Road Cycling - buying first road bike

I'm looking to buy a road bike and seek some advice. I'm a 'nearly 50 year old' who sort of returned to biking a couple of years ago, bought a Trek hybird (7200), and have been riding pretty frequently since. I ride alone, with my family on trails, on the roads with my teenage son, or occasionally on rides with some more experienced veteran bikers. My son and I have done some organized 50-75 mile rides, and I'm pretty comfortable going out for 20-30 miles at a time. I've gotten to the point that I want to go faster and longer, and imagine that it might be easier on a real road bike.

On one hand, I could buy a used bike and get some experience on it to determine exactly what I need/want before I invest in a new one. Or... I could just go out and buy a new one now. But I'm hesitant to do that because I have so little experience with road bikes. I'm generally looking at used bikes (eBay, and local shops) in the 500-700 range, and new ones in the 1,000-1,500 range. Any thoughts? Am I thinking correctly here?

Welcome to the BikeForums :) No doubt about it, if you're routinely doing 30 miles on your hybrid, you're going to be flying on a road bike! :)

As you probably know, fit is the #1 thing, so I'd be leaning towards buying at a reputable shop, and doing some test rides to see how you like the layout of a road bike. Just to throw one out, here's a decent-looking entry-level road racer: Fuji Roubaix (http://www.fujibikes.com/road/bike.asp?category_short_name=road&myArray=1,2,3,4,5,19,6,7,8,18,16,9,10,20,11,12,13,17,15,14,54,55,56,57&myArrayID=8#). Looking at Fuji's dealer-locater dealiebob (http://www.fujibikes.com/dealer/locatedealer.asp), I see some Fuji dealers within 50 miles of Whitewater.

The main points I'd deduct for the Roubaix are for the non-Shimano-brand hubs... I prefer Shimano over clones, simply for ease of finding parts, if nothing else. I'm not a fan of radially-laced wheels either, barring "special" wheels, but whatever :) I've certainly seen corners cut in worse areas. It has real DT spokes, a definite benefit if you put quite a bit of riding in... the no-name OEM spokes would save Fuji money up front, but don't have near the fatigue life of DT's.

Hope that's some help :)

Welcome, near 50 guy.

Sounds like you are in exactly the right spot to purchase a new road bike.

Consider the Lemond Tourmalet or Buenos Aires. Great bikes.

We have a fun poll going for those near or over 50:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=28150&highlight=years

Skip Ebay, you don't know exactly what you want; and it's just too easy to hide damage. Other than that, sure. The thing to do is just visit a few bike shops, test ride some bikes, and get a feel for what will work for you. I like triple rings up front, much kinder to old knees. A relaxed geometry, even traditional or touring will be both more comfy and less skittish. I am using a WTB Speed V saddle these days; and while it's a good saddle, make sure you try a Brooks B17. Also, check out the brakes on the Specialized Seqouia; I have that arrangement on my bike.

Yes,skip Ebay too many problems.Find a bike shop you trust and buy a big brand name.There are many brands of bikes that are excellent.They are very competitive too.Most bikes of a certain price will have similar equipment.Do test ride some bikes.Bikes in the same price range will feel different to you.Find a salesperson that will spend time with you and help you sort out the details.See if you can find out from experienced customers about how that shop handles warranty work and service.Buy only a big name brand that your riding buddies have heard about.Try " roadbikereview.com "for owners reviews.(Some of the reviews are not from experienced bike people.) I found a web sight that had all the bike recalls on it with an explanation,but I don't remember the name.Read bike magazines,the library might have a magazine with a review of a bike you are looking at.You sometimes can get leftovers at the end/beginning of a model year for a good price.The leftovers may be only the big ones and the small ones,the middle sizes sell out first so be carefull on sizes with leftovers.

Gustav,

For anyone riding a road bike, and especially for us older guys with joints that need a little more care and attention, perfect bike fit is critical, and not trivially easy to attain. Problems with bad fit that can be shrugged off by younger people, or people who ride shorter distances, can become chronic and painful when you start spending many hours at a time in the saddle.

That's why going to a bike shop that specializes in road bikes, and is expert in fitting them, is your best option.

If you don't do that, you will have to learn all about bike fit on your own, and try to translate what you learn into a good choice of bikes, whether new or used.

This is the most important thing I have learned in a lifetime of buying bikes. Fit is more important than price. More important than quality of components. More important than brand name. It's the most important thing, because if the bike hurts to ride it will end up unridden.

There is information on how to fit a bike available on the Internet. Not all of it is in complete agreement, and it's most useful as a way to become familiar with the issues you'll have to solve, rather than as a set of solutions. Recommended reading:

http://www.peterwhitecycles.com/fitting.htm
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/
http://www.rivendellbicycles.com/frameinfo/Frame_Sizing.htm
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html
http://www.airborne.net/eready/janette/store/sizing.asp

With your budget, I think you'd do best buying a new bike. $1200 is enough to buy a bike that will last as long as you need it to and fit you precisely, and have it customized and fit by the shop so it has exactly the geometry that will keep you comfortable for hours.

RichC

Go all out. A rookie mistake is to buy bargain parts, then realize that they suck so they ditch the old parts and spend more money on new ones.

I would buy as much bike as I could afford. I have never come up short when spending more money on a better product. I bought a $1200 or so dollar bike, used, for $600. I have been very satisfied with it after about 400 miles put on it. You are right, a road bike is a dream to ride and own. I don't know much, but I know that some names are quality, and if you buy one of these, you will likely get a good bike. Bianchi, Raleigh, Giant, KHS, Fuji, Iron Horse, K2, Tommaso, Lemond to name a few. Of course, I am a very partial Bianchi man, all Campagnolo. Best -

Wow, Nice forum. What great responses to come home and read. (I was out biking... really!) I appreciate hearing from you all. Keep the replys coming!

I've got an afternoon set aside this week to do some test riding on a couple bikes from a local shop. I sort of want to buy new right now, but am conservative enough to think I ought to know a lot more than I do before I drop any significant money. I've been reading bike magazines and online reviews, but that doesn't really tell me how I'll feel on one. I'll keep riding and shopping and let you know what happens. In the meantime, I've got my trusty hybrid.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Gustav
I've gotten to the point that I want to go faster and longer, and imagine that it might be easier on a real road bike.

Gus.........What you might wanna try is to hook up with these weekly training rides in your area and ride with the pack. This is one way to make you a stronger rider. But stay away from a pack which consists mostly of hammerheads and racers. You will get discouraged quickly. Get to know some people and ask them about their bikes. You will in no time find out why this guy likes steel, or why she prefers titanium, or carbon this, carbon that, and so on.... You will begin to get a general idea of what frame material suits you best, type of saddle, all the different component groupos available, etc....

First, welcome to the forums Gustav.

As Rich Clark mentioned, bike fit is the most important aspect of buying.

I believe selecting a good bike shop is also very important. You need to get that good feeling that you are respected and the shop is genuinely interested in bicycling and your full enjoyment of it, not just making a sale. Some shops will actually try to sell you something they have in stock even if it is not a good fit. Beware!

Sounds like you are doing your research and aren't overanxious; very important.

Your price range should bring a nice road bike if you are patient.

Gustav: Go do the test rides, come back and tell us what you rode, etc and then we'll tell you how to spend your money :)

Good Luck!

Zack

I started back on a bike exactly the same way you did, with a Trek 7200, but I held out only a year before buying a road bike. Don't worry about adjusting to the road bike; the hybrid is similar enough that your adjustment will mostly concern the lightness and responsiveness of the road bike. The 7200 is over 30 pounds, I think, but a bike like the Fuji Roubaix--the one I bought--is just around 19 pounds without pedals. One thing that might help adjusting to a road bike would be to adjust the hybird's stem and handlebars to the lowest and most forward position with which you are comfortable. A good bike shop is as important as a good bike.

Check out felts,good bang for the buck.

I am a very partial Bianchi man, all Campagnolo. Best -

Good choice my good man, i just bought a Bianchi Gold race 600 last week, i am a beginner road cyclist, and i suits me down to the ground. The Campy components are dead smooth, and i love having the triple chainset.

The quality checking was reassuring, as the paint, frame and components were all inspected by an operator, and then given a barcode. Cant be more pleased with the bike.

I would consider the Bianchi Gustav, but be sure to get clipless pedals, they make a HUGE difference, i have been over hills i wouldnt have dreamt of before.

Good luck whatever happens

Thanks for all the replys. I'll try to ride some of the models that were suggested. One thing that I do have going for me here in my area is an abundance of good bikes shops with knowledgeable people. I'll post occasional bike shopping updates, if it doesn't annoy you all!

To Gustav and everyone who is replying to him:
This is my second day using this Forum.It is very encouraging to read all of the postings.It seems to me that the suggstions are coming from truly knowledgeable cyclists,who are easy to communicate with. This is not what I have always found on line.It seems as if Gustav is on the road (pun intended)
to owning a really nice bike.It's nice to see another rider get a new bike and be happy with it.I think most cyclists will agree with that.

Good luck Gustav. You are on the right track. I am told that for your price point, you should be able to get Shimano 105. 105 is a nice high performance set of components. The difference between it and the really high end stuff is a little weight. Go 105 if you can. Also, as you realize, fit is the most important thing and a good bike shop will do this for you. I know people who have been very happy with the group below 105 by the way.

Used bikes can be great deals. A bike, with moderate maintenance, will last for about 30000 miles and most cyclists puts no more then 2000 miles on a bike per year. Used bikes often sell at a big discount to new bikes. So you can get a bike that is very nearly new in a functional sense at a big discount. The problem here is fit. If you are a penny pincher, your local shop can still help. When you buy new, you get the fit thrown in for free. But you can tell the people at the bike shop that you plan to buy a used bike and if you let them know that you intend to pay them for the fitting and modifications, they will almost certainly be glad to help you. They will tell you what size of frame to get and so on. Even so, I have never bothered going this route. Bikes are not that expensive that I can't buy new afterall, they have a lot of wear in them.

Gus, as an old Pfart who has returned to serious cycling, fit and frame material are everything. Alum is nice and I stayed away from steel as I wanted to go "modern". Mistake - new steel is very competetive and the ride is still "there" (unless you can afford Ti or full carbon). Reynolda 853 or the comparable is excellent stuff. I'm riding a LeMond after moving my "new" alum bike (Specialized) to a younger rider. He's happy and so am I. Keep us posted.