Road Cycling - My first post (and of course, the cliche' question)

Greetings all,

Name is David, live in SE Houston, work for NASA, husband of Holly and father of Noah.

So the most abused question of all time... What roadbike should I buy?

Some background. I'm a reformed overweight person. May of 2002 I weighed 240 (I'm only 5'9"). Started dieting and running and losing weight. Found out from the running that I had a ruptured disc in my back. Co-worker offered to let me borrow one of his old bikes (he's a hardcore biking nut with something like $6k worth of bikes). Well long story short he lent me a 20 year old road bike. That bike has been very good to me, I've put over 1000 miles on it in the last 6 months including my first long group ride on the Houston to Austin MS150. I've lost 70 pounds and feel a lot better

All my work buddies that bought bikes and trained up and rode the MS150 with me in April have wussed out on riding because of the heat. I'm still cranking out 50-75 miles a week just as stress relief and conditioning. The age of the bike I'm riding is starting to show and I'm getting tired of the maintenance issues.

I want a road bike. My #1 priority is durability. I don't have a lot of time to mess with fixing stuff. Light weight is not a very important criterion because I live in very flat land. I have to go to big bridges over the bay to train for hills. Top speed is not a very high priority, I'm already in better shape than my riding buddies and have to hold back a little riding with them anyway. I'm in decent shape, when I do my usual 33 mile weekend ride I can usually maintain an 18mph rolling average solo if the wind is not too brutal and can sustain 21mph on flat ground with neutral wind. My price range is $600-$1000 unless someone can make a real convincing argument for more. There seems to always be a lot of trash on the roads I ride so durable rims are definitely a desirable. I'm also a gadget freak so it would have to be compatible with the Shimano Flight Deck computer too so I can geek out on the gizmos.

A local shop recommend a Trek 1200 or 1200c. They've got their big end of season sale coming Labor day so I have 2 weeks to become educated in learning what I want and don't want if I decide to buy new. I'm also considering Ebay as well.

Anybody have links to bike selection 101 or the like? Any suggestions on websites that cover the basics of component selection / Rims / etc?

What's the warranty like for buying a new Trek versus going used off ebay?

Thanks for you time and attention.

David Smoot

Greetings! A good source are the magazine yearly buyers guides. Don't know if they have them online but you may be able to order a back issue for 2003.

Good luck.

Well, I am no rocket scientist(I always wanted to say that), but I would look at steel frame bikes(Durable, nice ride) with a triple (handy for the hills and if you don't need it will still be there when you do) with at Shimano Ultegra or Campy Chorus. Specialized has a nice steel Ultegra bike and there are others including customs built to your spec like Independent Fabrications.
P.S. Please try to kep the Hubble going while you build the new telescope.

Additionally, one must always remember the most important aspect of any new bike!!! It must fit you properly.

Hi,
test ride some bikes, a bunch. Give em a good ride. That will be your final arbiter. Good basic bikes go for several hundred dollars. If you can go just a little higher than that, the quality improves dramatically. The Jamis Quest, Specialized Allez steel, Specialized Seqoia expert, there's a nice Lemond but I forget the name,
and prob a dozen others to choose from. Steel would give the best ride quality at this price, by far. Be sure to try a couple of the painfully expensive bikes; they will be far more persuasive than we could ever be.

I am in Rev Chucks corner, I have two steel framed bikes. They are durable and make for a comfortable ride. Late is right test ride some different bikes and find one that you like. When I ride a bike I know almost right away if it is a good fit its like trying on a leather coat you know its the right one by the feel. If you want steel Trek is good and Bianchi makes a couple the eros and the San Remo, also you might really want to check out the Lemonds (made by Trek) I hear they are very quick and responsive bikes and they are steel framed as well. On you question of buying local or buying on the net I try to support the local guy as much as possible so try and buy your bike through them, establish a relationship with them so they know who you are and you know who they are. They will put the bike together sometimes give you deals on accessories at the time of purchase and they will service it for free after 30 days (or is it 90 days I forget) to make sure everything is running smoothly. You buy a bike through the internet you don't have that kind of personal service and I really think it isn't that much of a savings over buying from your LBS when you consider freight, putting it together than paying for the 30 day tune up (which you will want to do) or having to do it yourself and having a good relationship can mean perks, free quick fixes deals on accessories. As for everything else clothes, parts, and accessories I play it by ear whenever I am in the shop I try to pick up the stuff I need then (I always need to buy something for my bikes :D) and usually pick up tubes, and gloves there. But I also shop the web for good deals on clothes and other stuff so I don't break the bank.

Sorry to be off topic, but what do you do at NASA?

This interests me greatly as a Sophomore Aerospace Engineering major...

Originally posted by K6-III
Sorry to be off topic, but what do you do at NASA?

This interests me greatly as a Sophomore Aerospace Engineering major...

Hey, any openings for a Mech. Engineer.. I can also do automation, robotics and intrumentation.....:D :D (just kidding, I always wanted to be an astonaut):D

I would recommend a Cr-Mo steel bike.. with at least Shimano 105 components.. There are a lot of wheelsets you can buy, but I really prefer those custim built ones..

Good Luck and Enjoy.

Well, at about $1000 you can get into a nice bike. I would suggest Shimano 105 components and a basic steel frame. But go on out and test ride some bikes in your price range.

I don't think there is much difference in components on the maintenance you have to do anymore. Mainly, you have to clean and lube the drivetrain (chain) and you have to do that on all road bikes. The bikes and components themselves hold together far longer than most people think.

Some people want acceleration at any cost, others want cornering, and others want comfort. So get something that performs the way you want it to.

For non-racing use, a bike in the style of a Bianchi Eros, a light touring bike designed for fun rides and centuries is ideal.

i'm seriously considering the Bianchi Volpe
Steel wide gear range lots of brze on attachment points.
Joe

I think that Bianchi will give you alot of bang for the buck.
Something like the Campione, or Volpe are good choices.
Both are Steel Frames with mid level components
(although some would say the mirage isn't).
For my money I'd look for a Veloce Double, retails for
$1500 but I'm betting you can find em cheaper now that
the majority of the season is over. The frame is Alu but
really, both are gonna serve you well (steel or Alu).
The best part about the Veloce is (drum roll please). . .
its CELESTE.

I don't believe that any bike bought off of e-bay is
covered by manufacter's warranty (unless the seller
is a retail store? Xavier, is that correct?).

Marty

Check out www.roadbikereview.com. You'll have to take the reviews with a grain of salt, but it's reviews from people that have ridden the bike & there are a lot of bikes listed. You might find some helpful comments there on specific models.

Originally posted by dexmax
Hey, any openings for a Mech. Engineer.. I can also do automation, robotics and intrumentation.....:D :D (just kidding, I always wanted to be an astonaut):D


Just sign up with the Canadian Arrow X-Prize team...they may still be taking applications for astronauts...

For bikes in the Under $1,000, you will be hard pressed to find many that are equipped with Ultegra components. Most likely you'll find a lot of mixes of Tiagra and 105. As mentioned, Steel is Real and I ride a LeMond Zurich. Sweet bike I'd definately recommend a steel frame. However, aluminum is probably more affordable and with the ability to manipulate the tubing, it isn't as harsh a ride as years past.

A good value/budget bike to investiage is the Felt brand. You can purchase a Felt with full 105 and a carbon fork for $999.00 that's about the best deal going these days.

Unless of course you get into the used market, which wouldn't be a bad idea especially since you have a "hardcore" buddy that can help determining quality/value of a used bike.

Good Luck
L8R

Hi,
a 2nd thought....I can almost guess what bike you will wind up with 2 or 3 years from now. I suspect it will be the Litespeed Tuscany. You will want the smoother ride for your back. It garners respect from both techies and bike fanatics...for different reasons. It's fast, smooth, versatile, and light......
If you want to save a grand or two (buying bikes you will trade up)...go try the Tuscany.

I know this might be off course a bit but being new to this I was wonderin what the difference is between the shimano line of components?
I see people saying, tiagra over ultegra (or is it the other way around) and was wondering if its just the weight or are they made of different metals?

I'm 6'4" 260 and have an older model Trek 2000 and love it!

I'm also doing an MS150 in TX: San Antonio to Corpus in Oct. What was your max ride before your 150? I'm trying to get a sense for when I'm "ready" (to do more than just barely finish)...

As for everyone wussing out in the heat... what's THAT all about? I've even done 30 miles in 100deg heat. If you're serious about cycling, it's not just a 8 mo/yr deal! Just take big water bottles! :D Thos guys/gals must not be eal Texans ;)

Well I hope this reply isnt so far down that you dont get it before you make up your mind.

Hop in your car and drive to Kirby just east of 59s and go to Bike Barn, ask for Brandon. Awesome guy, good choice of bikes including Treks, Specialized and Klein. Brandon will fit you, show you all the options and differences, and really pamper you. He has Treks from the 1000 up to 5900s etc and tons of others. I had him fit me for the first time and since then, I have bought five bikes, four from him (got an awesome deal at the LBS here in town on a mountain I couldnt pass up, oh, and two of those were for the wife, heh).

If nothing else you can see a huge array of bikes and find the exact size you need. I can honestly say the entire time I have known him I havent had a single complaint. And no, I dont work there :-) He would have to be good for me to drive over an hour just to go there, I live in Huntsville, and I am headed down there tomorrow afternoon, again.

Allan

As for everyone wussing out in the heat... what's THAT all about? I've even done 30 miles in 100deg heat. If you're serious about cycling, it's not just a 8 mo/yr deal! Just take big water bottles! Thos guys/gals must not be eal Texans

heh, I did 20 in 107F last week up here in Huntsville. What wusses! And I have only been riding for almost 5 months.

Allan

Ride as many bikes as you can before buying. Being measured and fit for size is important. For about the $1,000 mark, maybe a little over, you should be able to find a full Shimano 105 equipped bike. Do some shopping around.
For the poster asking about Shimano, the list from bottom end price/quality to top end goes like this:
Sora, Tiagra,105,Ultegra,Dura-Ace

Let's see if I can cover all in one reply.

I work in the BioAstronautics group at NASA. Its a big and relatively new organization at NASA that does everything from crew healthcare to cellular and molecular biology experimentation. Its a cool job but you'll never get rich working at NASA. Believe it or not, we're hiring and picking up interns as well. Drop me a line if interested

About MS150 preparation: Take my words with a grain of salt... when I started preparing in Nov for a March ride, I had not ridden a bike in many years. Because I had a small child most of my training was done solo because I rode during his naps. I usually did 15-20 miles at lunch with my buddies 3x a week and a long solo ride on the weekend. My longest solo ride was a 66 miler. I figure if I could do 66 miles in a day solo I could do 92 (the first day of the MS) drafting in a group. The MS150 was not nearly as hard as I thought it would be (at least until I discovered my front derailleur was not adjusted correctly and I shifted my chain completely off the crank while going 22mph downhill but that is another story). There are people who do almost zero training and get by just fine. You only have to 90 miles day one and no two rest stops are more than 15 miles apart. That means you could do 6 leisurely 15mph segments with a 30minute break in between and you'd still finish in less than 9 hours. Once you accept that you could easily finish it, you're just worried about how fast you'll make it to the end. It was a really neat learning experience and now I'm trying to talk my riding partners into training up to do the whole ride (170 miles) in a single day. That might be a little ambitious but you've got to have a goal :).

about the heat: I agree with not wussing out but I seem to have a problem with getting my electrolyte consumption right when doing high heat long rides. I drink plenty of water (I'll drain my 100oz camelback every 20 miles and I feel fine during the ride but I'll get nausea / severe headaches about 2 hours after the ride. I'm trying to balance the water with gatorade now, so far so good.

I'm actually headed to the local bike barn down here in Clear Lake as soon as I finish this and sample what there is on the expensive side of the bicycling world.

Thanks for the comments, I'll do some web research about the models mentioned and probably come back with more questions.

David

Consumer's Reports tested nine road bikes that retail for $850 to $1400.

If you are looking for a good, comfortable full on road bike, the top choice was the Bianchi Eros. It has a steel frame and a carbon fiber fork, retails for $1,050.

Second was the Klein Q-Carbon, which has an aluminum/carbon fiber frame and carbon-fiber fork at $1400. The next is an all steel bike, the Lemond Tourmalet for $900.

You will not get Ultrega components with these. The Tourmalet is a mixture of 105's and Tiagra.

Third is the Trek 1200, an aluminum frame with carbon-fiber fork, for 1,000.