Road Cycling - Recommend a NEW BIKE

HI Everybody,
I need Your Expertise.
I would like to buy a new road bike.
I have a budget of $500 to $650.
Please recommend the best bike that you know that fits in that budget.
if you think there is a bike that I should get but the price is higher than my budget, I would like to know.
I would try to see if I can strech my budget.

thank you very much for your help in advance.

The problem with recommending a specific bike is that we have no way of knowing how comfortable that bike will be for you or how well it fits. You need to go try them out for yourself. We can recommend a bunch of different brands and models however but it's always best to go to a bike shop and test ride. Some road bikes in that pricerange that come to mind are:


Specialized Allez Triple (http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=5975&JServSessionIdroot=po2f0xdzva.j27007)
Giant OCR3 (http://www.giantbicycles.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.006.asp?dealerid=&dealercountry=&lYear=2004&bikesection=8834&range=143&model=10875)
Fuji Finest (http://www.fujibikes.com/road/bike.asp?category_short_name=road&myArray=87,88,89,90,91,92,93,102,94,95,96,103,97,104,106,99,98,100,105,101,107,108,109,112,110,111,1 13,114&myArrayID=11&yr=2004)
Trek 1000 (http://www.trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/road/1000.jsp)
K2 Mach 1.0 (http://www.k2bikes.com/04products/road/mach1.asp)


There are of course many others. In the ~$600 pricerange, you will generally find an entry level but decent frame. It may be a tad heavy compared to higher end bikes. But the biggest drawback is the components. These will generally be Shimano Sora level and while they work fine, they aren't as durable. Also because of the specific design of the Sora group, it's harder (and more costly) to upgrade piece by piece to higher quality components down the line and upgrading the entire component group all at once will probably cost as much as what you paid for the bike in the first place. Most frames in this pricerange are usually not worthy of upgrade so generally people will either trade-up to a whole new better bike as their skills and needs progress or just keep the entry-level bike as a backup bike after they've gotten the new one.

I don't think there is much of a choice in a new road bike at $500-$650.

You should look into buying a used road bike, but the Specialized Langster (a single speed) would fit your budget.

Look for a shop in town that sells nice used bikes (usually the stores that offer really nice custom made ones, where people may trade their old bikes in) There is a shop near me that has some nice Bianchi's from a few years ago in that price range that while being 5 years old, would probably be a more worthwhile investment than a new bike in that price range.

Fit is far and away the most important thing when your just starting out, because if your not comfortable, you will find it much harder to stay with it.

Firstly, Thank you for your responces.
OK I get the picture I have to increase my budget.
I have a Bike store where I can test drive a bike.
My only problem is to figure what combination is good.
Gear, what is the body made of (eg. carbon), components.
Infact i went to that store and test drive 3 bikes. I really did not see the difference.
Although, I did not drive them to long. Salesman was very confusing as well.
He was keep telling me how one gear better then he went and told me about the other bike that's better then the one he had told me.
so I guess, now the questions is what gear and the body made.
I am not going to race but I am going to take be riding at least 100 miles a week.
i need a bike that does not too heavy and also my weight is 190 lbs.
thank you

If you jump up to the ~$800 range, you start getting into bikes with upgradable component sets and lighter weight frames and parts. You're not likely to find titanium or carbon fibre at this level yet. You'll have to jump up to four digits for just the frame of the more "exotic" materials. You will be able to step up to more finer tuned aluminum and steel frames though and some of the parts and components may be "tricked out" a bit with carbon fibre (seatpost, fork). If you take my initial list in the previous post and look at the bikes one-level up from those in their respective families, you'll see a scattering of models to look at. This will also give you an idea of what grade of components you can expect to find in the $800 to $900 range.

Thank you khuon.
I like the Trek models. what do you think about the trek 1000 and the other 2 levels that are above thaty model. the highest one is $1000 and that is the only one shimano 105 componant out of that 3. what do you think how important to get that vs. one level down.

what do you think about lamand. also what brand is more reliable/

I like the Trek models. what do you think about the trek 1000 and the other 2 levels that are above thaty model. the highest one is $1000 and that is the only one shimano 105 componant out of that 3. what do you think how important to get that vs. one level down.

Generally speaking, with Trek bikes, the middle of the lineup (1200 in this case) is usually the best bang-for-buck as far as the complete bike goes. If you're just looking at components, in the Shimano lineup, 105 is the best bang-for-buck. However, I wouldn't be looking at just the components. If you're at least into Tiagra, you can start mixing and matching with components higher up the chain as things wear out. That's when you should be looking at component economics. Bike manufacturers operate on a slightly different set of "laws" because they get deep discounts from the component manufacturers. But once again, I want to stress the fit factour above all else. Have you test ridden a Trek yet? Even if you have, I would make sure to test ride other brands too just to give you an idea of the differences. I would also suggest you test ride something well above your price range just to give you an idea of what more expensive stuff would actually buy you. The only danger in that is that you might have a hard resisting the urge to buy something you can't afford. :) And as far as things that effect the ride most directly other than fit and frame quality, you'll want to look at the wheels. The quality of the wheels shouldn't be discounted. Also bear in mind that you will probably also want to budget for accessories such as helmet, shoes, shorts, gloves, pumps, spare tubes, etc. Some bike shops give you a discount on accessories when you buy them at the time you purchase the bike so ask. Also ask about service.

I'm also looking at getting my first road bike. I'm looking in a slightly higher price range however I have found that in Giants OCR line of bikes you get a good value for your money. I think you should definately give the OCR2 a try. I think it goes for about 850. And as other members have mentioned it gets you into the Tiagra group which allows for better upgradability. It also gives you a carbon front fork wich I don't think is on the Trek at that price point.

how important to have carbon body
or is it ok only the front is corban or the back???

how important to have carbon body
or is it ok only the front is corban or the back???
my bike's all steel. I can't afford the upfront cost nor the expense of owning carbon. I'm very hard on all my bikes and don't want to worry about damaging a carbon frame.

Steel provides a nice ride, so don't be afraid to ride the real thing.

On a similar thread this weekend a guy said your money should be spent on frame/fork, wheels, components- in that order. In other words, frame most important, then wheels, etc. Just wondering what you all think about that.

how important to have carbon body
or is it ok only the front is corban or the back???

As with many things, the quality of the design and construction is usually more important than the base material. All other things being equal, a bike with a carbon fork and carbon seatstay will be more comfortable than an all aluminum design. And an all-carbon bike has the potential for being even more comfortable. However, the one thing you have to remember is that carbon fibre is the mystery meat of cycling. Its greatest design strength is that it can be tuned to provide the properties needed. You can make a carbon fibre component or frame very noodily (observe the Softride with the beam-seatpost that uses CF as a pivotless suspension) or very stiff. You can even through various alignment methods make it unidirectional stiff so that it's stiff in one plane and flexible in the other. So what does this say about carbon fibre? It tells you to ride the design and not the material. Generally speaking most frame designers will stick CF seatstays and forks on a metal bike in order to soak up road vibration. On lower priced frames, you will generally find a carbon fork with a cro-moly (steel) or aluminum steerer tube and a non-CF rear end. Sometimes to address the criticism of comfort, manufacturers will stick in a carbon seatpost. This provides some amount of damping but it's generally regarded as not as effective as an all-carbon rear end or all-carbon frame design. It will however keep the price point of the final product lower than if they were to add carbon directly to the frame.

...your money should be spent on frame/fork, wheels, components...
I'm in agreeance.

my bike's all steel. I can't afford the upfront cost nor the expense of owning carbon. I'm very hard on all my bikes and don't want to worry about damaging a carbon frame.

Steel provides a nice ride, so don't be afraid to ride the real thing.

Amen brother. All those low end Alu bikes make my rear end hurt just thinking about riding them. I think this person really needs to look at some steel bikes from bicycleblowout.com. There are good steel Jamis bikes there that are within his budget the last time I saw. Since this is a starter bike, Sora will be just fine. Remember. He's not going to race so why not ride in comfort?

There's a KFH Elite 300 with a Reynolds 520 frame! I just purchased a Jamis Aurora (touring bike) for $350.00 dollars on Ebay! I'd take any of those bikes over a hard Alu Trek 1000.

On a similar thread this weekend a guy said your money should be spent on frame/fork, wheels, components- in that order. In other words, frame most important, then wheels, etc. Just wondering what you all think about that.

As a rule of thumb, that's sound advice. However, there are limits. Taken to the extreme and you can still have a pretty unridable bike but I doubt you'll find any product manager who in their right mind would spec a titanium frame and say Shimano Tourney level components. For the most part, bikes are fairly sensibly spec'ed. The criteria above becomes important as a tie-breaker when you're either trying to decide between several bikes of nearly equal level or you're trying to determine where you should spend your upgrade money.

oonal13 - is english not your native language?

i think you need to get a basic understanding of three things:

1) frame materials

2) bike sizing

3) component groups

I'd suggest going to your LBS to find out what basic size you are (bike makers are different, but you'll probably be able to find out one or two sizes that fit you okay). then i'd try to find a used bike that had a steel frame (best comfort in your original price range), integrated shifters (as opposed to down-tube shifters on much older bikes), and was your size. that way you've learned about the three important things and then found something that works and doesn't get too expensive.

i don't know your size, but these are some things on ebay that look like a more fun way to spend $600.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3693522330&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3694012669&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3694156058&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3693479525&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3694420949&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3694330597&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3694082715&rd=1

ouch!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3693912666&rd=1

I am very happy that I found this site.
Everybody is very helpful. You guys are really nice.
I realize that my original budget is not enough to get a decent bike.
For that reason i am happy to let everybody know that my budget is up to $1400.00
My bike size is 54 cm. I like Trek brand maybe because Lance Arsmtrong or maybe becuse my first mountain bike was Trek. I had no problem with it. I learned that frame is very important. I would like to have a light bike but I also like to have a bike that is strong. I don't think I would mine couple extra pounds, but since I haven't really bike with a road bike I don't knoe if that will be issue later days. Please remember I would like to bike about 100 miles a week. I understand that there are different qualities when comes to chain, gear, shifter so on. Everybody suggests that Shimano 105 is minimum I should be getting. I would like to get a better qualitiy than that with the budget I have now. I would like to have a bike that can last at least couple years and realible company behind it. Please suggest me what combination or bike would be best. Carbon fork, seat and aluminum frame or steele frame or just aluminum. Please suggest the best bike. thank you very much and as always you guys are the best and very intelegent.
T H A N K Y O U . . .

I forgot to add: what is the difference 18 gear or 27 gear. Which one id better.

At $1400, you have an even greater number of choices. In the Trek lineup, I'd be looking at the 1500 and 2100. The 1500 is the top of the 1000-series and the 2100 is the bottom of the 2000-series. The components are pretty similar although some such as handlebars, seatpost, headset and pedals are a step up on the 2100 which also has a carbon rear end. However, it's a good $400 more. I would suggest you test ride both to be sure.

Other bikes to look at include:


Specialized Allez Elite Cro-Mo Triple (http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=5968&JServSessionIdroot=375bsm9qmc.j27004)
Specialized Roubaix 27 (http://www.specialized.com/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=6776&JServSessionIdroot=375bsm9qmc.j27004)
K2 Mach 4.0 (http://www.k2bikes.com/04products/road/mach4.asp)
Giant OCR Elite (http://www.giantbicycles.com/us/030.000.000/030.000.006.asp?bikesection=8834&lYear=2004)
Cannondale R800 (http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/04/cusa/model-4RR8D.html)
LeMond Alpe d'Huez (http://www.lemondbikes.com/2004_bikes/alpe_d_huez.jsp)
Klein Aura V (http://www.kleinbikes.com/us/road_bikes/aura/aura_v/index.html)
Litespeed Palio (http://www.litespeed.com/bikes/palio.aspx#)


I could go on... There are many great bikes in this price range.

I forgot to add: what is the difference 18 gear or 27 gear. Which one id better.

It's the total number of possible gear combinations. An 18-speed bike will have two chainrings up front and nine cogs in the rear. A 27-speed bike will have three chainrings up front and nine in the rear. Bigger number does not always mean better. Some of the combinations overlap and do so for convenience in shifting. Triple chainring cranks can sometimes be finicky to keep properly tuned and so front shifting may not be as smooth as with doubles. For a better explanation on gears, you might want to refer to Sheldon Brown's excellent webpage on bicycle gears (http://sheldonbrown.com/gears.html).

First off, you can buy a road bike in the 600.00 range
Don't be duped into thinking you HAVE to spend 800, 900 or a 1000K
for an ENTRY level road bike, because....you don't HAVE to! : )

How do I know..? Because I bought my $625.00 Mercier Aquila Aluminum framed
Tiagra/105/ultegra equiped carbon, fork, and seatpost bike from:
bikesdirect.com

Bikes very affordable. Check them out.
I measured my inseam, checked the geometry specs of the bike and ordered
the size I needed. And would you know it..? It fits perfectly! Imagine that,
measuring correctly, and figuring out what size I need! What a concept!

Because, of course you could never possibly get a bike that fits you right
unless you plucked down 50 to 100 dollars at the local bike shop
to get measured. :rolleyes:
But, if you buy from the LBS, the fee is waived usually.

If your like me, and you have a strict budget, and you just want to get an entry-level
bike, then there is absolutley nothing wrong with buying a bike off the internet.
It just scares some folks, and offends others...but its ok, really. ;)

I can honestly recommend bikesdirect.com

I'm also looking at getting my first road bike. I'm looking in a slightly higher price range however I have found that in Giants OCR line of bikes you get a good value for your money. I think you should definately give the OCR2 a try. I think it goes for about 850. And as other members have mentioned it gets you into the Tiagra group which allows for better upgradability. It also gives you a carbon front fork wich I don't think is on the Trek at that price point.

Sure it is:

http://trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/road/1200.jsp

this is a bit ridiculous.

if your budget is now $1400 then you might want to consider the Jamis Quest. it has a full Ultegra group, a nice steel frame and a full carbon fork for $1299.

DC70 is correct though - you don't have to spend that much to get something very usable.

you mention wanting to get "at least a couple years" or something like that and you have to understand that pretty much all new road bikes are tanks and will last for years and years even with very minimal care on your part. it really is incredible how durable they are considering all the moving parts and the friction between them.

speaking of that bikesdirect.com link - my friend got a steel/ultegra bike there because it was the cheapest we could find new:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/legacypro.htm

lastly, it sounds to me like you should really take a break from all this talk about frames and components and just go test ride some bikes. honestly, any new bike is fine for somebody just starting out - but you won't learn what the differences feel like by reading. go ride some bikes and come back and talk about which one you liked best and how much it cost and the people here will tell if you it's a sensible choice or what it's weaknesses are.

oh and please learn to say "components" about the shifters, brakes and drivetrain - it hurts my ears to hear you say "what gear better". +)

KHS has a decent bike for that price as does Felt. You need to find a few and ride them all, and ride them at least 12 miles each to get a feel for the bike; then once you have narrowed it down to 2 then retest-ride again.

Thank you khuon.
I like the Trek models. what do you think about the trek 1000 and the other 2 levels that are above thaty model. the highest one is $1000 and that is the only one shimano 105 componant out of that 3. what do you think how important to get that vs. one level down.

I'm in the same boat you are in bike shopping/decisions. My cycle coach(I'm doing a century in Spring with TNT (http://www.teamintraining.org)) pointed me to the Lemond Nevada City, which I just rode yesterday. Nice bike for the $500 price tag, and it's got better compontnts then the Trek 1000 series. I'd say take a look at one, it's on top of my list for a new bike in my price range.

Nevada City (http://www.lemondbikes.com/2004_bikes/nevada_city.jsp)

thank you

If your pushing your price range up to 1400 I'd try and get something with carbon in the rear. I road a Felt F60 that was 1200 that had carbon seat stays. The OCR Elite that I'm probably going to get has a full rear carbon triangle but it's 1500. I liked how the OCR frame felt stiff when I was standing on it but also did a good job soaking up the vibrations and bumps. I haven't riden the Elite yet but it *should* be pretty much the same as the OCR 1 but less road buzz. That's what the review indicate anyway. I'm sure other members can ponit out some other bikes in that range that have carbon in the rear. And of course don't just take my word for it. Ride the bikes. I found them to be more comfortable but you might not.....

Sure it is:

http://trekbikes.com/bikes/2004/road/1200.jsp

Thanks you're right. I was looking for carbon seatpost and or stays on their site. I think carbon forks are pretty common in this price range.

dude, he's not going to know what a rear triangle or road buzz is.

dude, he's not going to know what a rear triangle or road buzz is.


Good point. Road buzz is that constant vibration that you pick up from the road and causes discomfort. You pick it up in three places hands from the handlebars, butt from the seat, and feet from the crank. Carbon fiber is excelent at abosorbing these vibrations called road buzz. I have found that bikes with a carbon fork help the hands. Carbon seat posts and stays ( seat stay goes from rear wheel up to seat, chain stay goes from rear wheel to crank) help the butt. However if you just have a seat post it won't help your feet. That's where having the rear triangle, which is both stays, made of carbon should help. Specialized makes some good bikes with carbon stays and seat posts but I can't find one in my size here in Omaha to ride. I have also rode some steel bikes and will say steel does a good job with smoothing things out. However I didn't care for the amount of flex in the particular steel bike I road which happened to be a Bianchi Eros. Flex is the tendancy of the frame to bend slightly under the stress of your cranking.

It depends on what you want the bike to do. Are you gonna climb mountains, race, or just cruise the neighborhood.

Are you gonna go 50 mph down hills ?

Do you weigh over 200 lbs ?

If you can answer no to both questions, then buy the shop. Almost any bike will do. Get a close out, something on sale, and ride.

Get a bike with good service and support. That may mean Trek. If you don't know what you need, it will be tough to be dissapointed.

Modern bikes have too many if's . Ride, don't worry

It depends on what you want the bike to do. Are you gonna climb mountains, race, or just cruise the neighborhood.

Are you gonna go 50 mph down hills ?

Do you weigh over 200 lbs ?

If you can answer no to both questions, then buy the shop. Almost any bike will do. Get a close out, something on sale, and ride.

Get a bike with good service and support. That may mean Trek. If you don't know what you need, it will be tough to be dissapointed.

Modern bikes have too many if's . Ride, don't worry

That is very good point. The asnwer to those questions is NO. I am riding on a mountain bike that is heavy and I am sure I am getting more road buzz. I already took a test drive on couple of the Trek models. High end and low end. I honestly did not see much difference. What concerns me most is the components of the bike. I don't mind getting Shimano 105 or couple level below but how is it going yo hold up in a couple years. Do I have to go to the bike store a lot because they fail. Shifter is what concerns me the most because I really would like it to be more accurate. I guess at this point I would like to find one that is very reliable yet not too expensive.
The bicyle store I went to is Cycle Craft. They give 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you don't like the way bike drives or any other reason you can exchange that to something else.
After the purchase of a bike they schedule you to go there to custimize the fit. They adjust height etc.
I was looking at the Trek models 1000, 1200, 1500. I test drive 1000, 1200 and the next day I went and test drive 1800c. The salesman also recommended bianci which was around $1500 and Cannondale R100.
It really get confusing with many bikes in the store with many different configrations.
I went online and look at bikesdirect.com. They really have great deals. since I know my size I could get one from there but then I don't know if essambling going to be an issue. They have several good deals and one of them caught my eye, which is: "Motobecane Legacy Pro 2004. Now only $1095
You Save $1,300! This Month ONLY (MSRP $2395)"
That is a good deal when comparing componants and the other things side by side. What do you think.
Thank you

All of the Trek 1000-series have essentially the same frame so the differences are in the components and wheels. I think many people put way too much importance on components and neglect the wheels.

The 1000 is fairly entry level and comes with an aluminum fork. I wonder why they didn't spec a steel fork instead. That would probably have given a nicer ride without going carbon. The 1000 also has functional but relatively heavy and unimpressive wheels. They're fine but they're not going to turn heads. The wheels and the fork seem to be the biggest performance "downgrade" from the other models. This bike uses all Sora which while the quality isn't bad, I feel the ergonomics are. You can't shift from the drops and the upgrade path for Sora is pretty much locked because it's hard to mix and match with other components.

The 1200 comes with the same carbon fork as the 1500. It also has better rims but uses the same hubs as the 1000. The wheels are lighter but again, they're not incredibly great performers. This bike has pretty much all Tiagra. The quality on Tiagra while not as good as say 105 and above will still last many years of normal use. And because Tiagra can be mixed with other groups, you can replace parts with higher quality stuff as they wear out. Also note that not all parts wear out equally so having the ability to mix parts is really a good thing.

The 1500 comes with the same carbon fork as the 1200 and its major upgrades include a nice wheelset and some better components. The Bontrager Select wheels are going to roll smoother and faster than the ones on the 1000 and 1200. They also look better. ;) The upgraded shifters (to 105) and rear derailleur (to Ultegra) will make shifting seem smoother. Trek smartly left the front derailleur at Tiagra because the differences in performance and feel between it and the next levels up are very very slight. Also, the front derailleur is usually the very last component to wear out on a bike. By saving on the cost of a more expensive front derailleur and putting the investment into places where it does make a difference, Trek did a pretty good job of tailoring the bike for practicality. The other component that gets an upgrade on the 1500 is the crankset which is lighter.

However, all of the specs make zero difference if the bike is not comfortable to ride. How does it feel to you? Was it stable at speed? How did it handle? Did it turn predictably? Are bumps too harsh, the ride too jarring or can you see yourself riding it for hours on end? Do your hands fit the handlebars well? Can you reach the brake/shift levers from all positions? Is the frame flexing when you put power to the pedals? Does the rear end feel squirmy when you corner? How does it feel when climbing? These are all the things that really matter in the long run.

yeah, it was me that recommended the Motobecane Legacy Pro. it's the bike my friend got because it was cheapest high-quality steel frame with Ultegra available. if they still have a size that fits you at bikesdirect.com then you should probably go for that over a Trek 1000, 1200 or 1500. The steel frame will be a lot more comfortable and the Ultegra components will shift very accurately for years.

just so you know - you will never find a steel frame bike with full Ultegra for <$1100 at a LBS.

i also can't recommend the cannondale because they're all aluminum frames which will also not be as comfortable.

a sensible alternative (if you can find a LBS that carries it) is the Fuji Roubaix or Fuji Roubaix Pro. these bikes have more forgiving frames than the Cannondale and Treks you mentioned and they have the Shimano 105 component group that everybody wants you to get.

One more thing:
you mention that you test rode and couldn't tell much difference. it's important to understand that the comfort benefits of a steel frame that fits you (or an aluminum frame with carbon in the back) are most apparent when you spend all day on the bike. a trek 1000 might feel fine for a five or ten minute test ride, but spend 2 - 4 hours on it and you'll wish you'd bought a frame that wasn't just entry-level aluminum.

when they say 90% comlite what is that mean

complite bike??