Coming over to the dark side

[typicalnut]

Hey everybody, after 20 years of owning/riding mountain bikes some friends have convinced me to get a road bike (gulp) and I may even break down and get one of those goofy outfits i like to laugh at. My bikes have always been based on costs and practicality (most recent, a dearly loved trek 4500, that got me through college). I've been trying to ease up on my running, so I'm looking to be a bit more serious/fitness motivated about biking. I've got a good LBS but I'm not really sure what to expect. From researching road bikes i've noticed that you roadies sit with your rears a lot higher, but aside from that - what else should I look for, and look out for? So far I'm looking at the Felt Z85 and the Cannondale Synapse 5 alloy, but I'm not dead set on either.
any tips or advice would be great, especially if anybody else has changed sides. Also, any road bike do and don'ts would be nice. I've never cared about curbs, potholes, and stairs before but I imagine those are bad juju with a road bike.

cheers,
- alex

 

[limerickman]

It's the bikes engine that's important, not the bike!

My advice would be to purchase a mid range roadbike. Trek/Giant/Pinarello are all good brands.
There is no point in splashing out thousands on a first bike in my opinion. You need to see if you like road bike cycling as opposed to mountainbike raod cycling.

kerbs, potholes and other street furniture are best avoided on a roadbike unless you want to forkout regular cash getting your wheels
trued.

Also the steering on a roadbike tends to be an awful lighter than a mountainbike so just be aware that your new machine is going to be less rigid and less rugged.

 

[vspa]

road bikes are much better for covering a decent distance and yes they are more fragile for those things you mention,

 

[kdelong]

I don't have anything to add except that I believe that your friends have enlightened you rather than convinced you to move to the dark side.