Hey, all! Been lurking for a while, and am hoping to get some advice.
Bought a bike last year - Giant Cypress ST. I thought a comfort bike would suit me for riding in campgrounds and on bike paths with my DH and kids. But it is WAY heavy (over 36 pounds), and I think it's really a bit too big for me with a 16" men's frame.
This year, my boys decided mountain biking sounded like fun, so I bought a Myka Ht. Love this bike - fits me well in a 15" women's frame once I put an adjustable stem on it. Now I ride 20 miles at a time several times a week, and love it. I want to go farther, and I think I'd like a road bike, too.
There are a couple of places near me that have used bikes, so one option is to trade in the Cypress toward a used road bike. However, I live in a really really hilly area. I'm one hill over from the highest point in the state. So I question whether an older 10 or 12-speed will leave me groaning like my mountain bike on all these uphills. Also, after putting my measurements into a bike-fit site, it looks like I need a top tube of 50 cm, 51 at the most. Not sure I'll find a used bike that small - I've been looking, and I really don't want a step-through frame. Plus, would a "vintage" era road bike really be an improvement over my mountain bike?
If not, I can trade in my Cypress on a new Jamis or Fuji. I guess I'm asking if an older road bike could deliver enough improvement over a mountain bike on 20-30mile rides (on hilly roads), or should I spend more to get a new bike (and a triple crank)? I'm not afraid to change parts to improve fit on a used bike.
Bought a bike last year - Giant Cypress ST. I thought a comfort bike would suit me for riding in campgrounds and on bike paths with my DH and kids. But it is WAY heavy (over 36 pounds), and I think it's really a bit too big for me with a 16" men's frame.
This year, my boys decided mountain biking sounded like fun, so I bought a Myka Ht. Love this bike - fits me well in a 15" women's frame once I put an adjustable stem on it. Now I ride 20 miles at a time several times a week, and love it. I want to go farther, and I think I'd like a road bike, too.
There are a couple of places near me that have used bikes, so one option is to trade in the Cypress toward a used road bike. However, I live in a really really hilly area. I'm one hill over from the highest point in the state. So I question whether an older 10 or 12-speed will leave me groaning like my mountain bike on all these uphills. Also, after putting my measurements into a bike-fit site, it looks like I need a top tube of 50 cm, 51 at the most. Not sure I'll find a used bike that small - I've been looking, and I really don't want a step-through frame. Plus, would a "vintage" era road bike really be an improvement over my mountain bike?
If not, I can trade in my Cypress on a new Jamis or Fuji. I guess I'm asking if an older road bike could deliver enough improvement over a mountain bike on 20-30mile rides (on hilly roads), or should I spend more to get a new bike (and a triple crank)? I'm not afraid to change parts to improve fit on a used bike.