Don't start out by buying a $5000 bike

[closesupport]

Like with anything else new, I approached serious bicycling with fiscal reserve; didn't make sense to me forking out huge piles of greenmeal to buy something that I might not enjoy. So I started with used frames and mid-level bikes until I figured out what I liked and didn't like. When I finally got an a clear feel for what I liked to ride, then I started spending money.

Now I've moved past buying out of the box and have started building my own. It's addictive!

I started pretty similar way, well with a bike that i found and fixed up, from then every bike i have owned has been i that has been responsible for building it.

i wanted a frame that wasn't necessary uci legal, but something that was aerodynamic, a groupset that would endure the pressure that it was going to encounter on hills dura ace since 105 and lesser flex, bars that where going to be comfortable for longer rides, a set of wheels that not only looked nice but where also pretty lite, i chose bar end shifters since when i'm on longer rides i usually find myself in the aero position for long periods of time, after alot of tweaks fixing alterations etc.. my baby was born

 

[Guster]

i just got intot the sport recently about 2 months ago and researched alot before i bought a bike....ended up with a trek 1000 at 445$. Awesome bike to learn on, very durable put almost 400 miles on it and im still running very smooth with little maintenance. great bike for beginners.

 

[bidaas]

Hey folks. I am a newbie, looking to buy my 1st road bike in the Bay Area. I have a low budget and am looking for used bikes. One that I have seen is:

- Old (around 80s) "Specialized Allez" -
- Japanese made Tange
- 55 cm steel frame. The sticker is a bit damaged.
- Components are mixed. Shimano 600 Rear Der'lrs.
- Front Der'lr - Shimano 600
- Crank - Shimano 105 with 3 teethset.
- STI shifters on handle bar (as in most bikes now). 3 X 8 gears.
- Old wheels - AlexRim AT 450
- New tires - didnt see which brand
- Conventional 'welded' stem - not adjustable

Is $250 a good price for this? how should I check the frame?
Thanks

 

[dgiambruno]

I dropped $5500.00 on my first bike and have never looked back. Did it again on my second and third bikes. I give my old ones to my bike buddies who have kids.. works out great for all of us.

Reasons to go big on that first bike.:

Cause I could.

Get committed - drop some coin. Want motivation to go out on those crappy days? IT'll do it.

Why pull extra wieght when you don' have to.

Look good while your sucking wind for the first thousand miles.

 

[pbegley]

Cycling is my life and these days down when I got out on sunday I see a lot of new riders with very expensive bikes. Now this is a big worry when they have just got into the sport because you never know they might not enjoy it and they might think that it is not for them (trust me it happens all the time). So i and many pro's and masters always say to people just getting into the sport to not just go to the local bike store and pick up a trek with dura-ace and carbon everything, go to web sites that sell secondhand bikes or if your lucky go and ask at a bikestore they have great bikes from $350-$1000 with 300km on them. it is so much more sensible than buying a $5000 bike straight of.

I still don't have a very expensive bike. I bought my first 'good' bike new in 1973, a Fuji Finest. Wonderful bike and it cost me something like $325. To put it in perspective, I spent $500 for a used motorcycle in 1974 and $300 for my first car in 1976.

In the mid-late 1990's, I bought a 87 Cannondale RS600 and later a 86 DeRosa and a used Bob Jackson tandem in 1999. All bought used through rec.bicycle.marketplace.

I had a custom rear wheel built a few years ago after bending 126mm axles.

This year, we bought a new (old stock) 2001 Cannondale RT2000 Tandem (jumbo/large). Its *wonderful* and its my first bike without friction/indexed shifters. Its truely a great bike.

There are two schools of thought. First is buy the best you can afford, the other, which I obviously subscribe to, is to dip your toe in, learn what you like and dislike about the bikes and the sport, then upgrade as you see fit.

 

[nmanhipot]

Take it to a bike shop for an eval, then counter.

(Happy Trek 5900 owner)

Hey folks. I am a newbie, looking to buy my 1st road bike in the Bay Area. I have a low budget and am looking for used bikes. One that I have seen is:

- Old (around 80s) "Specialized Allez" -
- Japanese made Tange
- 55 cm steel frame. The sticker is a bit damaged.
- Components are mixed. Shimano 600 Rear Der'lrs.
- Front Der'lr - Shimano 600
- Crank - Shimano 105 with 3 teethset.
- STI shifters on handle bar (as in most bikes now). 3 X 8 gears.
- Old wheels - AlexRim AT 450
- New tires - didnt see which brand
- Conventional 'welded' stem - not adjustable

Is $250 a good price for this? how should I check the frame?
Thanks

 

[Randybaker99]

Hey folks. I am a newbie, looking to buy my 1st road bike in the Bay Area. I have a low budget and am looking for used bikes. One that I have seen is:

- Old (around 80s) "Specialized Allez" -
- Japanese made Tange
- 55 cm steel frame. The sticker is a bit damaged.
- Components are mixed. Shimano 600 Rear Der'lrs.
- Front Der'lr - Shimano 600
- Crank - Shimano 105 with 3 teethset.
- STI shifters on handle bar (as in most bikes now). 3 X 8 gears.
- Old wheels - AlexRim AT 450
- New tires - didnt see which brand
- Conventional 'welded' stem - not adjustable

Is $250 a good price for this? how should I check the frame?
Thanks

Maybe, but it definitely won't be worth it if it doesn't fit you perfectly.

I know the name of the thread is don't start with a $5000 bike, but have you considered starting out with a $1000 new bike? Then you could buy one that actually fits you and if you have a problem, you can bring it back in and maybe get some help.

I just think that a used $250 bike might lead you to a bad first impression of cycling, and we would hate to lose you!

 

[trekbiker2003]

think of the tens of thousands of kids out there whose cycling enthusiasm was utterly destroyed by the Schwinn Varsity... 30 lb tank...

 

[nmanhipot]

I couldn't agree more. I just upgraded from an old Shimano 600 - Dura-Ace - Whatever 7-speed rig that I had been keeping on life support for 13 years. After dusting it off after a ten-year dirt-nap, I quickly put 800 miles on it. I ended up hanging $400 worth of new parts on it in six months and after I broke my back-up rear wheel, I realized that I was going to have to bite the bullet and start fresh. It was the best cycling decision I have made (with the exception of winter tights). I love my new rig (I'm the guy that bought the $5000 bike ). Replacement parts are a big deal with bikes (I just bought a winter cassette and replaced my chain - $215) and you don't want to have to wait two weeks for an eBAY derailleur (trust me - it sucks). I think saving up for a good $1000 bike is the way to go. The biggest difference between the $1000 bikes and the $5000 bikes is the weight. I think the lighter parts are less durable and cost more to replace when they break or wear out. If you are interested in high-end recreational riding, you will find yourself gravitating to the bike of your dreams, but in the meantime, I would actually avoid the retro-bike.

Maybe, but it definitely won't be worth it if it doesn't fit you perfectly.

I know the name of the thread is don't start with a $5000 bike, but have you considered starting out with a $1000 new bike? Then you could buy one that actually fits you and if you have a problem, you can bring it back in and maybe get some help.

I just think that a used $250 bike might lead you to a bad first impression of cycling, and we would hate to lose you!

 

[youhaditcoming]

Hi

I started with a basic bike, but good enough to enjoy the ride. I was close to have a very expensive bike at one time, but nowadays i ride less so it wouldn't make sense. Anyway good equipment is essential for anyone to enjoy the sport and it doesn't necessarily mean top pro items. There is a good variety of price ranges to chose from out there.

Regards

 

[bentupright]

Worst of all, 'Bowyer', the ones starting out with expensive bicycles are oftimes the 'weekend warriors' who leave them sitting six out of seven days every week! Can hardly consider them 'cyclists' in general, let alone commuters, or much of anything ELSE, for that matter!

What seems so funny to ME is, the bikes that are better designed for heavy-duty/lond distance commuting/touring, THEY are found either in 1-the 'used' market, or 2-the rare, high-end companies with six month waiting lists (steel, made to handle REAL (chromoloy) racks/panniers, properly sized, LUGGED frame, etc.) and prices to match!

What the heck happened? Easy, the major players that 98% of the LBS's sign their name to (Trek, for example) found that most purchasers of bikes see them as NOVELTIES (not as the ONLY way of life for, say, individuals who for one reason or another cannot or DO not want to own cars), and likewise they followed suit with designing the bikes to keep costs down (to keep overhead down for the struggling LBS's), and to be appropriately designed for the 'one Saturday a month' cyclist to allow the bike to sit rusting in their garage 90% of the time!

There MIGHT BE good news for cyclists, however: Just sit back, let 'YOU-KNOW-WHO' screw around with foreign policy (and consequently, the price of oil), and watch bicycles IN GENERAL become more and more an attractive alternative means of transportation. You say no? Look at the price of oil now, high enough for local grocery stores to raise prices on foods in general(oftimes REPORTED to be due to 'transportation costs', NOT due to limited availability of the foodstuff!).

Personally, I do not choose a bike with the goal of shaving off time. I'm a commuter/tourist, so I look for reliability, availability of parts: Practicality and reliability first, convenience last. So when one talks about how a carbon/aluminum frame/fork shaves off weight and time, I ask, "Can I load it down front and back with 20 lbs.+ of weight, in addition to my own 200 Lbs, and go over a mild bump here on the average road in Fla. and expect it to hold together???" There is a sect of us who while we DO use bikes daily, we DO long distance sometimes, we DON'T train for 'timed' centuries! The lot of us who think practicality and 'process' and enjoy THE ride! Should I get third rate, simply because one half see bikes as occasional novelties ($300-1500), and the other wants to shave off seconds ($2000-5000)??? Which bike is out there to satisfy the 'happy medium' (with a price to reflect it, as well)?

 

[bidaas]

I couldn't agree more. I just upgraded from an old Shimano 600 - Dura-Ace - Whatever 7-speed rig that I had been keeping on life support for 13 years. After dusting it off after a ten-year dirt-nap, I quickly put 800 miles on it. I ended up hanging $400 worth of new parts on it in six months and after I broke my back-up rear wheel, I realized that I was going to have to bite the bullet and start fresh. It was the best cycling decision I have made (with the exception of winter tights). I love my new rig (I'm the guy that bought the $5000 bike ). Replacement parts are a big deal with bikes (I just bought a winter cassette and replaced my chain - $215) and you don't want to have to wait two weeks for an eBAY derailleur (trust me - it sucks). I think saving up for a good $1000 bike is the way to go. The biggest difference between the $1000 bikes and the $5000 bikes is the weight. I think the lighter parts are less durable and cost more to replace when they break or wear out. If you are interested in high-end recreational riding, you will find yourself gravitating to the bike of your dreams, but in the meantime, I would actually avoid the retro-bike.

Guys, I did go for the bike. Specialized frames are good, and I was able to try the bike out for the fit too. I ended paying 175 USD and have been enjoying it for the last 3 weeks now (including a few days in 'Death Valley'. The issue is with the shifters - they may or may not shift on the first attempt.

I am definitely loving my upgrade from a 'Huffy' mountain bike, and hope to start biking in the hills of Bay area.

I think the key with a used bike is to be able to try it out and check it out well. So no 'eBay bikes' for me I guess. But as one of the posters here has noted, the bikes that are unused by people who buy-and-keep-in-garage should not be a bad idea.

 

[rzozaya1969]

I think it's not a good idea to buy an expensive bike at first. I think it's important to buy one that fits you and lets you get started. At the beggining you don't know if you're going to like it or not. It's just a matter of taste. Or maybe you want to try mountain biking and find that you prefer road bikes, or viceversa.

If it's the first time in a loooonggg while in a bike, you would first have to try it, know the differences in equipment, use, etc.. No matter how much you read, it's in the field where you will learn the gripes of bicycles. Which type you like, the differences in equipment, tire sizes, etc..

 

[BIANCHI_EURO]

Re: Don't start out by buying a $5000 bike............



5000= too much.....much too much

 

[rockmuncher]

I'm in my first year back after a loooooong layoff, so I'm basically starting again. I also have work commitments, a young family, etc. that might have prevented a full-on comeback.

With that in mind I looked for a new replacement for my trusty old steel steed in the LOWER end of the market. I needed a solid training bike that I could throw down the road without getting all teary.

I ended up with a nice little Alu frame, carbon forks, and Shimano 105 group. It was cheap, but it has done everything I've asked it to do. I've even crashed it hard and it has survived without any major problems.

 

[cycleski]

Its unlikely that I would spend $5k on a bike but its possible that id buy a $5k bike, second hand of course. Ebay and the classifieds are full of expensive bikes that the owners have no time to use , need the cash or injury prevents them from using, a suprising number even get sold for being the wrong size?
The bikes may be up to 5 years old but quality lasts and the diference between 9 and 10 sp, so what.
I see a Ti bike with full DA or Record in my future.

 

[ukscout]

I'm an interested athelete who wants a beginner's road bike. Purpose: Long weekend rides with hope of competetion one day. ?: new sport, so don't know if I'll get the crave.

Went to LBS today (first time) and they recommended Giant OCR 2 ($800 negoiatable) or C-dale R500 or R700 (couldn't remember which-anyway $1200).

I want to go into research mode now. ????

1) Online vs LBS for beginners?

2) The idea of around $700-$1000 sounds appealing. I'm I kidding myself?

3) What is the reality of previous year stock going for major discount?

Thanks

My two cents worth for someone just starting out:

1. Get fitted by a professional.

2. Describe to the shop attendant a very detailed description of the type of riding you do and listen to her/his recommendations.

3. Go to as many shops as you can looking and testing different bikes of your size, price range.

4. Buy a bicycle with at least a Shimano 105 or a Campy Centuar/Veloce groupo as per the specs that the fitting pro gave you.

Finally, ride with someone. It is always more enjoyable to learn the sport with others rather than alone.

 

[Ronanmk]

I'm an interested athelete who wants a beginner's road bike. Purpose: Long weekend rides with hope of competetion one day. ?: new sport, so don't know if I'll get the crave.

Went to LBS today (first time) and they recommended Giant OCR 2 ($800 negoiatable) or C-dale R500 or R700 (couldn't remember which-anyway $1200).

I want to go into research mode now. ????

1) Online vs LBS for beginners?

2) The idea of around $700-$1000 sounds appealing. I'm I kidding myself?

3) What is the reality of previous year stock going for major discount?

Thanks

1) LBS is an absolute MUST for beginners. There is no no advice on the online shops, and advice is something you need plenty when you're a beginner.

2) A Cnndale R700 sounds like a great deal for 1200 u$, and IMHO you should give it serious thought

3) That's true. You can get anything between 20 to 40% (even 50%) off if you wait a year. Go for it (I did with my Giant TCR 1)

On a side note, I wouldn't recommend a 2nd hand bike for a beginner, unless it is purchased on a LBS. FITTING is essential to good, confortable riding, and there's no way a newby can get propper fitting for something he's buying from the Internet. He might save a couple of hundred dollars, but his sore back will draw him out of the sport.

I'd recommend to buy a lower-spec'ed bike (even Tiagra is completely rideable nowadays) and then make a move on fancier stuff.

Cheers

 

[Buddy2004]

if cycling 'is your life'......maybe you need to 'get a life'?.....also, if a beginner can afford a $5000 bike, then good luck to him, what's it got to do with you?

 

[frenchcycling]

don;t start with a $5000 bike, start off with an $8000 one!