Another new bike question

"Tim Hall" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

A bloke I work with, based in darkest Suffolk, has a hankering for a
new bike. He says he wants a road bike, as he currently has a 501
framed sort of road bike-ish bike, IYSWIM.

His riding at present is a with fairly regular bunch of similar blokes
(he's 40 ish) all of whom seem to have spangly lightweight bikes, many
of whom drop him at the 25 mile mark as they pick the pace up. Early
morning solo runs are a likely event too.

Anyway, he's seen a Trek 5000 '06 in Pauls of Dereham for a grand,
which is just about the top of his budget. Sure the Trek looks a nice
bit of kit, but he'd have to do something with the stem to bring the
bars to a similar height to the saddle to suit his riding position.

I'm not convinced the Trek is right for him, but then maybe I'm just
jealous that he can drop a grand on a new bike. The riding position
thing suggests that a full on racing bike isn't going to be
comfortable. Perhaps a whizzy tourer/audax machine would do better.

Any suggestions for a suitable bike?

Tim

Living five miles from said emporium in Dereham... one would suppose it
would be my LBS of choice, as it's just round the back from Halfrauds. But
no, it is not. Make of that what you will :-/

On the other hand, should your friend decide to visit Madgetts of Diss, he
will find experienced staff and A Several of shiny bikes to look at.
Similarly, should your friend venture further afield and visit Specialised
Cycles in Connaught Road in Norwich, he will find a tiny shop, but inhabited
by knowledgeable staff who will build a bike up for your friend from parts
he can specify. Husband had a bike built up this way at Specialised using a
Kinesis Racelight T frame as the basis and he has a thoroughly lovely
steed - put together really well. Specialised is my LBS of choice.

Tim Hall said:

A bloke I work with, based in darkest Suffolk, has a hankering for a
new bike. He says he wants a road bike, as he currently has a 501
framed sort of road bike-ish bike, IYSWIM.

His riding at present is a with fairly regular bunch of similar blokes
(he's 40 ish) all of whom seem to have spangly lightweight bikes, many
of whom drop him at the 25 mile mark as they pick the pace up. Early
morning solo runs are a likely event too.

Anyway, he's seen a Trek 5000 '06 in Pauls of Dereham for a grand,
which is just about the top of his budget. Sure the Trek looks a nice
bit of kit, but he'd have to do something with the stem to bring the
bars to a similar height to the saddle to suit his riding position.

I'm not convinced the Trek is right for him, but then maybe I'm just
jealous that he can drop a grand on a new bike. The riding position
thing suggests that a full on racing bike isn't going to be
comfortable. Perhaps a whizzy tourer/audax machine would do better.

Any suggestions for a suitable bike?

Send your friend to one of these two bike shops:

Mick at Madgetts in Diss (up north, so far north its just in Norfolk)
Rob at Lifecycle in Bildeston (down south, a bit west of Hadleigh)

Both are proper bike shops who will make sure the customer gets a good bike
which suits their riding and wallet.

A friend has a just picked up a Tifosi framed machine (ally frame, carbon
forks) from Rob (Campag 20 speed, compact chainset, mudguards, for
audaxing); no idea on the budget for that bike, but should be possible to do
something similar within budget.

The risk with a stock race bike is not only the extreme position, but also
gearing set far too high for most ordinary people (53/39 and a close ratio
rear is OK for 20-something professional bike riders, you need lower gears
for most 40-something hobby riders)

For "off the peg" but sensible fastish bikes, the Specialized Tricross gets
a lot of plugs on this group.

- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

Tim Hall said:

I'm not convinced the Trek is right for him, but then maybe I'm just
jealous that he can drop a grand on a new bike. The riding position
thing suggests that a full on racing bike isn't going to be
comfortable. Perhaps a whizzy tourer/audax machine would do better.

The riding position will be just as comfortable as a tourer's once the stem
is changed. It'll still be faster and more exciting to ride thanks to the
lower weight and greater lateral stiffness.

The only reason to get a tourer or audax bike, imo, is if a rack and full
mudguards are needed.

~PB

Nigel Cliffe said:

The risk with a stock race bike is not only the extreme position, but
also gearing set far too high for most ordinary people (53/39 and a
close ratio rear is OK for 20-something professional bike riders, you
need lower gears for most 40-something hobby riders)

There is a triple-chainset version of the Trek 5000.

~PB

In article <[email hidden]>, Tim Hall
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

A bloke I work with, based in darkest Suffolk, has a hankering for a
new bike. He says he wants a road bike, as he currently has a 501
framed sort of road bike-ish bike, IYSWIM.

His riding at present is a with fairly regular bunch of similar blokes
(he's 40 ish) all of whom seem to have spangly lightweight bikes, many
of whom drop him at the 25 mile mark as they pick the pace up. Early
morning solo runs are a likely event too.

Anyway, he's seen a Trek 5000 '06 in Pauls of Dereham for a grand,
which is just about the top of his budget. Sure the Trek looks a nice
bit of kit, but he'd have to do something with the stem to bring the
bars to a similar height to the saddle to suit his riding position.

I'm not convinced the Trek is right for him, but then maybe I'm just
jealous that he can drop a grand on a new bike. The riding position
thing suggests that a full on racing bike isn't going to be
comfortable. Perhaps a whizzy tourer/audax machine would do better.

Any suggestions for a suitable bike?

Whatever he get's he's going to be disappointed with it - if he gets a
go-faster spangly one he'll be uncomfortable and he'll still get
dropped. He needs to find a group to ride with who have their bars
level with their saddles. :-)
Which reminds me to check eBay for a higher stem - I've run out of
thigh/belly clearance. :-(

in message <[email hidden]>, Tim Hall

(') said:

A bloke I work with, based in darkest Suffolk, has a hankering for a
new bike. He says he wants a road bike, as he currently has a 501
framed sort of road bike-ish bike, IYSWIM.

His riding at present is a with fairly regular bunch of similar blokes
(he's 40 ish) all of whom seem to have spangly lightweight bikes, many
of whom drop him at the 25 mile mark as they pick the pace up. Early
morning solo runs are a likely event too.

I have to say - and this is pure snobbery - if I had £1,000 to drop on a
road bike it wouldn't be a Trek - or any other mass market American brand,
for that matter, with the exception of Cannondale.

There are lots of makers who make really nice and not so common bikes, and
£1,000 is starting to be the point where you can look at that sort of
thing.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; All in all you're just another nick in the ball
-- Think Droid

Simon Brooke said:

I have to say - and this is pure snobbery

<snip>

Quoted message said:

£1,000 is starting to be the point where you can look at that sort of
thing.

You could probably get a half decent electric bike for that ;-)

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

Simon Brooke said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Tim Hall
([email hidden]'😉 wrote:

There are lots of makers who make really nice and not so common
bikes, and £1,000 is starting to be the point where you can look at
that sort of thing.

For my £1000, I'd want a King of Mercia frame from Mercian in their
beautiful pearlescent red, made up to my spec with extra long, well spread
seat and chain stays and forks so that I could fit Marathon Supreme 40's and
mudguards with a 1" upstand on the headtube and canti bosses, Stronglight
cranks, Stronglight A9 headset, Brooks B17, Deore XT front and rear mech
and hubs, Mavic 520 rims, stainless butted spokes, Dura Ace bar end
shifters, TTT bars and stem.

I wouldn't be keeping up with any roadies on it, but I bet I'd be happy.

Tom
--
Return address is dead. Real address is at
http://www.happy-penguin.info/address.jpg

Quoted message said:

I'm not convinced the Trek is right for him, but then maybe I'm just
jealous that he can drop a grand on a new bike. The riding position
thing suggests that a full on racing bike isn't going to be
comfortable. Perhaps a whizzy tourer/audax machine would do better.

Any suggestions for a suitable bike?

I've got a 10+ year old Trek 5000. Full monocoque contruction carbon frame
that looks identical to this years model. They are a lot lighter, but I'm
left feeling that other companies are doing way better stuff - take a look
at Specialized's high end carbon stuff.

For your friend, I'd recommend something Trek Pilots, Specialized Roubaixs
or similar - they're full-on road bikes with a few tweaks to the frame
geometry to make them more confortable and (IMO) better handling - the
bikes typically have the bars higher up than a full on racer, a longer
wheelbase and slacker head tube angles to make the handling less twitchy at
speed. It all adds up to a better ride for most riders.

Unfortunately the best bike in the world won't stop him being dropped - it
really isn't about the bike. A gorgeous-shiny bike does help with the
motivation, and might get him into some sneaky extra training - no reason
why he can't be the one dropping them.

On Tue, 03 Apr 2007 17:31:49 +0100, Tim Hall
<[email hidden]> wrote:

<bike for a friend>

Quoted message said:

Any suggestions for a suitable bike?

<follows up self>

Thanks, everyone for your replies. I wasn't dissapointed in the local
knowledge (Helen of Waffles, Nigel) nor the myriad opinions. I've
passed them onto my friend and will let you know what he gets.

Tim