Advice: which road bike to buy

Hello everybody, I am looking at purchasing a new road bike in the next month main use riding with
friends (training) & starting to do small triathlons. Currently I ride a Marin mountain bike &
therefore need a road bike. I am looking to spend approx $2500, does anybody have any
recommendations or advice on what bikes to look at to purchase?

Thanks

Check out learsport...they have machine with decent frames and snazzy equip for much less than the
LBS. For $2500 you'll be able to get an ultegra equipped speed machine.

P http://www.learsport.com/Racing.htm

"Rick H" <rickh@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:bo45j2$dhf$1@mws-stat-syd.cdn.telstra.com.au...
> Hello everybody, I am looking at purchasing a new road bike in the next month main use
riding
> with friends (training) & starting to do small triathlons. Currently I
ride
> a Marin mountain bike & therefore need a road bike. I am looking to spend approx $2500, does
> anybody have any recommendations or advice on what
bikes
> to look at to purchase?
>
> Thanks

ohh ohh check out the new trek 04 models .. like the 1400 and 1500
http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/road/1500e.jsp 1500 has ultegra and should cost around 2500-2600
aus i believe

"Paulus" <paulus@domain.com> wrote in message news:Z3opb.607$xm.28765@nasal.pacific.net.au...
> Check out learsport...they have machine with decent frames and snazzy
equip
> for much less than the LBS. For $2500 you'll be able to get an ultegra equipped speed machine.
>
> P http://www.learsport.com/Racing.htm
>
>
>
> "Rick H" <rickh@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:bo45j2$dhf$1@mws-stat-syd.cdn.telstra.com.au...
> > Hello everybody, I am looking at purchasing a new road bike in the next month main use
> riding
> > with friends (training) & starting to do small triathlons. Currently I
> ride
> > a Marin mountain bike & therefore need a road bike. I am looking to
spend
> > approx $2500, does anybody have any recommendations or advice on what
> bikes
> > to look at to purchase?
> >
> > Thanks
> >
>

oh yeah and dont forget to budget in pedals and shoes etc... computer etc etc

"dyno" <dynolab@dddd.com> wrote in message news:qrLpb.178254$bo1.70084@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> ohh ohh check out the new trek 04 models .. like the 1400 and 1500
> http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/road/1500e.jsp 1500 has ultegra and should cost around
> 2500-2600 aus i believe
>
>
>
> "Paulus" <paulus@domain.com> wrote in message news:Z3opb.607$xm.28765@nasal.pacific.net.au...
> > Check out learsport...they have machine with decent frames and snazzy
> equip
> > for much less than the LBS. For $2500 you'll be able to get an ultegra equipped speed machine.
> >
> > P http://www.learsport.com/Racing.htm
> >
> >
> >
> > "Rick H" <rickh@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:bo45j2$dhf$1@mws-stat-syd.cdn.telstra.com.au...
> > > Hello everybody, I am looking at purchasing a new road bike in the next month main use
> > riding
> > > with friends (training) & starting to do small triathlons. Currently I
> > ride
> > > a Marin mountain bike & therefore need a road bike. I am looking to
> spend
> > > approx $2500, does anybody have any recommendations or advice on what
> > bikes
> > > to look at to purchase?
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > >
> > >
> >
>

"Rick H" <rickh@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:bo45j2$dhf$1@mws-stat-syd.cdn.telstra.com.au...
> Hello everybody, I am looking at purchasing a new road bike in the next month main use
riding
> with friends (training) & starting to do small triathlons. Currently I
ride
> a Marin mountain bike & therefore need a road bike. I am looking to spend approx $2500, does
> anybody have any recommendations or advice on what
bikes
> to look at to purchase?
>

Hi Rick,

You can get a good bike that will see you through many kilometres for much less that $2500. The more
expensive bikes have better componentry that is generally more durable, but importantly for
competitive cyclists, lighter.

If you are looking to get started in tri's, you could buy a bike for about $1000 that would do a
good job (STI levers, Shimano sora equipment) and add to that about $300-$500 for accessories
(shoes, pedals, computer, helmet).

This would allow you to get good use of your bike until you decided how seriously you wanted to take
it. A $1000 bike will see you through a race no problems, and your own fitness and race acumen will
have much more bearing on where you place in the race than having an Uber-racing bike.

HTH

Tim

"Tim Jones" <tall_man_tim_nospamtoday@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3fa9b72b$0$1752$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au...
> This would allow you to get good use of your bike until you decided
how
> seriously you wanted to take it. A $1000 bike will see you through a
race no
> problems, and your own fitness and race acumen will have much more
bearing
> on where you place in the race than having an Uber-racing bike.

...and it is ooh so satisfying flying past people riding their $3k+ Giants, on a $700 mtb or $100
2nd-hand roadie :-D

hippy

"hippy" <NOSPAMsbirnie@NOSPAMbigpond.com> wrote in message
news:8skqb.180599$bo1.87102@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> "Tim Jones" <tall_man_tim_nospamtoday@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:3fa9b72b$0$1752$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au...
> > This would allow you to get good use of your bike until you decided
> how
> > seriously you wanted to take it. A $1000 bike will see you through a
> race no
> > problems, and your own fitness and race acumen will have much more
> bearing
> > on where you place in the race than having an Uber-racing bike.
>
> ...and it is ooh so satisfying flying past people riding their $3k+ Giants, on a $700 mtb or $100
> 2nd-hand roadie :-D
>
> hippy
>
>

ahh that was like this years syd - gong. at start hundreds of mtn bikers etc flew past me and
sprinted ahah but when the hills came....

"dyno" <dynolab@dddd.com> wrote in message news:51mqb.180676$bo1.118281@news-
> > ...and it is ooh so satisfying flying past people riding their $3k+ Giants, on a $700 mtb or
> > $100 2nd-hand roadie :-D
>
> ahh that was like this years syd - gong. at start hundreds of mtn bikers
etc
> flew past me and sprinted ahah but when the hills came....

Hills + Triathlon.. ahahaha! :-)

hip
- yes, it's 5am, no, i haven't been beddy-bies yet...

"dyno" <dynolab@dddd.com> wrote in message
news:51mqb.180676$bo1.118281@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>
> "hippy" <NOSPAMsbirnie@NOSPAMbigpond.com> wrote in message
> news:8skqb.180599$bo1.87102@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> > "Tim Jones" <tall_man_tim_nospamtoday@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:3fa9b72b$0$1752$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au...
> > > This would allow you to get good use of your bike until you decided
> > how
> > > seriously you wanted to take it. A $1000 bike will see you through a
> > race no
> > > problems, and your own fitness and race acumen will have much more
> > bearing
> > > on where you place in the race than having an Uber-racing bike.
> >
> > ...and it is ooh so satisfying flying past people riding their $3k+ Giants, on a $700 mtb or
> > $100 2nd-hand roadie :-D
> >
> > hippy
> >
> >
>
> ahh that was like this years syd - gong. at start hundreds of mtn bikers
etc
> flew past me and sprinted ahah but when the hills came....
>

Yeah, well I tried to follow a couple of Young Thangs (TM) on Ultegra equiped bikes that looked like
they had 5 spokes between them up a hill on Glenferrie rd (compared to my MTB with offroad tyres,
and 6kg backpack).

I kept up with them until half way up, but could not keep up with them going 30km/h uphill - I gave
out and went back to my normal hill climb speed of 15km/h.

I think it had a lot more to do with my fitness however than the equipment!

Oh well - I don't think I have the right build for racing anyway ;-)

Tim

Hi,

I picked up a lear8000 with shimano 540 wheels for $1699 and it'and I am impressed with it so far.

The Ultegra 8500 equipped bike is nice too and signifiacantly lighter but is a fair bit more expensive due to better components and more carbon.

Your LBS will be hard pressed to get anywhere near $2200 for an ultegra equipped bike. Most of their 105 bikes with standard rims etc will be close to that price.

There are pros and cons of the LBS approach vs something like Learsport. But the main pro is more money in your pocket for stuff like computers, shoes, nix, jerseys etc.

"Tim Jones" <tall_man_tim_nospamtoday@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3faadeab$0$1746$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au...
> I kept up with them until half way up, but could not keep up with them
going
> 30km/h uphill - I gave out and went back to my normal hill climb speed
of
> 15km/h.
>
> I think it had a lot more to do with my fitness however than the
equipment!

It's definately the engine that makes the most difference... :-)

> Oh well - I don't think I have the right build for racing anyway ;-)

Me either.. but it doesn't stop me! :-)

I don't think I should have bothered last night. I arrived at METEC late and missed 1 or 2 laps of
the C&D combined race. They let me in anyway and I lasted all of 10mins or so before I was totally
shelled! The pace WAS high but I think it might have been Cup Day catching up with me? I was wrecked
and just dawdled around the track getting lapped repeatedly. My worst performing race so far I
think. Oh well, win some lose some!

hippy