beginner road bike???

[cy]

robo, cave dave is giving some very sound advice! in fact I'm agreeing with pretty much everything cave dave has posted.

reason I was able to predict 52 - 54 cm earlier, we are both are aprox same size. like cave dave said, different mfg measure slightly different. so don't worry too much about difference between 52-54cm. seat hight from frame to saddle and frame reach from saddle to bars is the main difference. this can be adjusted by size of handle bar stem used.

used to be when most high end bikes used cro-moly. bike sizes were more standardized. now days with fat aluminum tubes, molded carbon, round carbon and the like.... then throw in non traditional geometry. frame sizing can be confusing indeed.

another vote for a triple front chain ring and mountain bike clipless pedals. I've been using Time mountain bike clipless for both road and trail for many years. yes you will want the recessed cleats.

the guy that took time to measure bone sizes sounds like he knows what he's doing. a 20lb bike is really light! what you need to be concerned with is toughness of your wheels.

you already know that your mass is heavier that most your height. so wheels is where the extra beating will take place. then factor in beginner bashing pot holes. until you get your road legs, you will be bashing some holes. no way around it :sick2:

after you get some miles under your belt, then you will automatically avoid holes and/or bunny hop over them at speed.

again agreeing with cave dave. prefer 9sp over 10sp due to durability. some riders prefer 8sp over 9sp for same reason. these are rabid mountain bikers who bash their gears much harder than roadies.

again... once you have shopped enough to find out what you will get for each price point. say all the $800 ranges bikes and $1200 range bikes. then try to find a deal on last years model $1200 range bike marked down to $800.

in case you haven't noticed... long time bikers are tough shoppers

 

[cave dave]

robo, cave dave is giving some very sound advice! in fact I'm agreeing with pretty much everything cave dave has posted.

Wow that almost never happens!

I'm a dyed in the wool traditionalist. I run 7spd and 8spd bike that I can get parts for cheap! I still run friction shifters on two bikes because I can. (Its requires a learning curve but once you learn its no harder than shifting a manual transmission car)

1/3 of the collection:
http://home.att.net/~dejmtb/

The latest bike craze among hard core cyclists are single speed Mtn and Fixed gear road bikes. I'm not quite there yet. But fixed can be incredible light, responsive, cheap and fun!

 

[Robocop]

Thanks again for all the sound advice and I have used it wisely in narrowing my choices. As for the 9 or 10 speed the riders I spoke to locally all agreed that 9 was the better choice. They said as a beginner I would really not notice the advantage of one extra gear most likely as the 9 had a good range for almost every situation.

As of now the biggest decision is rather to buy the Scott that is on sale down from an original cost of 1200 down to 800 dollars. It seems to be the best deal however it is at the shop that seemed the least helpful to me. This shop has this brand mostly and I did not like the people nearly as nice as the shop that sales the Treks and Lemonds.

Seems I would be more happy with the better shop and a another brand but they have fewer sale bikes. The good news for me is I have realized they have a payment option for good credit and I have a 785 credit score so I qualify. This greatly extends my options with the better shop however again I am trying to choose between a 800 dollar Trek cash deal and the payment option on a 1200 dollar higher quality Trek.....the newest development is my G/F was so impressed with the shop and staff she began talking to the salesman about trading in her bike. The man told us he may consider a better price if we bought 2 new bikes so this also helps me with my choices.

This weekend is full for me however next weekend I have an appointment to actually ride a few of their choices. They said they would fit me up on a few models and let me decide from feel and fit as well as cost. This is why I would like to stay with this latest shop as they really seem to be interested in letting me buy something that I will really enjoy rather than making a sale on the highest cost item. The salesman himself even told me to ride the Scott bike at their competitor as he said it was a good deal and if I liked it to buy it. I simply told him they did not offer to fit me correct and seemed to wish to hurry me out the door....he smiled and said that is why they sale so many bikes because they have a different way of doing things.

So after my ride I will let you know as to what I decide and if all goes well I will take a photo of me all dressed up in those tight spandex things, bright colored riding jersey, and goofy helmet atop my new bike...LOL

 

[cave dave]

.... It seems to be the best deal however it is at the shop that seemed the least helpful to me...

I think everything in life works that way. It is not Murphy's law, it is economics. Low quality staff and service are cheaper and they can pass that on to the consumer. I would actually suggest the cheaper Trek from the good dealer. A good shop is hard to find and if you get into the sport you will develop a relationship with the shop.

My sigline over at market place is:

"There is hardly anything in the world that some men cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only, are this man's lawful prey." – John Ruskin

 

[bikemechanic69]

Hi Robocop. Welcome to the world of cycling. I read this thread hoping that I could provide you with some help as I have been a bike shop employee for 10 years but Cave Dave has already dispensed with all of the good easy points to talk about without having you and the bikes you are looking at together in one spot. I will reinforce the fit point. It does not matter what bike you ride if it does not fit you. The only way to get a great fit is to have a seasoned fitter set up the bike for you in a trainer. The guy that spends a half hour or more with you has probably got it close to right. Don't be afraid to take the bikes out of the parking lot and spend 20 min. riding each one that you think you like only after they are set up correctly of course. Just a point of opinion. Someone who has not spent time with modern equipment probably has some preconceived notions of what is good and what is not. Don't be afraid of technology in bicycles. When completely worn out most modern drive trains work better brand new old stuff. Have fun!

 

[Steve K]

I'm a dyed in the wool traditionalist. I run 7spd and 8spd bike that I can get parts for cheap! I still run friction shifters on two bikes because I can. (Its requires a learning curve but once you learn its no harder than shifting a manual transmission car)

1/3 of the collection:
http://home.att.net/~dejmtb/

The latest bike craze among hard core cyclists are single speed Mtn and Fixed gear road bikes. I'm not quite there yet. But fixed can be incredible light, responsive, cheap and fun!

hi Dave,

Nice selection of Riv bikes! I've always been fond of the orange Rambou bikes.

I'm pretty traditional too, possibly because most of my riding is commuting & utilitarian. Most of my bikes are 6 speed or fewer, but a couple are 7 or 8 speed. One has indexed bar-end shifters, but the rest are downtube friction shifters. Friction is fine for me; I'm used to how it works, and there's essentially no maintenance involved with it.

My newest bike is a custom touring bike with S&S couplers for traveling. Lots of old parts on it, and a paint scheme that is based on an old Raleigh I used to have. This bike has 30k miles on it so far, and it's probably good for at least 30k more.
http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2005/cc042-stevekurt1005.html

back to RoboCop.... I'm in agreement with the suggestions so far. Get a basic bike, and make sure it's set up right and durable/reliable. If possible, I'd stick with the bike shop that took the time to fit you well. A bike that doesn't fit right will always annoy you, and could be quite painful!

Steve K.

 

[orbital]

+

Hi Robocop,

Cycling is a blast!!

~ Couple of things:

1. Have the proper saddle height. (slight bend in knee when pedal down)
2. Get cycling shorts .

 

[geepondy]

Guys, do they ever put disc brakes on road bikes?

 

[springbok]

I am also new to cycling. Bought a cannondale caad9 5 (triple) (10 spd) a few weeks ago. Shimano 105 shifters/brakes, front derailleur and crankset and ultegra back. shimano rs10 wheels. Think it weighs in at 18.7 lbs. Got it for $1450 in Canada. So far I love cycling, its awesome. One heck of a good workout, especially for me who does not particularly like long distance running to keep fit for the job. A plus is the cycling will help in my efforts to get into the mountain bike unit.

 

[Robocop]

Well thus far the shop I liked the most has several selections however they are a little higher on prices. They do have financing so honestly I have at least narrowed my choice to one shop.

At this shop they had a trainer set up to sit on and made sure to even put me on several actual bikes to see how I sat and rode. The owner is a thin little man of middle age with a heavy accent. He looks the part of a rider and seems to know his stuff however he had a way of making me feel very comfortable. At the other shops I was made to feel kind of ignorant or taken advantage of while this older man talked to me like one rider to another....even if I had no experience.

The shop I like has Trek and Lemond and I believe Cannondale as well as many others but again they do not have the Scott brand so the sale bike is not an option here. Like I said I have an appointment to return and they plan to fit me on various brands in my price range....The shop I like is called Cahaba Cycles and they have several locations all within 30 miles of me. There is a link below for any who wish to look and give any suggestions on the brands they do carry....thanks again for all the help.

http://cahabacycles.com/

 

[mechBgon]

Guys, do they ever put disc brakes on road bikes?

Yep. Check out the Kona Sutra and Trek Portland for a couple examples.

 

[jtr1962]

Can you recommend a couple good bike computers and where to get them? I'd like to get one for a mountain bike but don't know anything about them.

Ideally it would be under $50, wireless, and have a big display. I don't need a heart rate monitor.

This one on eBay seems pretty nice. All the info in on the screen at the same time.

Any reason you need wireless? The pitfall with wireless computers are that they drain batteries way faster that wired ones. And in general you get more bang for your buck with wired computers. You can get decent wired computers for under $10 these days. And the wire is usually thin, unobtrusive, and to me really not a big deal.

The most important thing about bike computers is calibrating them. Almost all of them have some means of calibration based on wheel circumference. Sheldon Brown describes the procedure and various common types of calibration here. You can enter the numbers he suggests directly, or for better accuracy do a rollout test. Also note that most cyclocomputers these days read speed to the tenth of a mph or kph. If you want to be accurate to that level (not necessary but fun nonetheless) then you definitely need to do the rollout test.

More fun with bike computers-I put a backlight in this one, and powered it via a small wire from the 4AA cells in my bike headlight (this is a computer from the early 1990s without tenths in the speed display):

I did this one also:

And the same thing with no backlight:

 

[orbital]

...The shop I like has Trek and Lemond and I believe Cannondale as well as many others but again they do not have the Scott brand so the sale bike is not an option here. Like I said I have an appointment to return and they plan to fit me on various brands in my price range....The shop I like is called Cahaba Cycles and they have several locations all within 30 miles of me. There is a link below for any who wish to look and give any suggestions on the brands they do carry....thanks again for all the help.

http://cahabacycles.com/

+

Consider this bike in black:

http://cahabacycles.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=7077

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/road/1_series/12/

I was going to say get a bike with Compact cranks (I just switched my road bike to 50/36)
Nevertheless, this Trek should get you there and back,...and then some!..

~Keep in mind 'Step In' pedals, it makes all the difference in the world.~

 

[cave dave]

You mentioned using a payment plan to get a bike up to $1200, In which case I would strongly recommend the Trek 520. It is a much more versatile bike that can handle unpaved rail trails as well as all road riding outside of racing. It will be heavier but it is designed to be very sturdy so it can haul 60lbs of gear across the country. A good solid touring bike will also hold its value longer than the latest greatest wiz bang road racer.

 

[mechBgon]

I was looking at an '08 Trek 520 myself as an all-around commuting & training bike to replace my venerable Cannondale touring bike. It's not what I'd pick to go riding with a pack of roadies, unless I were in top form and wanted to dish out extra humiliation to the guys with the sub-14-pound S-Works SL2s :devil: but for toughness and durability, it would be right on target. Add 700 x 28s and narrow fenders and you'll be out riding when a lot of guys stayed home.

In my case, think I'll hold out for a custom Surly Long-Haul Trucker for that role, however

 

[Robocop]

Ok I am going out of town for a few days and when I return I am planning on purchasing a new bike. I pretty much have narrowed down my choices to two bikes and maybe three however am going to decide after test rides and a few questions at the shop.

One quick question.....Between the two bikes both have a model called a double and also a triple for just a little more. Is this triple in regards to the front crank having 3 sprockets rather than two? I assume this is why the double is called this due to 2 cranks up front.

Also the only difference I can see between both brands is that both double versions are similiar in cost however one says the front crank is Bontrager 50/34 where the other has a 53/39. I also assume this is teeth on the front cranks so as a beginner would I notice any difference between these two cranks? What are the pros and cons of both cranks?. Seems like a big difference between the two bikes as far as cranks go so again I have no idea as to what those numbers mean for a rider. For both triple models the settings are identical at 50/39/30

 

[fnmag]

You've received alot of very good info concerning road bikes and I wish you luck on your impending purchase.
You've probably got pics and stats coming out of your ears by now and simply want to get the bloody bike and start riding. I completly understand.
I want to throw in one little "wrinkle".
mechBgon mentioned a Surly Long Haul Trucker and a good point is to be had here.
At your age and weight I think that aluminum frames will "beat you to death". I'm about to get pummeled by roadies, I know! The Surly and other Touring type bikes can be had with a Cro-Moly frame. This type of frame is very rugged and much more pliable than aluminum. The down side is that it is heavier. A good touring bike can be an excellent choice for commuting or high mileage.
If indeed, high mileage is a goal than I heartily recommend you check out some good Touring bikes.
Good luck with whatever you decide and enjoy cycling.
Cheers. :thumbsup:

 

[PhotonAddict]

yup, you've got it right. A "double" refers to the 2 chainrings (bike lingo for the gears in front) on the crank in front and a triple has 3 chainrings and the numbers refer to the number of teeth on the gears which indicates their size. With the triple you will have a wider range of gears to choose from including some very low gears which are handy if there are a lot of long or steep hills in your area or if you plan to do a lot of loaded touring.

The 50/34 is a "compact" crank/chainring. They've become popular recently because they offer a slightly wider gearing range including some lower ratios over a standard chainring (If you know the size of the sprockets in the rear you can easily do the math and compare them). They give you some of the utility of a triple but with the lighter weight and slightly smoother shifting of a double. It works fairly well once you consider that many triple setups have a few gear ratios that are close enough that they are practically identical plus there are some that should not be used due to the resulting chain deflection (in both doubles and triples). Also most folks don't use the really high ratios on a traditional double - I probably didn't use my 53x12 at all last season.

If you're just getting started and there are a couple of hills in your area the 50/34 is worth considering, especially if you think you will be doing long rides. If there are mountains, get the triple

oh, and I agree.. if you can afford to, go with the bike shop that is the most helpful and is willing to take the time to fit you properly. Their after sales service will probably be worth it in the long run.

 

[jtr1962]

I have a 50/34 compact crankset on one of my bikes. The only real downside is that using the big chainring barely gives me a low enough low and the small chainring doesn't give me a high enough high. Or to put in the numbers, my rear cluster on this bike is a 7 speed 12-26. The lowest gear I can get on the big chainring is 50x26. This is adequate for most hills I encounter and OK for starting from a dead stop, but it just doesn't give enough ooomph under 10 mph. On the other hand, using the small 34-tooth chainring gives great take off. However, a cadence higher than about 105 RPM starts to get a little uncomfortable for me on a continual basis. This effectively limits me to about 23-24 mph in this gear. Yes, I can burst to well over 30 mph in the 34x12 gear, but it's not something I'd like doing for more than a few seconds. And I *don't* like jumping between chainrings since it involves shifting both front and rear to get the next gear up or down. Therefore, I'm stuck with the compromises mentioned earlier. An intermediate chainring of 39 to 42 teeth would really be what I need for both good take-off and decent maximum speeds, but even I can live with the compromises of a compact crankset. The only thing I plan to do to mitigate the problems I mentioned will be to eventually get an 11-26 or 11-28 eight or nine speed cluster. 34x11 would take me to about 25-26 mph, adequate for 90% of my riding, especially since that bike is a steel-framed slug. It wouldn't bother me to occasionally have to jump to the big chainring when I either have a great tailwind or I'm blasting down a hill. Until I get the new cluster though, I do most of my riding on the big chainring, and just deal with a little less off the line acceleration.

So overall, yes, I think compact cranksets are a pretty good idea. For most people they offer the best of both worlds. With a little tweaking of the rear cluster, even an experienced cyclist can live with them.

Also most folks don't use the really high ratios on a traditional double - I probably didn't use my 53x12 at all last season.

I know I rarely use the 52x12 on my Raleigh. The 42x12 is pretty decent for most riding. I'm rebuilding the Raleigh with brifters and an 11-26 ten speed cluster (also airless tires). 42x11 will get me all the way to ~32 mph at a comfortable, sustainable cadence. This is about as fast as I'm ever likely to go for any stretch of time over a few seconds. After all, I'm not exactly Lance Armstrong here. 52x11 is really strictly a long downhill gear, something I'll only jump to if it looks like I'll crack 45 mph. That rarely happens. The 42x11 will be fine for bursting at anything up to that speed.

 

[Robocop]

After writing down all the specs and comparing I only see a few differences I do not understand......

one bike has an alpha aluminum frame while the other has 6066 AC/DC aluminum and the 3rd one says alpha aluminum with caron stays. Between the two aluminum ones is there a huge advantage to one and also what does carbon stays imply?....is this a better set up with carbon stays? I dont even know what a stay is anyway...LOL

Also not sure what a derailer is but these are also different between the three. One says the front derailer is Shimano Tiagra where the other says Shimano Sora? Also one says the rear derailer is Tiagra where the other says the rear derailer is Shimano 105?

Thanks again for all the help and sorry for the confusion....I am trying to know all I can before spending so much on something I know nothing about.