First time looking for a road bike

[bigfloppyllama]

Well, background of me wanting a bike is essentially this: I’ve been riding my brother’s mountain bike quite frequently recently and I seem to hit a wall at about 20 miles. Not due to exhaustion or anything, it just becomes painfully obvious how uncomfortable it is to ride it. I tried riding a really old road bike we had lying around and the positioning was much more comfortable.

As for the specifications.. Not sure exactly what would be needed to recommend me a bike so here it goes:

5’9”
130Lbs.
16 years old
Price range.. A little mixed on this. I read what a lot of you are talking about and I see the bikes coming into the few thousands. While this certainly won’t be a bike I’ll keep through the rest of my days, I would like something that is rather decent. Um.. I’d like to keep it to somewhere around $500 but I suppose I could go higher if there really isn’t anything decent in that range.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[MidBunchLurker]

A few quick suggestions might include low-end Trek, Giant, Scott or Fuji - see what's available in your area. It'll be better to go to a store than buy online cos you can get advice on setting the bike up right, etc...

Check out
www.trek-bikes.com
www.giant-bicycle.com
www.scottusa.com
www.fujibikes.com

HTH

 

[bigfloppyllama]

Alright, I'll check those out tomorrow. I also probably should have noted that this is probably going to be more of a touring bike than a racing one.

 

[jrbldr]

I recently found myself riding more road, with a buddy, and was tired of being left behind on my mtn bike. Purchased a clean 5 yr old Trek 520 - the touring model, and it rocks. Paid $500 and it has nice components (actually LX) and rides really well. I know its a few lbs heavier than a new Trek 2000 or Lemond, but so what? I'm carrying 15lbs extra and it all has to go up the hills. Plus, I can ride it on a firetrail if need be, or put touring gear on it and go touring if I want. No problem keeping up with my buddy anymore as it is WAY faster than my mtn bike was.

I would look for a clean used bike - you will get more bike for less money than a new one at a bike store. Plus you worry less about it being stolen, etc. Just take your time and try several out so you get an idea what you want and the fit, etc. In my case with this bike, I new the size I needed, and what type of bike I wanted - biased toward touring - all I had to do was wait a week or so until I saw one in the local online classifieds. Don't buy off ebay or anyplace where you can't ride it and check it out first.

 

[i2ambler]

Amen to a used bike.. I got a 2002 giant tcr zero for 1500 bucks.. They retailed for three grand last year.

 

[bigfloppyllama]

A used bike isn't too bad of an idea either. Actually theres a large online classifieds site for local shoppers where I live.

 

[i2ambler]

Be aware of sizing issues.. make sure you get the right size, or it will be a waste of money..

 

[bigfloppyllama]

Yeah, I got myself fit yesterday at a local chain reaction store. Rather helpful and they offered a Trek 1000 at a pretty decent price. I took a 4 mile tour ride and it was a lot better than I had expected it to be.

 

[Mannaz]

I too am looking for my first road bike.

I just rode the giant OCR1 and TCR1, Cannondale R900, and the Specialized Comp Cr-MO.

Of those, I think I like the Specialized the best....though it is a big jump in price from the Giant OCR-1 at $900US to the Specialized at $1700US.

Now I'm in a quandry. I think I'll go ride a La Monde and the Felt just to see.

I do like the compact geometry and the steel frame was nice....

I'll come back when I get closer to making a decision.

Tim

 

[bigfloppyllama]

Alright, I went to a few other places to look at bikes. A local shop was fond of rebuilding bikes so I checked them out for a used one. His friend had purchased another bike from him and left his older bike in exchange. Apparently he had crashed it before he traded it. The owner had worked on it, but I’m not sure how much I would like to trust a potentially damaged bike.

Seemed to be a little older than 5 years.

Specialized Allez
Shimano Tiagra shifters (2 cogs in front, 9 in back) How easy would it be to add another up front?
~300 miles on it
~$500

Any thoughts on it, or should I start with a Trek 1000 and work my way up as I progress into the sport?

 

[JoelinNH]

I rode the Trek 1000 for about 1800miles as mmy first Road Bike. For the money the bike was great, and I never had any major mechanical problems with the bike, and rode it for three years. Some things that I did not like, was the fact that you must come out of the drop outs in order to reach the up shifters, but should be fine in a non-race application. Also, the shifting can sometimes be erratic and not too percise. Maybe the aftermath of a well needed tune up. The front gearing comes as a triple and the rear is a eight gear cassette.
Definately get some clipless pedals. I wear 14 US shoes and the straps just didn't cut it. I recommend the Speedplays. Oh yeah, most shops will let you put the bike on lay-a-way, and make payments until it is paid off.
Sold my Trek 1K to my roommate (new comer), and just picked up the '03 Trek 2300, and plan on starting some races mid season this year. Hope it all works out for you. Cheers-Joltron

 

[bigfloppyllama]

Yeah, I ended up buying the 1000 last week and so far have loved it. Feels a ton better than the mountain bikes I was used to riding. You're quite right about the strap pedals not cutting it. I need to buy a few more things and then I'll be contend, for a while. Quite annoying oftentimes. Question about the hold downs though. Right now I usually just have my hands positioned as if I were going to shift most of the time, except for downhills when I go into the hold downs if I need to apply more brake pressure. Should I be using the hold downs more (better posture or someting?) or would what I'm doing now be fine. I try and do 20-30 miles a day and it definitely is quite enjoyable. Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[JoelinNH]

I find the hand possitioning to be a personal preference type thing, and the fact that years of wrenching on cars has taken a toll on my wrists. I tend to use the drop outs more when I am at a comfortable cruising speed, and come up into the hoods for climbs, and sometimes the cross bar, just to ease the wrists. Also, in town traffic has me in the hoods, mostly because people are idiots in their cars and I find this more defensive. Also, being in the drop outs does provide some more aerodynamic posture. For now, I would recommend getting use to the bike, and how it feels on the rides, and let that be your main focus.