Convert someone to a road bike - "How To"

My friend has a go on my Pug SS road bike - sensible handle bars, 700-23 tyres, firm ride (ahem) and all that...

She has been a life-long MTB Hard Tailer - Scott USA being the current one...

She nearly had a heart attack going round the Shoreditch one way system and came back ashen faced.

Reckons the ride feels treacherous and twitchy and generally felt exposed...and less in control - is this a transition thing?

Any tips, or words of encouragement? Or do I rest my evangelical hat and let her trundle around in the Land Rover tyred MTB?

How long until someone posts suggesting she HTFU?

Hold on a mo, I'm just trying to find that WD40 pic.

here comes the Chopper Youtube link.... Where is Hippy when you need him..

Shoreditch isn't really the place to get comfortable on a road bike. Get her on a train out to somewhere quieter where she can get some speed up and she'll quickly spot the point.

Bring her on the bridges ride!

what will he ride then?

A pony.

YouTube - Chopper Reid - Harden the fuck up, Australia

"is this a transition thing?"

Yes. Try, try, try again.

A pony.

awesome. i'd love to see a pony on the bridges ride.

A pony.

YouTube - Ginuwine - My Pony

urgh... horrendous.

thanks balki, how do i un-hear that?

YouTube - Planet Unicorn Episode 1

racers are not for everyone.. not sure why you care, if he is happy on a mtb then who cares. it's her riding not you . any bike is a good bike

racers are not for everyone.. not sure why you care, if he is happy on a mtb then who cares. it's her riding not you . any bike is a good bike

+1

racers are not for everyone.. not sure why you care, if he is happy on a mtb then who cares. it's her riding not you . any bike is a good bike

i respectfully disagree

racers are not for everyone.. not sure why you care, if he is happy on a mtb then who cares. it's her riding not you . any bike is a good bike

She wants an excuse to play on this forum - that's why ;-)

Well, seriously though, I suppose it is one of those ongoing debates we have been having about MTB vs. Roadies - tea/coffee thing I suppose

I think what I couldn't help her with was when she said that she couldn't take one hand off to signal, look over shoulder etc...

Practice.

I think what I couldn't help her with was when she said that she couldn't take one hand off to signal, look over shoulder etc...

Unless she's unusually inflexible, she should be fine looking over her shoulder with hands on the bars. I got out of the habbit of signalling when I rode a Dahon for a bit (too twitchy by far to ride one-handed with confidence) and have never gone back to it - just convey your intentions clearly by road position.

Maybe the bikes not quite sized properly? I dunno, I think having a MTB background probably helps ridng around shoreditch on a "racer" Dodging glass, potholes, people with swinging hips and colour co-ordinates plimsoles to their deep v's...

I was am a xc mountain biker at heart but love my ss road bike for getting around london. different machines for different tasks. She'll get used to it

i respectfully disagree

ha ha ha!!!! +1

Well, seriously though, I suppose it is one of those ongoing debates we have been having about MTB vs. Roadies - tea/coffee thing I suppose
..

is there a debate about tea or coffee? i thought that was settled years ago.

is there a debate about tea or coffee? i thought that was settled years ago.

Yep, a nice hot cup o'cocoa as me nanna said :-)

tell her to go faster, not so twitchy when you're going fast in a straight line.