Commuting - First NEW bike, what would you upgrade first?

Scott Speedster S60 flat bar.

http://www.scottusa.com/product.php?UID=9766

Only thing I could afford. What would be the first thing you would replace? Im thinking next year once the parts I have on it start going out I could maybe upgrade the components and replace the flat bar with a racing one.

Also, I feel EVERY single bump in the road with this, is that because of the frame, forks, seat or what? Or a combination of all three?

Scott Speedster S60 flat bar.

http://www.scottusa.com/product.php?UID=9766

Only thing I could afford. What would be the first thing you would replace? Im thinking next year once the parts I have on it start going out I could maybe upgrade the components and replace the flat bar with a racing one.

Also, I feel EVERY single bump in the road with this, is that because of the frame, forks, seat or what? Or a combination of all three?

I would get a good quality suspension seatpost.

I wouldn't replace anything until it wore out.

Without knowing what you're used to riding, it's hard to say whether the ride is normal (and something you will get used to), or something that you could "fix".

It seems odd to buy a flatbar bike knowing you want to convert it to drops.

ride it.

It seems odd to buy a flatbar bike knowing you want to convert it to drops.

Especially considering how expensive it is to convert flats to drops. You might waste less money by buying a drop bar road bike right off the gate. As for immediate changes:

1) Saddle
2) Pedals
3) Handlebar (by this I mean switching to the type of bar you prefer in the first place...if it's a type of flat or riser bar you have a preference for over what comes stock with the bike, example. I normally go with the stock bars for a while to see if I'm okay with them, however)

Notice that the 3 "immediate" changes are the 3 places on the bike where you will have contact. Your ass is on the saddle, your feet are on the pedals, and your hands are on the handlebar. If any one of those places is uncomfortable, you won't be riding your bike for long, no matter how fancy/high-end/technologically advanced everything else is on the bike.

This may be too late for you, but if others are looking for a pretty good ride at a pretty good price, jump over to this thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=268941).

Thank you for your replies. As for getting a racing bike to begin with, I gave up after looking for a couple of weeks. I looked at used bikes locally and couldin't find anything in my price range. All of last years starter 2006 models within my size were sold out at all my local bike shops. Finally, after much deliberation I went for the bike I got. I also based it on the fact that with my old racing bike, I never dropped down into the areo position anyway, I couldin't breath when riding like that anyway. I am hoping once I drop some weight and get a bike fitted to me, I will be able to use the dropped down bars the way they were meant to be used.

The bike I had before this was actually a pretty decent road bike, it was a black Schwinn which I believe was made in the late 70s or early 80s, but it was HUGE. I had to lower the seat all the way so it was practically riding on top of the frame just so my feet could reach the pedals. I am basing the bumpiness of the roads off of that comparison.

Only thing is that the bike shop I bought it from didn't really fit the bike to me at all. They used some kind of fitting stick to get the frame size right, then raised the seat by using the fitting stick. That was it, they didn't adjust the seat front/or back or the handle bars at all. I know not to go to the particular bike shop I went to anymore, I just had no choice this time because they had the only bike in all of my county within my price range.

I do know one thing for sure. The first thing I buy will be a headlight, I work graveyards and am going to "hopefully" start riding my bike to and from work everyday no matter what. Even come winter, I will spring for a mountain bike and get some studded tires. I will also need to get some fenders soon, I dont' want a wet line up my back by the time I get to work on those rainy days.

First thing I'd do? Get some fatter tires with no tread pattern. That would smooth out some of the ride and maybe reduce riding effort. Then try finding different routes to ride on. If the road is still rough go for a good leather saddle. Even if it has not worn out yet if the saddle is not protecting you get a better one.

With fatter tires do I also need new rims?

With fatter tires do I also need new rims?

No. But it looks like you need 700c x ?? tires, where ?? is the tire's width. And there may be a maximum width that you can put on before the tires rub somewhere. You can probably go up to a 700x32 or 700x35, unless you add fenders.

Also, I feel EVERY single bump in the road with this, is that because of the frame, forks, seat or what? Or a combination of all three?

Biggest culprit is that alloy fork. Wider,lower pressure tires would help some,but with those road brakes I'm not sure how much room you'd have for wider tires. Best bet(although pricey) would be to swap the fork for a carbon one. You can buy house brand ones from Nashbar and Performance for under $100.

If you want to convert to a drop bar you might want to get a set of Road Ends:http://www.endless-innovations.com/products/products.html They'll give you the aero position without having to swap your levers and shifters.

Tires are the biggest culprit IMO. Fatter tires will help more than changing the frameset material.