The Weak Link

And StapFam too. Aw heck, any of you can help. Not you under 30 y/o roadies. Go away.

So I've been planning to buy a road bike after slogging it out with a Gary Fisher Wahoo for two years. I've been impressed with SaiKaiTai's experience with his Reno. I'm 54, I want to pull a few centuries, and as DnvrFox, would put it, keep track of my "smiles per miles" ratio.

So I go do a leasurely 20 miler today and on the way home, drop by to see The Turk, a young and firey hardcore bike geek.

"You have to buy a road bike, you know" says he.

"Yep, I know. I've heard a lot of good things about the Reno so I'll probably get one in the next two weeks (and I can't spend tons of money because, as The Turk knows, I'm in the middle of some other costly projects)."

"What!" he cries in disbelief, "That's an old man's bike! Not enough carbon! Crappy Tiagra shifters! You'll hate it after a few rides when you get dropped like a sandbag! You need to buy a _______ (for roughly $2000)."

Well OK. I basically think The Turk was full of crap, and maybe even a bit rude to dump on what sounds like a perfectly good road bike for a 54 y/o who will never do a crit or a TT. But I didn't say anything back to him. I just broke out into tears and rode home.

Would any of you console me? I know I've been a bit snarky lately but I'm really a very nice guy once you figure out that I have a vivid imagination and make everything up (you see, I used to work for the New York Times.....but that's another story).

Digital Gee

Artkansas 

The Turk is just trying to justify spending too much money on his own mount. Obviously to him, getting dropped is the only thing that matters. Kid-stuff ego-based behavior. We grow out of it.

I can't tell you what to get. All my mounts are steel. The ones I ride the most are over 15 years old.

I think your quote about "smiles per miles" should guide you. At this point in life I'm not racing anyone and the ride is between me and the road. So go shopping, take your time and have fun.

TysonB

Buy the Reno.

My 22-year old daughter bought a low-end Reno last year. Great bike and great value. Nice combo of components. Comfortable. Fast. Compared to similarly equipped designed and equipped Treks and Specialized bikes, I think she got a lot of bike. It is much nicer and much faster than my wife's Sequoia. Comfortable but not too "soft."

Tyson

Jet Travis

Sounds like a pretty good description of the Turk. I say keep it simple. Find a bike in your price range that fits well and has the gearing you want. While upgrades can be nice, you hit diminishing returns in a big hurry.

Dchiefransom

That's a great bicycle. You DO realize, that if you ride an organized metric century, leave at the back of the pack, and maintain 15 mph on the flats, that you'll pass 3/4 of all the riders by the time you finish, even the ones on the $5,500 full carbon bikes?

freeranger

Just go ahead and get the Reno, would ya!! You know you like the bike, the LBS that sells it locally, and know you will get good service from them. So go ahead and get it. Or spend that extra grand or two for something with more carbon, if that's what you want. Just don't expect us to keep up with you once you get it. I've heard you've gotten in real good shape already.

The Weak Link

Freeranger (Freeranger is a riding partner of mine), I bet you could guess exacty who The Turk is.
I've stopped sobbing now, but the guy really hurt my feelings. 'Old man bike', indeed.

stapfam

I only got a road bike last year. I went for the cheapest in the Range----Equivalent to your Giant OCR3. If crap exists- it should have been on this bike. 8 speed sora- cheap wheels- slightly heavy components and NO carbon anywhere. My view was that if road biking was not for me- then I would not be spending afortune on a bike.- and if it did grab me- it is always handy to have two bikes when I bought the higher spec one. I shall be honest and say I was not enamoured with this road riding thing. Speed was not as high as I expected- It was taking a bit too much effort on the hills and it was not comfortable. Then I got some decent wheels. What a difference. The bike suddenly worked.

The giant OCR3 is a good bike for the price- but there had to be a costcutting somewhere to keep the price down. The same as it would be on any cheap bike. I hit on the thing that was letting it down and changed it- or them. If I had gone to the OCR2- I would have got a better spec bike and got away from the Cr*p wheels that let the 3 down but they would not have been as good as the Hand built set I did buy.

This NEW OCR3 works for me. It takes me up all the steep hills in my area and although I am not a speed merchant- I now overtake club riders on sunday mornings that I struggled to stay with for 100yards when they overtook me. And some of those club riders are on the $5,000 carbon bikes. If I get more into road riding then I may splash out on a better bike- but until I start finding faults on my cheap, heavy,(19lbs in ride trim) and low spec bike, then I won't bother.

There are plenty of good cheap bikes out there and the Reno sounds like a good one. So does the Specialised Sequoia, The Giant OCR range and if you look around- You may even find a Bianchi that is in the same price range. (Sorry- I like Bianchi). Unfortunately- there are also a few Bum ones out there so keep thinking. "I do not need to spend a fortune on a Road bike" and you will soon join the roadies in the fun they have. Only thing is- Keep the Fisher for when you want to have real fun on the trails.

Edit.----- I am a mountain biker and I do it on a 7 year old bike. I am one of those old riders that get mocked by the youngsters as Mountain biking is not for old men. You have to be fit and you have to have skills that you only have when young. On top of that- I do not have a full suspension bike- so even the bike is not suitable. Then I ask them what rides they do. Do they do a few of the Enduro events that are around, and what is their time for the 100 mile local event that is held. They don't do anything over 40 miles and they have only done the 100 miler as a 2 or 3 day ride. Then I ask if they have ever seen the Mountain Tandem around on the hills and if they have seen it- they marvel at the speed and ability of that tandem.(There is only one locally and once seen- they never forget it).

I just keep quiet after that and agree that mountain biking takes a lot of skill- Takes alot of fitness and that you have to have the right bike to do it properly. Then As I pass them up the 3rd hill of the morning- I ask them if they need a push. My old legs and body do not need the latest bike and it does not need an expensive one either.

SaiKaiTai

Well, I set out to do 20 miles around town today. I did 26. Just couldn't stop. I have to take either of two climbs back from the south end to the north. Today, I did both. And I LIKED it.
Here's my thought on the subject... have you ridden the Reno? Did you like it? Buy it. If you haven't ridden one, go try one out. It *is* a lot of bike for the money. It's worth it for the 105 RD, alone. Carbon forks and seat post... quick, agile, pretty darned comfortable... I have miles left in me right now. Now, granted I got it for $750... at that price it was the proverbial no-brainer. This 54 yo is happy happy happy with this bike. Screw what the Turk thinks.

bobby c

Well the Turk is both right and wrong. If you have the money, you will like a lighter bike with better components, pure and simple. However the Reno is a mighty fine bike for the money - so it comes down to how much you are willing to spend.

Now tomorrow I'm riding with the Grampster - (user tlc20010) - he just bought a LeMond Buenos Aires. Certainly a lighter bike, great components, my guess is he'll be flying compared to his old hybrid. Hard to qualify, but I'd guess he'll be faster on it than if he rode the Reno. I'd say the carbon makes it more comfortable, especially on rough roads. And the shifters and brakes are better. Better wheels, etc.

So is it worth the extra $$$? For some, it is. For me, it was as I like speed and comfort (I got a Giant TCR). FWIW, here's a picture of a Buenos Aires:

CrossChain

A very general forumula: The more you pay the "more" bike you get, but the improvements are measured in an ever-decreasing margin. Consider sepia pics of old 20's tourists and racers in Pyrenees on the bikes they were riding. In absolute terms, all bikes are functional. The mechanical differences decrease as you go up the price scale even as the vanity differences increase.

The Reno will take you over hill and dale and still be riding for as long as you want it. Upgraded wheels, snappier shifters, etc. can be added if you feel the need. You might not. Your heart, lungs, legs don't know what the hell they're pushing....they just appreciate the push. And, your head floating along admiring the view, the fresh air, the blond chick in the convertible, the freedom of it all....well, your head won't really know whether it's a Reno or Seven's top model.

Let Lance and The Boys obsess about the molecular weight of their spoke nipples...we have other things to do. Riding for health and pleasure is one of them.

DnvrFox

1. "Its not the bike (well, mostly) - it's the motor!"

2. There is no "final" bike. Think of the Reno as another partner in a long line of affairs that is just beginning.

3. I rode 20 miles today on my much heavier, equipped with panniers and rack, "utility" road bike. I had a great time, I chose not to take the Lemond, and I don't quite know why.

4. You will know when you are ready for another bike. The Reno will do just fine for now.

Tell Turk to go back to Turkey!

SaiKaiTai

No, actually, she was in a silver BMW Coupe