I need advice. Please help

[1Newbiebiker]

Hello all,

I am a new cyclist to be in the process of trying to decide which bike to purchase. I have narrowed it down to 3 bikes.

1. Trek 7.3 FX - $679.99
Fork - FX Alloy w/tapered wall thickness, straight blades, Clix dropouts

Frame - FX Alpha Black Aluminum
Wheels - Alloy front hub, Shimano RM30 rear hub; Bontrager Nebula 32-hole alloy rims

Tires - Bontrager Race All Weather Hard-Case, 700x32c
Shifters - Shimano EF60, 8-speed trigger

Front derailleur - Shimano M191

Rear derailleur - Shimano Deore

Crank - Shimano M361, 48/38/28 w/chainguard

Cassette - SRAM PG-830 11-32, 8 speed
Handlebar - Bontrager Satellite Plus IsoZone OS, 25mm rise

Headset - Slimstak, semi-cartridge bearings, sealed

Brakeset - Avid SD-3 brakes w/Shimano EF60 levers

Grips - Bontrager Satellite IsoZone Elite, lock-on, ergonomic


2. Giant Rapid 3 - $650.00 Aluxx butted aluminum frame. CroMo fork. Giant connect flat handlebars. Alloy bar-ends. Shimano R221 EZ fire shifters. Shimano R443/2300 8 speed drivetrain. FSA Tempo crankshaft with 30/42/52T chainrings. Giant S-R2 rims with Giant P-R3, 60tpi, Flat Guard, [F] & [R] Specific, 700x28 tires.


Please give this novice some advice based on your experience
Thanks
David

 

[kdelong]

In my opinion, the Trek has the better mix of components of the 2 bikes that you provided information on. What was the third bike?

Anyway, your gold standard should be how you feel when YOU ride the bike. Asking us is just going to get you a bunch of opinions and no real hard facts. Test ride them.

My lady friend likes Giants. She has owned several of them and has not had any problems with them at all so she thinks that you should get the Giant. My brother Bill has a Trek right now that he really likes so he thinks that you should go with the Trek. Of course I end up doing all of the maintenance on their bikes as well as my own, so I think that you should get a Jamis, but that is not on your list. See how this goes? That is why you need to ride each of your choices and the one that feels best to you is the one that you should buy.

 

[1Newbiebiker]

First of all, thanks for your reply. The third bike was the Specialized Elite, but it is sold out for 2011 and i would have to wait until late July to get one. So I've kinda eliminated that one. I did test ride the Trek 7.3 FX and a Specialized Sirrus Sport. I liked the upright riding position of the Sirrus Sport. The bike shop that I visited didn't have the Sirrus Elite which has a carbon fiber fork. I can get the Sirrus Sport but thought the Trek had better components. The Sirrus Elite has the components of the Trex, plus the carbon fork. I undersatnd what you're saying, it comes down to feel cause it doesn't seem like there's much difference between manufacturers. The salespeople have been talking about frame rigidity and flex. I don't know that as a beginner I will be able to tell the difference. I think I will ride the Giant so I can give all 3 bikes a fair evaluation, then decide.

 

[kdelong]

Too bad that you would have to wait for the Sirrus Elite. I have heard some good things about it and would include it if I were looking right now. You are on the right track though. Don't consider buying a bike as a beginner unless you can test ride it.

Just for the record, flex and rigidity primarily effect the ride of a bike. A frame that flexes will absorb some of the bumps in the road and will be more comfortable. Unfortunately this reduces handling and requires a minute amount more of energy to pedal. A rigid bike will handle more precisely and be ever so slightly easier to pedal but you will feel even the smallest of bumps. Riders who are extremely competetive and record their power output to the milliwatt will want an extremely rigid bike. The rest of us just try to get a good balance between flex and rigidity, i.e. comfort versus precise handling and the most efficient pedaller.

 

[Attlus]

Originally Posted by 1Newbiebiker .

First of all, thanks for your reply. The third bike was the Specialized Elite, but it is sold out for 2011 and i would have to wait until late July to get one. So I've kinda eliminated that one. I did test ride the Trek 7.3 FX and a Specialized Sirrus Sport. I liked the upright riding position of the Sirrus Sport. The bike shop that I visited didn't have the Sirrus Elite which has a carbon fiber fork. I can get the Sirrus Sport but thought the Trek had better components. The Sirrus Elite has the components of the Trex, plus the carbon fork. I undersatnd what you're saying, it comes down to feel cause it doesn't seem like there's much difference between manufacturers. The salespeople have been talking about frame rigidity and flex. I don't know that as a beginner I will be able to tell the difference. I think I will ride the Giant so I can give all 3 bikes a fair evaluation, then decide.

I am in the same boat as you are as I am basically just starting out in the sport. I decided to buy a Specialized Sirrus 2010 and I can tell you from my personal experience that I wish I would have went with a traditional road bike with drop handlebars and thinner profile tires. I was advised against this at my LBS because I was new to the sport and I was told that the thinner tires would be harder to ride on and that getting started on a road bike would be more hastle than it is worth. Now that I have been riding my Sirrus for a bit I can tell you that I wish I would have went with the Allez because it is cheaper but is still a road bike. If you are at all like me you will be looking for a cheap road bike 2 months after you purchase a flat bar bike depending on what kind of rides you plan on going on and what you want to use it for.

 

[kdelong]

Originally Posted by Attlus .



I am in the same boat as you are as I am basically just starting out in the sport. I decided to buy a Specialized Sirrus 2010 and I can tell you from my personal experience that I wish I would have went with a traditional road bike with drop handlebars and thinner profile tires. I was advised against this at my LBS because I was new to the sport and I was told that the thinner tires would be harder to ride on and that getting started on a road bike would be more hastle than it is worth. Now that I have been riding my Sirrus for a bit I can tell you that I wish I would have went with the Allez because it is cheaper but is still a road bike. If you are at all like me you will be looking for a cheap road bike 2 months after you purchase a flat bar bike depending on what kind of rides you plan on going on and what you want to use it for.

Dude, you got screwed by your LBS. A shop is supposed to guide you so that you don't make any fatal errors. It appears that they guided you to what they wanted you to buy. In my opinion and experience, it is easier to get started on a road bike than to transistion to it from a flat bar bike.

 

[Attlus]

Well I dont think they screwed me because for me cost was an issue, I didnt want to spend crazy money because I wasnt sure if I would take to the sport and stick with it. I ended up buying the bike for around $460 when I wouldnt be able to get a road bike for less than $600 or $700. But who knows, its a small town so maybe they did screw me over but they seemed legit.

Originally Posted by kdelong .




Dude, you got screwed by your LBS. A shop is supposed to guide you so that you don't make any fatal errors. It appears that they guided you to what they wanted you to buy. In my opinion and experience, it is easier to get started on a road bike than to transistion to it from a flat bar bike.

 

[kdelong]

Originally Posted by Attlus .

Well I dont think they screwed me because for me cost was an issue, I didnt want to spend crazy money because I wasnt sure if I would take to the sport and stick with it. I ended up buying the bike for around $460 when I wouldnt be able to get a road bike for less than $600 or $700. But who knows, its a small town so maybe they did screw me over but they seemed legit.

I don't know. It sounds to me like they steered you to the bike that you could afford at that moment. I have had friends cut deals and payment plans for guys who wanted to ride but did not have the full amount at the time. I have helped people buy a good used bike off of Craigs List for less than half the cost of a new bike. And then there is Bikes Direct.

If you can spend another $400, here is a bike that a lot of guys like: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/lt_dlx.htm

If you can only pony up $300, here is another nice but not as modern a bike:http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/wellington1_IX.htm

The big thing with Bikes Direct is that you need to know your size when you order the bike. You can return the bike for an exchange if it is not the right size, but then you start incurring shipping charges and restock fees.

 

[1Newbiebiker]

Well I got er done. After riding many different brands and models I have selected the Trek 7.3 FX. It just was the best bike for me in my price range. Yesterday I rode the Trek and the Giant Rapid 3 at the same shop. This allowed for literally a side-by-side comparison and the Trek won. I am happy with my decision and equally grateful to those of you that assisted me with your advice. I plan to start riding this weekend. The weather forecast couldn't be better. Mid to upper 70's with low humidity. Thanks again to everyone. I'm excited to finally getting started.

David

 

[Attlus]

thanks a lot for the links. What I'll probably do is save up till I can put about 1,000 into one and ride my Sirrus till then. Im a student so most of my money goes to paying tuition and stuff, it sucks but will surely be the best investment of my life when i graduate. Thanks for the help and advice

Originally Posted by kdelong .





I don't know. It sounds to me like they steered you to the bike that you could afford at that moment. I have had friends cut deals and payment plans for guys who wanted to ride but did not have the full amount at the time. I have helped people buy a good used bike off of Craigs List for less than half the cost of a new bike. And then there is Bikes Direct.

If you can spend another $400, here is a bike that a lot of guys like: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/lt_dlx.htm

If you can only pony up $300, here is another nice but not as modern a bike:http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/wellington1_IX.htm

The big thing with Bikes Direct is that you need to know your size when you order the bike. You can return the bike for an exchange if it is not the right size, but then you start incurring shipping charges and restock fees.