Well just bought a 05 Carrera Vanquish to try road riding and had a ride around the block before i service it, Feels very strange compared to the MTB everything seems to be working even though at first i thought the shifter were broke and the levers were lose i soon worked it out so happy as it cost me £100 so im not losing cash if its not for me.
Couple of question so far where do you guys put your nuts Maybe the seat is setup wrong ? Other than that i need any advice i can get regarding switching from mtb to road it feels scary at moment mainly the steering is it more lean than steer?
Dannybee Im awaiting replies like you I've just bought a cheaper road bike for a dabble so to say and have similar questions to ask. Hoping for some decent advice , as the speed and steering especially are way different to what I've been used too on my cube mtb
I put my nuts the same place as I do on a MTB. Similarly I steer MTB and road the same way. I've never noticed that much difference, except ride (harder on the roadie, watch out for pot-holes!) and speed (MTBs seem SO SLOW...)
Main differences I find switching from one to the other are responsiveness (both steering and acceleration), and higher speed (tyre size I guess mainly). As to lean rather than steer no real difference to me.
I spent some time on a Carerra Subway last year. Very wide flat bars. Even after setting it up so the bars / saddle / pedals had the same configuration as my normal drop-bar bike, it felt very strange. The bike didn't read my mind and actually had to be steered around corners.
But I suppose that if I'd ridden the flat-bar Subway for nearly a quarter century, I'd find a drop-bar tourer just as strange.
The Subway was more sure-footed on bumpy gravel paths, and harder work on the roads. Mostly down to the tyres, and the wide bars allowed me to hold the steering against potholed paths.
My rather feeble advice to anyone swapping from one type to the other: initially adjust saddle and bars so your body is in the position you are accustomed to. Then get out and discover what the bike does differently.
The extra speed downhill has me caccing myself to be honest taking some getting used too. Very responsive steering probably multiplying the feeling of trepadation as I point the front wheel down hill. Got to admit when the road levels out and I feel a bit safer again I can't wait to see what max speed I've just done. Ave mph up by about 5 as compared to using the mtb without really trying.Is this about normal?
The road bike is going to be quicker on the road as that's what it's designed for! Riding a mountain bike on the road, especially a heavy knobbly tyred full suspension one, just saps so much energy from you. Zipping along smooth roads (if you can find any) is one of the great pleasures of road biking!
I tend to keep my crown jewels inside my lycra bib shorts so I don't get done for indecent exposure...
one thing you'll be thankful for is being used to standing on the pedals for bumps/potholes and using your legs as extra shocks, also edging your butt off the back of the saddle to increase your back wheel braking power. Whilst the steering will be odd for a while you'll get used to it though you can always just fit flat bars (56cm max) and have the best of both worlds. I've predominantly being a flat bar roadie for nigh on 12 years now (commuting/urban/shopping) & I wouldn't want it any other way. Can still reach 40+mph downhill, steering through narrow spaces is easy & best of all replacing gear shifters is massively cheaper! Drops are great if you are just riding around on more open roads, touring and general cycling as well as racing/training rides, of course the more you get used to them (drops) & the dfferences to flat bars it'll become 2nd nature.
Check to make sure the steerer has not been bent in a prang - just a few cms can have a massive impact on how the bike turns. It might have been driven into a wall and then had the forks bent forwards again. Just a thought...
so happy as it cost me £100 so im not losing cash if its not for me.
Maybe the seat is setup wrong ? Other than that i need any advice i can get regarding switching from mtb to road it feels scary at moment mainly the steering is it more lean than steer?
Riding a mountain bike on the road, especially a heavy knobbly tyred full suspension one, just saps so much energy from you. Zipping along smooth roads (if you can find any) is one of the great pleasures of road biking!