Road Cycling - New bike help

My first post, hope you can help.
Looking for recommendations on a new road bike. The bike I am looking for would be an entry level bike. I haven't been riding in 10+ years and when I was I had a Schwinn Super Sport. This bike would be used for fitness and pleasure rides.
What would you recommend and why?
Thanks for your help

Welcome to the forums KH :) Got any budget restrictions in mind? You might hit Fuji's website (http://www.fujibikes.com/) and see if there's a dealer nearby. This would be the time of year to look for sales on road bikes, maybe they'd have the Fuji Finest or Ace models... Fuji generally is a good value, although some of their paint/decal schemes may not be so great! ;)

Whatever you do, don't fall for a good price and a bad fit. As a rough guideline on frame size, you'd want about 1 inch of clearance between you and the top tube. Think about how your upper body and arms feel as you sit on the bike in question... good? scrunched? too stretched out?

Good hunting, hope you find a nice one :)

Generally the best thing to do is check out and see what the local bike shops have in your price range. The single most important thing about a bike is fit. If it doesn't fit, you won't enjoy it.

As for road bikes, well price affects things.

For most fitness riding, I would go with a relaxed geometry - it won't corner quite as crisply but then again it will be a bit more stable in the ride and it will give a "nicer" ride.

The other thing is to look think of whether you want a double chain ring or a triple chain ring. If you have any significant hills around, you probably should give a triple chain ring serious consideration.

Of course, individual tastes vary. There are plenty of good bicycle manufacturers. Test ride the bikes you are thinking of. Buy the one whose ride you like the best, you are the one who will ride it and no one else.

Actually, until recently the Schwinn Super Sport was a great entry-level bike. I bought a 1999 at the end of 2000 and got a great deal on it and I have been happy with it ever since. Do you still have the Schwinn? If you still have it and the fit was good for you, get all the measurements to help guide your search.

There are a lot of entry-level bikes out there with Sora components, or sometimes a Sora/Tiagra combo in the $500-$700 range list. It's really worth passing those by since you can probably find a good bike with all 105 components with decent wheels for $900 or less.

One of the problems we face in CA, especially in SoCal where you live, is that there really is no off season. There rarely is time when it's slow in a bike shop.

If you can budget $800-$1000, there are some really nice bikes for you out there.

Rich

No off season --- man, I would LOVE to have that PROBLEM !!!


:D

Originally posted by RollingGeek
No off season --- man, I would LOVE to have that PROBLEM !!!


:D
RollingGeek - There ain't no reason not to bike year-round in the Balto/DC area -- allowing time off for the occasional snow, sleet, ice, or rain storm, of course. :D Just gotta' get the appropriate winter cycling attire, that's all.

I second the motion on Fuji bikes since I just bought one.

Another thing to watch for is frame material. You might prefer the ride quality of steel over aluminum, particularly in an entry or slightly higher level bike.

Again, that's my prejudice showing since I bought a steel frame. But it really soaks up the bumps.

And I don't necessarily subscribe to the "smaller frame is better" school. The difference in weight and stiffness is probably minimal. Better to follow the advice in the message above and get a frame that really fits.

And what seemed like a long reach to the handlebars on the bike I just bought now seems comfortable after a few weeks of riding.

condor

Thanks for the input. Sounds like I need to test ride some bikes. Enjoyed the Fuji link. I will check some of the other LBS in the area that they list.

Originally posted by SteveE
allowing time off for the occasional snow, sleet, ice, or rain storm,.

snow sleet ice rain? what are these? all I see here is sun and clear skies :D

don't worry in the off season I'll be riding thinking of all the snowed in bike forums guys ;)

as for a bike Giant and specialized sometimes have good deals, but just shop around at your lbs and see what deals they have, and remember fit comes first, then the rest. good luck and happy riding :)

I feel sorry for you Vegas, all that sunshine must be so monotonous. You will never feel the exhillaration of riding into the face of a rainstorm, or through a crashing wave on the seafront . You will never feel the crunch of freshly fallen snow on a moonlight night or see the morning mist clearing on a crisp frosty morning. You may not even know what a cool, sweat-free ride feels like.
People ask if its too hot or too cold to ride. It is always just right.