Road Cycling - I Bet You Guys Never Get This Question...

Newbie needs help with choice of bike. I've read enough posts here to know this question pops up very often. I have quite a few LBS within 30 mins of my house or work. So very many choices: Cannondale, Trek, Litespeed, Kona, Specialized, Lemond...and on and on... Which I have no complaints about...I just have no idea what I'll choose. I've done a ton of research on all of the bicycles. I'll be spending a decent amount of money. Waiting for 2004 closeouts to hit before I really narrow it down. Save a little money and buy a better bike...its my theory at least. The basic plan is to use a trainer through the winter and build up my stamina. So when March/April hits, I should be able to really pound out the miles. I know the use of a trainer is kind of cheesey but, I'm about 50 pounds larger than I should be with a history of knee problems. So anyways, Trek 2300 or 5200...Litespeed Firenze or Teramo...Specialized Allez or Roubaix. So many nice bikes. I know some of you have ridden or own some of these bikes. Any help is welcome. We'll talk about shoes and helmets and other things later. Thanks.

I gotta say that I LOVE my Trek 2300!! But, really, anything in that price range will get a great bike. What I would do is get fit for a bicycle first. This usually costs about $100, but is often refunded to you by the LBS if ytou end up buying a bike from them. They will then direct you to certain geometries of bikes that fit you best. Each stock bike is made with certain geometries of frames that will fit certain people correctly and certain people incorrectly. The fitting will steer you towards the ones that will best fit you. This should guide your decision more than the name on the tubing. After all, when you're dropping this kind of money on a bike, then you should make sure that you'll be comfortable for miles on end on the thing.

That's my 2 cents.

DJ - If I were you I'd buy a custom steel frame from Hot Tubes in Worcester and get it built up.

www.hottubes.com I think.

PS - I have a Litespeed - love it.

Get the ti,it will last riding on the road and trainer forever.

Newbie needs help with choice of bike. I've read enough posts here to know this question pops up very often. I have quite a few LBS within 30 mins of my house or work. So very many choices: Cannondale, Trek, Litespeed, Kona, Specialized, Lemond...and on and on... Which I have no complaints about...I just have no idea what I'll choose. I've done a ton of research on all of the bicycles. I'll be spending a decent amount of money. Waiting for 2004 closeouts to hit before I really narrow it down. Save a little money and buy a better bike...its my theory at least. The basic plan is to use a trainer through the winter and build up my stamina. So when March/April hits, I should be able to really pound out the miles. I know the use of a trainer is kind of cheesey but, I'm about 50 pounds larger than I should be with a history of knee problems. So anyways, Trek 2300 or 5200...Litespeed Firenze or Teramo...Specialized Allez or Roubaix. So many nice bikes. I know some of you have ridden or own some of these bikes. Any help is welcome. We'll talk about shoes and helmets and other things later. Thanks.

Prov, I know what you mean decisions , decisions. When I started looking I basically decided on a Trek because I had such a good experience with my hybrid. I thought I had it narrowed down to a Trek 2200, until the day of my fitting. The LBS didn't have a 2200 in my size in stock. I tested three bikes a, 2300 a 5000 and a Lemond Versaille. just to get a feeling for the different frames. After riding the three I decided on the Trek 5000. I have had it for a couple weeks now, got about 380 miles on it. So far I think I made the right decision, I couldn't be happier. This bike is really smooth. The OCLV frame soaks up a lot of the road vibrations. I'm not out for shear speed but I like to do long distances. Did the first century with it the first weekend I had it. When it was over, I didn't feel beat up at all. The transition from a hybrid to a road bike was pretty easy. I guess the LBS did a good job fitting me, as I felt comfortable right from day one.

The only upgrade I made was the front derailer. Swithched it from a 105 to Ultegra. Now its basically an all Ultegra drivetrain except for the cassette which is the HG70. The 105 brakes work just fine.

Good luck with whatever you you choose.

str8shooter

Markedoc...the hottubes does look cool. You can take a course in frame building. Sounds really interesting. If I was going to build a bike from scratch...I'd call up Seven or Idependent Fab...both Massachusetts companies...both work with ti. I've always known about Litespeed...still debating. Would love one...they look outstanding. The stock components are top notch. Then again Trek 2300 and 5200 are Ultegra as well. I know I have to get fitted and ride a couple and basically pick the one I like. I just like getting opinions from more experienced riders.

Take a look at the new Lemonds. I just bought a 2004 Buenos Aires that was a store demo and saved alot of money. I am very happy with it.

Beyond saying that you simply need to try as many bikes as you can until you sit on one that just "feels" right, I'd say that there is NOTHING cheesy about riding a trainer! During the winter, it's the only thing that keeps me sane. Same during the summer when I get home so late from work that it's dark already. Get a fluid trainer and you'll get a decent winter in on the bike. There is nothing like riding the trainer during the winter out in the garage and seeing steam coming off your sweatshirt when there is ice on the inside of the windows! Make sure you play some LOUD MUSIC TOO!

Thanks Macman for the vote of confidence on the trainer. I just feel I want to be up to good level before hitting the mean streets of Providence. I have had 2 good friends get hit by cars riding their bikes. One got lucky with a broken clavicle...lets just leave it at that. So being too heavy and too slow, I figure I'd be number 3. I want to be at good level when I hit those streets. I also want to be able to ride around the lake my cabin is on when I go on vacation in NH. 17 miles every morning...I can think of nothing better.

Greg LeMond is a jerk and I wouldn't put one nickel in his pocket. Just my opinion.

Thanks Macman for the vote of confidence on the trainer. I just feel I want to be up to good level before hitting the mean streets of Providence. I have had 2 good friends get hit by cars riding their bikes. One got lucky with a broken clavicle...lets just leave it at that. So being too heavy and too slow, I figure I'd be number 3. I want to be at good level when I hit those streets. I also want to be able to ride around the lake my cabin is on when I go on vacation in NH. 17 miles every morning...I can think of nothing better.


Everybody likes the bike they just got...but I can't believe how nicely the Orbea line rides...and the value is there for the dollar...

Thanks Macman for the vote of confidence on the trainer. I just feel I want to be up to good level before hitting the mean streets of Providence. I have had 2 good friends get hit by cars riding their bikes. One got lucky with a broken clavicle...lets just leave it at that. So being too heavy and too slow, I figure I'd be number 3. I want to be at good level when I hit those streets. I also want to be able to ride around the lake my cabin is on when I go on vacation in NH. 17 miles every morning...I can think of nothing better.

Trainers are invaluable, IMO. I read a very interesting article a while back about Tim DeBoom and how half of all his riding training was done on a trainer regardless of what the weather was like. I don't like the idea of spending a couple of months of halfway decent weather once the season starts getting into shape to enjoy a ride when I could be at that stage already via the trainer over the winter. So long as the trainer provides adequate resistance (I have a Blackburn fluid trainer - cycleops, kurt kinetic are very good too) you'll be suprised at how hard it can kick your ass!

Don't foget the forum rule ... post a pic when you buy your bike!

Orbea? I've read a lot of these forums and have never heard of that company. A trainer is a must for me...there is no question. Just looked up Orbea...didn't know it was Mayo's bike. I'll take a closer look in a few minutes. Not a lot of dealers in my area. I'll post a pic...trust me there.

How much are you willing to spend?

There's almost a $700 gap between the Trek 5200 and 2300. You might consider the 5000. It has the same frame as the 52/5500 but lesser components. For the money, it is a way better choice than the 2300.

Personally, I wouldn't buy Al, only CF or Ti. I ride a Litespeed and love it. My "old" frame was a Medici Pro Strada (think ... steel).

The MSRP on the Litespeed Teramo is $2500. I'm sure there's also a similarly priced Merlin you could look at. Have you looked at:

http://www.hi-techbikes.com/cgi/display.cgi?5

A friend bought a Litespeed Tuscany (for his wife) from them last year, used a 20% Performance coupon to buy the rest of an Ultegra "build kit". All told, a Tuscany-Ultegra build-Mavic Open Pro wheels for $2200. That looks good to me.

FWIW, there's nothing wrong with last year's or last-last year's technology --- things don't change that much. I've heard the biggest change is oftentimes BNG --- Bold New Graphics. Given that, HiTech's 02 Litespeed Siena and 03 Merlin Agilis look like good buys. If you can spring for the extra $, that 03 Merlin Extralight (I almost bought this frame) is a good one too. Remember, unless you buy a complete bike, that you should put your $ in

[a] frame/fork, [b] wheelset, [c] componenets

in that order. Go with a great frame with a 105-Ultegra build rather than a moderate frame an a DA build.
That's my 2 worthless cents worth.
Best.

DJ - keep looking around. I bought my new Ti Litespeed Tuscany w/Ultegra on eBay for $2,150. I consider that a great value compared to what people are spending in LBS's.

I may be selling a slightly used Cyclops Fluid 2 trainer soon - going to buy a CompuTrainer this fall.

From another Rhody Rider!

Bike shopping. Just did it. Purchases a lovely cannodale, with 650 c wheels cause i'm a little pip squeak.

There is such a varied shop quality in RI and nearby Mass. I had some really good experiences, and some really poor. I highly recomment Victory Cycles in Westerly, and Providence Cycle. East Providence Cycle and Caster's were pretty good too.

But the weather is nice. Test ride bikes. Try them all.. you will figure out the one for you. If they dont let you test ride the bike. Buy it somewhere else.

-kl

You may want to invest in an all-weather winter training bike. Doesnt have to be flash or modern, it must take fenders and pref medium width tyres (like 28mm). The advantage is that you can do your training miles on a bike that can take abuse. You can also address the many bike fitting issues, so when it comes to buy your race-day special, you know exactly where you want the bars and saddle to be.

The absolute first thing I would do is to get an idea of what size frame you will need. If you know this up front, it will also let you know which bike shops actually know what they are doing. I got an unbelievable range of "you need this size" from different shops. If you are not an experienced road cyclist, what "feels right" as far as size goes, will probably not be right. Start here: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO

I would say the next thing that you should do is decide on what frame material you want. Do this by test riding, not by what you think you want or what is cool. I thought I wanted CF. Then I rode at Ti bike just to see. I stopped looking at CF right then. They all have different ride characteristics. Here's where "feels right" is right. That will narrow the field considerably. Then decide on the minimum component specs that you want. Test ride bikes that fit these criterea.

If you decide on Ti. The Litespeed Firenze is a great deal. I have about 2000 miles, including 3 centuries on mine and I love it. I did upgrade to full Ultegra when I purchased. (BB and FD were 105. That minimum spec thing for me)

From another Rhody Rider!

Bike shopping. Just did it. Purchases a lovely cannodale, with 650 c wheels cause i'm a little pip squeak.

There is such a varied shop quality in RI and nearby Mass. I had some really good experiences, and some really poor. I highly recomment Victory Cycles in Westerly, and Providence Cycle. East Providence Cycle and Caster's were pretty good too.

But the weather is nice. Test ride bikes. Try them all.. you will figure out the one for you. If they dont let you test ride the bike. Buy it somewhere else.

-kl
Providence cycle is down the street from me. Casters might be the first place I go because they have Trek, Specialized and Litespeed. What stores did you have bad experiences with?

Hey Lachanck....

What's with Victory Cycles in Westerly? I can't seem to find a listing for them anywhere?

Providence cycle is down the street from me. Casters might be the first place I go because they have Trek, Specialized and Litespeed. What stores did you have bad experiences with?

Caster's can go one way or the other. I have had really good experiences there and not so good. I purchased my specialized MTB from them about a year ago, and have dealt with them on and off for a road bike. Sometimes they come right over and are very helpful. Other times i have been looking for help and walked out after an hour when noone even acknowledged i was there, because they were imersed in conversations with other customers about BS. Frustrating when you are planning on dropping 500+ on a new roof rack or a considerable chunk of change on new bike. I think they are very knowledgable but i would recommend going there on a not so busy time. IE maybe a tuesday morning.

Ron's Bicycle shop in North Kingstown was awful. Do not recommend them at all. They tried repeatedly to push a children's road bike on me, because of my height and he wanted to get rid of it.. its been collecting dust for a few years in his shop. (Other cyclists i know have had poor experiences at his shop, all agree they don't seem to know what they are doing).

Also think about East Providence Cycle. They carry Specialized and Trek, as well as giant, and lamond. I think that's a bit closer to you than Casters. Worth a trip in there. They seem to have pretty good prices especially on equipment.

KL

Hey Lachanck....

What's with Victory Cycles in Westerly? I can't seem to find a listing for them anywhere?


http://www.victorycycles.net/

http://www.victorycycles.net/

And to the other question directed my way that is Victory Cycles Web Site.

The plan is to head down to Providence Bicycle to ride Cannondale, Felt and Litespeed on one weekend and then head over to Epicycle to try Trek and Specialized. I think the Litespeed may be a little pricey for me in the long run but, I still want to try it out. Ti may sway me to spend a little more. I have all the accessories to think about as well though.

Here's what I demo'ed in order of preference.

1) Soma Smoothie: Steel is real BABY! While this was not the fastest bike, it was definitely the smoothest, pardon the pun. Felt like I was riding a cadillac. My LBS had one on sale for $900, full 105 group.

2) Klein Aura X: I LIKED this bike. Once again, not the fastest but the most accurrate/tightest ride. I liked the carbon stay/fork combo. The pearlescent paint was also nice.

3) Trek 2200: Very nice ride, fastest of the bikes I tried. Similar in price to the Klein. Would have no problem getting this bike.

4) Felt 50: Hated it, probably more due to the bad build by the LBS. Kept misshifting on my test ride. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt but it didn't "feel" as good as the other 3. Same price as Klein and Trek.

What did I end up w/? None of them. Found a GREAT deal on an Independent Fab Planet X on ebay. AWESOME bike. I use it on the road and for CX. I will try my hand at racing this Sept...