Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - I Need a New Bike - HELP!

After three years of living in a country where the only cycling I could do was on an indoor trainer, I thought I would treat myself to a new ride upon my return. Was I ever surprised when I finally went to a couple of stores yesterday and each salesman basically told me the same thing - "I know you’re not a pro rider, but you need a pro quality carbon bike, $5500 should do it."

Huh? Have I been out of this sport for that long?

Here are the bikes they picked for me.

1. Stevens SCF SL with a DA build - $5000 Can - quote "go DA - It's really good, you will thank me."

2. Orbea Orca with an Ultegra build - $5000 Can

And although an Obea Onix was likewise, suggested - the salesman backtracked when I hinted that I liked the Orca...I left the shop more confused that when I arrived.

Any ideas what constitutes a great ride for a reasonable price?

Cheers,

Kwartha

What is your budget?

Some to look at.
http://websterbicycle.com/itemlist.cfm?category=48

I was thinking $3000 Can ($2700 US) but I would be willing to go a bit higher $4000 if it made a difference.

K

If you aren't racing, a nice steel or Ti frame, Sram Rival, some nice handbuilt wheels, and a dialed in fit could come in under $4000 and would give you the most comfortable and enjoyable experience possible. Are you willing to sacrifice comfort for power transfer you won't need, or durability for lightness, etc.? You could get a custom frame for about $2000, Sram Rival about $1000, Wheels $600, and build kit for less than $1000 more, still coming in under the $5000 mark for a bike which will serve you better than the latest protour bike, IMHO.

Edit: if you are in Ontario, check out True North Cycles (http://www.truenorthcycles.com/faq/)

At this point I'm simply looking to get back into the sport and want a fast and comfortable ride to do it on. Frankly I didn't think that I would spend $3000 and now I'm being told $5000, would the Onix do the trick? Do you know anything about Giant?

K

Giant is a good brand, so is Specialized. Look at the Roubaix models from Specialized, or the Allez models. Or, you could take a peek at the Tarmac, if you want Carbon.

In the Giant Line, look at the Defy, or the OCR, or the TCR models. You'll be surprised as to the actual costs, and they might just fit the bill you are looking for.

Tom,

Thanks for the info, more choices - I suppose that is a good thing? I have never had a problem making up my mind when buying a bike until now. There are so many to choose from all of which, seem to be pretty solid choices, how does one decide? Has it really come down to picking the best paint job? Say it aint so!

K

Prices have risen quite a bit in the last three years, and especially this year with dollar/yen devaluation.

If you were serious cyclist before, and hit the trainer a lot to keep in shape, shop guys probably steered you to racing bikes because of your experience and condition. They don't try to push 5k bikes on everybody.

Giant has best prices, in part because they allow internet sales, and have huge volume. It's not clear whether their grand tours leading popularity is maybe due to their being the best right now, versus Giant being able to fork up more sponsorship money than anyone else, but they're taking races, so...

I started with steel, then went to alu 20 years ago. Steel's better. I think carbon is worth getting. It's so incredibly light and responsive, it makes you want to push yourself harder, cuz it asks for it.

I just did my first century today since 1970, unplanned, and basically all I can say is my new Cervelo RS made me do it. ;) I had planned to go 50, but on arriving home, my son wanted to go out, and so we rode 36. Then it was only 14 miles to 100, I felt fine, and the sun was about 50 minutes from setting, so why not?

of Giant, do they make any large frames? as in more than 58.5?

Actually, the choice is easy......choose the bike that makes you fall in lust. You'll ride it more, that way.

The key is to buy what you want, spec it to your needs, and then enjoy the heck out of it. To quote a notorious poster here on BF:


"Cycling is like being with a woman you know isn't necessarily good for you. A lot of the time, you spend miserable, but every so often the ride is spectacular and it leaves you hurting in places you're embarrassed to talk about. ;)"

In short, choose the bike that makes you feel like you do when you're about to.............. well, use your imagination here. ;)


Tom,

Thanks for the info, more choices - I suppose that is a good thing? I have never had a problem making up my mind when buying a bike until now. There are so many to choose from all of which, seem to be pretty solid choices, how does one decide? Has it really come down to picking the best paint job? Say it aint so!

K

Hi Kwartha,

i just went through the same dilemna, and started off at the 3k mark, until i found a great guy at my LBS who actually sold me down, and ended up paying 1200$ for a good starter road bike (2008 CAAD9-5) since i had not riden one for a while, and saved the money for better wheels down the raod, cause at 5k you will probably get very light whells that wont hold up, yu dont mention your weight, this shoould be a factor as well.

My suggestion is find a good LBS and get the bike that fits right, in your price range you could get a full carbon custom fit Guru bike (local Montreal bike builder) or similar, but make sure the LBS is good and the fit is perfect, nothing worst than a 5k bike that's not fitted properly. In my area cycling is going very strong so all sorts of new shops are opening and yes they sell the cool bikes but they cant fit for their lives...

Good luck!