Road Cycling - Bike advice for an ignoramous

Hi all, I'm a complete novice and would really appreciate some advice.

My girlfriend is looking to buy a new bike and we're VERY confused as to what to buy. She currently has a Reynolds 853 which she loves but unfortunately it's really too big for her.

We've done a bit of looking around, and I've been doing alot of scanning of this site plus one or two other forums. I'm really quite enjoying it, but at the same time it's doing my bloody head in! So many different brands, so many different opinions, steel, aluminium, carbon, Ti, combinations.....it makes it damn near impossible for someone with my knowledge to confidently make a decision. And when I go to bike shops they often give completely conflicting advice as well.

To get to the point, at this stage we've narrowed it down to a few choices. These are really just based on what has been pushed to us at the 2 or 3 bike shops we've been to. The choices are:

Trek 1500: Normally about $2800 (Australian dollars). Can get it for $2200

Trek 2200: Normally about $3800 (I think). Can get it for $3200

Giant TCR2 Composite: Normally about $3800. Can get it for $3000 (Plus a year of servicing and a $500 voucher at the shop for free)

Giant TCR1 Composite: Not sure exactly how much this is normally but can get it for $3200. (Plus a year of servicing and a $250 voucher for free). Although I think for this price it has the wheel from the TCR2 composite.

What's the best buy out of these? My girlfriend doesn't race but she really loves riding and puts alot of miles in.

The other option which we haven't priced or seen in the flesh is the Cannondale R800 which we love the look of (unfortunately she's not overly keen on the appearance of the Treks or Giants but these are the ones we're being offered the discounts on). Where does the R800 fit in with the other bikes?

I realise the main thing is to test ride the bikes but I'd really appreciate some opinions. I know there's a lot of threads asking for advice on new bikes, and yes I have read them - every single one of them! But I was after some advice on the specific deals I've been offered. And any other advice you think is appropriate would also be welcome.

Sorry, I've written a fair bit here. Maybe too much detail. So I'll stop writing............now.

For one who has done so much reading, it's surprising you haven't yet discovered the secret:

Buy the one that fits and feels the best - physically, aesthetically and financially. No one can tell what that is except you.

All the bikes you mentioned are great bikes and the deals are what they are for the region you live in. Have you test ridden them?

55/Rad

No, haven't test ridden yet. I realise, after all the reading, that testing is the absolute KEY to buying a bike and my girlfriend is planning on doing 1 or 2 today.

But was still after some opinions from people who have a clue, unlike me, about what they think of these bikes. Because from riding a bike once we still won't know neccesarily what is the best quality and value in the long term I think.

I've got one bike shop pushing Trek and their lifetime warranty and U.S. built and how good their carbon is, while at the same time saying that Giant is a bit gimmicky and Taiwan built, lesser warranty and the quality isn't there.
While on the other hand the other bike shop is pushing the Giant angle saying that they're value for money, carbon at an amazing price well built and at the same time giving Trek a few negative comments in comparison.

And both these shops sell both Giant and Trek.

Is riding a bike once going to tell me what kind of reliability I'd get out a bike in the long term? I wouldn't know. As I said, haven't got much of a clue about this stuff. But the more information I get the better. It will help us, along with the test rides, make a more informed decision.

Thanks for your advice though. I guess there's no right answer as to what to buy. There seems there's so many good bikes out there that she would enjoy riding.

Just coming from a lady, I didn't like the ride of the Treks as well as the Giants. But that may be just a personal thing. I was not looking at the price range you are. (Lucky Girlfriend you have!) ;)

i tried a 1500, 2200, and R800 ('03) while narrowing down bikes initially. the R800 felt very very harsh. It's not that the ride was uncomfortable...the frame just felt very very rigid and gave me too much feedback from the road (all the little bumps and grooves). In comparison the 2200 felt very smooth. The seatstays, fork, and seatpost are carbon fiber which is very good at dampening high frequency vibrations. not so damp that you can't feel anything, but not rough either. It has a very nice component set with almost everything being ultegra minus brakes and front deraileur (105). I believe cannondale is full ultegra. The 1500 in comparison rode between R800 and 2200 when it came to harshness. not a bad bike by anymeans. components ranged from a bontrager crank and 105 shifters to a tiagra fd. It felt considerably heavier than the 2200 and not as fast. I ended up trying a few other bikes (none of the giants) and in the end went with the 2200 and have had no regrets whatsoever. if color is of concern, ask about Project One. A little more expensive, but you can customise colors and designs to an extent :)

melloboy

How tall is the rider.
Dales are better for big riders,and can be unforgiving in the smaller sizes.
Both Trek and Giant are made in big factories and are of similar quality. More significant is how good the bike shop is.
Before you decide, make sure you know how the bike will fit, then transfer those positions (pedal/saddle/bar) to the new bike.

HOLY ****BALLS BATMAN the pricetags you mention made my head spin.

If you're an 'ignaramus' or however it's spelt about bikes, why don't you go for something a bit cheaper? I have no idea how australian dollars compare with US but...

We have a store here in the old US of A called WalMart that sells a brand called Roadmaster for $60, barring yearly price fluctations. I've never seen a Roadmaster ad, however, they seem to be entrely US built, heavy steel frame that takes it's knocks like a rock, and NOTHING goes wrong on them save worn tires, worn brake pads, and simple cable adjustments. The only problem I've found with them is they seem to be vandalism magnets. I've had one whole bike stolen, and a front wheel off another one. I keep coming back to Roadmaster though.

The Mtn Sport is my favorite model, but they have others, all in wheel sizes from 16-26. Overall, the frame is very short, and they corner better than my heavy-duty mountain bike.

I've outfited my current Roadmaster to be a heavy road bike, cargo racks, fenders, ETC, but other models they sell are for lighter road bikes, or even heavier mountain adventurers. I've never seen a Roadmaster racing bike, but they might be somewhere...

Anyway, I've also owned a Giant, and had nothing but problems out of it. Trek I know very little about.

But my general opinion is to go to the general store, the department store, and pick up something on the cheaper. The bottom-barrrel prices go on bikes I'd not ride to my mailbox...but I'd be willing to bet shipping to you guys for an unassembled Roadmaster that you could find, if you looked, a brand you've never seen an advertisement for.

And I'd be willing to bet that that brand is just as good as the ones ten times it's price.

As others have mentioned, you really need to test ride the bikes. When I was looking, I was comparing a Trek WSD model with the Cannondale R1000 Feminine. Although the ride was slightly smoother on the Trek, I just didn't fit it as well. I ended up being between two sizes. The Cannondale fit was perfect. She really needs to see what fits her best.

Good luck!

i would think she'd want to stick with a steel frame (or carbon) and not go to aluminum - all the girls i know who ride recreationally swear by steel frames saying the harsh ride of an alum frame gives them a sore you-know-what.

i don't know how the mixed material bikes (alum frame with caron seatstays) compare.

i test road a Cdale R600 and decided to order a steel bike instead.

Thanks for the responses guys. Ended up going with the TCR 2 composite. It test rode very nicely and the price we got was too good to pass up. When we went around to various bike shops and told them the price we'd been offered they all said they couldn't come close to matching it and suggested we go back and buy it straight away before they run out!

Thanks again

sweet, my brother in law just got one of those and is really happy with it.

congratulations!