# Anybody else running road bikes these days?



## Yalerider (Feb 14, 2017)

I just picked up a 2008 Giant TCX cross bike converted to road for when I can't get to trails or too muddy. I think it will help with my MTBing as well.


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## Velobike (Jun 23, 2007)

My 1932 Sunbeam Road Racer does much of my road mileage.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Love this bike!


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## Yalerider (Feb 14, 2017)

Nice! I paid $250 for this thing and will need to get a shorter stem but should be good.


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## Harryman (Jun 14, 2011)

Road riding makes you stronger, gravel riding keeps you from becoming bored. My favorite road rides involve dirt...


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## TheBaldBlur (Jan 13, 2014)

I gave up road biking for MTB 20 yrs ago, in part because those suckers in cars/trucks will run over you just for the fun of it. .. and that was BEFORE drivers were texting while claiming to be driving!


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Yalerider said:


> Nice! I paid $250 for this thing and will need to get a shorter stem but should be good.


Are you keeping the skinny tires?

I've sections where I have traffic, but I can take a lot of horse trails, and quite streets around my house. It sure has helped me get fitter for trail riding.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Yalerider said:


> I just picked up a 2008 Giant TCX cross bike converted to road for when I can't get to trails or too muddy. I think it will help with my MTBing as well.


Well, since you asked


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## thecanoe (Jan 30, 2007)

I'm definitely into road riding when not Mtbing.









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## Joel_l (Aug 12, 2016)

I gave up road riding because of the overwhelming number of poor drivers on the road. I used to ride to work regularly but gave it up. The few times I started again, I was quickly reminded why I stopped.

Anymore, I just keep the tires inflated.


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## bjeast (Oct 29, 2017)

I do! I mean, I'm not a rabid roadie or anything, but I do like being able to go out and ride my road bike once in a while when I don't have time to hit a trail (like today). I also like that's the bike works well on gravel! Gives me options, and, honestly, given the roads in Vancouver, it comes in handy more often than I might like!


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

I love road and gravel riding!


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## Yalerider (Feb 14, 2017)

I'm not big on hitting the roads either. Its going to be a loop with not much traffic or the 16 mile out and back local paved trail.


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## Mr Pig (Jun 25, 2008)

Harryman said:


> Road riding makes you stronger, gravel riding keeps you from becoming bored. My favorite road rides involve dirt...


Agree. I like both but only ride on the road when there is a reason I can't be on dirt. Only ride quiet back roads, except for riding to work which is not fun.


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## JBarn (Jan 7, 2010)

Yup...need it for the days it's too muddy to ride so you can our and hammer with your roadie friends....


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

I did one today, cool CA morning 









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## Romaxy (Jul 5, 2016)

I don't really like road riding but my wife is starting to train for a half iron man and bought me this to train with her. Well, at least I can always go on gravel roads too.


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## Joe Handlebar (Apr 12, 2016)

I was a solid road rider and racer for decades. Mtb riding was what I did "on a whim". Not now. I've been hit by cars and mistreated by my own species too many times. I hate drivers, even when I'm driving. I've been 100% dirt (and LOVING it) since 2015. On a side note, I love pissing off other drivers by being a "nice driver" to others.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Road riding makes me appreciate mountain biking more. Mountain biking makes me appreciate road riding more. A win/win!

Hate busy roads though and I'm lucky to have a windy, seldom traveled mountain road right outside my front door. Cities with lots of paved bikeways make for great road riding too.


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## yeti rider (Dec 11, 2008)

I tried for a year and got sick of UK car drivers trying to kill me..


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## Gallo (Nov 17, 2013)

I like both disciplines. Did not have a road bike until 2010. I really enjoy riding the road bike. I have two to choose from. 2008 Wilier Mortorolio Carbon and a 1986 Schwinn Paramount Waterford factory Columbus SLX frame. The Paramount is very smooth and rides more comfortable. The Wilier is stiff and climbs much better than I do. Done several big rides with both bikes. Different than MTB but still cycling and still enjoyable for me anyway


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## cmg (Mar 13, 2012)

Yep
93 Colnago Elegant









08 Kuota Kebel









Steel framed Colnago (2x9) gets more loving than the carbon Kuota (3x11), the Kuota comes in at 1.5kgs lighter, both great bikes but theres just something about the Colnago that makes me want to ride her more.

Having said all that, my Fattie is still my go to bike.


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

I like to ride all my bikes. I've been on three different bikes since Thursday (CX season is over, so that bike sits for a couple of months).


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## bjeast (Oct 29, 2017)

Yesterday was a good example of why I ride a road bike. I just wanted to get out for a quick ride, do some hills and get back. A quick 32 minute ride, I got out, got some exercise and was back home to make supper. It's not as exciting as mountain biking, but it was still enjoyable:


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## JT1 (Feb 10, 2017)

I ride more on the road than off-road, though the ratio is quickly shifting toward off-road. Here I am on my Giant Advanced Defy 1 last October, mid-way through a 700 mil/6 day ride from Boston to Washington, DC (a wonderful experience):









I rode just over 5,000 miles in 2017. Gonna ride a few more in 2018.

I'm a long time roadie who, last winter, at the young age of 62 took up mountain biking in the form of a fat bike in order to make New England winters more tenable.

Well, I fell in love with mountain biking. I'e since purchased a carbon GT 29er hardtail and a 27.5 Diamondback Release. In good weather, I split my riding almost evenly between road and mountain. Bad weather puts me on the fat bike. Really bad weather puts me back on my road bike, via smart trainer and Zwift.


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## honkinunit (Aug 6, 2004)

I rode my first century in 1975 so I've been road riding for a long time. I have to admit, the carnage on the roads is getting to me. I have never been hit by a car, but there have been close calls. Boulder used to be a road bike mecca, but there are a ridiculous number of people being maimed and killed now. If the driver is caught, they usually get a slap on the wrist after totally lying about what happened. There was a guy killed by the back wheels of a dump truck that turned left in front of him, and there *was* a witness, and the guy still got off scott-free after a trial. The defense claimed the rider rode 200 feet at 18 MPH without seeing the truck and ran into the side of it, and the jury bought it, despite the eyewitness right behind him saying the truck blindly turned in front of the rider. Shows how much respect cyclists get, even in Boulder. 

As a defensive measure, I *always* have a front and rear blinking light going, and I wear blaze orange or a neon vest. I use the congested bike paths every opportunity now as well, when I used to shun them because they are so crowded here, and there is a 15 MPH speed limit. 

It is sad to see that I have been crowded out of my favorite pastimes by the growth here. I can show you over 100 miles of roads that we used to ride near Boulder that are now completely clogged with traffic and you'd have to have a death wish to ride them. Road riding is dangerous, but then the hiking/MTB trails are off-the-hook crowded anywhere within an hour. This is no lie, it is the middle of January so no tourists, 40 degrees out and windy, which keeps a lot of people inside, and Saturday I passed five trailheads between Boulder and Golden that had people parking along the roads because the trailhead parking was full. I drove all the way down to a state park an hour SW of Denver, and guess what? The parking lots were 90% full. I only saw one other MTB, it was all hikers. It gets really old having to stop and do "The Lean" every couple hundred feet. 

So yes, as soon as I can retire, I'm leaving. I laugh when I see queries about retiring to the Front Range. You have to be kidding me, it would be like retiring to the Dallas suburbs at this point.


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## Crankout (Jun 16, 2010)

bjeast said:


> Yesterday was a good example of why I ride a road bike. I just wanted to get out for a quick ride, do some hills and get back. A quick 32 minute ride, I got out, got some exercise and was back home to make supper. It's not as exciting as mountain biking, but it was still enjoyable:


No doubt. In the midst of some extremely cold weather (low 20's and below), we hit 60 one day last week. I pulled my gravel rig from the basement and go out for a fast ride before dark. It felt incredible to get outside again for a ride instead of being relegated to cycling classes or the trainer.


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## Skooks (Dec 24, 2008)

Nice bike. I ride my road bike almost every day to work and back in the summer (20 km each way) and do a few long rides and hill climbs. Excellent way to keep fit. We do the triple Crown every year, which is over 10000 feet of climbing.


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## Len Baird (Aug 1, 2017)

I started road riding years ago to supplement my MTB riding, for training when I was racing. I ended up enjoying it as much if not more. Especially group rides with drafting and sprinting.
I am old and out of shape now and just got a road bike to start up again. Same reason, minus the racing. I am out of shape, and MTB beats me up and dictates my efforts with the terrain, and I want to dictate when I go fast or slow as I regain my fitness.


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## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

I ride this to work everyday.


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## bjeast (Oct 29, 2017)

woodway said:


> I ride this to work everyday.
> 
> View attachment 1178633


That looks like a fine commuter ride!


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## bjeast (Oct 29, 2017)

Skooks said:


> Nice bike. I ride my road bike almost every day to work and back in the summer (20 km each way) and do a few long rides and hill climbs. Excellent way to keep fit. We do the triple Crown every year, which is over 10000 feet of climbing.


That much riding would definitely go a long way toward keeping you fit! As for the bike, I quite like it. I mean, it's not a carbon fibre race bike or anything, but as a road/gravel bike made of aluminum, it's quite nicely specced and is enjoyable to ride. Oh, and of course, I got it on sale!


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Dang, we got us some nice road bikes for a bunch of mountain bikers!


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2018)

*roadie*

I do indeed.........:thumbsup:


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

*new for me*

never really got into riding on the road but decided it was time to get into better shape and figured I could get more exercise if I mixed in some street.

Found this on EBay brand new for $450 shipped and really liked the idea of fatter tires so that was that... over the last year I did tweak it to fit me a little better seat, stem, bars, ditched the very low end/noisy front mech..... have over 1800 miles on it, tossed on some fresh tape and new tires so I am all ready for some warmer weather.

Our roads have really wide shoulders and lots of short 1-3 mile dirt roads to connect the streets with... decent beaches 20-30 miles away, a great park 17 miles from my home thats loaded with dirt roads and very easy single track (a little too easy to be fun on a mountain bike)


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## Yalerider (Feb 14, 2017)

I did 18 miles on my first ride on Giant the other day and I felt like keeping going but got dark and I was soaked from rain.


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## jcd46 (Jul 25, 2012)

Yalerider said:


> I did 18 miles on my first ride on Giant the other day and I felt like keeping going but got dark and I was soaked from rain.


Fun?


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## Len Baird (Aug 1, 2017)

I'd highly recommend anyone new to road riding to google for clubs and/or group rides in your area. You'll learn some local routes, it's much less boring than soloing can be, you can roll along with the group much faster than you can solo, plus rolling along in a draft group is cool and fun.


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## stangmanrider (Oct 18, 2017)

Yes indeed, I ride a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105 and a Cannondale Cujo 1. Just started riding a little over a year ago. Between the two bikes and a Diamondback stationary bike, I rode over 4,000 miles last year. Love the option of going off-road and not deal with cars and traffic. Joined a local road riding bike club and really enjoy doing group rides. Need to find a group to ride with when doing the trails. I do more road riding mainly because it's a lot easier to jump on the bike at my house and do a quick 25-30 miles. When going MTB riding, have to load up the bike & equipment and drive to the trails as there are none near me. The closest is about a 30 minute drive.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

nvphatty said:


> I do indeed.........:thumbsup:
> 
> View attachment 1178704
> 
> ...


Six years or more of bantering back and forth with you and it takes a roadie thread to see your mug. ut::lol:

Some great shots everyone. I've always been interested in road riding but never took it up. Mainly due to the danger and unfortunately it's just getting worse every year. Distracted drivers texting is an epidemic. Next time you're out in your vehicle look around at other drivers around you and you may realize the high percentage that are on their phones. Scary!


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## Guest (Jan 20, 2018)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> Six years or more of bantering back and forth with you and it takes a roadie thread to see your mug. ut::lol:


scary huh, honestly i was avoiding the stalker deep within you is why..



> Some great shots everyone. I've always been interested in road riding but never took it up. Mainly due to the danger and unfortunately it's just getting worse every year. Distracted drivers texting is an epidemic. Next time you're out in your vehicle look around at other drivers around you and you may realize the high percentage that are on their phones. Scary!


I certainly agree with the tech epidemic on our society, and i don't see a work around in site sadly.:bluefrown:


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

I rarely ride my nice and aging custom steel road bike with a mix of Record and Chorus parts. I have being in traffic and such boring repetitive stuff. In the fall I picked up a barely used Fargo and with fast 2.2 MTB racer tires it is really good on about any surface. It's gotten far more use than I expected.

It didn't take long for me to realize why the Fargo is at 5th generation and loved by so many. I know .5 + .5 = 1, but the Fargo with right tires really is .5 a few types of bike. It's a tourer, spare MTB when needed, commuter, gravel grinder, and fine non-racer road bike.


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## Len Baird (Aug 1, 2017)

Canyon Endurace. Just got it, love it so far. More reasonable position than a race type bike, but still stiff and responsive like a racey bike.


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## bjeast (Oct 29, 2017)

That looks nice! And I hear you on the "more reasonable position than a race bike" thing. It's why I like my Ridley A-50. It's not a racing bike and the position is also more relaxed.


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## Yalerider (Feb 14, 2017)

jcd46 said:


> Fun?


Oh yeah!!


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## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

I just picked up an unknown brand road frame. Japanese I think, Araya on the BB shell.
Gonna build it up into a fugly around town ride I don't have to worry about being stolen


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## kevhogaz (Sep 28, 2005)

I like to ride both. Started out on BMX back in the 80's, went to road in the early 90's, then MTB shortly after that. I pretty much just like to ride, so as long as I'm two wheels, I'm good!!


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