Road Cycling - Newbie advice- first road bike

Hi there Gurus,

I have been riding a Giant Cypress hiybrid for a couple years, and am getting ready to purchase my first road bike. I intend to stay with either Giant, Trek or Specialized, as my local bike store recommends and supports them.

The low end of the field are represented by the Trek 1000 and the Giant OCR3. They use the Shimano Sora shifters and derailleurs, and are in the $600.00 range.

The next step up is the Trek 1200 and the Giants OCR2, which use Shimano Tiagra shifters and derailleurs, and are in the $800.00 range. Some bikes in this range, like the Specialized Allez Sport Triple use the Shimano Tiagra/ 105 combination.

My friend is a long time road cyclist, and swears that the extra money for the 105 is very much worth it, and that I should stay away from the Shimano Sora like the plague.

Any comments or advice on the topics would be much appreciated.
thanks in advance,
Mark

people who actually have soras don't complain about them, in my experience, and seem to be happy with them. the tiagra and 105s have the nice STI shifters (no thumb shifting). 105 is considered race-worthy. just depends if you want to be racier or if you're happy with the sora. just take the bikes out for a test-ride...

sd

avoid like the plague? i think thats a bit of hyperbole.. ppl here say the same for, for what it's worth, i havent had problems with my Tiaga-level components. my friend logs a LOT of miles on his sora bike and hasn't had a problem either.

the reason i would recommend not using Sora is: 1. their shifting knubby is annoying 2. better compatibility for later upgrades

I'd always say buy the best you can afford, but don't be afraid to buy used. You can find some amazing deals out there.

I just bought an ocr3 (my first road bike) and I'm not having any problems with the sora shifters. The move up to a road bike is definitely worth it - especcially the gearing and riding position.

avoid like the plague? i think thats a bit of hyperbole.. ppl here say the same for, for what it's worth, i havent had problems with my Tiaga-level components. my friend logs a LOT of miles on his sora bike and hasn't had a problem either.

the reason i would recommend not using Sora is: 1. their shifting knubby is annoying 2. better compatibility for later upgrades

totally agree with redfooj. i have sora components on my sirrus, it was fine. the only complaint i had was that when i'm climbing and shifting at the same time.. the gears tends to take a while before it's changed. other than that on flat roads,... sora is nice.

but definitely sora parts to upgrade later is kinda like a bish! most part like the cranks, or brake stuff that is on a bike with sora components are worthy for a road ride.. but when u want to upgrade, like what i'm trying to do now... it gets complicated.. espcially for a 8speed... :( but it's all good... as long as the ride is comfy.. that's all it matters!

dont apply power to your stroke when shifting... not the healthiest for your components

Well, it depends on what you want from your components. If you are just getting into cycling and are hesitant to drop a chunk of change on a new bike and you are not sure how much riding you are going to do, then Soro or Tiagra would probably suit you.

Shimano 105 is considered to be entry level racing. There really is not much difference between 105 and the higher level components like Ultegra and Dura Ace except weight, snob appeal, and perhaps a slighty less crisp action (which is debatable). If you are going to do either a considerable amount of riding (1000s of miles per year) or if you are interested in performance riding, 105 is definitely the way to go.

But if your intentions are more towards nice recreational rides at moderate paces and you are price sensative, I would think that either Soro or Tiagra would do fine.

dont apply power to your stroke when shifting... not the healthiest for your components

Thanks to all for the feedback. I'll probably end up spending a few extra bucks up front for the Tiagra and 105 combination on the Specialized Allez Sport Triple. I cause myself enough trouble constantly upgrading my PC- I don't need the hassle trying to do that on my bike! :lol:

dont apply power to your stroke when shifting... not the healthiest for your components

ok thanks.. that's what i thought.. so later on i started shifting before i start pedeling hard or going for a climb.

or is there another better way to do it? should i shift first and then pedal? is that what you mean redfooj?

after you shift, just spin very lightly until the gear changes, then mash away :D

on my mtb i shift before i get to a climb because it shifts clunkier, slower, and i lose more speed when coasting (or pedaling lightly)... the road bike shifts are almost instantaneous so i can do as above :D

after you shift, just spin very lightly until the gear changes, then mash away :D

on my mtb i shift before i get to a climb because it shifts clunkier, slower, and i lose more speed when coasting (or pedaling lightly)... the road bike shifts are almost instantaneous so i can do as above :D

cool! thanks redfooj. i'll be sure to do that next time. i had notice that my sora components did shift a bit clunkier... but now that i change the ultegra bar end shifter.. perhaps it will shift smoother?? we'll see. one thing i have to share is that today i saw a specialized roubaix 27 with carbon fork and rear seat stays... it was on sale for $1299.... gosh i wanted that bike when i bought my sirrus but back then it was for over $1600... :( oh well... perhaps later on... i just hope my friend will buy it so i can ride it.. lol..

cool! thanks redfooj. i'll be sure to do that next time. i had notice that my sora components did shift a bit clunkier... but now that i change the ultegra bar end shifter.. perhaps it will shift smoother?? we'll see. one thing i have to share is that today i saw a specialized roubaix 27 with carbon fork and rear seat stays... it was on sale for $1299.... gosh i wanted that bike when i bought my sirrus but back then it was for over $1600... :( oh well... perhaps later on... i just hope my friend will buy it so i can ride it.. lol..

are your bar end shifters indexed or friction? ive never tried a modern bar end shifter--only an old school one. riding your friends' bikes is the best... 1 of my friend has a maxed out Santa Cruz Blur and 2 other have snazzy Jamis Dakotas... i love borrowing them ;) :D

I really like the Allez. I think the Shimano Tiagra/ 105 combination is a nice package for an entry level bike. If you go with Sora, you are going to wish you would have upgraded. Pay now or pay later.

Thanks to all for the feedback. I'll probably end up spending a few extra bucks up front for the Tiagra and 105 combination on the Specialized Allez Sport Triple. I cause myself enough trouble constantly upgrading my PC- I don't need the hassle trying to do that on my bike! :lol:


If you're serious about not upgrading, you might check out the Specialized Allez Elite. It's full 105 components, and lists at $1,090. That's with the aluminum frame. The Cro-Moly frame is $1,300.

are your bar end shifters indexed or friction? ive never tried a modern bar end shifter--only an old school one. riding your friends' bikes is the best... 1 of my friend has a maxed out Santa Cruz Blur and 2 other have snazzy Jamis Dakotas... i love borrowing them ;) :D

i think they are indexed i believe. but u can switch between sis or friction. these are the ones i got: Shimano Bar Cons Shifters (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=104&subcategory=1194&brand=&sku=3043&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

i didn't know they were ultegra components until i got them and opened up. it came with everything i needed, such as shifter cables, etc.

the santa cruz blurr is super nice! but yeah.. i am hoping my friend will get the roubaix... i'm a sucker for specialized roubaix 27... but the roubaix comp 27 (all carbon) looks even sexier in person than in the pictures...

i know this is OT but yeah, the Roubaix Comp is hot.

I had a Giant Sedona DX hybrid (actually still have it). My road bike is a Giant OCR 1 with 105 components. I am very happy with it. Once I hit the lottery though, I'll probably go for the Trek 2300.