Buying a new bike - advice and suggestive guidance requested

[moonoi]

Here we are

IMG_0790.JPG

IMG_0796.JPG

Avanti Giro AR 2

Maybe not the perfect bike- not as sexy as the Giant Anyroad, but availability from stock, and being within walking distance made a big difference.

Once I got the saddle to about the right height it was OK comfortwise, but it will take a bit of time to build up confidence, I think.

SC

I dunno, I prefer the look of this to the Anyroad! Very nice, but please ditch those reflectors on the wheels ;-)

Please let us know how it rides

[StreetCowboy]

Here we are

IMG_0790.JPG

IMG_0796.JPG

Avanti Giro AR 2

Maybe not the perfect bike- not as sexy as the Giant Anyroad, but availability from stock, and being within walking distance made a big difference.

Once I got the saddle to about the right height it was OK comfortwise, but it will take a bit of time to build up confidence, I think.

SC

I dunno, I prefer the look of this to the Anyroad! Very nice, but please ditch those reflectors on the wheels ;-)

Please let us know how it rides

It rides safer with the reflectors at night. I've doe about 20 km in laps round my suburb.

I don't feel as confident in traffic - on the MTB I would hammer it through the traffic, and my only limitation was how fast I could go. Riding on the hoods, I don't think I can match the braking of the car in front, and I'm not sure if the transfer of braking forces through my arms.

Down on the drops, I don't feel I have the same all-round visibility, and I don't feel I have the same precise steering for filtering between the wing mirrors in queuing traffic.

I did set a new personal best round my local suburb 3 km loop without bursting a gut, though. I might play with the angle of the saddle.

The frame seems a bit more 'compliant' - it's not such a pain in the arse going over the yellow painted speed bump lines.

Tomorrow I'll take a longer ride, some heavier traffic, and see if I can beat my 80 second kilometre down Highway 15.

The big test will be when I go out with my mate on his road bike - see if I can leave him behind...

[StreetCowboy]

I went out on a 36 km ride.

I reckon now I bought a frame too big - I find the reach to the hoods uncomfortably far,and if I had the brake extenders like on the Anyroad, I'd sit with my hands on the main handlebar all the time. Anyway, I'll see if I grow into it, and if not, I'll get a 50 mm shorter headstock.

Although I thought I was quick - 25 kph on the first 24 km, I didn't break any personal records - 84 seconds on the fast kilometre down Highway 15, and I was still knackered by the time I got home. Maybe I'm a bit poorly just now. I'll see how I get on tomorrow - I'll try a couple of hills, and see how I cope on the downhills.

I can see why my mate that I ride with doesn't throw himself into the traffic with the same abandon that I do; on the hoods, I really don't feel secure, and on the drops, I don't have the peripheral vision that you need in traffic.

So if I'm still uncomfortable in a couple of weeks, I'll get a shorter headstock. If I'm still unhappy, I'll see if I can put a flat handle-bar on it - maybe reuse my mountain-bike bar, but I'm not sure if the shifters and levers will be compatible. If not, then new ones will be quite an expense...

SC

[bobfish]

Nice bike! I like the colour too.

In your photos the seatpost looks about normal extension, so the frame size is possibly okay. You could try the shorter stem if you still can't get comfortable; 30mm shorter would be enough without affecting steering feel. Meantime, maybe you could try moving your seat to its forward limit, or get a straight seatpost.

[StreetCowboy]

I took it up one of the local benchmark hills this morning; I had to go down to the biggest cog, so I'm a bit nervous about the steeper hills behind the village, and I was glad to get to the top.

I was quite happy rolling down hill, but I didn't like braking - I didn't like transferring the braking effort through bent elbows down on the drops, and up on the hoods, I always feel like my hands are going to slip off over the top.

I felt a little twinge of back pain as well, but I think it will just take a bit of getting used to the new bike.

SC

[MaeJoMTB]

Tilt the handlebars up .... it will shorten the reach to the hoods.

(I never use the drops on mine)

Standard brake pads are often rubbish, changing the brake blocks is an easy and inexpensive upgrade.

Edited December 13, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[StreetCowboy]

Tilt the handlebars up .... it will shorten the reach to the hoods.

(I never use the drops on mine)

Standard brake pads are often rubbish, changing the brake blocks is an easy and inexpensive upgrade.

Good idea - that will give more to push against during braking, and allay my fears of my hands going over the top.

[el jefe]

Your new position is substantially different from what you are used to and can take a long time to get used to.

To get a proper fit the first thing to do is make sure the saddle is positioned so that your knee is over the pedal spindle when in the 3:00 position. Moving the saddle forward is not the way to shorten the reach. You should buy an adjustable stem so you can raise the bars and shorten the reach. As you get more comfortable you can then reverse the adjustment, moving it up to 1 cm ever 400-500 kms.

[StreetCowboy]

I went out again this morning for a few kilometres, without any further complaints. I'm not tearing up my record book, though.

Om the other hand, I prefer the mountain bike for running errands; I went out to work a late night job mid-week, and cycled down on the MTB (I've not transferred the light fittings, and maybe I won't), and coming back at 0230 on a Wednesday morning, I was glad of the low gears... It was nice cycling at that time, though, the roads and highways were quiet, the streets are just as well lit as they are at 8 pm, and some of the dazzling flood lights are turned off.

Mountain bike at work

SC

[StreetCowboy]

I went over my local 'challenge' hill; I don't think it was quick, but I can't tell because I stopped to take a picture of the rustic charm of this route...

I'd hoped I would be smashing all my records with this new bike, but not so...

SC

[moonoi]

I went over my local 'challenge' hill; I don't think it was quick, but I can't tell because I stopped to take a picture of the rustic charm of this route...

Cattle in Bukit Lanjan 2.jpg

I'd hoped I would be smashing all my records with this new bike, but not so...

SC

It's more about the engine than the bike, although something shiny and new can help ;-)

Perhaps the speed will come as you get more confident with the bike.

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[StreetCowboy]

I went over my local 'challenge' hill; I don't think it was quick, but I can't tell because I stopped to take a picture of the rustic charm of this route...

Cattle in Bukit Lanjan 2.jpg

I'd hoped I would be smashing all my records with this new bike, but not so...

SC

It's more about the engine than the bike, although something shiny and new can help ;-)

Perhaps the speed will come as you get more confident with the bike.

Sent from my turnip using Tapatalk

I had a play with the calculator this morning. The lowest gearing on the small chain ring is higher than the lowest gear on the biggest chainwheel on the mountain bike. No wonder I'm struggling with the hills - though I thought that being a few kilos lighter might help more

[MaeJoMTB]

Just change the rear cassette.

They usually come with something like 11/28, you can usually change that for a 11/32 ..... but 11/34 would need a new chain.

600-800 1500bht in most bicycle shops (10 speed cassettes cost a bit more than I thought).

MTB and Road Bike cassettes are interchangeable.

Edited December 22, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[StreetCowboy]

Just change the rear cassette.

They usually come with something like 11/28, you can usually change that for a 11/32 ..... but 11/34 would need a new chain.

600-800 1500bht in most bicycle shops (10 speed cassettes cost a bit more than I thought).

MTB and Road Bike cassettes are interchangeable.

I'll persevere for a while - maybe for the life of this chain, and then upgrade, perhaps.

It's a short derailleur cage / hanger, so I don't know if that limits the overall difference in cogs I can have

[MaeJoMTB]

Usually it's the chain length that matters.

I went through all this with my Trek road bike, came with 11/28 ...... too hard for the steeper parts of Doi Suthep.

Changed it to 11/32 ....... still too hard.

I get off and walk the steeper bits now.

That's much easier.

Or I take my MTB.

Edited December 22, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[StreetCowboy]

Usually it's the chain length that matters.

I went through all this with my Trek road bike, came with 11/28 ...... too hard for the steeper parts of Doi Suthep.

Changed it to 11/32 ....... still too hard.

I get off and walk the steeper bits now.

That's much easier.

Or I take my MTB.

I'm guessing the chain comes long, and they shorten it to fit, so I'll wait till I need to replace the chain, by which time maybe I'll have muscles like Gorilla Legs, and won't need to change

[bobfish]

Just change the rear cassette.

They usually come with something like 11/28, you can usually change that for a 11/32 ..... but 11/34 would need a new chain.

600-800 1500bht in most bicycle shops (10 speed cassettes cost a bit more than I thought).

MTB and Road Bike cassettes are interchangeable.

11/32 should be no problem - it is a road 'mountain gearing' size. Perhaps just a longer B screw to allow the derailleur to articulate far enough. My Di2 works okay like that. 11/34 is an MTB cassette; very likely going to need a longer cage MTB derailleur as well as the extra chain links.

Mae Jo is correct; SRAM/Shimano cassettes interchangeable. Can't mix with Campy etc.

[bobfish]

Usually it's the chain length that matters.

I went through all this with my Trek road bike, came with 11/28 ...... too hard for the steeper parts of Doi Suthep.

Changed it to 11/32 ....... still too hard.

I get off and walk the steeper bits now.

That's much easier.

Or I take my MTB.

This is on the MTB then?:

"I sail past them on my 15k bike.

They got the gear but they ain't got the legs."

[GarryP]

Wish I'd seen this thread earlier. I ride a hybrid. Giant Seek, with flat handlebars and mountain bike gearing (no shocks). I prefer it over both mountain and pure road bikes. It keeps me in a reasonably upright position, is comfortable in traffic and with bar ends I can keep up with most weekend riders. Something I could not do with an MTB.

[StreetCowboy]

Wish I'd seen this thread earlier. I ride a hybrid. Giant Seek, with flat handlebars and mountain bike gearing (no shocks). I prefer it over both mountain and pure road bikes. It keeps me in a reasonably upright position, is comfortable in traffic and with bar ends I can keep up with most weekend riders. Something I could not do with an MTB.

I should've bought a hybrid in the first place, three years ago,but I was in a bit of a hurry.

This time round, it didn't seem like enough of a change.

SC

[StreetCowboy]

Tilt the handlebars up .... it will shorten the reach to the hoods.

(I never use the drops on mine)

Standard brake pads are often rubbish, changing the brake blocks is an easy and inexpensive upgrade.

I took a tumble a few hundred metres from my condo - I don't really know how, I think maybe I stood up in the pedals to attack the hill and my foot slipped off the pedal ('wouldn't have happened if you'd been bolted to the pedals'), anyway, as I went down, I bent the handlebar. The chap in the shop was unwilling to bend it back into shape for fear of fatiguing it to the point of failure, so I bought a new handlebar. Which I have tilted up about 15 degrees. It feels better, and a friend bought me some cycling gloves, so I don't feel like my sweaty paws are going to slide over the top of the brakes when I'm trying to slow down.

As I was riding today, though, I thought "If my contract gets renewed in 2017, I'm going to buy a bike with a basket and mudguards and maybe panniers and everything, to cycle into work at 10 kph"

[john_bkk919]

Sorry to hear that. I've done the same thing, though I didn't bend the handlebar - hope you are OK.

Gloves are a great idea. Pedals can be replaced with grippier versions without going 'clipless'.

Edited January 9, 2016 by john_bkk919

[MaeJoMTB]

My Trek 1.1 came with toe straps as standard.

They work very well.

Like these

[StreetCowboy]

Good idea - especially for the longer rides. Most of my rides are suburban or urban, with too many traffic lights, and I like to take away quickly at the lights, to be first into position on the next road.

I put the two bikes side by side. The bottom braket is an inch or two further forward relative to the saddle on the road bike

and the mountain bike handlebars are more or less level with the ?front post - steering post? of the road bike; then add on the headstock, and then the curved handlebars - no wonder I feel its a long reach to the brakes...

I'll see if I get used to it, and if not, I might put a flat handlebar on, and keep the headstock. I don't particularly like ducking down on the drop bars, anyway.

SC

[moonoi]

You can also buy a shorter stem if you think the reach is too much of a stretch for you, and a relatively cheap component to buy as well.

[StreetCowboy]

You can also buy a shorter stem if you think the reach is too much of a stretch for you, and a relatively cheap component to buy as well.

With disc brakes, I worry about sweaty hands slipping over the hoods if I brake hard. I do like the variety of positions, though.

Maybe I cod swap the MTB headstock with the road bike, and improve both bikes.

Maybe I should just ride it until I learn to like it...

[MrTrip]

My road bike came with a 105mm stem and I hated it. Stretched out too far felt so uncomfortable. Changed to 45mm and wow what a difference[emoji108]

Coming down on the stem length also massively improved the feel of the steering.

Comfy riding[emoji2]

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[moonoi]

I've never had a problem with sweaty hands slipping off the hoods, wear some gloves if it concerns you that much.

Not sure if you can swap the stems between your bikes, depends if they have the same size steerer tube, but worth a try.

I'll leave you with a picture of one of my bikes, very comfy even though it might not look it. Frame was too small, but I needed a bike temporarily while I waited for my proper one

[moonoi]

My road bike came with a 105mm stem and I hated it. Stretched out too far felt so uncomfortable. Changed to 45mm and wow what a difference[emoji108]

Coming down on the stem length also massively improved the feel of the steering.

Comfy riding[emoji2]

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To add, you can also increase the angle (or decrease) of the stem, which would also bring it closer and a more upright position.

[MrTrip]

Yeh my 45mm stem had built in angle variations but TBH it's too little to really notice.

Everyone has a different shape hence there are so many variables in bike set up

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