First foray onto the road.... Help me out? :)

~MoDCoN~

Hey guys, long time ghost here, I've finally decided to take the plunge and move from my (slow) slick-equiped 2003 Norco Kokanee. It's been fun, but I feel the need for speed :P. The slicks are low profile which has effectively decreased my wheel diameter, giving me a lower top speed, and increasing how often i'm spinning out... .

So, you wise ppl of the road, please feel free to enlighten me, and put on the road (pardon the pun) to success in terms of a first road bike. I've looked at my LBS and various other shops: Melb Uni cycles, SHM, Lygon ST cycles (man, their service is fantastic - I took a Felt F65 out for a spin just like that... mmm), and Bike Now.

It looks that given my starting budget of up to 2000, that giant may be the main contender, given their equipment levels. The thing is, i really like the Felts, and I was also considering assembling a bike myself/with the help of my LBS. -possibly a Cytek frame? Some are for sale on ebay just now.... hmmm

So what would you reccomend? Please help me!

MoD

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~MoDCoN~

Hmmm no-one can help? No one here remembers when they started out, and the passion was great in the hearts, and they looked upon the senior riders in awe and deference? Seriously? I was just hoping for some pointers as to where to start, what to keep in mind etc.

And I wanted to know whether building ones own frame should be considered ona small budget. Come on guys!

MoD

PS. I apologise for bein the nub here, but surely there are some kindly souls who would like to pass on their knowledge and exp...

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~MoDCoN~

C'mon guys.... lots of views, no replies. Are there any ppl here who think they may know how to help me out? Are the giants reliable first bikes? Should i be looking at gettin something that will last a short while, until i get enough to get a better bike?

Is Al a good starting material for my first frame? Should i be looking at 105 or ultegra?

Does anyone have any good starting points for me to get more answers? Another foums or something? The bike shops I've been to either tell me to buy a particular bike, or tell me to keep lookign and come back for a fit when i know what i want.

O_o...

Please help me!

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xxamr_corpxx

Due to LBS and other bike shops getting bulk discounts, building a low to medium spec bike may actually cost more.

How knowledgable are you with regard to bike mechanics?

gclark8

While you are waiting, have you thought about uping the gearing on the MTB? As you already have an 11 tooth cassette, a 28/38/48 tooth crankset can make a huge difference to a MTB with slicks for a small price. I have fitted Sugino Cranksets from Greenspeed (Vic) to many bikes.

Are you considering Triathlon? Then my first suggestion on Road Bikes is Felt, next, Giant TCR. There are specials to be had at this time of year.

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Cheers,
George.

~MoDCoN~

Thanks for the replies, its nice to feel heard! Amr_corp, i thought that that may be the case- that costs were likely to be higher than purchasing a whole package, it justs seemed that could pick up a frame for not too much cash.... ah well. as for knowledge of mechanics as far as bikes are concerned, im ready and willing to learn! :P i'm pretty decent at fixing things up, and i dont mind gettin my hands dirty.

gclark8 - i had asked one of the bike shop attendants about fixing up my gearing and they basically said not to... in hindsight it may just have been to get me to spend more on a bike... but thats not goin to happen until i work out what i need. in terms of upping my gearing, how much would i be looking at for a larger crankset?

i'm looking for something to increase my fitness on, and ride to uni when i can. i'll prolly get a locker at uni so that i can leave stuff there and not need to carry a massive backpack while riding. i'm pretty tall at 6'3'' and i think i weigh around 80kg...

yes i am considering triathlon, although ill need to improve my swimming. i'm also looking to join a club, and ride regularly with them. i get really inspired when i see all the riders out when i go riding, and i just love the feeling when i ride. i've looked at threads here, but im trying to find more info about crits/racing in general, and how to train up as well...

thanks again!

MoD

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gclark8

Ok, firstly, upgrade the MTB, its cheap transport.
a Sugino MTB 28/38/48 alloy crankset with 175mm (ask about longer) cranks from Greenspeed should be about $125 with local post. It should fit your existing Bottom Bracket, just check it is a square drive, its easy to see. Front derailleur needs to shift to 48t, so a Shimano FD-CO51 will do, some small change from $20. A good LBS will change it over for $20-30. I hope the slicks are good, Conti Sport Contact in 26x1.3 is what I recommend, if not, next time.

Now, Crit or Tri, its not going to be the same bike! Decide which is the way you want to go. A crit bike is slacker in the frame and longer in the top tube than a Tri bike. You will have problems running off a Crit bike.

Most Uni tri clubs have pools/coaching and good cycling advice, the MTB is ok with the gearing upgrade for sprint events to start with, just bang the seat right forward, or turn the seat post around to make it steeper. Look at Felt, Cervelo, Giant TCR, Giant Trinity, for Tri bikes. Raceline, Avanti, and most exotic european imports for Crit bikes.

Any more Qs, just ask.

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Cheers,
George.

~MoDCoN~

Is it really in my best interests financially to upgrade my mtb? Unfortunately as a uni student, i have limited financial freedom. I will have 2 grand in a few weeks, enough to start something on the road, but do you think i should still go for a gearing upgrade? The tyres im running are cheap and nasty, but far better than the knobblies the bike came with. This was highlighted when i went riding with a friend on his Ti XT/R equipped mtb, we maintained good speed together up the back of mountain (dandenong tourist road anyone?) but on the way down, i sped past him, at around 10km/h faster.

Oh, and what do you mean, i will have problems running off a crit bike? O_o?

Thanks again!

MoD

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gclark8

Yes, for under $200 you will have a useable spare bike, just get $200 more off the road bike!!

Do you run now? If not, try it, do 10k on the bike, hard/medium pace, stop at a park, and see how far you can run! No more than 60" delay from cycling to running, try to do 2-3k. Practice this daily! I do it twice a day 3 times a week when in training. You will find the steeper the seat post the easier to run, 76-78 degree for Tri bikes is normal.

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Cheers,
George.

Insight Driver

I think if you have the itch for a road bike, then you should scratch it. I would reccommend you go with Giant as I concurr with your assesment of bang for the buck. Now, the kicker is, use the shop that you feel most comfortable with as far as their dedication to proper fitting of a cyclist on a bike. Tell the shop you want to feel the difference between twitchy race geometry and stable road geometry. This will give you a baseline on which to focus. At your price point it makes more sense to buy a built-up bike. Whatever savings you might get on a bare frame would be washed out with the retail cost of grouppo, wheels, headset, bars, seatpost and seat. I had a recumbant bike since I have a bad back but I couldn't do anything but spin with it and was being passed all the time by road bikes. I then got a Giant 2004 OCR2 aluminum bike. I got up to speed with that bike. I found out I preferred road biking over any other form of biking (ie dirt stuff). That's just me.

You go with your gut feeling and see where it takes you. Anybody can give advice, but you have to live with it, so make it be your own.

~MoDCoN~

Thats what i want to hear! :P Thanks people!

I think i might see if i can get some solid forks for the mtb, maybe higher gearing, and better slicks... At the same time, i'm looking at the ocr1 2006 model at Lygon St Cycles - a shop with exemplary service. Every other place i've been just hasn't been nearly as helpful; it helps that they let me test ride as soon as i went there. I'm going to test ride the ocr1 this thurs so i'll compare the compact geometry with the felt i rode previously. They are asking about AU1700, a figure i'd like to be slightly smaller, esp given that i am purchasing all the other equipment i'll need.

I'll let you know how the test ride goes, and whether i decide to move forward with it!

Oh, a gclark8 - with the steepness of the seat post, do you mean lean it forward? How does that work?

Thanks!

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gclark8

Giant OCR is a comfort road bike, not intended for TRI or Crit use. See previous posts, see also their website.

Rigid CrMo forks for the MTB come from BiCorp for around $100, plus $20-25 for fitting. The LBS can measure it for you and choose the right style (threaded/threadless). Once the forks are changed and the front end drops, the seat post will be steep enough.

Study some Frame geometry web pages, Giant and Felt are good examples, learn the differences. Look at Steerer and seat tube angles, top tube lengths, fork rake and wheelbase.

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Cheers,
George.

~MoDCoN~

Hmmm. I am not sure I would be moving straight into performance riding, although i wouldnt mind seeing what my body could do... in terms of riding, how does the ocr1 go? why cant it compete with the tcr2 for example?

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~MoDCoN~

Hi again! As well as testing the ocr1 on thurs, im giving an avanti giro a spin tomorrow... What are your thoughts regarding this bike? And pricewise, what should i try? Is it worth asking for a discount for cash?

I'll be on a 59 cm frame... This shop (topgear on doncaster road????) was the first to actually take some measurements... They want 1799 for the bike and an avanti jersey/nicks, and helmet and shoes... Is that good value?

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