First time on a different bike in 2 years

NorthCascades
NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've rented MTBs occasionally, but I'm taking about road(ish) bikes. I brought mine in for some maintenance, and the shop was gracious enough to send me off on a loaner until they finished. 🙂

It's amazing how you get used to think, and how shockingly different they can seem, even minor things. I have crit style bars, narrower at the hoods than in the drops; normal bars felt like I was trying to bear hug an SUV. Tiny differences in how the shifters work through me every time.

Anyone else get on a similar bike, and been shocked at how different it feels?

Replies

  • lancer_dancer01
    lancer_dancer01 Posts: 3 Member
    Definitely on my two MTBs. I have one more for cross country so the suspension travel is less, no dropper post and not as wide bars. My trail full suspension bike has a lot more travel, wide bars and a dropper. When I switch between the two it takes a minute to get used to it.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I have a pretty standard road bike. I'd like to try a Specialized Roubaix (Sport or Comp), which offers a softer ride. Gotta bring the $$ if you want the best!
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    I rode a loaner from my bike shop few years back when they were working on mine. It was definitely completely different feel, i had Cannondale and they gave me Scott. Even with pretty much all/ most measurements adjusted to match mine.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    My hybrid and roadie feel completely different but I don’t use the hybrid very often.
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    lorrpb wrote: »
    My hybrid and roadie feel completely different but I don’t use the hybrid very often.

    Oh definitely. I use hybrid to commute to work, and road to ride. Worlds apart, lol. When i get on the road bike, i feel free as a bird! Can't get that from hybrid
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    I have a pretty standard road bike. I'd like to try a Specialized Roubaix (Sport or Comp), which offers a softer ride. Gotta bring the $$ if you want the best!

    I love my Roubaix...
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    I have a 10-yr-old Specialized Roubaix (carbon, endurance geometry, 56cm) and a 2-yr-old Cannondale CAAD12 (aluminium, racier geometry, 54cm).

    They are dramatically different rides.

    I also have a steel singlespeed 29er hardtail MTB and an aluminum full squish 26er. You can imagine how different those ride.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Anybody get confused for the first ten minutes switching back and forth between SRAM and Shimano?

    I have Di2, I bought my bike right as the next generation came out, and they gave it to me for the price of mechanical. 🙂 There aren't shift paddles, there are buttons like on a mouse. The loaner bike had mech 105. It felt like I could push the lever for miles! I couldn't even remember if it was SRAM or Shimano that worked like that.
  • Djproulx
    Djproulx Posts: 3,084 Member
    I notice the difference between road bikes, but I'm really struck every time I get on my tri bike (Felt IA10). Beyond the obvious difference in riding position, I'm aware of how much more focus is required when riding the Felt as compared to my Cannondale roadie. Steering/cornering in the aero position was very unsettling at first. Even after two years of riding both, I'm still struck by how much different the riding experience is between the two styles.

    But then again, they are different tools for different uses.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Hiring bikes abroad is problematic for me as they tend to have the brakes reversed from what I'm used to - after 50+ years of right hand = front brake, left hand = rear brake it feels really weird to reprogram myself.
    Not such an issue on road but on loose surfaces I have to stop myself grabbing the wrong lever.

    My two Roubaix (2014 & 2015) don't feel too much different but one has fast carbon wheels and brake blocks and the other has standard wheels and disc brakes.

    My two hybrids are chalk and cheese though - the aluminium one is like riding a road drill whereas my carbon one is a nice plush ride.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    I road a track bike for the first time on Tuesday. That was an adventure to say the least. I was lower than I normally am on my road bike, in part because the fit is different but also because you're always in the drops when youre riding on a velodrome.

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