Originally Posted by
njmark84
I live near Warren and Watchung NJ, so there are a few steep climbs and downhill descends. Most of the roads I would assume are paved and smooth. There may be times when debri may be on the road, a little gravel, leaves, etc. I don't plan to take this bike 'off roading' or trail riding as I have an existing mountain bike for that.
I don't plan to use it for errands, or at least nothing I can't fit in a backpack. I just want to be able to carry 1 or 2 water bottles, maybe an air pump, and a small pouch to put my cell phone, wallet, and keys in it. So basically a 5" cube size.
I plan on riding at least 2-3 hours, maybe more depending if I ride out to the mountains or bring my car and start there. Mileage I'm not sure of.
My first suggestion would be to determine whether you want a bike with aggressive/race geometry or one with relaxed/endurance geometry. In the "race" category, you might look at the Specialized Tarmac, Specialized Allez, Cannondale SuperSix, Cannondale CAAD10, Giant TCR, etc. In the "relaxed" category, look for the Specialized Roubaix, Specialized Secteur, Cannondale Synapse Carbon, Cannondale Synapse Alloy, Giant Defy Advanced, Giant Defy, etc. A bike with "race" geometry will tend to have lower handlebars, a longer reach to the bars, a shorter wheelbase, and more responsive (some might say: nervous) handling. An "endurance" bike is the opposite: the seating position will be a bit more upright, wheelbase will be a bit longer, and handling will be a bit less responsive (some might say: slow).
I would suggest trying bikes in a number of different price ranges. In particular, I would try to test ride a bike or two that's above your price range just so you know what you might be missing.