Road Cycling - Advice....

Ok, first I'll tell you straight up that I'm a college student, looking to "broaden my horizons," and I have basically no experience with road cycling. But, since I am only 19, and will not have a job over part of this summer, I have decided that I'm going to ride a bike with a couple friends of mine to Chicago. I live in Wichita, KS. One is a friend that has some experience in these type of things. He's a bit of a "vagabond" and has taken trips before. The other is just a friend of mine that wants to come.
My first question to you more experienced enthusiasts is this: How feesable is something like this for me to do?
I guess a little background on myself might help. I'm 19, in pretty decent shape. 5'8, 150. I was involved in competitive varsity sports in high school and have always had an interest in the outdoors, and I have some hiking and traveling experience.
So...do you think I can do it, and how long will it take? I am someone that is capable of putting a lot in to one thing, and living in a tent on the side of the road before is something that I believe I can handle. From the people I've talked to so far, it will probably be around a month.
By the way, this is only a one way trip because we are planning on riding a train or renting a car to get back.
My next question is how do I go about getting a good, comfortable, sturdy bike for this. But, I'm also on a budget. I'm funding this, and I have about $300 to spend on a bike. So, I'm not going to be getting any of these high end racing bikes. I just want something that will get me there quickly, will not require too much maintenence, and will be comfortable. I've searched on yahoo and such and looked for retailers online. I've also gone to a few bike shops here in Wichita, and looked at some bikes, but most are out of my price range. I've also been looking at ebay. Does anyone here have any tips on finding a good bike for a decent price?

I'm sure I'll have more questions later, and I really appreciate any help I can get from you guys. The more I've been looking in to this sport, the more likely it seems that I want to get really involved in it. I was just hoping for some advice to get me pointed in the righ direction.

Thank you,
Lucas Denning

My next question is how do I go about getting a good, comfortable, sturdy bike for this.

You are most likely going to get a whole lot of very different responses to this question.

Some will say - no way can you get a bike for $300 that will do what you want it to do.

Wrong.

You are basically in a classic cost/benefit analysis. How much do you want to or can you afford to pay for an increase in speed and ease of travel. As you probably know, the sky is the limit.

But, a good basic mountain bike (i.e., Specialized Hardrock) with 1" slicks (smooth tires) will do the job just fine. Personally, I would have the dealer get rid of any suspension - but that is a personal bias others will disagree with.

However, are you planning on adding a rack and panniers - both front and back? Right there you will blow most of yout $300. Or are you going to basically motel (credit card) tour - or can you borrow some? A good Blackburn Mtn Bike rack will run about $45.00.

Anyway, I will leave that to others.

Yes, you can get in shape.

At age 58.5, new to any serious biking, I started about late March getting in shape for the Ride the Rockies - about 400 miles in a week of Colorado passes. I put in 1,100 miles by mid June and was really in good shape. If I can do it at 58, you will have no problem at 19.

And, I did the ride on a Specialized Hardrock Mtn Bike.

Yes, I did buy a road bike the next year, and yes, the road bike is faster and easier - but I wasn't touring. A road bike is no good for touring and panniers - you really need either a mtn bike or a touring bike (a little more expensive than a mtn bike). Lots and lots of folks tour on a mtn bike. I see them all the time in the Colorado mtns.

So, the answer is YES. You can do it. You can get a bike for what you want. Make SURE the bike fits you well. A couple of years ago we had a guy on bikeforums who bought a used tourer at the last minute that did NOT fit - it was too big. This guy was in absolute agony the whole time he was practicing and on his tour. He never did get it adjusted properly.

Have fun. You will most likely get a lot more advice from other on this forum, probably better than mine.

when I was 19 I rode 120 mile day trip (12 hrs) from Nice to St. Tropez and back. My bike was a piece of junk. A very old Peugot with 10 speeds and toe straps. I don't know what else. very heavy. I made it, though, and had a great time. I did it with only a little training. I got into it because I was in france and wanted to seize the day.

You should have no problem and you will have a blast. My advice: don't worry about the equipment. I'll bet you could find something used that is 50x better than what I had. I wouldn't lose any sleep over not getting the latest stuff. Something ~5 yrs old would be great. You will enjoy the ride.

Ok, that was all very helpful. I was planning on carrying everything with me, not so much a "credit card" tour. So, I'd have to get a rack or whatever. As far as the cost/benefit analysis... Which parts of the bike are worth investing the most in to get the most benefit for the least cost? I'm also probably going to need a light and some other things. I have more than $300 to spend, but that's what I wanted to budget for the bike alone. The camelback/backpack and such will be figured out later. I first wanted to get a bike so I could start training on the bike I will use, not the one that I own already.

Thanks for the help,
Lucas Denning

Originally posted by lucasd
Ok, that was all very helpful. I was planning on carrying everything with me, not so much a "credit card" tour. So, I'd have to get a rack or whatever. As far as the cost/benefit analysis... Which parts of the bike are worth investing the most in to get the most benefit for the least cost? I'm also probably going to need a light and some other things. I have more than $300 to spend, but that's what I wanted to budget for the bike alone. The camelback/backpack and such will be figured out later. I first wanted to get a bike so I could start training on the bike I will use, not the one that I own already.

Thanks for the help,
Lucas Denning

I doubt you will need a light in the summer, but perhaps a good LED rear light for safety.

Personally, I would put my money into a good tire that has the best chance of not flatting.

My choice would be Specialized Cordura 1" slicks. These have the Armadillo technology, and are about the least likely to flat. That doesn't mean they won't - you will always have flats. But, it does mean you will greatly reduce your chances. But, these will run you about $40 or so each.

If you buy a decent basic mtn bike new, you really should not have to upgrade the components. They should last several thousand miles with no problems, if adjusted properly. You need to keep an eye on the chain, which will likely need replacing about every 1,500 miles or so. If you don't replace it, you will very likely wear out your cogset and your chain rings, which will cost you more to replace then the original bike cost. Also, your chain needs lubriication (something like White Lightning or Pedros) - NOT 3 in 1 - regularly and needs cleaning regularly.

I will refer you to

http://www.sheldonbrown.com

for just about anyhing you might like to know about a bike. Also, Ken Kifer has a great web page on all you would ever want to know about touring. The URL is

http://www.kenkifer.com.

BOTH are EXCELLENT and will teach you a lot.

Grab the chance to do this while you have the opportunity. Go for it.

On a limitted budget, consider getting a used bike. The best would be a proper touring bike, like a Trek 520, which would come with the racks (front and rear) and fenders etc fitted and well integrated.
You can also do this ride on any reasonable quality MTB or hybrid bike. Look for a non sus model in a good butted chromoly steel which has threaded eyelets for a rack .
Make sure :
the wheel have 36, not 32 spokes and have sufficient thickness in the braking surface (this wears down with use).
The transmission is not too worn out. You may need to fit a new chain and rear cogs, cables, brake blocks, bearings etc.
I would second the idea of fitting good touring grade tyres (700x32mm, continental top touring, or a good 26"x1.5 slick).

Make sure the bike fits you well, with plenty of standover clearance, and the correct length for a comfortable ride.
Check out local garage sales, and maybe put a wanted add in the papers.

Just look for a used touring bike-something that comes with the racks.

Originally posted by D*Alex
Just look for a used touring bike-something that comes with the racks.

A used bike is fine if you know how to evaluate the bike, understand proper fit and adjustments, and can determine wear or lack of it on parts such as cog sets, der, chain rings and chain, etc. Perhaps a used bike bought from a reliable LBS might be ok.

I think that for most newbies it is fraught with danger. A good LBS can be worth a lot in terms of size, fit, re-adjustments after cables have stretched, etc.

Besides doing all of the recommendations above, consider getting on ebay for the racks. When I bought my racks, I got on ebay a day later and found them for a third of the price. I almost had a heart attack!

For your ride home, consider contacting Auto Driveaway. They are a car company that looks for people to drive cars back to their original destination. For instance, if a tourist rents a car for a one way trip over multiple trips (ie- Kansas to Chicago), the car has to get back to the original car rental agency somehow. The car rental agency hires Auto Driveaway, and Auto Driveaway looks for someone to drive the car back to the Kansas car rental agency. All you pay for is the gas. They usually give you a week to drive the car back. Sometimes, if they're desperate, Auto Driveaway will even pay for your gas. You do have to leave a deposit, but when you return the car to the rightful owners, you get your money back. You do a short interview and fill out some paperwork and give the names of 3 people you know so they can track you if you decide to trash the car or steal it. It's a great way to see the countryside for free- you just pay for gas and food and lodging for yourselves, but if you guys are all alternating on the driving, you don't ever have to stop for overnight lodging if you didn't want to.

I do believe you have to be 21, and that's your only drawback, but if one of your friends is 21, they would be responsible for the car. Here's the website:
http://www.autodriveaway.com

Koffee

There should be a Giant dealer in a city the size of KC. Check out the basic Giant Cypress. You can probably get one for under $200. These are very sturdy, comfortable bikes. They come with gearing to handle just about anything you might encounter. Yes, the components are low end and won't last as long as better ones, but they will work well for you for years. I bought one over two years ago for commuting, and I love it. Over that time I have changed a lot of the components just because I wanted to upgrade some. Everyone I know who has a Cypress likes it a lot. It has the threaded eyelets you need to mount racks for panniers.

Dnvrfox is right that rack and panniers can add up quickly. This is not an area you want to scrimp. Cheap panniers can fall apart very quickly. More important, cheap panniers sometimes have inadequate mounting systems that can allow the panniers to bounce off the bike. This is a pain and can be dangerous.

You really need to start riding now. No matter how fit you are you need to condition your seat to being on the bike saddle for 2-3 hours at a time. Even if you only ride for an hour at a time then take a break, the wear on you backside is cumulative. Failure to prepare for this will make you miserable for the first few days, and you may or may not get over that for the rest of the tour.

Go post your questions at the Touring forum. That's where more of the people you need to talk to hang out. You might even hook up with someone in your area that would be willing to loan you some gear. If you lived here I would lend you a rack and some panniers.

In New Zealand there is an over abundance of the early-mid 80's 10 speed road bikes... you can get these for next to nothing as they were a fad kinda thing many of them are in great shape and havent really travelled that far.

Would they make a reasonable frame for a light touring bike... obviously there would be some upgrading of components.

Go to eBay for your bike. You can get something decent, or better, for $300. Based on your size you will probably want a 54cm (+/- 1cm) bike. There are several nice steel bikes on eBay for that price. You will be more comfortable on steel for such a long ride than any other material (with the possible exception of titanium, which you can't touch for $300). Cheap aluminum will give you a cheap ride (very harsh). A late 80's Paramount, Trek, Bianchi, etc., would be an excellent choice. And they will last you the rest of your life, if you so choose.

The two most important components on your bike will be a good saddle and good tires. You can only find a good saddle by riding them. All depends on your butt and the saddle. Most of us have gone through three or four before finding the right fit. There are lots of good tires. For touring I like Specialized Armadillo Lites. They are light weight, so easy to roll, and have Kevlar belts, so are puncture resistant. But, there are several others like them. Just stick with a brand name and you will be OK.

Then go to your local bicycle club, which is the Oz Bicycle Club, to get started on riding/learning. They have organized rides every week on which you will meet and chat with many different folks who have done all sorts of rides similar to the one you are suggesting. You are fortunate in living where there is a large and active club to help you get started. They ride out of both the east and west side of town on both evening and weekends. You might also ask if anyone in the club is selling a bike.

Sounds like a great ride. Have fun!

Hey, I just wanted you guys to take a look at this bike on ebay and tell me if it's a quality bike, and would work for me.

Here's the link.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=192456#post192456

Thanks,
Lucas

BTW, everything so far has been EXTREMELY helpful.

Originally posted by lucasd
Hey, I just wanted you guys to take a look at this bike on ebay and tell me if it's a quality bike, and would work for me.

Here's the link.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&postid=192456#post192456



Check your link. It brings you right back to this thread.

Lucas, check this link (http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Resort/5193/main.htm). It's a well written and entertaining travelogue by a young fella such as yourself who rode 2/3 of the way across Canada on an x-mart mountainbike with very little preparation. He did very little pre-trip riding and had no problems with a couple of days of crossing mountain ranges early in his journey.

Lucas,

I would recommend that you look into a touring
specific bike, as mentioned above.
You can check e-bay for a Trek 520 or 720 touring
series (cantilever brakes, brazeons for racks etc.).
They are not too expensive on e-bay.
They were either reynolds 531 or 501 chrome moly frames,
soak up lots of road buzz, bumps etc.

Just my .02 worth,

Marty