I am buy a very good condition second hand road bike to be using for racing and commuting every now and then (80% in favour of racing). So I need you guys help to make final decision. 2010 Trek Madone 6.9 2010 XL SPECIALIZED TARMAC ELITE 2009 TREK MADONE 5.2 2009 Pinarello Prince

Looks like a nice bike to ride everywhere and as an urban commuter I would love to ride it in traffic instead of using a road bike or commuter type. If you need more speed in town or want to compete, a road bike might be better. A mountain bike will probably last longer than a road bike under all driving conditions.

Depends on the type of bicycle you have. Disk brakes come as standard on mtn bikes these days. The best are hydraulic actuated. The others use cable. Disk brakes are powerful and are the leading cause of people going over the handlebars because they don't use them with the rear brakes properly. Road bikes have rim brakes, some better than others. The best bikes and rim brakes are almost as good as disk brakes. Disks are being developed for road bikes but have struck some problems. Not the least being weight and increased torque twisting the wheels. As with any type of brake, the performance is more a factor of maintenance than anything else.

I have listed the most famous bike types: BMX Bicycle

Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) bicycles are designed for rough off road riding and are typically single speed. People also use them for stunt riding, and you may see some fitted with stunt pegs.

Mountain Bike (MTB)

A mountain bike is designed for trail riding and downhill riding. It can also be ridden on the road. They come in many shapes and forms. Some have no suspension, whilst others have front and rear suspension. A mountain bike without rear suspension is usually called a hard tail bike.

Most MTBs use 26 inch wheels which is the standard. This size wheel is fairly strong, especially when coupled with the large off road tyres that are fitted to MTBs.

An MTB is suited for off road riding and will handle rough terrain quite easy. It is very stable on rough terrain, but is a lot slower to ride on the road when compared to a road bike. It is also suitably geared for climbing hills.

Hybrid Bicycle

Another style of bike that has a similar riding position to a mountain bike, but better road speed is a Hybrid bicycle. Hybrids are a cross between a mountain bike and a road bike. They have an upright comfortable position, road tyres, and are usually a lot lighter than a mountain bike.

Hybrid bicycles are typically used for commuting.

Touring Bicycle

A touring bicycle is designed for loaded cycle touring and has the capability to be fitted with mudguards, racks, panniers and extra water cages. They are typically fitted with wider road type tyres that are suitable for gravel riding also.

They usually come with a stronger frame and longer chainstays so that the back of your feet don't hit the rear panniers. They are usually fitted with a relaxed drop bar style handlebar. The geometry of the frame is also different and allows for much more easier steering and handling when loaded.

Expedition Bicycle

As above for touring, but usually fitted with Trekking bars and MTB gear and is designed for extreme off road conditions.

Randonneur or 'All Rounder'

A rare beast in Australia where we like to specialise. 'Randonneur' is a French term, coined to describe a bike that can do a bit of everything - you can ride with the pack or take a doddle with the kids, you can ride light or carry a load, you'd use it to visit Gran on Sunday then pick up some groceries on the way home. They are the 'family station wagon' of cycling. However, like any Jack of All Trades, they do everything well but the specialists do it better. They can carry a load but not like a heavy tourer. They are fast but heavier than a racer and with more comfortable geometry. They have wider wheels and tyres to ride on rough roads but wont handle true off road work.

Typically, they look like any other racing or flat bar road bike ... until you look at the details. Most randonneurs start life as a touring bike or hybrid, and are then modified by the owner over time to reflect how they are used.

Bicycling mag has the top entry level bikes listed.

Road bikes are faster due to their generally higher gearing and especially due to their narrower tires that pump to much higher pressures. Think of your bike like a boat. When you start a boat it gets up to speed and eventually is up on top of the water (what is called planing) and then you can actually reduce the throttle and mantain the same speed. In the same way narrow tire road bike riders can get their bikes up to speed and actually throttle back and keep the bike going at a similar tempo. The tires on a hybrid bike do not inflate to the 100-130 that many road bikes tires do. We used to have a pair of racing wheels and tires at my bike shop that we would let hybrid owners borrow. They could not believe the difference.

It'll work just fine. 8 miles isn't that far, and you're not racing.

You are in the wrong area of FixYa, but I can make some suggestions.
It depends upon what type of bike riding you want to do.
If you want to ride bikes over rough terrain and cross country then you need a mountain bike.
If you want to ride bikes on roads only then a road bike is what you need.
A mountain bike can be used on road surfaces but a road bike is not suitable on rough terrain.
If you want to bike race, then you need a racing bike, these are very light and expensive.
It is best if you go to a large bike shop and speak to the sales person or go to a bike club and ask questions. This will help you to decide what type of bike will suit you and your needs.

Hi, I am a lifelong biker and I can tell you this is strictly a personal preference thing based on how and where you ride. In the owners manuals of almost every bike you will find an oil chart based on temperature if the average temp where you live is below 60F then you want a thinner weight oil and so on. If you race you want maybe a synthetic racing blend. So the bottom line is if you road race in Phoenix vs the person who commutes in New York you would use an entirely different oil. My best advice is to contact your local bike shops or bike clubs and tell them how you ride and they will tell you what they sell locally. Good Luck!