which bike for me

[gk4455]

i am a new rider. i bought a gary fisher comfort bike, not knowing any better and now i need to buy a road bike. i ride about 30 to 40 miles three time a week and intend to gradually build up to double that. i'm 55 years old, about 225 lbs and about 5'10". i am looking for some advise on which direction to go on a bike. originally i was headed for a steel frame with carbon fork. then someone told me that at my size, that would be real unstable. now i am looking at aluminum frame, but they say its too rough riding. i dont think i can afford carbon, my budget is abou $1500 to $1750. i would like to get any opinions on this.

thanx
gerry

 

[agentmule]

you might think about these guys. great sturdy ride and can be set up any way you want. i don't think the steel strength will give you much issue. not pure road but pretty dependable for a sturdy starter. heavy but oh well, you are riding it not carrying it after all!

www.surlybikes.com

 

[freek]

seems like you might be best served (height, weight) with a custom built steel frame (with carbon fork).
aluminium frames are really harsh, unless you go for the most expensive (and lighter, maybe too light) ones.

I'd recommend Dedaccai SAT 14.5 or COM 12.5 for the steel tubing; it's oversized tubing, TIG-welded, looks great. Certainly the SAT is not much heavier than alloy, and much more responsive.
I don't know if there is a good builder in your area, but custom building will give you something that you can really connect to!

Have a look at this site; in ''materiaal info'' there's a good argument for steel vs. alloy. Helas, in dutch, which will probably be siberian to you!

http://www.duell.nl

F

 

[MidBunchLurker]

The stiffness and rough ride of a modern aluminium frame is a myth. These days they build them to accomodate the properties of the metal. The feel of the ride will be dependent on the framebuilder's choice of tube sizes and shapes.

I don't think you'll go wrong with something like a Cannondale or similar.

Nick.

 

[gk4455]

the two closest bike shops for me cary trek and specialized aluminium frame bikes. are they comparable to cannondale.

gerry

 

[watson10]

Cannondale is right up near the top in terms of brands. Trek and Specialized are both good bikes too. Both of these brands have a wide range of models, so you should be able to find one that suits you. My feeling is that it is hard to go wrong buying a bike these days, even the entry level models are pretty good. IMO.

Cheers,

Tom

 

[climbo]

$1,500 for the bike or just a frameset? Is this US$ ?? You can't beat a Trek or Specilaized for value.

Who told you steel frames would be unstable? That's a crock, NO steel bike should be unstable just because of your "size".

 

[Blondino]

Who ever told you that steel frames with carbon forks are unstable must have been riding a piece of garbage or it was way too big or too small. Steel is still the best value and the best feel. Carbon forks are a nice touch as long as it's not too light weight and flimsey.