Bicyclists – Spend My Money

gibbons

gibbons

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iRide
The more I ride my cross bike the more I enjoy riding, especially on the road. Now I’m looking into buying a good road bike. Since some of you are big into bikes, and since I always enjoy reading how people respond to any “help me decide” post, I’m asking for input.

The problem I have where I live is that there aren’t any really good bike shops. I was in Boulder, CO the other day and went into University Bicycles – wow, that’s a bike shop. But here it’s pretty much the same brands from store to store: Cannondale, Raleigh, Giant, etc.

I’m interested in learning about other bike brands that might fit my criteria. I always try to buy local but will buy over the internet if I need to. So, with the background out of the way, my criteria…..

Use: Rides for enjoyment – 20 to 30 miles / day two or three days per week, with the occasional 50 – 60 miler thrown in. That’s what I’m doing on my Jekyll now so I know I won’t have any trouble doing it on a proper road bike. I’d also like to do a multi-day tour sometime. I’m not interested in racing.
Budget: I’d like to stay at $2,000 or below, but am willing to pay considerably more if I find a bike I can’t live without.
I want a light bike with very good hardware. I’m willing to sacrifice weight for good hardware if the budget requires it.
I keep my stuff in good working condition but I don’t want to live to work on a bike, so I want something that doesn’t require a lot of tinkering. Clean it, oil it, adjust it a couple of times a year – and ride.

Ideas?
 
Well I think steel is the way you want to go. Nothing beats the ride comfort and durability of a good steel road bike. Don't be mislead by the fancy carbon or Ti frames. Steel does not weigh all that much more. If the difference for you is 1 to 2 lbs of frame weight you are in a serious riding level. Most people can save that much weight by not eating a big dinner the night before. It is not worth the extra $$$ for carbon. Plus one little nick in carbon and the whole frame may have to be trashed. Aluminum of ok but it is a harsher ride than any of the other material. Don't get a front fork that is a shock absorber, for road work you want a carbon fork. That is the best place for carbon! Well there and on you seat post. But no where else is it really needed.

With that in mind also look for an Ultegra group. No need to spend the extra $$$ for Dura-Ace. Dura-Ace basically saves you weight. Ultegra is just fine.

I have two Lemonds, they used a more relaxed geometry and are more comfortable to ride as you are seated a little further back on the peddles. One is a highly modified Zurich and the other is a custom build on a Poprad frame.

If you are looking for something built to size the IF bikes come highly recommended as do Waterford. My next bike will probably be from one of them.

If you decide to go with an exotic metal again I would say stay away from the carbons and go Ti. Then Lightspeed may be the way to go.

Whatever you do get to a good bike shop that will take the time to do a proper fit, don't buy off the rack. A bike should fit like a pair of custom shoes. There is never a reason to feel uncomfortable on a bike. The better it fits the more you will ride and the happier you will be.
 
To elaborate on what Scott has said - steel is a more flexible metal than carbon or aluminum. So is titanium, but you pay out the nose for it. The advantage of those two metals is that you get a much softer ride. While more noticeable in mountain biking, you'll notice the difference after riding 50+ miles on the road.

I agree, Ultegra works just fine. It's a little heavier than the Dura-Ace stuff, but in terms of functionality, it is great. As far as I know, weight is the only major difference.

The name brand bikes are also fine - I've owned Schwinns, Cannondales, Giants, and Treks, and have always thought that they were build well. You might want to consider looking at Bianchi; I've forgotten their prices, but they make a superb product. Litespeed makes nice titanium frames, but they are $$$$$. Titanium is sweet, though....

Also, I'd recommend that you look primarily at the quality of the frame, rather than the components attached to it. A good road frame will last a long time, and if you feel the need to upgrade in the future, you can always switch out components on your own. Heck, I've had a steel mountain bike frame now for 14-15 years, and she's still going strong.

And make sure the bike frame fits. Again, it's not as important in something like mtn. biking where you spend a lot of time standing. But, on a road bike, you're sitting about 99% of the time, and a bike that doesn't fit you can get uncomfortable quickly, and can actually damage your joints over time. There are all kinds of fancy gizmos now for determining the proper fit, and all kinds of other gizmos for getting the proper fit (stems, seatposts, handlebars, etc.).

So, if you're looking to spend in the thousands, it's worth the extra trouble to go to a good shop, even if that means taking a road trip. I wouldn't recommend ordering a road bike sight unseen over the internet.

Good luck!
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
I wouldn't recommend ordering a road bike sight unseen over the internet.
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Geesh never order a bike unseen over the Internet!! Custom can be done over the Internet but still better to work with a shop that does the fit and build out.

One more piece of advise, the consumor and mtn bike markets have gotten so big that is what most stores sell. Road bike is a special area, go to a store that sells lots of road bikes. A store that sells some may not really know what they are doing.

If you want to make a flight up this way there are two good shop in all of Chicago for road bikes. The are several ok stores and 100's of lousy ones. I'll take you to both of the good stores!
 
smigaldi said:
...

One more piece of advise, the consumor and mtn bike markets have gotten so big that is what most stores sell. Road bike is a special area, go to a store that sells lots of road bikes. A store that sells some may not really know what they are doing....
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That is another good point. A mountain bike doesn't need to fit nearly as well, because it is a much more "active" sport - you're never in the same position, so it doesn't matter if the frame is off by a little or even a lot, and there are some applications/reasons when you want an undersized frame.

And finally, a good rule to remember about any bike is that it can be any two, but never all three, of the following: cheap, light, and strong. You can combine any two of those, but never all three!
 
smigaldi said:
If you want to make a flight up this way there are two good shop in all of Chicago for road bikes. The are several ok stores and 100's of lousy ones. I'll take you to both of the good stores!
Click to expand...

Hmmmm.... Now THAT's an interesting thought. I hate to spend money with Da Maya, and haven't been to Chicago since Meigs was raped, but maybe now's the time to make a trip. I'll have to think about that.

ps... thanks for the feedback so far!
 
smigaldi said:
Whatever you do get to a good bike shop that will take the time to do a proper fit, don't buy off the rack. A bike should fit like a pair of custom shoes. There is never a reason to feel uncomfortable on a bike. The better it fits the more you will ride and the happier you will be.
Click to expand...

Amen to this. If you don't have good bike shops around you, it's worth it to travel a bit to get this done right.

As far as bike materials go, see high wing vs. low wing debates.

And the other folks are right about components and weight. In general, we carry far more useless weight on ourselves than we do on our bikes. (Of course this may not make sense if you are the guy I heard about who used to ride in the tour years ago -- he'd put his bike bottles in his jersey pockets prior to a climb to make his bike lighter).
 
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gibbons said:
Hmmmm.... Now THAT's an interesting thought. I hate to spend money with Da Maya, and haven't been to Chicago since Meigs was raped, but maybe now's the time to make a trip. I'll have to think about that.

ps... thanks for the feedback so far!
Click to expand...
Neither shop is actually in the city of Chicago if that helps.Duh Mayor and his kingdom won't get a dime!
 
Really good suggestion so far...

Chip if you don't want to spend your Cash in IL, there are some very nice bike shops here in Madison. Yellow Jersy, and Chronometro are both top notch shops in town. Also test ride as many bikes as you can, and find out what you like in terms of geometry and components (let's not forget about Campy, and SRAM). I still couldn't believe that bikeshops would give me a $2000+ bike without even asking to hold on to my ID.

Pete

P.S. if Money were no object check out Serotta. They do full and semi custom bikes. Test rode a $10,000 Ottrot this tear during Ride the Rockies.
 
smigaldi said:
Neither shop is actually in the city of Chicago if that helps.Duh Mayor and his kingdom won't get a dime!
Click to expand...

The other good thing about that is you can avoid the soon-to-be highest sales taxes in the country. The city and county are about to feast on the living carcasses of those who keep voting for them to get "the city that works" (for our relatives and friends.)

It is fun to watch this coming while knowing I just escaped to another city and county...with higher property taxes. :rolleyes:
 
mikea said:
The other good thing about that is you can avoid the soon-to-be highest sales taxes in the country. The city and county are about to feast on the living carcasses of those who keep voting for them to get "the city that works" (for our relatives and friends.)

It is fun to watch this coming while knowing I just escaped to another city and county...with higher property taxes. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I should also add that neither shop is even in Cook county.
 
I work part-time at a Specialized shop in Houston. We've got leftover '07 stuff we're starting to mark down to move out the door. Come see us and we'll hook you right up!! We can fit you right up so you'll be riding comfortably. Those guys are right, fit is paramount on a road bike. When you're sitting in the same position hours on end, it'd better be a comfortable position. :)
 
Wow, you guys inspired me to go for a bike ride!

Of course I have a generic, 15-year-old mountain bike from back in the days when they didn't even have shocks. I did put new tires on it this spring because the old ones had disintegrated. :dunno:
 
gibbons said:
The more I ride my cross bike the more I enjoy riding, especially on the road. Now I’m looking into buying a good road bike. Since some of you are big into bikes, and since I always enjoy reading how people respond to any “help me decide” post, I’m asking for input.

Ideas?
Click to expand...

A buddy in Aus was really into bikes, and I did a moderately long (for me anyway) 200km ride with him and he loaned me one of his bikes for it. It was a LeMond and it didn't weigh anything, seriously light weight sweet bike to ride. I didn't find out till we were done with the ride that it was a $7000 AUD bike:hairraise::hairraise::hairraise: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING LETTING ME RIDE A $7000 BICYCLE!!!!"
 
Chip,

If you want to own one bike for the rest of your life (unlike me - who owns 7 now), go custom.

A custom steel rig - Independent Fabrication, for example - will just blow you away. It fits you like no other bike will. It will steer like no other bike will. Build it up with SRAM Rival and a good set of wheels. Wait 8-12 weeks, and you'll have something that very few people will ever have.

Steel frames feel "alive", when you drop into a rough New England, pot hole strewn line on a 45+mph descent, you'll see why they are so popular up there!

Otherwise, I'd go with a Specialized - probably a Roubaix - which handle very well and are very reliable. I have a Allez Elite which has seen many double centuries - and powered me through all of them.

At the end of the day, you'll spend a lot more money on a custom steel rig than you will on most any other bike. Steel and Ti are a blast to ride, but I like steel a smidge more for most all around riding. Custom builders like Peter Mooney, Richard Sachs, and Sacha White are a bit too boutique for a first ride - which I use loosely here, but even I don't know bikes well enough to talk to Richard or Peter about what I want in my next frame. Plus, wait times exceed 2 years with Sacha and Richard nowadays.

http://www.ifbikes.com/frames2/steelcrownjewel.shtml - $1900 for the frame before components. This is such an amazing bike, for an amazing price.

Good luck Chip - if I'm still here in MGY this spring, I'll head down your way and we'll share some pavement.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
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A quick update....

I've narrowed the search down and have just about decided on a Specialized Roubaix Expert Ultegra. The bike rides great and seems built for exactly the kind of riding I want to do. BUT, it's out of my budget so I've been looking around for other bikes.

I rode a nice Cannondale Synapse (what a cool looking bike) today but the ride seemed much less pleasant to me - much harsher. I also tried the Cannondale Six13 with the same result. I liked the Specialized Tarmac OK but I found it put me in a much more aggresive posture than the Roubaix and I didn't like the Shimano 105 components as well as the Ultegra. Several other bikes don't even make the honorable mention list.

So I keep coming back to the Roubaix. I've about decided that you guys are right... bikes at this level are very similar in quality. Find one that fits with components you like and buy it. Then I can stop worrying about the bike and start worrying about the engine.

Talk me out of it before it's too late. :hairraise:
 
gibbons said:
I've narrowed the search down and have just about decided on a Specialized Roubaix Expert Ultegra. The bike rides great and seems built for exactly the kind of riding I want to do. BUT, it's out of my budget so I've been looking around for other bikes.

Talk me out of it before it's too late. :hairraise:
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Hmmm, rides great, built for exactly the kind of riding you want to do. Sounds like the bike for you. It may be out of your budget, but you're worth it. :)

How is the seat?
 
smigaldi said:
I have yet to see a seat on a bike from any company that was worth a darn to keep. I have found a good seat though. One that I find very comfortable. It is not one of the supersoft giant seats that really leave you with more problems but a fairly regular road seat. It is the Sella San Marco Arami gelaround.

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=811
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Amazingly enough, the best mtn. bike saddle I've ever had came on the bike. I was shocked, because in the past I've always replaced it. It's a WTB, and unfortunately when it wears out, I won't be able to find another, because I can't remember the name of the saddle itself, and I've worn it off!

Sella San Marco makes great saddles, BTW.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Concur, a good bike lasts a long time, and is entirely rebuildable. Get the one that gets you going, damn the price.
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The high end bikes have gone to the new integrated headset concept and that makes me a little leary. The cups are actually in the frame and when they wear the frame itself will have to be thrown out. I still notice that the pro-team are using the old style of headsets in their bikes. Those guys do wear out a bike in a season and it tells me something that they do not trust the new headset designs. BTW all of my bikes are using King headsets. The gold standard of headsets.
 
smigaldi said:
The cups are actually in the frame and when they wear the frame itself will have to be thrown out.
Click to expand...

Wow, I didn't know they were doing this, I don't think I'd buy a bike I couldn't rebuild.
 
Get the bike, Chip. You'll love it. Stick with the Pro saddle it comes with; it is a pretty nice saddle for "free" (IMO)

May I suggest a pair of Sugoi bib-shorts? Ricaro2 or FormulaX (or whatever it is called) are great chamois pads. I just picked up a pair of the RS Bib Tights for winter wear; rides as cold as 25F at speeds in excess of 40mph have been pretty comfortable.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Bill Jennings said:
Concur, a good bike lasts a long time, and is entirely rebuildable. Get the one that gets you going, damn the price.
Click to expand...

Very true, and the "gets you going" part is worth the price - think about how much healthier you'll be if you have a bike that you enjoy riding. The extra money you spend on the quality bike could easily be the money you spend for heart surgery if you get the cheaper bike that you might not ride as often.

That's how I try to justify all of my skiing purchases. :)
 
Obi Heed Kenobi said:
The extra money you spend on the quality bike could easily be the money you spend for heart surgery if you get the cheaper bike that you might not ride as often.

That's how I try to justify all of my skiing purchases. :)
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That's worked for years re: the cost of flying vs the cost of therapy. I'm not sure my wife will buy a similar argument about the bike but it's worth a try.
 
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