But because my experiences with bikes are my own and not yours, I spend a lot of time talking to riders I meet in the real world—and also looking at their bikes. I’m less interested in brand-new, off-the-shelf bicycles; I want to learn more about why riders adjust and modify their bikes the way they do. As a result of all this thinking and talking and looking, I recently had a head-slapping moment: I’ve been categorizing road bikes incorrectly. And many brands, shops, and riders do as well.
What we so often call road bikes—like the Specialized Tarmac, Trek Émonda, Cannondale SuperSix EVO, Cervélo R5— aren’t road bikes. They are race bikes.
These bikes are honed to go very fast on nearly perfect paved surfaces. They’re designed for use by talented athletes who are attended to by a team of mechanics and a caravan of support vehicles. Calling them road bikes makes them seem more inclusive than they are. They’re not versatile, nor are they adaptable. That’s because they’re built for use in competition in very controlled and specific circumstances. That pursuit of focused performance is why you get things like integrated front ends, proprietary parts, and aerodynamic shaping. The nonstandard parts and quick handling make perfect sense for their intended purpose. But proprietary parts and highly integrated designs also make race bikes high-strung and more difficult to live with day-to-day for average riders like you and me.
This story is from the Issue 05, 2022 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 05, 2022 edition of Bicycling US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
ONE MAN'S OBSESSIVE CRUSADE TO Take Down Zwift Cheats
Indoor cycling and virtual racing are booming, and so are the ranks of digital dopers abusing the platforms.
WHAT I LEARNED WHEN LOST IT ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE
A lifelong roadie tries singletrack for the first time. It did not go as planned.
THE UNLIKELY HERO WHO RECOVERED OVER 200 STOLEN BIKES IN ONE AMERICAN CITY
It was a sunny day in the summer of 2022. There were some things I had to move into the house, so I left the garage door open. I was gone less than 15 minutes.
YOU CAN BE MORE THAN JUST A CYCLIST
I'VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR SPORTS, starting with the usual team ones such as football and baseball. But that faded in favor of more individual pursuits. Watching my dad roll down the driveway to go for a ride, I wanted to do the same. The bike was my first taste of freedom, a freedom to do it my way.
THE RIGHT SADDLE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
UP UNTIL RECENTLY, I WAS, AT BEST, A TWICEa-month cyclist.
HOW TO SAY GOODBYE TO THE RIDER YOU USED TO BE
CYCLISTS OF ALL LEVELS GO THROUGH various phases or eras over the years they spend in the saddle. For the vast majority of riders (myself included), these things happen privately, without fanfare.
BIKES MAKE THE WORLD A MORE INCLUSIVE PLACE
LIFE'S A BEAUTIFUL PUZZLE THAT COMES in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD CYCLING SCENE, ANYWAY?
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF INVOLVING myself in a few populous and dramatically different cycling communities.
CHOOSE GEAR THAT INSPIRES YOU TO HAVE FUN E
EVEN THOUGH I TEST LOADS OF CYCLING gear for a living, sometimes I get locked in on particular items and find it difficult to enjoy competing products, even if those products have obvious advantages.
WHY YOU DESERVE A CUSTOM BIKE
Custom. The word evokes passionate opinions about what constitutes a custom-made bike and who gets to ride one. There's this idea that they're wildly expensive pieces of functional art meant only for the fittest, fastest riders.
