Price point for a decent road bike these days (opinions welcome)

[Kendall]

The father of a friend wants and will get a new road bike for his 60th
birthday. He's in decent good shape and will ride for fitness including
longer country rides. I have been asked to help them find a decent bike on
a budget. His wife was hoping $600 was enough but I told her to think more
like $1000-1500 for him if they want something more reliable and enjoyable.
I think they are suspicious of my advice because my three road bikes are
significantly more than this. I'm thinking at a minimum Shimano 105 or
Campy Veloce (stay away from Soro Tiagra parts) for components with decent
wheels on a decent frame. So far in my minimal research the new Trek Pilot
2.1 looks like a decent value in comparison to a comparably equipped Giant
or Specialized. The Pilot 2.1 MSRP is about $1350 but could be had for
about $1200. Alum. frame with carbon fork (and stays for what its worth).
The geometry looks like it'd be good for an older guy with more fit options
etc. for a more upright position if necessary.

The first thing I did was look at GVH bikes because Gary usually has some
pretty good values, but they are closed due to illness (I hope he's OK).

I usually build my own from a selected frame and am not really familiar with
the mainstream manufacturers. I might also look at the used market but I
think they want a "new bike" but the Trek Pilot might be a good frame design
for him to insure a good fit. Any other thoughts?

Thanks in advance,

Kendall

 

[Ken]

"Kendall" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> The father of a friend wants and will get a new road bike for his 60th
> birthday. He's in decent good shape and will ride for fitness including
> longer country rides. I have been asked to help them find a decent bike
> on a budget. His wife was hoping $600 was enough but I told her to think
> more like $1000-1500 for him if they want something more reliable and
> enjoyable.

You might be suprised how capable a $600 road bike would be. I know people who
do century rides on $600 road bikes. Check out the offerings from Giant,
Specialized, Trek, etc. A bike costing twice as much will be somewhat lighter
weight, but the performance boost is definately not double (or even +20%). Of
course, as you go up the price scale, you get more choices of bikes and thus a
better opportunity for a perfect fit. Fit is the most important "feature" of a
new bike.

 

[Dave]

Ken wrote:
> You might be suprised how capable a $600 road bike would be. I know
people who
> do century rides on $600 road bikes.

Absolutely. $600 will get you a very capable machine. For $1000, you
can get a bike perfectly suitable for everything but the very highest
levels of competition. Anything in excess of that may get you a little
more durability or trivially lighter weight.

I'd put the sweet spot at $800-$1000 for an avid cyclist.

 

[Kendall]

"Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ken wrote:
>> You might be suprised how capable a $600 road bike would be. I know
> people who
>> do century rides on $600 road bikes.
>
> Absolutely. $600 will get you a very capable machine. For $1000, you
> can get a bike perfectly suitable for everything but the very highest
> levels of competition. Anything in excess of that may get you a little
> more durability or trivially lighter weight.
>
> I'd put the sweet spot at $800-$1000 for an avid cyclist.
>

Capable yes but servicable and durable, especially the wheels....? I know
some people in the local club that have had lots of problems with wheels and
tiagra/soro parts on their bikes in this price range. How about specific
model examples?

Ken

 

[Dave]

Kendall wrote:
> Capable yes but servicable and durable, especially the wheels....? I
know
> some people in the local club that have had lots of problems with
wheels and
> tiagra/soro parts on their bikes in this price range. How about
specific
> model examples?
>
> Ken

I think you need to consider how the bike will be used, and whether
your clubmates' riding habits are comparable. You mention that you are
shopping for a 60 year old who "will ride for fitness including longer
country rides." Now, I'd very generously estimate this person's annual
mileage at maybe 3000 a year, almost all of it in dry conditions.

With regular maintenance, I think you could realistically expect many
years of trouble free operation under these circumstances.

I don't have much experience with cheap components myself but I have a
cyclocross bike with cheap Shimano RSX hubs (equivalent to Sora from
the mid 90s) that I ride in the rain and dirt. Ten years later,
they're not in great shape but certainly rideable.

 

[RonSonic]

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 22:04:54 -0500, "Kendall" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
>"Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Ken wrote:
>>> You might be suprised how capable a $600 road bike would be. I know
>> people who
>>> do century rides on $600 road bikes.
>>
>> Absolutely. $600 will get you a very capable machine. For $1000, you
>> can get a bike perfectly suitable for everything but the very highest
>> levels of competition. Anything in excess of that may get you a little
>> more durability or trivially lighter weight.
>>
>> I'd put the sweet spot at $800-$1000 for an avid cyclist.
>>
>
>Capable yes but servicable and durable, especially the wheels....? I know
>some people in the local club that have had lots of problems with wheels and
>tiagra/soro parts on their bikes in this price range. How about specific
>model examples?

Then they need to tune and maintain the stuff. It's more about the build and
service.

Besides the catalog Performance or supergo or whoever the hell it is with
"Scattante" bikes is listing a 105 bike for like $800.

Ron

 

[Qui Si Parla Campagnolo]

Kendall wrote:
> The father of a friend wants and will get a new road bike for his 60th
> birthday. He's in decent good shape and will ride for fitness including
> longer country rides. I have been asked to help them find a decent bike on
> a budget. His wife was hoping $600 was enough but I told her to think more
> like $1000-1500 for him if they want something more reliable and enjoyable.
> I think they are suspicious of my advice because my three road bikes are
> significantly more than this. I'm thinking at a minimum Shimano 105 or
> Campy Veloce (stay away from Soro Tiagra parts) for components with decent
> wheels on a decent frame. So far in my minimal research the new Trek Pilot
> 2.1 looks like a decent value in comparison to a comparably equipped Giant
> or Specialized. The Pilot 2.1 MSRP is about $1350 but could be had for
> about $1200. Alum. frame with carbon fork (and stays for what its worth).
> The geometry looks like it'd be good for an older guy with more fit options
> etc. for a more upright position if necessary.
>
> The first thing I did was look at GVH bikes because Gary usually has some
> pretty good values, but they are closed due to illness (I hope he's OK).
>
> I usually build my own from a selected frame and am not really familiar with
> the mainstream manufacturers. I might also look at the used market but I
> think they want a "new bike" but the Trek Pilot might be a good frame design
> for him to insure a good fit. Any other thoughts?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Kendall
>
>

The problem isn't the bicycle, some $600 bicycles can be great. The
problem is the bike shop that generally offers these. No fits other than
'standover, ride around the parking lot' type, poor assembly, no
attention to the wheels, etc when assembly.

 

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Kendall" <[email protected]> wrote:

> "Dave" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Ken wrote:
> >> You might be suprised how capable a $600 road bike would be. I know
> > people who
> >> do century rides on $600 road bikes.
> >
> > Absolutely. $600 will get you a very capable machine. For $1000, you
> > can get a bike perfectly suitable for everything but the very highest
> > levels of competition. Anything in excess of that may get you a little
> > more durability or trivially lighter weight.
> >
> > I'd put the sweet spot at $800-$1000 for an avid cyclist.
> >
>
> Capable yes but servicable and durable, especially the wheels....? I know
> some people in the local club that have had lots of problems with wheels and
> tiagra/soro parts on their bikes in this price range. How about specific
> model examples?

If anything, I would be less concerned about the wheels on a cheaper
bike, as long as the builder builds them well. More expensive bikes are
liable to go for boutique wheels, while the base bike probably has
something reasonably standard with a lot of spokes. Such a wheel can be
built badly, but doesn't have to be.

Specific recommendation? The base model Kona Kona, because it's cheap,
and Kona makes solid bikes, and because they're close to where I live .

The bigger issue with Sora is whether you like the different-style
brifteurs okay.


--
Ryan Cousineau, [email protected] http://www.wiredcola.com
Verus de parvis; verus de magnis.

 

[Pat Lamb]

Qui Si Parla Campagnolo wrote:
>
> The problem isn't the bicycle, some $600 bicycles can be great. The
> problem is the bike shop that generally offers these. No fits other than
> 'standover, ride around the parking lot' type, poor assembly, no
> attention to the wheels, etc when assembly.

Good point, Peter, although you're probably atypical anyway. Do you
think there's a price point where the "typical" LBS will check wheel
tension and stress relieve the wheels?

Pat

 

[Art Harris]

Kendall wrote:

> I have been asked to help them find a decent bike on
> a budget. His wife was hoping $600 was enough but I told her to >
think more like $1000-1500...

How about a 2005 Fuji Finest? MSRP $650.

http://www.fujibikes.com/2005/bikes.asp?id=12

Art Harris

 

[Dave]

Art Harris wrote:
>
> How about a 2005 Fuji Finest? MSRP $650.
>
> http://www.fujibikes.com/2005/bikes.asp?id=12
>
> Art Harris

My wife's first bike was a Fuji Ace, purchased for something like $450
in 2000. A bit heavy, but a perfectly good commuter or entry-level
sport bike.

 

[Art Harris]

Dave wrote:

> My wife's first bike was a Fuji Ace, purchased for something like
$450

Interesting to see how model names evolve. Back in the late '70s, the
Fuji Ace got its name because it was equipped with Dura Ace components,
while most Fujis had SunTour/Sugino stuff. It probably sold for around
$450 then too. "A fortune!" at the time.

Art Harris

 

[Ken]

"Kendall" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> Capable yes but servicable and durable, especially the wheels....? I
> know some people in the local club that have had lots of problems with
> wheels and tiagra/soro parts on their bikes in this price range. How
> about specific model examples?

A lightweight rider shouldn't have any problems with stock wheels. If you're a
heavyweight, a good shop can upgrade the wheels to something more durable. If
you're not a weight weenie, durable wheels are not that expensive.

Regarding bikes, try the Giant OCR3 or Trek 1000 for about $600. Other brands
may have similar models.

 

[[email protected]]

Kendall wrote:
> The father of a friend wants and will get a new road bike for his
60th
> birthday. He's in decent good shape and will ride for fitness
including
> longer country rides. I have been asked to help them find a decent
bike on
> a budget. His wife was hoping $600 was enough but I told her to
think more
> like $1000-1500 for him if they want something more reliable and
enjoyable.

Its no wonder there are not many bicyclists in the US with advice like
this.

A couple weeks ago my Aunt bought a LeMond Big Sky S for $650. Sora
shifters, Trek brand other parts, aluminum frame, carbon fork, normal 3
cross wheels and spokes, pathetic from the factory gearing so I told
her to have the shop change the cassette from 12-26 to 12-32 and
exchange the rear derailleur from the Tiagra to Deore. It seemed like
an OK bike that should go many miles. Much better than my first road
bike in 1981. $210. Steel Schwinn Sports Tourer. But it went many
tens of thousands of miles. Even with steel rims! And stem shifters!
And center pull brakes! And the brake safety levers! And basic pedals
without toe clips even! And an odomoeter with the manual counter near
the front hub! Not even one of those sophisticated belt driven Huret
odomoeters!

 

[[email protected]]

I purchased my current road bike in 2002 with a Tiagra & 105 mix. The
plan was to get the frame cheep & upgrade the cheep Tiagra to a better
line later. Now It's 2005 & i haven't found a need to upgrade.
Excluding Dura Ace many of the Tiagra parts perform as good and have a
weight very similar to other upper line parts. I would not be afraid to
recomend tiagra to anyone.

 

[Qui Si Parla Campagnolo]

Pat Lamb wrote:
> Qui Si Parla Campagnolo wrote:
>
>>
>> The problem isn't the bicycle, some $600 bicycles can be great. The
>> problem is the bike shop that generally offers these. No fits other
>> than 'standover, ride around the parking lot' type, poor assembly, no
>> attention to the wheels, etc when assembly.
>
>
> Good point, Peter, although you're probably atypical anyway. Do you
> think there's a price point where the "typical" LBS will check wheel
> tension and stress relieve the wheels?
>
> Pat

It's not the price point of the bicycle, but the shop in general. A
local big box chain sells everything from $120 cruisers to Litespeeds
and all of them are poorly assembled, no fits to be had, no service or
knowledge after the sale.

We recommend if somebody is looking at a $600-$1000 bike in Boulder, get
a fit from us, go armed with that info, get the proper fitting bike,
bring it back to us for a disassemble, reasseble, wheel true, tension,
etc. THEN the bike will fit and work well for a long time. A well spent
$200 or so.

 

[Pat Lamb]

Qui Si Parla Campagnolo wrote:
> Pat Lamb wrote:
>
>> Qui Si Parla Campagnolo wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> The problem isn't the bicycle, some $600 bicycles can be great. The
>>> problem is the bike shop that generally offers these. No fits other
>>> than 'standover, ride around the parking lot' type, poor assembly, no
>>> attention to the wheels, etc when assembly.
>>
>>
>>
>> Good point, Peter, although you're probably atypical anyway. Do you
>> think there's a price point where the "typical" LBS will check wheel
>> tension and stress relieve the wheels?
>>
>> Pat
>
>
> It's not the price point of the bicycle, but the shop in general. A
> local big box chain sells everything from $120 cruisers to Litespeeds
> and all of them are poorly assembled, no fits to be had, no service or
> knowledge after the sale.

I was afraid that would be the answer...

> We recommend if somebody is looking at a $600-$1000 bike in Boulder, get
> a fit from us, go armed with that info, get the proper fitting bike,
> bring it back to us for a disassemble, reasseble, wheel true, tension,
> etc. THEN the bike will fit and work well for a long time. A well spent
> $200 or so.

Sounds pretty reasonable; IIRC a Fitkit around here is (was?) $75, and
by the time you fix the wheels, disassemble enough to lube all the
bearings, and put it all back together, well, when are you going to set
up "Qui si parla Campagnolo" franchises?

 

[Donald Gillies]

"Kendall" <[email protected]> writes:

>The father of a friend wants and will get a new road bike for his 60th
>birthday.

There is probably a 75% chance he won't use the bike AT ALL after a
month or two so I definitely agree with the wife. If he finds that he
LOVES bicycling then he can sell a cheap bike at a small loss and get
a $2500 dream machine later on.

2005 Mercier Corvus/105 Road Bike with Reynolds 520 for $795.00 looks good:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/mercier_corvus.htm

2002 Fuji Roubaix/105 Road bike with Butted Aluminum Frameset, $895 looks good
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/02fuji/fuji_roubaix.htm

2005 Motobecane Grand Sprint/105 with Carbon Fork/Stays, $995 looks great!

Or better yet, how about something that's on clearance at your local
bike shop in this price range ?

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

 

[Kendall]

"Donald Gillies" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Kendall" <[email protected]> writes:
>
>>The father of a friend wants and will get a new road bike for his 60th
>>birthday.
>
> There is probably a 75% chance he won't use the bike AT ALL after a
> month or two so I definitely agree with the wife. If he finds that he
> LOVES bicycling then he can sell a cheap bike at a small loss and get
> a $2500 dream machine later on.
>
> 2005 Mercier Corvus/105 Road Bike with Reynolds 520 for $795.00 looks
> good:
> http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/mercier_corvus.htm
>
> 2002 Fuji Roubaix/105 Road bike with Butted Aluminum Frameset, $895 looks
> good
> http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/02fuji/fuji_roubaix.htm
>
> 2005 Motobecane Grand Sprint/105 with Carbon Fork/Stays, $995 looks
> great!
>
> Or better yet, how about something that's on clearance at your local
> bike shop in this price range ?
>
> - Don Gillies
> San Diego, CA

Actually, he already rides a lot ..... weather permitting, currently on an
old Peugeot or mountain bike. I think the guy has proven he will stick with
it and his son says he wants a good bike to get more serious on. I think he
derserves it. Thanks for the models. I wish that Motobecane Grand Sprint
fit him. Nice deal

Ken

 

[Qui Si Parla Campagnolo]

Pat Lamb wrote:
> Qui Si Parla Campagnolo wrote:
>
>> Pat Lamb wrote:
>>
>>> Qui Si Parla Campagnolo wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> The problem isn't the bicycle, some $600 bicycles can be great. The
>>>> problem is the bike shop that generally offers these. No fits other
>>>> than 'standover, ride around the parking lot' type, poor assembly,
>>>> no attention to the wheels, etc when assembly.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Good point, Peter, although you're probably atypical anyway. Do you
>>> think there's a price point where the "typical" LBS will check wheel
>>> tension and stress relieve the wheels?
>>>
>>> Pat
>>
>>
>>
>> It's not the price point of the bicycle, but the shop in general. A
>> local big box chain sells everything from $120 cruisers to Litespeeds
>> and all of them are poorly assembled, no fits to be had, no service or
>> knowledge after the sale.
>
>
> I was afraid that would be the answer...
>
>> We recommend if somebody is looking at a $600-$1000 bike in Boulder,
>> get a fit from us, go armed with that info, get the proper fitting
>> bike, bring it back to us for a disassemble, reasseble, wheel true,
>> tension, etc. THEN the bike will fit and work well for a long time. A
>> well spent $200 or so.
>
>
> Sounds pretty reasonable; IIRC a Fitkit around here is (was?) $75, and
> by the time you fix the wheels, disassemble enough to lube all the
> bearings, and put it all back together, well, when are you going to set
> up "Qui si parla Campagnolo" franchises?
>
>

One shop only, thanks. One is tough enough.