Recommendations for a road bike newbie

[Gooserider]

"Rangersfan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I have an excellent bike shop less than a mile from my house. The only
> problem is their selection of bikes is limited to just a few models. I
> know their recommendation will be limited in scope to those bikes. I'd
> just rather have a recommendation not limited to the particular stock
> of any one bike shop.

Hey, try being short(er). I ride a 50 or 52, depending on manufacturer, and
I've yet to find a bike shop with either size in stock. Lots of 54s and 56s,
but never one in my size for a test ride, and I have a high end(Waterford,
Litespeed, Co-Motion) shop just up the road.

 

[Tom Keats]

In article <[email protected]>,
"Bill H." <[email protected]> writes:
> Tom Keats wrote:
>
>> At first blush it looks as if Bill H. is saying absolutely nobody
>> in r.b.m is as qualified to offer advice, suggestions or
>> recommendations as any bike shop staff whippersnapper (remember
>> the "you have to be kidding" thread?) But I think Bill was
>> actually speaking in terms of matching customer to purchase in
>> an in-person venue.
>>
>>
>> cheers,
>> Tom
>
> Tom,
>
> Yes, that's closer to my point. In retrospect, my original reply seems
> to have made the fault of sacrificing clarity for brevity, which wasn't
> my intention at all.

Well, miscommunications are bound to occasionally occur, both
transmitting and receiving. Then when they get figured-out
and resolved we can have a friendly, mutual, acrimony-free
chuckle about it, and continue on.

> Hopefully my subsequent post clarified my position accurately enough.

I think it did, quite well.

....

> I also think that a personal
> preference might quickly come up after a quick spin on a bike that
> could affect a purchasing decision more than the opinions and
> experience of others.

I wholeheartedly agree. I believe sometimes there can be
a love-at-first-sight destiny thing at play.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

 

[Patrick Lamb]

On Tue, 8 Mar 2005 12:20:16 -0800, [email protected] (Tom Keats)
wrote:
>
>When you look at the remark to which Zoot was speaking: "Nobody on
>this message board can help you anywhere NEAR as much as a good,
>local bike shop" and read it literally, /that's/ a pretty harsh
>dissing of a number of extremely knowledgable and helpful
>contributors here -- Mike, Mark, Jobst, and others.
>
>At first blush it looks as if Bill H. is saying absolutely nobody
>in r.b.m is as qualified to offer advice, suggestions or
>recommendations as any bike shop staff whippersnapper (remember
>the "you have to be kidding" thread?) But I think Bill was
>actually speaking in terms of matching customer to purchase in
>an in-person venue.

Of course, that's true if your LBS is a good shop and knows road
bikes. Varies by area, of course; there are some places where there's
almost zero interest in road bikes, either by the local riders or by
the staff of the local bike shops. If the OP is from one of those, it
would be a good idea to check out the web and usenet resources first.
Not a bad idea if you don't know the local bike scene, since it helps
decide if the shops know what they're talking about, or just pushing
what is in stock.

Has anybody suggested Mike's article on test driving road bikes yet?
http://www.chainreaction.com/roadbiketestrides.htm is worth reading
before venturing forth into the wilds of bicycle retailing.

Pat

Email address works as is.

 

[Zoot Katz]

Tue, 08 Mar 2005 21:04:23 -0600,
<[email protected]>, Patrick Lamb
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Of course, that's true if your LBS is a good shop and knows road
>bikes.

Then you get into the ultra-snob shops where if you aren't buying the
latest stupid-light composite full tech type bike you're treated like
a affliction and they're just as happy to see you leave.
It happens with any of the genre specialty shops.
You aren't riding a crusier or looking for a twisted sissy-bar?
Get out. We'll sell you lighted skull valve caps but you don't have
Shrader valves. So, get out.
--
zk

 

[Rangersfan]

Patrick Lamb wrote:

> Has anybody suggested Mike's article on test driving road bikes yet?
> http://www.chainreaction.com/roadbiketestrides.htm is worth reading
> before venturing forth into the wilds of bicycle retailing.
>
> Pat

That's a very helpful link. Thanks.

 

[[email protected]]

Peter Cole wrote:

> For your first bike, don't focus on bike selection, focus on shop
> selection. The right shop will set you up with the right bike.

That's too simplistic.

The bicycle and the shop go hand-in-hand. There are shops that are
excellent shops, that have no bicycles to offer in certain market
segments, while there are lesser shops that have much wider selections
of products.

It is entirely reasonable to try to narrow down the bicycles under
consideration by asking advice on Usenet, where there is more expertise
than you'll find in most shops. The original poster gave a good idea of
his desires with the Lemond Sarthe, though in terms of his desire for a
more comfortable ride, something like the Rivendell Romulus would have
been better (unfortunately it is out of production).

I'd also look at the 2003 Marin Verona ($1300), though the Sarthe is
probably classier with the Campagnolo components.

I have purchased more than 20 bicycles for myself, friends, and family
members, over the past 25 years, and unfortunately, many of these had
to be purchased at shops that were not the best in terms of product
knowledge or fitment, simply because the more knowledgable shops had no
bikes that fit the ultimate owner's requirements. Once, I had to hold
my nose and buy from a shop that I despised, (that Palo Alto shop has
since gone out of business). Occasionally I would be going shopping
with a relative on a Sunday, which limited the choice of bicycles, to
ones carried by shops that were open.

 

[TomP]

Decide the maximum you want to spend. Then take 20% from that figure.
With the 80% figure, go to the L.B.S. and have them show you what they have
in YOUR price range. Then buy the bike that speaks to you and fits you
well. Just about anything you buy these days for a grand or more will be
more than adequate for your needs.

Rangersfan wrote:

> I'm looking to buy a road bike. I've been checking out the bikes of
> some friends, and I have a general idea of what I want, but I'd like
> some more input. Here are my particulars. Presently I have a hybrid
> that I've been riding for a while. I ride approximately 15 miles per
> day about 5 days per week weather permitting. I'd like to go a bit
> faster in order to keep up with some of my friends who have road bikes.
> I'd also like to participate in some of the advanced club rides in my
> area. I don't mind paying what it costs for a quality bike, but I'm 38
> years old and I know I'm not going to be setting any records. I'm
> basically looking for something that favors comfort over all out
> performance. My #1 candidate right now is a Lemond Sarthe, but I'm
> open to other suggestions. I'm 5'7" and have a long torso. From what
> I've read, some of the Lemond models seem to favor people with longer
> torsos, but this may not be true from what little I know about the
> subject.

--
Tp,

-------- __o
----- -\<. -------- __o
--- ( )/ ( ) ---- -\<.
-------------------- ( )/ ( )
-----------------------------------------

No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...

 

[jj]

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 16:19:24 GMT, TomP <[email protected]> wrote:

>Decide the maximum you want to spend. Then take 20% from that figure.
>With the 80% figure, go to the L.B.S. and have them show you what they have
>in YOUR price range. Then buy the bike that speaks to you and fits you
>well. Just about anything you buy these days for a grand or more will be
>more than adequate for your needs.

I'm curious as to where you get this 20% subtraction?

I would agree that it's important to ride a number of bikes and buy the one
that 'speaks to you', or makes you smile when you ride it. However it is
difficult to tell just riding around in the LBS parking lot. Ride a number
of different bikes. Don't be too hasty to buy. Look up the bike in the
roadbikereviews.com page and the epinions.com page and check for obvious
problems.

jj


>Rangersfan wrote:
>
>> I'm looking to buy a road bike. I've been checking out the bikes of
>> some friends, and I have a general idea of what I want, but I'd like
>> some more input. Here are my particulars. Presently I have a hybrid
>> that I've been riding for a while. I ride approximately 15 miles per
>> day about 5 days per week weather permitting. I'd like to go a bit
>> faster in order to keep up with some of my friends who have road bikes.
>> I'd also like to participate in some of the advanced club rides in my
>> area. I don't mind paying what it costs for a quality bike, but I'm 38
>> years old and I know I'm not going to be setting any records. I'm
>> basically looking for something that favors comfort over all out
>> performance. My #1 candidate right now is a Lemond Sarthe, but I'm
>> open to other suggestions. I'm 5'7" and have a long torso. From what
>> I've read, some of the Lemond models seem to favor people with longer
>> torsos, but this may not be true from what little I know about the
>> subject.

 

[Rangersfan]

"jj" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 16:19:24 GMT, TomP <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>Decide the maximum you want to spend. Then take 20% from that figure.
>>With the 80% figure, go to the L.B.S. and have them show you what they
>>have
>>in YOUR price range. Then buy the bike that speaks to you and fits you
>>well. Just about anything you buy these days for a grand or more will be
>>more than adequate for your needs.
>
> I'm curious as to where you get this 20% subtraction?
>
> I would agree that it's important to ride a number of bikes and buy the
> one
> that 'speaks to you', or makes you smile when you ride it. However it is
> difficult to tell just riding around in the LBS parking lot. Ride a number
> of different bikes. Don't be too hasty to buy. Look up the bike in the
> roadbikereviews.com page and the epinions.com page and check for obvious
> problems.

That's my basic strategy right now. I'm not getting in a hurry. I'm just
trying to educate myself so I can make an educated decision when the time
comes. Right now the questions I'm researching are:

How much of a difference the different frame materials really have on ride
quality.

Which aspects of frame geometry are best suited for my situation.

Which components would really make a difference in my riding experience.
How does Campy Voloce stack up against Shimano Ultegra and should I even
care at my level.

I'm not looking to buy a bike I might outgrow in a short period of time. I
don't want to spend $1K on a bike that might suit my needs today, but be a
real disappointment when I'm going out on some long club rides in the
future.

 

[S o r n i]

TomP wrote:
> Decide the maximum you want to spend. Then take 20% from that figure.
> With the 80% figure, go to the L.B.S. and have them show you what
> they have in YOUR price range. Then buy the bike that speaks to you
> and fits you well. Just about anything you buy these days for a
> grand or more will be more than adequate for your needs.

Change the above to "ADD 20% TO that figure" and "With the *120%*
figure...", and now you're talkin'.

That's what 64.23% of buyers do, anyway.

/BS (OK, I made it up)

 

[Pat Lamb]

jj wrote:
> On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 16:19:24 GMT, TomP <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>>Decide the maximum you want to spend. Then take 20% from that figure.
>>With the 80% figure, go to the L.B.S. and have them show you what they have
>>in YOUR price range. Then buy the bike that speaks to you and fits you
>>well. Just about anything you buy these days for a grand or more will be
>>more than adequate for your needs.
>
>
> I'm curious as to where you get this 20% subtraction?

Makes sense to me on two fronts. First, you probably need some other
stuff -- bike shorts, gloves, jerseys, pedals and/or shoes. May as well
budget for them. Second, even if you don't need that other stuff, the
bike shop staff will show you what more you could get for only a little
bit more, and there's a good chance the buyer will bite. Go in with a
lowball!

Pat

 

[jj]

On Mon, 14 Mar 2005 11:07:25 -0600, Pat Lamb <[email protected]>
wrote:

>jj wrote:
>> On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 16:19:24 GMT, TomP <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Decide the maximum you want to spend. Then take 20% from that figure.
>>>With the 80% figure, go to the L.B.S. and have them show you what they have
>>>in YOUR price range. Then buy the bike that speaks to you and fits you
>>>well. Just about anything you buy these days for a grand or more will be
>>>more than adequate for your needs.
>>
>>
>> I'm curious as to where you get this 20% subtraction?
>
>Makes sense to me on two fronts. First, you probably need some other
>stuff -- bike shorts, gloves, jerseys, pedals and/or shoes. May as well
>budget for them. Second, even if you don't need that other stuff, the
>bike shop staff will show you what more you could get for only a little
>bit more, and there's a good chance the buyer will bite. Go in with a
>lowball!
>
>Pat

Though I see the 'sense' in what you say, I don't think most people go into
a bike shop and think about 'bike plus accessories'. They typically have a
bike budget and try to get the best buy for that amount and then try to
talk the price down fifty bucks. The 'accessories' (except maybe for pedals
and shoes) are usually not figured in at all. If they're spending 2K bucks
on a bike, they probably have the accessories already, don't you think?

I don't pick a bike based on price except for in a very general sense. I
pick a bike based on certain minimums. I want to avoid picking a bike below
the price point/value point, for instance not picking Sora components
(which are not upgradeable), or paying a few extra bucks for carbon fork or
a lighter bike.

Just found it odd that someone would recommend going with 80% of the
person's probably carefully chosen budget. I don't dispute that your logic
makes sense.

jj

 

[Rangersfan]

"jj" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>>Makes sense to me on two fronts. First, you probably need some other
>>stuff -- bike shorts, gloves, jerseys, pedals and/or shoes. May as well
>>budget for them. Second, even if you don't need that other stuff, the
>>bike shop staff will show you what more you could get for only a little
>>bit more, and there's a good chance the buyer will bite. Go in with a
>>lowball!
>>
>>Pat
>
> Though I see the 'sense' in what you say, I don't think most people go
> into
> a bike shop and think about 'bike plus accessories'. They typically have a
> bike budget and try to get the best buy for that amount and then try to
> talk the price down fifty bucks. The 'accessories' (except maybe for
> pedals
> and shoes) are usually not figured in at all. If they're spending 2K bucks
> on a bike, they probably have the accessories already, don't you think?
>
> I don't pick a bike based on price except for in a very general sense. I
> pick a bike based on certain minimums. I want to avoid picking a bike
> below
> the price point/value point, for instance not picking Sora components
> (which are not upgradeable), or paying a few extra bucks for carbon fork
> or
> a lighter bike.

I already have jerseys, shorts, shoes, pedals, gloves, a helmet, a bike
computer, and a vehicle mount. I already own a hybrid and a mountain bike,
but I've never owned a true road bike. Like you say, I'm not basing my
decision on price.

 

[Booker C. Bense]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email protected]>,
Rangersfan <[email protected]> wrote:
>I'm looking to buy a road bike. I've been checking out the bikes of
>some friends, and I have a general idea of what I want, but I'd like
>some more input. Here are my particulars. Presently I have a hybrid
>that I've been riding for a while. I ride approximately 15 miles per
>day about 5 days per week weather permitting. I'd like to go a bit
>faster in order to keep up with some of my friends who have road bikes.
> I'd also like to participate in some of the advanced club rides in my
>area. I don't mind paying what it costs for a quality bike, but I'm 38
>years old and I know I'm not going to be setting any records. I'm
>basically looking for something that favors comfort over all out
>performance. My #1 candidate right now is a Lemond Sarthe, but I'm
>open to other suggestions. I'm 5'7" and have a long torso. From what
>I've read, some of the Lemond models seem to favor people with longer
>torsos, but this may not be true from what little I know about the
>subject.
>

_ That seems like a pretty reasonable choice if it fits, the only
way to know is to ride it and some other similar bikes. There are
two major factors to comfort when it comes to bikes.

1. Does it fit? (i.e. can you get the handlebars high enough?)
If the bike is anywhere near the right size, pretty much
everything but the top tube length can be adjusted. Some how
you need figure out what top tube length works for you.

2. Can you put wider tires on it? That bike comes with
25mm, but nothing adds comfort to a bike like 28mm or even
the blastphemous 32mm tires.

Keep money in your budget to throw away the first saddle and
maybe buy one or two more, I'm not saying that you'll have to
but getting the right saddle is also essentail and is one of
those things that you just have to keep trying until you find
the right one.

_ You might also look at Trek's Pilot line, the compact geometry
tends to work well for long torso'd people.

_ Booker C. Bense




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[Booker C. Bense]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

In article <[email protected]>,
Rangersfan <[email protected]> wrote:
>"jj" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 16:19:24 GMT, TomP <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>Decide the maximum you want to spend. Then take 20% from that figure.
>>>With the 80% figure, go to the L.B.S. and have them show you what they
>>>have
>>>in YOUR price range. Then buy the bike that speaks to you and fits you
>>>well. Just about anything you buy these days for a grand or more will be
>>>more than adequate for your needs.
>>
>> I'm curious as to where you get this 20% subtraction?
>>
>> I would agree that it's important to ride a number of bikes and buy the
>> one
>> that 'speaks to you', or makes you smile when you ride it. However it is
>> difficult to tell just riding around in the LBS parking lot. Ride a number
>> of different bikes. Don't be too hasty to buy. Look up the bike in the
>> roadbikereviews.com page and the epinions.com page and check for obvious
>> problems.
>
>That's my basic strategy right now. I'm not getting in a hurry. I'm just
>trying to educate myself so I can make an educated decision when the time
>comes. Right now the questions I'm researching are:
>
>How much of a difference the different frame materials really have on ride
>quality.

_ Religious issue and almost impossible to compare in real life,
since mostly what you feel is dependent on the tire size and how
they are inflated. They are different, but that doesn't neccesary
mean one is better.

>
>Which aspects of frame geometry are best suited for my situation.
>

_ Effective Top Tube length.... If you're 5'7" and have a
relatively long torso, then compact geometry could work for
you. A longer wheelbase and slacker angles make for a more
comfortable ride as well, but if the bike doesn't feel "twitchy"
to you on a test ride I wouldn't stress over it much.


>Which components would really make a difference in my riding experience.
>How does Campy Voloce stack up against Shimano Ultegra and should I even
>care at my level.

_ I think the only real difference is in the brifters or the
brake shifter units. In terms of snoot level Ultegra is probably
a bit higher, but Veloce is plenty good enough. Pick the one that
you feel most comfortable shifting. There is one mechanical
difference in that Veloce brifters can be repaired were as
Ultegra's can only be replaced.

>
>I'm not looking to buy a bike I might outgrow in a short period of time. I
>don't want to spend $1K on a bike that might suit my needs today, but be a
>real disappointment when I'm going out on some long club rides in the
>future.
>

_ I would also take a close look at Lemond's Big Sky
bikes.

_ Booker C. Bense



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