My First Road Bike - Need Opinion on these two...

[Jamal]

Hi there,

I'm interested in purchasing my first road bike and need help choosing between these two used road bikes:

Cannondale R500 52 CM Road Bike - Hamilton Sports Goods For Sale - Kijiji Hamilton

and

Road Bike - Toronto Sports Goods For Sale - Kijiji Toronto

I've gotten the sellers down to $400 on both bikes. I don't know a lot about bike components. What do you guys think is the better deal?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Bastiani]

They are two different sizes... 50cm and a 52cm... have you gone to a local bike shop to see which one is more the size for you....

wither case I would go with the Cannondale.. the components are not as good.... but its a newer bike, easier to update, and probably has a lot less fatigue on the aluminum.

 

[alfeng]

As Bastiani has observed, the frames are different sizes ... in fact, the Cannondale is probably closer to a 54cm-or-56cm despite how the seller has described it whereas the Concorde is 50cm frame ...

The Cannondale will be better if you are 5'8", or taller (the Cannondale would probably be better if you are 5'9" to 5'11") ...

The Concorde will be better if you are between 5'2" & 5'7" ... 5'3" to 5'6" is the best-fit range ...

If you are between 5'7" & 5'8" then neither frame will be ideal.

The Concorde is, IMO, a much better bike -- it is a very good frame made with superior grade, steel tubing, the components are much better, and the wheels are better -- the drawback is that the overall bike is so much better that it has tubular wheels & sew-up tyres.

Presuming that you are about 5'6" tall, I would recommend you get the Concorde.

BTW. IMO, the Concorde will be easier to update ... but, you really shouldn't need to do anything for the foreseeable future other than be concerned with (i.e., aware of) the tubular rims & sew-up tyres ...

You can probably sell the tubular wheels for as-much-as-or-more-than it will cost to get an good-but-inexpensive set of 700c wheels off of eBay, or elsewhere.

With BOTH bikes, because they are used, you cannot know with any certainty how much longer the components will last ... it should be years for both, but you never know.

 

[CdnRider]

As with the other 2 posters above. First go to a shop and spend 20-30mins to see what size frame/bike would be be suitable for you. The 2 bikes listed are definitely different sizes. The Concorde being the smaller frame.

My pick? The Cannondale. It's newer. Looks like it's been cared for. And since you're a starter, you can easily upgrade the components over time. As you feel you need to. That may be a while. You may stick with it for years.....who knows.

AND i say this even though i've ALWAYS been a huge Concorde fan. Since the late 80's. Don't see too many of those around these days. Love that team PDM look. Classic in my books.

First things first....find out your proper size.