New to road biking, need advice



mikeprime

New Member
Oct 25, 2004
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I have been mtn. biking for several years, and after riding my friends road bike for the first time(and a broken collarbone as a result of the mtn. bike), decided I would like to get a road bike. I plan to do both, and have been looking for a bike for a few months. My cousin-in-law offered me his 1998 Trek Y77 Foil for $800 with Dura-ace group, shoes and a helmet, and from what I've read online, it seems to be a good bike, and a good price. Having never ridden on the road before, will this be hard to learn on? Also, what size is right for some one 5'9" (175 cm)? Any help or suggestions are appreciated.

"Whatever you ride, ride it hard."

Mike
 
On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 19:49:47 +1000, mikeprime
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>I have been mtn. biking for several years, and after riding my friends
>road bike for the first time(and a broken collarbone as a result of the
>mtn. bike), decided I would like to get a road bike. I plan to do both,
>and have been looking for a bike for a few months. My cousin-in-law
>offered me his 1998 Trek Y77 Foil for $800 with Dura-ace group, shoes
>and a helmet, and from what I've read online, it seems to be a good
>bike, and a good price. Having never ridden on the road before, will
>this be hard to learn on?


No harder than any other bike.

> Also, what size is right for some one 5'9"
>(175 cm)?


Depends. How long are your legs and how long is your torso? I am
5'9" and all my bikes are 56cm c-t, but I have short legs and a long
torso. I know folks who are also 5'9" but with long legs and short
torso, and bikes 58-59cm c-t work best height-wise but the frames
that tall need shorter top tubes than most current production bikes to
fit those folks. Another consideration is BB height or BB drop
(whichever way you prefer to measure); you could fit on a frame with
a slightly longer seat tube if the BB is low.

BTW, if the person with the Y-Foil does not remember the size, it is
engraved on the inside of one of the rear dropouts.

- rick
 
On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 13:19:43 GMT, Rick Warner
<[email protected]> wrote:


>
>Depends. How long are your legs and how long is your torso? I am
>5'9" and all my bikes are 56cm c-t, but I have short legs and a long
>torso. I know folks who are also 5'9" but with long legs and short
>torso, and bikes 58-59cm c-t work best height-wise but the frames
>that tall need shorter top tubes than most current production bikes to
>fit those folks. Another consideration is BB height or BB drop
>(whichever way you prefer to measure); you could fit on a frame with
>a slightly longer seat tube if the BB is low.
>
>BTW, if the person with the Y-Foil does not remember the size, it is
>engraved on the inside of one of the rear dropouts.
>
>- rick


Hi, I agree, that fit is most important. If the bike fits the OP, then
it is a good deal.
On size, I'm 5'10" and my LeMond is a 53cm, although LeMond is
measured dfifferently than Trek. My other bike, one I have owned since
1976 is a 23" frame, which equates to appr 57cm. Both bikes fit me
comfortably, but I prefer the LeMond.
I have never had a true professional "fit", so I am basing my fit on
comfort, achieved by a number of adjustments.
For the OP, if the bike doesn't seem uncomfortably large or small, you
can make some adjustments. Seat height is a no brainer, but within
reason, you can move the saddle forward or back, even getting a
setback seatpost. The stem is the usual place where adjustments are
made, including the length and rise. The rise allowing you to raise or
lower the height of the handlebars.
If these adjustments need to be extreme, then the bike isn't the right
size for you.
The best starting point, would be to try riding it. The Dura-Ace
components are no different in basic design,then the lower priced
groups.
If the bike fits, you would end up owning a very nice bike.


Life is Good!
Jeff
 
"mikeprime" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
>

Having never ridden on the road before, will
> this be hard to learn on?


Its a good idea to get some practice on relatively safe routes any time you
move to a different type of bike. A road bike will handle and brake a little
differently from a mountain bike ...not a lot different, but with some of
the idjits you'll be sharing the road with it doesn't hurt to practice.


--
Derek Hodges
Toronto
 
mikeprime wrote:

> I have been mtn. biking for several years, and after riding my friends
> road bike for the first time(and a broken collarbone as a result of the
> mtn. bike), decided I would like to get a road bike. I plan to do both,
> and have been looking for a bike for a few months. My cousin-in-law
> offered me his 1998 Trek Y77 Foil for $800 with Dura-ace group, shoes
> and a helmet, and from what I've read online, it seems to be a good
> bike, and a good price. Having never ridden on the road before, will
> this be hard to learn on? Also, what size is right for some one 5'9"
> (175 cm)? Any help or suggestions are appreciated.
>
> "Whatever you ride, ride it hard."
>
> Mike
>
>


Y-foils handle just like conventional frames; their steering
geometry is nothing unusual. With the cantilever beam holding the
seat, you get some suspension effect for the saddle. One slight
difference I've noticed is that if you use pedals with lots of
rotational float, like Speedplay (non-Zero type), it's easy to
have your heel brush the upper rear stays, what would be called
the seat stays on a diamond frame. With low-float pedals it's not
a problem.

Whether you like the unusual looks is obviously just personal taste.
The frames are maybe a pound heavier than most new carbon frames,
which barely matters unless you're racing uphill. It is supposedly
one of the lower-drag (aerodynamic) frames around. If you want to
compete in races, it's not UCI-legal, and in the US, it's USCF-legal
for domestic races, but only until Jan 1, 2007, when the USCF adopts
UCI rules.

Fit depends on more than just your height. Try to find someone
locally who can help you. To some extent, you can change stems and
seat position to dial in the fit, but you don't want a way under or
over-size frame. $800 sounds like a good price, assuming you like
the bike, it's in good condition, and the right size. Other people
will tend to think the bike is either really cool or really strange
and ugly. They aren't very common.

Dave Lehnen
 
Make sure you have at least one inch (with your barefeet) of standover
height!
"Rick Warner" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 19:49:47 +1000, mikeprime
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>>I have been mtn. biking for several years, and after riding my friends
>>road bike for the first time(and a broken collarbone as a result of the
>>mtn. bike), decided I would like to get a road bike. I plan to do both,
>>and have been looking for a bike for a few months. My cousin-in-law
>>offered me his 1998 Trek Y77 Foil for $800 with Dura-ace group, shoes
>>and a helmet, and from what I've read online, it seems to be a good
>>bike, and a good price. Having never ridden on the road before, will
>>this be hard to learn on?

>
> No harder than any other bike.
>
>> Also, what size is right for some one 5'9"
>>(175 cm)?

>
> Depends. How long are your legs and how long is your torso? I am
> 5'9" and all my bikes are 56cm c-t, but I have short legs and a long
> torso. I know folks who are also 5'9" but with long legs and short
> torso, and bikes 58-59cm c-t work best height-wise but the frames
> that tall need shorter top tubes than most current production bikes to
> fit those folks. Another consideration is BB height or BB drop
> (whichever way you prefer to measure); you could fit on a frame with
> a slightly longer seat tube if the BB is low.
>
> BTW, if the person with the Y-Foil does not remember the size, it is
> engraved on the inside of one of the rear dropouts.
>
> - rick
 
On Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:48:02 -0400, "firm65" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Make sure you have at least one inch (with your barefeet) of standover
>height!


That's a good rule, but then again I've been riding a traditional
level top tube road frame with less than an inch of clearance in my
shoes. Six years now with no problems.
 
read rodales road book and their 1000 ways to screw up book.
the handbook of long distance riding is a read also