Things to look for in purchasing a new road bike

First off, my sincere apologies for not using the search function before beginning this thread. I used this forum roughly 10 years ago to purchase my first decent road bike (Trek 1.5), and it’s seen a ton of love and miles. However, I’m at the point of upgrading. I went to my LBS recently for a tune-up and inquired about upgrading the drivetrain since the rear derailleur was shot anyway, and was advised that it wasn’t worth it, so I’m looking at other options.

To my current question... I like to ride fast, but I’m a fairly big guy (6’5” 235lbs) and I’m pretty competitive, so I’d like to potentially participate in a triathalon in the near future. Cycling-wise I’m looking for a replacement road bike, but I’d love some suggestions as to what I should look for. I know that fit and frame are large considerations, and I’m sold on the shimano 105 and ultegra groupsets, but is there anything else I should consider? I’m currently looking and Cervelo, Colnago, and S-Works frames in various configurations.

Any suggestions are highly welcomed.

Eric

 

I have a Cervelo S2 - very happy with it.

I think all bikes by reputable manufacturers at the same price point are equally good. So just get what appeals to you.

You might want to get a GPS unit as well. I have a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt - a great unit. I like the ability to load maps - and it has many other features if you're into that sort of thing...like pairing with a heart rate monitor, a power meter and even your phone.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I retired my old computer a couple of years ago, and have since been using my Garmin watch and bike brain or Strava apps on my phone. I like options on the newer Wahoo and Garmin computers, so I’ll definitely look into those.

Also, thanks for reiterating that bikes in comparable price ranges will be similar in build, but I still can’t stop confusing myself with all of the options out there.

 

Specialized S-Works is a fantastic bike; also from what I've seen and heard, they might just have the best quality control program going on of any bike manufacture, I saw a video of some guy who cut frames to exam how they looked inside, including Pinarello Dogma, Colnago and top of the line Trek, including others, and they all left bubbles, voids and all sorts of debris inside the frames except for Specialize. I think if I was looking at a CF bike I would take my chances with Specialized. Now granted, the guy in the video didn't have every single top of the line CF frame on the planet, but at least the Specialized was the cleanest and more exacting construction of those he had.

Also Specialized warranty department has been hailed by owners for their no hassle warranty process, Colnago was cussed at for theirs, and Trek has been decent. From what I've heard over the years Italian bike manufactures have the worse warranty departments.

 

To my understanding, Purchase a bike from a reputed manufacturer. and make sure you feel comfortable while riding that bike. if you don't feel comfortable while riding bikes it can cause fatigue and will ruin the whole purpose. So try to purchase a bike you feel comfortable riding. You can also visit here