005 Trek 2300 with Ultegra 10. I've had a few good rides on it between last year and this spring but I have tended to neglect it due to my love of mountain biking.:D

[RedSquirrel]

Lot's and lots of Mtn bike rides(on road) with slicks, studs and knobbies, no rodie.
Might borrow a rodie & do the Iron Man this year.
Peer pressure...

[mara]

I have a beautiful, custom cyclocross/road bike. It has been out of commission for about a year now with a shifting problem, so all my road miles have been 32x16. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. . .

If I ever get my bike back, it will be interesting to see if I remember how to ride skinny tires and drop bars :)

[TrailPatrol]

lol.

Kickstands are a neat invention. It's kind of rewarding to be on a road ride stop where there are a bunch of $3,000 bikes all laying in the dirt, with our cheapies standing above them all.

Watch yourselves there...I have rear-mount kickstands on all of my bikes, It makes it a heck of a lot easier to get stuff out of my panniers, EMT bag or rack pack than trying to hold the bike up and dig through looking for my BP cuff or tent fly or something else I might need in a hurry.

Ride safe,
:banana:
Hans

[Trevize1138]

Watch yourselves there...I have rear-mount kickstands on all of my bikes, It makes it a heck of a lot easier to get stuff out of my panniers, EMT bag or rack pack than trying to hold the bike up and dig through looking for my BP cuff or tent fly or something else I might need in a hurry.

Ride safe,
:banana:
Hans

All you need is a Bob trailer and then just jackknife it with the bike and it all stands up enough to get at your stuff. ;)

[Trevize1138]

I have a road bike. I converted it to a singlespeed and put platforms on it so it serves as my dry weather commuter. I've got my Rockhopper fitted with fenders for wet days.

Never really ride it for workouts anymore, though. It's awesome for getting around town.

[FarmerBEN]

I own a skinny tire, it is a yellow miyata from something like 1970. Not a fantastic machine but it is a comfy ride. I rarely ride roads though, I don't put my life in the hands of the american motorist. Last year I put in a few hundred rail trail miles this year I hope to put in somewhere around a grand. Rail trails are fantastic trails if you can hit them before noon midweek like I try to.

[Tex]

As a former BMXer, turned mountain biker, I was a bit hesitant to make to shift over to the skinny tire bikes. But I finally bought one a few years ago, and now I put more time on the skinnies than I do on the fatties. Riding the road bike right out my front door is just easier than loading the mountain bike up on the car and driving to the trail-head. Although, given the choice, I would MUCH rather be able to ride prime single-track right out my front door on my mountain bike, but alas that's not the case. I have to admit that I do enjoy the speed your able to go, and maintain, on a roadie too.
Plus now that I'm a new Dad I seem to always be on a time crunch. So most of my rides are when I have "an hour here" or "a half hour there" so drive time eats into my ride time.

[danger!]

As a former BMXer, turned mountain biker, I was a bit hesitant to make to shift over to the skinny tire bikes. But I finally bought one a few years ago, and now I put more time on the skinnies than I do on the fatties. Riding the road bike right out my front door is just easier than loading the mountain bike up on the car and driving to the trail-head. Although, given the choice, I would MUCH rather be able to ride prime single-track right out my front door on my mountain bike, but alas that's not the case. I have to admit that I do enjoy the speed your able to go, and maintain, on a roadie too.
Plus now that I'm a new Dad I seem to always be on a time crunch. So most of my rides are when I have "an hour here" or "a half hour there" so drive time eats into my ride time.

I echo all of this as why I'm looking to getting a road bike again. :D

[berrywise]

I really don't like riding on the road much. I like riding my cruiser around lakes and to bars but that's about it.

That being said I did get another road bike this year to try and ride to work more often. I had been riding a commuter mountain bike but that frusterated me even more in how inefficient it was.

I don't as much as I should so when I do decide to ride it's on dirt.

[nigel]

Im turning into more of a roadie than a mtn biker these days.......got my first road bike hrmmm, 2000 i think and was amazed at how much stronger I got after just one season on it, after that i ride probably 70% road and 30% mtn. I could care less about the speed, thats subjective, but to actually feel yourself get stronger is pretty sweet. Currently on a 05' Raleigh, will be on a 06' something after I sell the one I got now.

[Fast1]

Specialized S-Works road bike equiped with:
FSA Carbon K wing bars
Specialized carbon tri-spoke wheels
Tufo Elite Jet 160 gr Tubulars
Full Dura Ace Groupo
Chris King Headset
Time Titan Magnesium pedals

Road bikes are great exercise but riding off road is much more peacefull without the cars.. Gotta have both!

[Aaroneous]

Anyone who thinks road riding is boring needs a fixed gear. Wait, lemme revise that. Y'all need a fixed gear! Don't be a wuss!

[TrailPatrol]

All you need is a Bob trailer and then just jackknife it with the bike and it all stands up enough to get at your stuff. ;)

What if I am not using the BoB trailer???? Or at the TC Marathon where dragging BoBby around might injure runners? If you think less of people like me becaue I use a kickstand, just go up to the next bike cop you see and tell them that if they were "real mountain bikers" they wouldn't use a kick stand. :p I can tell you what their two-word answer will be. :shocked:

Besides which, I am not as sold on ol' BoB as I used to be. I really prefer panniers any more. Just got a beautiful pair of green Jandd expedition bags for my 930SHX. When you have 40-50 lbs. of camping gear on the back of your bike, you don't want to have to pick it up off the ground, hold it with one hand and dig with the other to find your cook stove somewhere in your bike bags. Yeah...I think I will leep my rear-mount kick stand, right where it is. :cool:

Ride safe,
:banana:
Hans

[Konaboy]

I've had a road bike (2 if you count my cross bike) for a couple of years, but I don't get to ride it as much as I would like. It's nice to ride right out of your driveway and not actually drive to a trail, but if you don't vary your route it can get pretty monotonous.

[TML]

Here are my two. Still fairly new to the whole road bike thing but it is very nice to go out right from my house and really cover some ground in the short time periods that I have to get away.


The Raleigh International- Campy Centaur stuff mostly. Columbus steel frame. Courtesy Doug Holtz. He's got another for sale now if anyone is interested. :)

http://www.morcmtb.org/photopost/data/500/IMG_0058_sm.jpg



And the newly acquired Peugeot project bike. It ain't broke, but it's just beggin' to be fixed. :crazy2:

http://www.morcmtb.org/photopost/data/500/IMG_0061_sm.jpg

[funky-funky-chicken]

More road bikes than off-road for me. If you add up hours and miles, I certainly log more on the road bikes than anything off. I think it is easier to just jump on a road bike and head out the door. Since I live in Roseville, it's a PITA to ride to trails. (I need to figure out how to carry an off-road bike ON my road bike. I like the set up that Nick at Surly uses with an Instigator/Xtracycle using a tray-mount to carry another bike.)

[mara]

Since I live in Roseville, it's a PITA to ride to trails.

I agree. Not that it stops me from doing it anyway. Now that I have a shiny new flip-flop rear wheel, riding to the trails will be much more pleasant. Thanks, Pete and Jim!

[gordanfreeman]

Anyone who thinks road riding is boring needs a fixed gear. Wait, lemme revise that. Y'all need a fixed gear! Don't be a wuss!:banana:

i have 1 now which is my commuter bike. an old free spirit (big-ups to sears branded bikes!) which has been single-speeded and rocks a set of bullhorns.

i am picking up a brand new surly steamroller tomorrow tho. that will be my new main ride. i plan on running it fixed most of the time; maybe its the teenager in me speaking but there is nothing quite like the rush of cutting through rush-hour traffic on a track-style bike, bad drivers or not.

[funky-funky-chicken]

I agree. Not that it stops me from doing it anyway. Now that I have a shiny new flip-flop rear wheel, riding to the trails will be much more pleasant. Thanks, Pete and Jim!

I do ride to trails sometimes on my off-road bike... I do ride Theo pretty regularly in the summer on my way to work. Well, now that they are doing construction on the Plymouth Ave bridge, I do have to ride a bit out of my way to ride through, but... It can still be the highlight of a commute.

[RedSquirrel]

This Peugeot looks just like my Dad's old bike from 1975. Wow! Cool. Reynolds 531?
http://www.morcmtb.org/photopost/data/500/IMG_0061_sm.jpg[/quote]

[TML]

This Peugeot looks just like my Dad's old bike from 1975. Wow! Cool. Reynolds 531?


531? I was wondering about that. I don't think it is though, unless someone took the sticker off. In trying to find out what year it was, I read that all the 531 bikes had Reynolds stickers. I'm still not sure exactly what year it is.

In case anyone has any ideas on year or model:

Nervar cottered cranks
Mafac "Racer" brakes
Simplex shifters
Lyotard pedals
Atax stem
Deraileurs are not original
French made frame

[Aaroneous]

Hey Troy - I couldn't tell ya the year, but you definitely oughta read this (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html)to prepare yourself for all the wacky sizes and threadings you're going to encounter when you start tearing into that thing. Crazy-ass Frenchies.

I think it's a UO-8 - early 70s...

Nice lookin' frame, though! Lemme know if you need any help/ideas for the conversion! We're gonna hafta have a fixie ride this season...

[bobbkr]

I ride about 60-70% road. My wife and I have a variety of bikes (I think 9 or 10). We have a Co-Motion road tandem and custom Serotta road bikes (sooo sweet). Doing a custom fitted bike is the way to go, especially for a female, as most bikes are designed for male proportions.

[TrailPatrol]

You know that the sales of road bikes are way up compared to about five of ten years ago? Due in no small part to a certain roadie from Texas who shall remain nameless, (but his initials are Lance Armstrong) who wins big races, dates big name singers and beats what John Wayne called "The Big C" for all the world to see. And unlike the millions of mountain bikes sold that never see a trail, if you ride your road bike at all, it is almost automatically in it's paved element. I want to get a loaded touring bike (either a Trek 520, Bianchi Volpe or Novara Randonee) which is basically a Chromoly steel framed road bike with 44-45cm chainstays and racks. I just am not sure what to sacrifice to keep Mrs. E. happy, the '97 Trek 930SHX "cop" bike or the almost new Marin. To my way of thinking, the perfect number of bikes is 1...more. Unfortunately, my wife, who is very happy with her one Trek 7300, does not quite see it the same way I do. The good news is that I don't have to sacrifice anything to take on the Evingson next winter...I just have to park the van in the driveway instead of the garage.:D

Ride safe,
:banana:
Hans

[Ogre]

I want to get a loaded touring bike


Waterford
http://www.waterfordbikes.com/

or their little brother:
Gunnar
http://www.gunnarbikes.com/

[bobbkr]

Hans,
Check out last months Bicycling mag. They reviewed a couple of touring bikes. The Novara sounded good. I have an old Novara Strada which is a heavy steel beast of a bike. Bulletproof. It has been everywhere. Europe twice, British Coumbia, New Mexico....and I ride when the weather is foul.

[TrailPatrol]

Waterford
http://www.waterfordbikes.com/ (http://www.waterfordbikes.com/)

I had forgotten about Waterford...That T-14 Adventure Cycle is certainly a beautiful bike! (My color, too! But they do custom paint jobs all the time.)

http://www.waterfordbikes.com/site/designs/t_photos.php

Hans

[funky-funky-chicken]

I had forgotten about Waterford...That T-14 Adventure Cycle is certainly a beautiful bike! (My color, too! But they do custom paint jobs all the time.)

http://www.waterfordbikes.com/site/designs/t_photos.php

Hans

I have owned a Waterford 1900 for what will be 7 years now and 25k + miles. It's been a good bike, not great and I'd like to like the Waterford more than I actually do. The paint quality has been only fair, paint durability poor. Custom paint options add up FAST. For less money, I would purchase a Rivendell Atlantis if I were to do it over. Certainly a more versatile frame with more clearance for fat tires and fenders than what Waterford offers. http://www.rivbike.com/html/bikes_atlantisframes.html

In fairness, perhaps some of my dissatisfaction with my Waterford would be the fact that I (now that I know better) should have purchased a bigger frame than I did. I didn't realize just how comfortable I could be on a bike until I got my first Rivendell custom. After owning probably 20 different road bikes over the years, I finally know what I am looking for in fit.

[TML]

Hey Troy - I couldn't tell ya the year, but you definitely oughta read this (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html)to prepare yourself for all the wacky sizes and threadings you're going to encounter when you start tearing into that thing. Crazy-ass Frenchies.



Yeah, in trying to find out about the bike I did read about all the goofy-ness of the French stuff. Hopefully it won't be too bad to work around. I'll have to read sheldon's site again for reference.

Thanks for the offer of help as well. I'll let ya know if I have any ?'s.

[TrailPatrol]

I have owned a Waterford 1900 for what will be 7 years now and 25k + miles. For less money, I would purchase a Rivendell Atlantis if I were to do it over. Certainly a more versatile frame with more clearance for fat tires and fenders than what Waterford offers. http://www.rivbike.com/html/bikes_atlantisframes.html

The Waterford I like is only about 1500. Rivs are beautiful, great bikes, and I love the sage (USFS) green color, but I would be out on my backside if I ever spent that on a bike. (And it's just the frame!)

Rode my Trek 4600 MTB on the Luce Line today, then rode the Marin up to Caribou. (My day off is today) First time I have ever ridden one right after the other, and wow...I could become a serious roadie. What a huge difference!

Ride safe, but ride!
:banana:
Hans

[funky-funky-chicken]

The Waterford I like is only about 1500. Rivs are beautiful, great bikes, and I love the sage (USFS) green color, but I would be out on my backside if I ever spent that on a bike. (And it's just the frame!)

Loaded touring on your own rocks. You might take a look at the Bruce Gordon. The BLT (http://www.bgcycles.com/blt.html)would be suitable for road riding, but I envision you as more of the "Rock 'n Road (http://www.bgcycles.com/rnr.html)" type. The venerable Trek 520 is tough to beat, though not really suitably geared for real touring. Another option, originally a joint venture between Rivendell and Waterford, then defunct, now another private venture would be Heron. http://www.heronbicycles.com/frames.html

[burb72]

I just inherited a copy of the older peugeot "le mont"? on page 3, that is in this thread, the derailer is hosed, dont really know anything about this bike, how much is it worth and what kind of derailer can i use/should i use, thanks very much, mike

[Aaroneous]

I just inherited a copy of the older peugeot "le mont"? on page 3, that is in this thread, the derailer is hosed, dont really know anything about this bike, how much is it worth and what kind of derailer can i use/should i use, thanks very much, mike

You should NOT use a derailer. ;) Listen to your Uncle Sheldon. (http://sheldonbrown.com/fixed-conversion.html)

Oh, and the parts are probably all Frenched-up, so read up (http://sheldonbrown.com/velos.html) before you try any intermingling of the races.

~A

[steef]

I have torn a couple like that apart. Had to use a grinder to get the cottered cranks off of. If you need a derailleur, a low end Simplex would be right. That was a lower end Peugeot model, but it would make a fine SS/fixie.

[TrailPatrol]

Exchanged the Marin for a Bianchi Volpe, loaded touring bike. Love it! It is the most comfortable, capable bike I have owned in the 14 years I have been riding as an adult.

Ride safe,

[Going_Loud]

I might get one in a couple years when I am out of college and will have some money.

[burb72]

thanks for your help
mike

[soupboy]

Tried it. Hated it. Riding the streets - exclusively - when there is perfectly good singletrack available is a crime.

[dostoy]

I just inherited a copy of the older peugeot "le mont"? on page 3, that is in this thread, the derailer is hosed, dont really know anything about this bike, how much is it worth and what kind of derailer can i use/should i use, thanks very much, mike

I ride an old UO8 quite a bit. My derailleur died about a month ago, and I just replaced it with some old Suntour thing I had laying around. You just need to find a compatible hanger.

The bike isn't worth much - it's pretty low end. If you want to ride it, I recommend losing the heavy cottered cranks and the steel rims, if you have them. The bottom bracket is french thread though, so you can't just go throw some cartridge BB in there. As i recall, you either have to find a 70mm, square taper spindle or buy Sugino French thread cups from Harris Cyclery, at which point you can use the much more common 68mm square taper spindle. This is all assuming you get some old alloy cranks with a square taper.

If your bike has the AVA stem, you should replace it. These were known as the Death Stem - I guess they break and then you fall onto the jagged remains and...you know..... These are supposed to be an odd french size as well, but I bought a standard sized, used stem and it dropped right in there. Of course, once you switch to the standard stem, the clamp diameter changes and you can't use your old french bars anymore either.

You know, after typing all of this, maybe my advice is just find a different bike....