A Guide to Road Bikes
April 27th, 2012
Hit the road with the Specialized Allez 2013
Road Bikes Advice: What are they like to ride?
For the purest cycling experience, a fast and furious road bike takes some beating. Purpose built for speed and responsiveness on tarmac, road bikes (also called racing bikes) are light and compact, with frames and components pared down as much as possible to save weight and improve aerodynamics. With a quality machine you’ll feel every twist and turn and experience the high-speed thrill of the open road. Its slim but strong frame and skinny wheels will help you tackle the steepest hills and glide effortlessly along the straights.
Your riding position on a road bike is leant forwards to help lessen wind resistance, and the drop handlebars give a choice of riding positions depending on conditions.
Technical stuff
Road bikes have thin, high-pressure tyres and a frame designed to transfer as much of your pedalling power into speed as possible. Racing bikes have quite a lot of gears, but they are very close together so you can choose a gear which perfectly matches the conditions. Frame options include:
- Sportive frames that look the part, but put the emphasis on comfort and durability for long-distance riding
- Pure racing frames, with more aggressive geometry and an emphasis on performance and the finish line
- Time-trial frames, with air slicing aerodynamics – the ultimate combination of rider and machine
- Women’s frames may have a lower crossbar and have a shorter distance between seat and handlebars
Suitable for:
The Viking Giro D’Italia
Anyone from complete beginner to seasoned cyclist.
Best for:
- Riding fast on tarmac and paved roads
- Riding long distances, with minimal luggage
- Riding in hilly terrain on the road
- Commuting on roads
- Racing
Avoid if:
- You want to ride off-road, or do a mixture of road and off-road riding (see hybrid bikes)
- You need to carry lots of luggage (see hybrid bikes or touring bikes)
- You want an upright position on the bike (see hybrid bikes or comfort bikes)
See our top picks in road bikes
Still want more advice?
We’ve produced lots more guides to help you find out more about bikes, cycling and cycle gear. These include sizing guides for bikes and clothing, and handy guides to cycle clothing, bike accessories, commuting with a bike, and more. Browse our full range of guides here.
And if these guides don’t answer your questions, we’re here to help – just give our friendly customer service team a call on 01572 737 626. Lines are open Mon-Fri, 9.30am-5pm UK time.
Tags: bike guide, buying guide, find the right bike, helpful guide, road bikes
August 8th, 2012 at 2:22 pm
hi!
im new to road cycling and i fancy giving it a go for fitness reasons
im looking at buying my first road bike and worried at one thing!
all other bikes i ve ridden it seems the rear tyre is more or less flat when im sat on the bike…
is that to do with the size of the bike or my weight?
August 10th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
Hi,
Thanks for your question,
It does sound like the tyres have not been inflated to the right amount.
Normal road bike tyres should be inflated to between 95-100 PSI.
This will be the right amount for a mixture of performance and comfort riding.
Hope this helps.
August 16th, 2012 at 11:51 am
Hi
I am looking to start cycling but am not sure which way to go, road, mountain or hybrid, is there anywhere where you can try these different types of bikes before I buy one?
August 16th, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Hey David – what can we say?! You can try any of these bikes and more (from tri bikes to tandems) at any one of our venues in the east midlands all year round. Give one of our stores a call on 01572 332 032 and they will be happy to arrange a test ride for you.
August 20th, 2012 at 10:45 pm
Hi,
I’m looking into buying my first road bike, can you tell me if they are any weight limits to a road bike/frame/componants and what would a heavy rider of 18stone like myself have to take into consideration?
August 22nd, 2012 at 5:13 pm
Hi James,
Thanks for your enquiry.
With the entry level road bikes with aluminium frames and 36 spoke wheels
they will happily take 18 stone with no issues. The carbon frames do have
lower weight limits due to the strength of components.
I hope this helps.
Thanks.
October 24th, 2012 at 4:30 pm
Hi,
What is the difference in frame sizes between the Giant: Defy Advanced 0 Compact, the TCR Advanced 0 Double Road & the TCR Composite Compact Road bikes?
They all look very similar, but I need the right bike to commute 17miles each way, and to be able to use the same bike for racing and sportives.
Thanks for your help
October 25th, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Hi Stephen,
The Giant Defy is the more relaxed bike of the ones you listed. The frame is ideal for Sportives and Commuting.
If you’d like to call our Giant store on 01780 720 888 they’ll be able to advise of a size that’s suitable for you.
I hope this helps.
January 7th, 2013 at 8:02 pm
Hi. I’m interested in the Viking giro d Italia but I’ve never ridden a road bike before. Is that bike a good choice or is it for the more experienced road rider? I’m planning on using it to commute to work on.