First 'dropped bar' road bike Ideas ?

[trogg]

Hi,
wondering if anyone can help.
I've got a MTB and a Hybrid but i would like to try a road bike with drop bars, The last time i had dropped bars was over 40 years ago and I swore then that I would never ride that sort of bike again .

However, Things might of changed since then so I'm going to give it another try.

I don't really have a budget but as I'm not sure if it's going to suit me I would prefer to buy something cheaper to start off with and if all goes well I can move on.

The biggest challenge is to find a bike big enough, I'm 6'5" and my current Hybrid has a 25" frame, and I had to buy a riser to get the bars to a more comfortable position.

Had a look in Decathlon today and they had a Triban 500SE in a 63cm frame, i sat on it and initially thought it was too small but perhaps it's just the style of bike, I couldn't take it around the store for a test ride because the tyre was flat, none of the other bikes came in a 63cm frame.

Anybody got any ideas ? very tempted with the triban 500se, has some very good reviews and is very cheap at around £300 but I guess the components are going to be poor.

[[XAP]Bob]

Not that poor...

If you have the shop locally then go back and take a test ride - get them to pump the tyre up if needed...

[Freddie]

If you can afford to take your Hybrid out of action and stick to your MTB for the moment, you could fit some drops on your Hybrid. You'd need a shorter stem, some different shifters (perhaps friction would be cheapest and easiest) and so on. This would be the cheapest way to see if it was for you, but it would take some time and effort.

[beardy]

It will feel very wobbly, weird and probably scary for the first half mile or so.
Make sure that you give it long enough a test before deciding that it isnt for you.

Personally I think I prefer other types of bars for short distance and steering. The benefits of drops are about aerodynamics and the ability to change position easily on long rides which arent instantly apparent when giving a bike a test.

[trogg]

Thank you [XAP]Bob, Freddie, beardy,

Decathlon was very busy today, I think everybody has made New years resolutions to get fit but I will give them a ring and see if I can take it out for a spin, Don't really want to mess with my hybrid as I use it on the local canal towpaths and have it set up as I want it and I'll be keeping all 3 bikes buy thanks for the idea .

I think my best bet is just to buy one and If I don't like it i can sell it, i will lose money but if I buy cheap it won't be a lot and if I like it I'll probably sell it anyway to get something better.

When I bought my Hybrid i though I'd made a big mistake, I could feel every bump and it felt uncomfortable, however after a few adjustments and a few weeks in the saddle I got used to it and now only ever use the mtb for the very rough stuff, I'm guessing that I'll have the same experience with a road bike.

As for aerodynamics, at 6'5" and 16 and a half stone a little bit of head wind brings me to a halt

[Freddie]

I would check whether the bike can take larger 28mm tyres, because I think a man of your size is probably going to find 23mm tyres uncomfortable and likely difficult to get up to a high enough pressure to support you properly.

[trogg]

That's a good point Freddie, I'll check with Decathlon although I'm not sure their staff will know, otherwise I could buy a wheelset or go to a proper cycle shop, the place i bought my mountain bike from were very knowledgeable.

did a search on here for 'Large framed bike' and found my thread when I was looking for a Hybrid

Looking on Evans website for bikes but it's taking ages because I have to click on each picture and check what frame sizes they have

[Freddie]

I think the problem is these bikes are built with very close tyre clearances to the brakes (fashion is a fickle master) and I am almost certain you won't get a 28mm tyre to fit, 25mm may be possible; if you found your transition from MTB to hybrid jarring, you likely ain't seen nothing yet.

[trogg]

Hmmm, I found a 'Triban' forum which agrees with you freddie, 25mm max, and obviously my idea of getting wider rims is a no go was having a blond moment

back to the drawing board.... found a Trek 1.1 C H2 on the Evans website... same problem with the tyres though.

[RickH]

If you want to run wider tyres you might be better looking at cyclocross/CX type bikes. Or gravel/adventure bikes. They are usually built for wider tyres (& usually mudguards too).

Rick.

[SimonCelsa]

Regarding Decathlon B'Twin Triban tyre sizes & associated clearance;

Quote: "Another big change from the previous models is tyre clearance, with the new Triban able to accept tyres up to 32mm. Each bike will come fitted with 25mm Hutchinson tyres and the capability to accept 28mm tyres in conjunction with mudguards and 32mm tyres without. With regards to mudguards the bikes feature eyelet so you can fit full proper guards. There are also eyelets for panniers."
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/tech/dec ... LKF8pMu.99

I was thinking of the 540 for the daughter but work intervened temporarily, maybe next time home,

all the best, Simon

[eileithyia]

Flat tyre??? All that was required was to swap a wheel from another bike?????

It will feel odd initially, but you will quickly adapt.
I can't believe clearance for 25mm will not take 28mm tyre, i am at the other end of the scale have small bikes and can get rims that take 25-28mm tyres for my touring bike and change sizes as I wish......

[mattsccm]

Look at Planet X.


The cynical part of me says that many of the cheaper bikes are less up to date in their design. This often means that they are built for narrow tyres as that was the "racy" thing to do.
Not universal but enough to make you need to check things.

[trogg]

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas, I'm still having problems finding a larger frame, looks like I'll need a 63cm+ /25"+ /XXL size and then I'll to find a cycle shop who has one to try but I've started a shortlist.

SimonCelsa, I've had a look at that link, but It only mentioned the 520 and 540 which don't do the larger frame, and I don't know the difference between the 520 and the 500se but I'm passing Decathlon this afternoon and I'll have a look. If they have made the same changes on the 500se it will be on top of my list.

Hopefully they won't be so busy today

[TrevA]

You really don't need anything wider than 25mm tyres. i'm slightly shorter than you (6ft 2in) but quite a bit heavier. I ride 25mm all year round. Won't be as comfortable as your MTB or hybrid but will be much faster. I'm not sure what stock tyres come with the Triban but consider upgrading them to Continental Gatorskins, which have better puncture protection. Just pump them up to 100-110 psi and they'll be fine for supporting your weight. I'm currently just over 19st!

Also, in my local Decathlon, they have some road bikes set up on turbo trainers, so you can at least ride them and get a feel for the bike and if the size suits you. Ask the staff if they can put the 63cm bike on a turbo for you to try.