New road bike, feeling like it was a mistake
08-23-18, 05:56 AM
#27
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You do you and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. If a brand new road bike puts a smile on your mug and motivates you to ride more than just worry about enjoying the ride. I hope you ride it so much you wear that sucker out!
08-23-18, 07:22 AM
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New bike. I rather like it so far. The ultegra is awfully nice and the hydro discs are incredible. It just stops without hesitation. I have about 100 miles so far and I think it was a good decision. Average speed went from 15ish on the hybrid to 17-18ish over 20 miles.
Excuse my lame phone mount, I ordered a Garmin so that’ll be gone soon. And yes I know I photographed it wrong.
Excuse my lame phone mount, I ordered a Garmin so that’ll be gone soon. And yes I know I photographed it wrong.
08-23-18, 07:25 AM
#34
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yes, for sure I’ll come back after a few months and update. First hand experience is far more valuable than speculation!
08-24-18, 07:43 AM
#35
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24 spoke wheels is asking for trouble. I'd say you have two paths:
* Ask the shop to have their best wheelsmith ensure the spokes are properly tensioned; ride 'em until spokes start breaking, then buy a replacement wheelset with 32-36 spokes in the rear, and 28-32 spokes in the front.
* Buy those replacement wheels now, while you can still sell the stock wheels as takeoffs.
Depends whether your approach to risk. Maybe the 24-spoke wheels will actually be ok, and strategy one will pay off.
Fortunately, the 'risk' doesn't involve danger. It's not like a wheel is going to suddenly assplode while you're going 35mph down a hill. Spokes pop only one at a time. A first one might be a fluke, but if a second one goes, then probably all the spokes have been repeatedly flexed too many times and have gotten brittle.
* Ask the shop to have their best wheelsmith ensure the spokes are properly tensioned; ride 'em until spokes start breaking, then buy a replacement wheelset with 32-36 spokes in the rear, and 28-32 spokes in the front.
* Buy those replacement wheels now, while you can still sell the stock wheels as takeoffs.
Depends whether your approach to risk. Maybe the 24-spoke wheels will actually be ok, and strategy one will pay off.
Fortunately, the 'risk' doesn't involve danger. It's not like a wheel is going to suddenly assplode while you're going 35mph down a hill. Spokes pop only one at a time. A first one might be a fluke, but if a second one goes, then probably all the spokes have been repeatedly flexed too many times and have gotten brittle.
08-24-18, 07:50 AM
#36
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New bike. I rather like it so far. The ultegra is awfully nice and the hydro discs are incredible. It just stops without hesitation. I have about 100 miles so far and I think it was a good decision. Average speed went from 15ish on the hybrid to 17-18ish over 20 miles.
Excuse my lame phone mount, I ordered a Garmin so that’ll be gone soon. And yes I know I photographed it wrong.
Excuse my lame phone mount, I ordered a Garmin so that’ll be gone soon. And yes I know I photographed it wrong.
08-24-18, 03:03 PM
#37
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Spoke count has nothing to do with wheel strength... I ride 24 spoke rims that have 2500 miles on them, I never broke a spoke and have only had to do minimal truing when I started riding on them I was as high as 290. With that said style and material of the rim does matter... Certain rim shapes like the D shaped rim allow more flex which is was causes spokes to move, loosen and break. I ride a deeper V or egg shaped rim, the shape of the rim limits the flex and issues... Bike handling needs to be brought in to the equation also, I live in New England (US) so roads are rough and pot holes are everywhere. I ride hard on those crappy roads and on packed gravel roads on my road bike with 24 spoke wheels with no issues. This has a lot to do with watching your path, avoiding hazards as much as possible and when you cant, RIDE LITE, with this I mean if you have to ride over a hazard (pot hole, crack, rail road track ETC) learn to shift your weight so the wheels and the bike in general take as little impact as possible. I know that sounds weird but it makes a huge difference.
08-24-18, 03:07 PM
#38
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Dude if you are riding that well on flat pedals you will love clipless... Dont wait just upgrade, you wont be sorry. Go to your LBS see if they have a bike trainer in the store and ask if you can spend a little time clipping unclipping and riding while safely on a trainer. After you get out of a decent ride or two you will be comfortable.
one pic from today - did 42 miles. Loved it. I’m a bit of a country bumpkin, and ventured into the city. It was quite nice. No regrets on this purchase. My butt and the saddle are on speaking terms now, so that’s nice...
08-24-18, 06:14 PM
#39
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Fantastic! And that’s a nice bike, I’m sure you are going to have many fine adventures on that ride.
08-25-18, 01:30 PM
#40
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You already mentioned it, so I'm only here to hold you to it; Ailerons from Velocity 32h front, 36h rear (at a minimum). Double butted spokes too. At our weight, stock wheels just don't last. The world is FULL of people who always seem to know better than we do about how flimsy, fly-weight wheels will "be just fine." Unfortunately, they're not the ones dealing with the broken spokes on the side of the road. And just for the sake of honesty, if you're not likely to get down to 280-ish (or less) anytime soon then you might wanna consider Velocity Chukkers. Yeah, they're heavy, but so are you. Nice bike, BTW.
-Kedosto
-Kedosto
08-26-18, 03:48 PM
#41
The Left Coast, USA
I owned that bike, came to hate it. I gave it so my son, he doesn't ride it. Each to their own, but if that was the only bike in my stable I think I would stop bike riding, period. Note -- in our case, weight was not an issue and we clearly have a strong preference for classic frame geo steel or alum bikes.
Hope it works out for you.
Hope it works out for you.
08-28-18, 08:23 AM
#42
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Regarding weight limits. The frame should be fine, it's the wheels you should worry about. If you start breaking spokes then that's an indication of problems. The easy thing is to get more heavy duty wheels (look on Craigslist). But, only do that if you have problems. Given you ride flat roads you should have no problem.
08-28-18, 08:56 AM
#43
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hello everyone, I’ve been reading this forum for quite a while now, and finally joined to make this post. So I’ve been riding the hell out of a $250 diamondback hybrid this summer - 30-40 miles at a time and almost 1000 miles so far. Dropped a bunch of weight, currently at 320lbs. Really wanted a road bike, and went to my local bike shop to try things out. Fell in love with a Specialized Roubaix Comp, they offered me a killer deal (list was $3400, they offered it to me for $2800). It’s a massive step up obviously, but I’m having serious buyers remorse mostly due to the fact I so greatly exceed the max weight of 250lbs. The shop I bought it from is quite large and reputable and the owner assured me I would have no problems. Having ridden it a few times, it feels incredible, but it’s making a weird clunking noise which I kind of think is just the rear derailleur. I’m going in tomorrow for a fitting and to have them look for the source of the noise
So I’m curious, can anyone provide some insight based on first hand experience into whether or not this bike will hold up? Or did I make a mistake? The only saving grace I see is that the season is winding down and by next spring I’m hoping to weigh 280ish. Also, I live in the middle of nowhere in Western NY and only ride long, straight, smooth, flat roads, so it’s not like I’m riding crappy roads with cracks and holes.
So I’m curious, can anyone provide some insight based on first hand experience into whether or not this bike will hold up? Or did I make a mistake? The only saving grace I see is that the season is winding down and by next spring I’m hoping to weigh 280ish. Also, I live in the middle of nowhere in Western NY and only ride long, straight, smooth, flat roads, so it’s not like I’m riding crappy roads with cracks and holes.
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Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
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Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
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Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
08-28-18, 09:07 AM
#44
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Spoke count has everything to do with wheel strength. The spokes do all the heavy lifting when it comes to wheel strength and more spokes means more strength. Thicker headed spokes like the DT Alpine III increase spoke strength by 50% which increase wheel strength.
You are correct that certain rim shapes allow for more flex but even the deepest of Vs will still flex. That flex translates to the spoke head flexing which causes the spoke head to fatigue and fail. Spoke failure is the death of a wheel, not rim failure.
On a positive note, you are absolutely correct about bike handling. This is probably why you have been able to ride 24 spoke wheels without problems. However, most people haven't learn how to right light so they end up punishing the spokes and causing them to fail.
On the other hand, adding more spokes to the wheel is fairly cheap insurance if you haven't learned how to ride light.
I ride 24 spoke rims that have 2500 miles on them, I never broke a spoke and have only had to do minimal truing when I started riding on them I was as high as 290. With that said style and material of the rim does matter... Certain rim shapes like the D shaped rim allow more flex which is was causes spokes to move, loosen and break. I ride a deeper V or egg shaped rim, the shape of the rim limits the flex and issues...
Bike handling needs to be brought in to the equation also, I live in New England (US) so roads are rough and pot holes are everywhere. I ride hard on those crappy roads and on packed gravel roads on my road bike with 24 spoke wheels with no issues. This has a lot to do with watching your path, avoiding hazards as much as possible and when you cant, RIDE LITE, with this I mean if you have to ride over a hazard (pot hole, crack, rail road track ETC) learn to shift your weight so the wheels and the bike in general take as little impact as possible. I know that sounds weird but it makes a huge difference.
On the other hand, adding more spokes to the wheel is fairly cheap insurance if you haven't learned how to ride light.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!
08-28-18, 10:27 AM
#45
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for me, it usually takes a couple of weeks and or good 2-4hr rides to break in the stock saddles and get the angles right for both my butt and wrist
pics looks good!!
pics looks good!!
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Rule #10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster.
Rule #10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster.
08-28-18, 06:21 PM
#46
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Really nice looking bike. I'm envious
08-30-18, 07:50 AM
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Nice to see a fellow Clyde on the Roubaix Comp. Currently on a Diverge DSW Elite, but have been eyeing up the Roubaix Sport at my LBS.
I started on my weight-loss journey several years ago... near 300# and riding a Crosstrail Disc Hybrid (40# with saddle bag and gear), found I mainly preferred to trails in Central MD. Picked up my Diverge (still... all stock), I'm down to 235# and riding 300mi / month on various terrain/hills/tar-chip, etc. Looking to make my Diverge my C&O Canal/Trail bike, and get the Roubaix for road riding. My biggest concern has been the carbon frame... as my weight is "just under" the "lawyer limit" posted for the bike. Good to know the comp is serving you so well!
Where in western NY are you riding? I am a Masters GS and SL skier in the winter time, get up to Queensbury/Glen Falls regularly.
I started on my weight-loss journey several years ago... near 300# and riding a Crosstrail Disc Hybrid (40# with saddle bag and gear), found I mainly preferred to trails in Central MD. Picked up my Diverge (still... all stock), I'm down to 235# and riding 300mi / month on various terrain/hills/tar-chip, etc. Looking to make my Diverge my C&O Canal/Trail bike, and get the Roubaix for road riding. My biggest concern has been the carbon frame... as my weight is "just under" the "lawyer limit" posted for the bike. Good to know the comp is serving you so well!
Where in western NY are you riding? I am a Masters GS and SL skier in the winter time, get up to Queensbury/Glen Falls regularly.
08-30-18, 11:38 AM
#48
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Nice to see a fellow Clyde on the Roubaix Comp. Currently on a Diverge DSW Elite, but have been eyeing up the Roubaix Sport at my LBS.
I started on my weight-loss journey several years ago... near 300# and riding a Crosstrail Disc Hybrid (40# with saddle bag and gear), found I mainly preferred to trails in Central MD. Picked up my Diverge (still... all stock), I'm down to 235# and riding 300mi / month on various terrain/hills/tar-chip, etc. Looking to make my Diverge my C&O Canal/Trail bike, and get the Roubaix for road riding. My biggest concern has been the carbon frame... as my weight is "just under" the "lawyer limit" posted for the bike. Good to know the comp is serving you so well!
Where in western NY are you riding? I am a Masters GS and SL skier in the winter time, get up to Queensbury/Glen Falls regularly.
I started on my weight-loss journey several years ago... near 300# and riding a Crosstrail Disc Hybrid (40# with saddle bag and gear), found I mainly preferred to trails in Central MD. Picked up my Diverge (still... all stock), I'm down to 235# and riding 300mi / month on various terrain/hills/tar-chip, etc. Looking to make my Diverge my C&O Canal/Trail bike, and get the Roubaix for road riding. My biggest concern has been the carbon frame... as my weight is "just under" the "lawyer limit" posted for the bike. Good to know the comp is serving you so well!
Where in western NY are you riding? I am a Masters GS and SL skier in the winter time, get up to Queensbury/Glen Falls regularly.
Im in northern Niagara County. Dying to get into skiing in fact. My wife has lost almost 100lbs as well and we want to find something to do in the winter. She has expressed interest in cross country skiing, so I’m hoping to find a way to try that out this winter
08-31-18, 09:09 AM
#49
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Nice to see a fellow Clyde on the Roubaix Comp. Currently on a Diverge DSW Elite, but have been eyeing up the Roubaix Sport at my LBS.
I started on my weight-loss journey several years ago... near 300# and riding a Crosstrail Disc Hybrid (40# with saddle bag and gear), found I mainly preferred to trails in Central MD. Picked up my Diverge (still... all stock), I'm down to 235# and riding 300mi / month on various terrain/hills/tar-chip, etc. Looking to make my Diverge my C&O Canal/Trail bike, and get the Roubaix for road riding. My biggest concern has been the carbon frame... as my weight is "just under" the "lawyer limit" posted for the bike. Good to know the comp is serving you so well!
Where in western NY are you riding? I am a Masters GS and SL skier in the winter time, get up to Queensbury/Glen Falls regularly.
I started on my weight-loss journey several years ago... near 300# and riding a Crosstrail Disc Hybrid (40# with saddle bag and gear), found I mainly preferred to trails in Central MD. Picked up my Diverge (still... all stock), I'm down to 235# and riding 300mi / month on various terrain/hills/tar-chip, etc. Looking to make my Diverge my C&O Canal/Trail bike, and get the Roubaix for road riding. My biggest concern has been the carbon frame... as my weight is "just under" the "lawyer limit" posted for the bike. Good to know the comp is serving you so well!
Where in western NY are you riding? I am a Masters GS and SL skier in the winter time, get up to Queensbury/Glen Falls regularly.
08-31-18, 09:41 AM
#50
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The only discs I've ever ridden have been hydraulic (Shimano and Avid/SRAM), and they are great. I would be curious to test-ride a bike with mechanical discs, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to buy one.