Advice on buying a new bike

[bone26]

I have an older Trek that I'm done with. I'm down to 2 choices (links below). I've heard a lot of negative and positive about bikesdirect.com, so I'm not asking about whether or not i should use them, I'm more interested in which bike is better for me. I'm a new rider and my intent is to use this bike in sprint triathlons, which I've done only one of so far.

My question is really this, on the Dawes it claims a more upright comfortable ride, but comes with clip-on aero bars. The Mercier does not come with the aero bars, but the level top tube seems to allow a more aerodynamic position. I can always buy the aero bars for the Mercier later, but is it worth it to spend the extra money? Or should I just go with the Dawes and the aero bars?

Sprint Tri - DawesLightning1500
Road Bikes, Roadbikes - 2008 Mercier Galaxy AL

Please help!!

Thanks..

-sean

 

[alienator]

I wouldn't worry about aero bars.

 

[pudster]

Sean
Are you pretty good with working on bikes and fitting yourself? If you are not sure I would try to get a bike at a shop that is knowledgeable and nice. If you bring in one of those bikes to a shop to have it worked on they are maybe not going to give you the service that you want. Bike shops are sometimes not too friendly when you bring in a mail order bike. If you don't have a shop around that you like try to learn all you can about sizing and working on them before you buy one. Just a thought.

 

[bone26]

Pudster,

I'm not very good at that stuff, but I have a friend who is. He'll help me with that part. The friends I ride with are the ones who suggested I buy online to save money, and they would help me with the rest. I just don't want to buy a bike that isn't really meant for racing just because it has aero bars. But I know that eventually I'll end up buying aero bars, so if the bikes are so comparable that it doesn't matter, I'll just get the one that already has them. Make sense?

 

[alfeng]

So, what's wrong with your Trek?

For the money you are apparently planning on spending AND the function you want the bike to serve, you may want to consider getting a set of TT/Tri bars + stem + some bar end shifters + brake levers AND a new rear wheel (if necessary) + appropriate cassette & chain (to match the shifters) ...

Plus, a zero-offset seatpost & a Triathlon saddle.

When you are finally ready to go even more-aero, then you can either get a slightly smaller frame & longer stem (presuming that your Trek is the right size for road riding) or a dedicated TT frame.

 

[bone26]

Well, thats the thing.. The people I've talked to about upgrading my current bike have said i'm better off buying a new one because this one doesn't really suit my needs. They say upgrading it would be expensive, and I'd basically end up with a completely different bike anyway. I appreciate you're advice though. I can tell you know a lot about bikes, so if you had to choose between the two listed, which would you recommend?

 

[alfeng]

Well, thats the thing.. The people I've talked to about upgrading my current bike have said i'm better off buying a new one because this one doesn't really suit my needs. They say upgrading it would be expensive, and I'd basically end up with a completely different bike anyway. I appreciate you're advice though. I can tell you know a lot about bikes, so if you had to choose between the two listed, which would you recommend?

Well, what is the size of your current Trek?

How tall are you AND how long is the top tube on your Trek?

Is it the RIGHT size, or too large or too small?

Just how old is it?

What components does it have?

What condition is the bike in?

Would you be buying a similarly sized bike?

ARE YOUR FRIENDS GOING TO PAY FOR THE NEW BIKE OR ARE YOU?!?

 

[Dietmar]

Well, thats the thing.. The people I've talked to about upgrading my current bike have said i'm better off buying a new one because this one doesn't really suit my needs.

I am chiming in with the chorus of people saying: "How unsuited/bad is your current Trek really?" I mean, the two choices you are looking at are not, ahem, very good bikes, so if the Trek you have now is a decent bike, you might really be better off converting it to fit your needs better. Four to five hundred bucks doesn't buy you a decent bike, but it could buy you a good set of parts.

 

[bone26]

OK, I appreciate everyone's input but here are the problems with my Trek..

The frame is a mid 80's, low end, mountain/recreational bike in poor condition with crappy components, that is heavy and doesn't fit me very well..

I'm aware that $500 isn't a lot for a bike, but I don't have $2000 to get the bike I want. I barely have $500..

 

[alfeng]

OK, I appreciate everyone's input but here are the problems with my Trek..

The frame is a mid 80's, low end, mountain/recreational bike in poor condition with crappy components, that is heavy and doesn't fit me very well..

I'm aware that $500 isn't a lot for a bike, but I don't have $2000 to get the bike I want. I barely have $500..

Which frame is it?

It could be very suitable for your Triathlon needs because the rules are pretty loose when compared with other competitions!

Several years ago, one of my project bikes was going to be a MTB-based Tri bike based on an early 90s Trek 850 (Mountain Track) frame ...

Instead of 650c wheels, I had dedicated a pair of ROLF Satellite wheels toward the project ... 26" slicks are not as ideal as a 650c tire, but it's what I already had to work with. Anyway, although I set the project aside, I may just have to work on it, again, at some point in time in the future!

If your MTB frame has a sloping top tube, so much the better! Get a 650c fork, and install it ... I'm pretty sure a 26" wheel will fit, but if it doesn't, then get a 650c front wheel.

The older, steel MTB frames generally have a standard 68mm English BB, so the only thing you need to do is remove the original crank & BB (sometimes, easier said than done!) ... then, replace them with the ROAD crank of your choice.

Depending on your height you may want to retrofit your MTB frame with 700c wheels (i.e., if you are taller than 5'10" I would go with 700c wheels rather than 26" or 650c wheels).

So, how tall are you and how long is your frame's (virtural) top tube?

Beyond stroking one's ego, the actual, primary function of a frame is simply to hold the components & rider in a particular orientation; so, it doesn't matter what the frame is made of or how it was used in a past life as long as you can get the components ON the bike in the orientation you want.

I've attached a picture of a different MTB frame that I retrofitted with a 700c carbon fiber fork, 700c wheels, etc.

You just need a little imagination to use your current frame as the foundation for a Tri-bike. Most of the components you buy can be used on a future frame.

 

[curby]

An old Trek 7000? aluminum 26" whl mtn. frame had an arched & drilled brake bridge that would take a 700c wheel! anyone remember this?

anyway if your mates have a good bit of bike savvy you may be able to build a nice 'franken-bike' that would suit your needs, but small parts add up fast: front der. rear der. shifters, wheels, brakes, etc. etc.

my advice would be shine up and tune up your machine and sell it for $50-75? and add that to your budget... buy a good used bike with your buddies assistance -OR- beg borrow or steal some additional funds and get a little better bike that will hold up to the kind of riding you want to do...

all's'miles

curby

 

[alienator]

If you really intend to get another bike, get more for your money by shopping on eBay. Of course, that assumes you know what size bike you need.

Why do you want aero bars?

 

[kdelong]

IMHO, the Mercier Galaxy is the better bike for your application, but neither bike is exactly stellar for sprint tri's. If you do purchase one of these, make sure that you order the right size spot on because trying to get an exchange from bikes direct is like trying to raise the dead, it just don't happen. You also won't get any support from them once the sale is complete. This is a good way to make sure that you become LBS independent when you need service.

 

[alienator]

Bikes Direct must have a new strategy because a couple of months ago they opened a real live store, here. Yes, it's the same company. Go figure.