Hi,
This post is really two questions, but here goes.
I am an MTBer and I've never had a road bike. Currently, I have two sets of tyres (one knobbly, one slick) which I have to change over every time I want to do road or trail riding respectively. In addition to this, my MTB has a swanky carbon frame and it cost a lot and there is absolutely no way that I would ever chain it up somewhere and leave it even for 30 minutes! (especially not in a city - although this is not a problem in the middle of the forest, where the only other livings things watching me are badgers and cuckoos). This presents two problems. Firstly, my carbon frame screams out "I am bloody expensive, please steal me" (no good for city riding and commuting) and secondly, changing tyres when I want to change my riding is a pain in the [censored].
My MTB has a 19" frame and I tried riding a (decent) 19" (approx 48cm) road bike to see what it was like. My conclusion was that the riding position was bloody uncomfortable (really long top tube compared to an MTB), the curly-underneath handlebars were [censored] and the bike certainly was NOT the nippy little highly maneouvrable beast that I am used to riding!
So anyway, what I want is the following:
1) Something that is nice and light within sensible price limits! I know I could go carbon-fibre-everything and spend the GDP of a small African nation, but that isn't really feasible. 🙄
2) Something that is NOT liberally covered in decals and logos saying things like "Scott Super-Amazing Incredible Racing Team (please steal me)". Infact, I'm thinking of unpainted aluminium frame and forks - that would be just perfect - I could buy that Scott frame and it would just look like any old Halfords Bargain Bin bike - especially if I could fit it with a nice chainset and wheels, each also completely unbranded. This eminently sensible idea, however, seems to be an impossibility! I have searched the internet high and low and I can't seem to find any decent unpainted frames, rims, mech parts, etc.😠
3) A road bike that has a nice compact geometry with the responsiveness of my MTB and nice riser handlebar (I just cannot get on with the curly-underneath ones - they make my back ache). This is the least of my worries, I could just get a ready built bike and swop the handlebar for a set of MTB handlebar. 😎
So, after you've read all that, my questions are:
(a) with reference to point (2), where can I get unbranded, decent quality stuff to reduce the chance of my hypothetical bike from being nicked? (e.g. Scott frames and Shimano cranks, etc). I could just get a normal frame and paint it to look [censored] (same with the other components), but that would be an act of vandalism! :eek:
(b) Secondly, with reference to point 3, what frame and forks would people recommend for me to build a road bike that thinks its an MTB? I was considering getting an MTB frame and ridgid forks, but am I right in thinking that the gubbins on a road bike is the wrong size, shape, etc to fit an MTB frame? (e.g. I wouldn't be able to get a road chainset, freewheel, etc to fit an MTB frame ... or would I? I am aware that the ratios are completely different for road chainsets and freewheels and are much better suited for blasting along on the road).
(c) What transmission and braking components would people recommend? I know all about Shimano XTR, Race Face Deus and the like, but next to bugger all about anything road bike related 😕
TIA,
Mike 🙂