Thread: road bike JONG: SS or gears?

First off, I'm a total road bike JONG. Never owned a road bike.

I like mountain biking in the spring/summer/fall, but it's secondary to climbing/mountaineering.

Well, I recently injured my knee and have been forced to spend lots of time on a bike...first a stationary bike, then (per doctor's orders) my MTB on pavement & generally flat terrain.

Where am I going with this?

Well, I can definitely see why folks love road rides. I've actually been enjoying my "road rides" (but I'm pushing around a 35+ pound downhill-focused mountain bike)...and now that my doc has lifted restrictions, I'm thinking it would be fun to cover much more ground whenever I go for a ride.

My real question is whether I should build up a simple single-speed, or if I should go with a geared ride.

I live at the base of Teton Pass, so riding up and over is a possibility. Most rides in my immediate area have hills, but nothing really killer. (I could be wrong, though, as I have never really been thinking with a road-bike mentality.)

I don't ever expect biking to become my #1 sport, but I can definitely see it being fun and a way to maintain fitness. when not skiing or climbing (or MTBing).

I live far enough from town that riding my heavy MTB is inconvenient. The SS would probably be great for those 'commuting' type of rides...but would it be OK for the occasional weekend long trip?

Sorry if these are dumb questions -- I would be psyched to hear some opinions and recommendations on how to make a decision/what factors to consider.

Thanks!

Unless you are a real hammer -pushing a SS up hills might put a lot of stress on your knee. Get some gears and go out and spin.
When i was rehabbin my knee i felt that keeping higher RPMs was better for the knee than having to mash on the pedals.

If the knee is a problem, I would stay away from a single. It's brutal on your knees becuase you have to push so hard at times. Gears help you spin instead of grunt it out.

for knee rehab, geared is smart.

I would go geared for sure. Seems like most of the rides up that way would involve hills. You'll be glad you can spin up them. I would go with the double chainring setup, btw.
God, I bet the possibilites for good road loop deathmarches up that way are amazing. I have road Highway 26 from the junction to Swan Valley past Palisades reservoir; freaking beautiful.

I really like fixed gear bikes, but as others have noted, pushing a tall gear up a big hill might not be the best for your recently repaired knee. However, if it is more likely that you’re going to use this bike as a commuter and in the flats, I’d definitely look into a SS or fixed gear ride.

I think you should immediately buy a studded belt, a campagnolo cycling hat, and a fixed gear. Fuck your knees, and fuck the man. And drink soy lattes.

tall-geared fixie with the bars cut down just wide enough to fit a stem and two hands.... be sure to climb up Teton Pass a lot....
edit: adding the requisite becuase i am kidding damnit.

go geared... way easier on your knees... commuting is fun on a fixed or SS but for riding long distances, climbing, and working on your knee, the geared bike will be more efficient, comfortable, and safe....

Thanks for the input.

Points clearly taken re: rehab and having the opportunity for high RPMs that a single-speed typically won't allow (on the way up, at least). That said, I'm not expecting rehab for my knee to go on forever, and I'd like the bike to outlive that period. (Perhaps I should have left out that part of my post altogether.)

I'm a little torn between what I want this bike to do....commuting to town vs. doing some long, fun, aerobic workouts. It does sound like the geared bike gives the option of both, but the SS only really allows for one (for mortals, like me).

Thanks for the input. I guess the next question is about getting a solid-performing-but-not-too-taxing-on-the-wallet road bike...

http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike...id=1442000&f=4


Comes with gears too.

UAN: love the craigslist . . . there are many great bikes to be found for not to much $$.

just look in a yuppie area. people with too much money love to buy really nice bikes and then not use them.

well...unless you're a bike messenger, with tats & piercings, and some "ironic" truckers hats...go for the gears.
SS is less maintenance, sure, but that's it, really...

Next question, triple or double on the front ?
And are you staying with flat bars ?

If you are going to be climbing, and you aren't a complete biking animal, go with a compact (double) or triple crank. Either will be better for your knees than a standard double.

Originally Posted by kidwoo

http://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike...id=1442000&f=4


Comes with gears too.

God, that is a really nice bike for the money.

Originally Posted by JoshP

God, that is a really nice bike for the money.

There's one in a shop here that caught my eye when I saw the price.

I'm actually thinking of getting one meself.

Originally Posted by JoshP

God, that is a really nice bike for the money.

FWIW, I purchased this same bike as my entry level roadie as well (except it is last year's model for $900) and love the heck out of it. Quick 1 hour jaunts to 4 hour sessions, it handles both well for an aluminum frame. Getting 105/Ultegra at that price point is great. The brakes themselves suck though - I replaced mine immediately.

Now if i could just find a damn saddle that doesn't kill my taint...

Originally Posted by JoshP

God, that is a really nice bike for the money.

Plus the Ultegra rear deraileur makes the bike that much faster!

But, in all honesty, that's probably dollar for dollar, the best value around, that or a 1000. Road riding is a lot of fun. I'll actually be in Jackson on August 10th for a spell, and will have a bike with me, maybe we can catch a ride together.

Originally Posted by MassLiberal

Plus the Ultegra rear deraileur makes the bike that much faster!

But, in all honesty, that's probably dollar for dollar, the best value around, that or a 1000. Road riding is a lot of fun. I'll actually be in Jackson on August 10th for a spell, and will have a bike with me, maybe we can catch a ride together.

Unless they've changed it, the 1000 comes with Sora shifters, which are the most god aweful things known to man kind.

Originally Posted by MassLiberal

Plus the Ultegra rear deraileur makes the bike that much faster!

But, in all honesty, that's probably dollar for dollar, the best value around, that or a 1000. Road riding is a lot of fun. I'll actually be in Jackson on August 10th for a spell, and will have a bike with me, maybe we can catch a ride together.

I'm thinking that the (lightly) used bike route might prove to be a better value -- I probably should give that a shot to see if there's anything worthy.

Not sure that I'd have a roadbike by August (and not sure that I could keep up with you)...but that could be a plan! I honestly don't expect road riding to become my top spring/summer/fall sport, but it would be a ool option to have.

I really want to get out for a rehab MTB ride today, but I'm not free for another 2h, and the afternoon thunderclouds are already building.

Originally Posted by peterslovo

Now if i could just find a damn saddle that doesn't kill my taint...

Specialized Alias and chamois creme.

Originally Posted by truth

Specialized Alias and chamois creme.

Yeah, the new Specialized saddles rock. A Toupe came with my Roubaix and I learned to love it. It has minimal padding, so your sit bones will ache the first couple of long rides, but my family parts have never gone numb no matter how long I go between standing. I liked the Toupe so much, I just bought the Rival, Specialized's top MTB saddle for my other ride. Pricey, though.

Originally Posted by truth

Specialized Alias and chamois creme.

Haven't tried the Alias, but did try the Avatar which is a bit softer and heavier in both 143 and 155 widths. Also tried the Terry Fly, Koobi Tri, Trico Split rail, and some others mixed in there. I found so far the hardest saddle (Terry Fly) has been the best, but still far from being comfortable, and I still pay for it heavily after each ride.

This is all after a fitting too...swapped out stems, adjusted cockpit length, etc. It's getting to the point where I am riding less due to the pain and uhhhh, other effects that need not be discussed. Very frustrating! I'm seeing the taint doc tomorrow, and am honestly ready to try anything, even those gimmicky saddles just to keep on riding and training....

But back to UAN's original post: get a geared bike and consider the Trek 1500 if cost is a consideration.

Originally Posted by peterslovo

Haven't tried the Alias, but did try the Avatar which is a bit softer and heavier in both 143 and 155 widths. Also tried the Terry Fly, Koobi Tri, Trico Split rail, and some others mixed in there. I found so far the hardest saddle (Terry Fly) has been the best, but still far from being comfortable, and I still pay for it heavily after each ride.

This is all after a fitting too...swapped out stems, adjusted cockpit length, etc. It's getting to the point where I am riding less due to the pain and uhhhh, other effects that need not be discussed. Very frustrating! I'm seeing the taint doc tomorrow, and am honestly ready to try anything, even those gimmicky saddles just to keep on riding and training....

But back to UAN's original post: get a geared bike and consider the Trek 1500 if cost is a consideration.

Whatever you do, dont go near the Arione or Aliante. When the saddle interfers with your sex life, you know its time to change.

Chatting with a buddy tonight...he mentioned I should consider a cyclocross bike (more versatile), and just use a set of skinny tires for the longest rides. He said if he had just one bike, that's what he'd go with.

Any merit to that?

He said I should get measured so that I can search the used market once I know my frame size. I would feel pretty bad about going to a shop and getting measured if I intend to buy used. Any way for me to determine this on my own?

Originally Posted by peterslovo

It's getting to the point where I am riding less due to the pain and uhhhh, other effects that need not be discussed. Very frustrating! I'm seeing the taint doc tomorrow, and am honestly ready to try anything, even those gimmicky saddles just to keep on riding and training....

If any saddle can solve your problem, this one will:
http://www.bycycleinc.com/index.html

It's heavy, but think of it as training weight. You can save the taintcrusher for racing.

And to the original question: gears.