Giant Roam for me?
 

I am 61 tomorrow and just got back to riding my old bike a few weeks ago. I told myself that if I could ride it several times a week for a month or two I would look at new bikes. Well after getting it out of the shed behind the lawn mower and beating the rust off the chain, lubing up the cables buying new tires I have rode it nearly every day. I am really enjoying it even with the 90+ temps. Now I discover that the front fork is nearly rusted in too :eek: I am going to Wichita Falls tomorrow to see what I can find. I see they have Giant bikes and since we live in a small town we have paved streets with assorted pot holes, highways and miles and miles of unpaved roads. I was wondering if the Roam or Roam 2 would be a good choice. I like riding on the back roads but my old 10 speed with 26" X 1 1/4" tires is kinda exciting sometimes and I would like something a bit more sure footed. I also like to go as fast as I can on good roads. I doubt I will make many rides over 20 miles even if I do get back in good enough shape to do so. What do you think?

Yeah you can do more than 20 eventually. If you feel good at 10 miles out, go 5 or 10 more out and don't take a cellphone so you'll have to ride back, lol. Pretty soon you'll do a 40 miler per week. I'm 62 coming back from an 11 year hiatus but have some miles behind me from way back before I laid off.....But you'll get there as long as you don't push yourself past what you feel up to.

Watch out for those headwinds out there in the Texas Panhandle though. If they're pushing you fast on your ride out just remember it ain't gonna be that way going back, lol. I rode in Amarillo for years (Dallas too).....Take water. My friend rode his first century on a Huffy, btw.

Don't know squat about newer bikes myself though. These guys in here will have better advice for back roads bikes.

That mileage will go up so don't limit yourself right now.

Choice and type of bike is up to you but I do suggest trying all types of bike- Comfort- Hybrid ( Or fitness I think you may call them)- road- and any other type of bike that takes your fancy. My only suggestion is that unless you are in for aggressive trails or the trails are in bad repair in your area--Then stay away from suspension. Suspension in the cheaper form does not work efficiently and although it may take some of the sting out of potholes- it does detract from cycling efficiency on the paved roads and trails.

And when I say all bikes- I mean that. Do not exclude road bikes from your testing.

That is solid advice from stapfam.What kind of bike do you have now?I'am thinking a giant defy might be a good choice.

Right now I have a Huffy 10 speed road bike that I bought from a big box store about 1980 for around $100. I don't live in the panhandle but did when I bought the Huffy. Where we lived it was windy but flat. Where I live now (north of Fort Worth) its hilly an still sometimes windy. Not big hills but rarely flat either.

How about a Bianchi Volpe. Touring type bike, some what upright, semi knob tires, lots of gears and priced right.

I haven't seen that brand advertised in our area but am not sure what all the nearest LBS carries. I do know they have Giant. I live in a little town and its 50 miles to the closest place that carries bikes, The Bike Shop in Wichita Falls . We have a Walmart but I am not even looking there. If not there its Fort Worth or Dallas and I don't really want to shop there unless I have to. We are heading up there in a hour or so to check them out.

Test ride the roam out on the road and see what you think. I really despise a front shocked bike for road riding because if you want to stand and crank, (or even sit and spin hard) you lose a lot of energy to the up/down motion of the shock--unless it's a lock out shock. And then, you have to hope that the lockout works every time.

I'd say look at the Giant Escapes, especially the 'City'. Aluminum frame, steel fork, fenders and rack already on it, 24 speeds with tires big enough to handle packed down dirt and gravel. It rolls easy on the road and rough roads don't bother it.

Hopefully your local shop is good but it does look as though it will be your One to use. Many of us will say you find the LBS (Local bike store) that will treat you right but if that is the only one you have- You do not have a choice. You will get a bike supplied by the LBS and most bikes within a price range will be the same.

If going road then the Giant Defy range is not bad. Start off cheap and go up on price and quality. Decide on your budget- Double it- and see what is available. If you need an Upright bike then the the Giant Rapid is basically a road bike with straight bars and would be a better bike than the Roam. But that is my choice- not yours- so test ride a few bikes and make your own choice on what suits you.

I'm 52 nd returned to cycling last year. Had an old steel Schwinn beach cruiser which I soon was pushing to the limit. I went in to the LBS and asked for a comfortable bike, upright position and soft ride. Got exactly what I asked for a Giant Sedona. Well as summer progressed I was adding more and more mileage till I was doing +120 miles a week. The Sedona started to limit me too. The upright position was great at first but soon slowed me down. There was a big jump between 1st and 2nd that did not provide a gear that fit me between them, I was always hunting around. I took it in for a tuneup after about clocking 2K miles on it and was waiting around and spotted the Roam 2 on the rack. I asked and was allowed to take it for a ride. BIG mistake!

The Roam 2 has 29" wheels, hydraulic disc brakes and click shifters. I was also on a LARGE frame on the Sedona and it was just a tad small - I was right at the breaking point between L and XL. The Roam 2 brakes stop on a dime and the shifters shift easier than the Sedona's twist shifters and the XL frame felt great. I took the Seona home and mentioned the Roam 2 to my wife, bless her heart she wanted to hear more about it. I dismissed it and said I should not buy another bike as I had the Sedona for less than a year. Saturday we went out to lunch, I was sore from a 35 mile ride I had taken that morning and she again asked about the Roam 2. She asked to see it, so we headed to the LBS and I again took a ride. Well, I ended up riding the Roam 2 home that day :)

I love the Roam 2, it is far better suited to my present day needs. Originally I started out tooling "around the block" and on city trails. They soon were too short and I ventured further and further out on city and county roads and got used to hills. The new bike is lighter, tighter, more gear options, better brakes and I am more comfortable on the larger frame and the shifters are much easier to use. The front shock fork is lockable but I find that my shoulders, wrists and back really appreciate the shock resistance and I seldom lock it out.

So, stick with it, you'll be adding on the miles. The Giant Roam 2 has been just the ticket for me and I highly recommend it. Talk it over with the LBS and see what they say. You can always get a new bike next year of you "outgrow" the "old" one, they aren't THAT expensive.

The Roam 2 is a catagory killer, likely the best value out there in that range of bikes. My buddy, Andy, rides with us off road on his, and we are all on 29ers. He usually is leading the charge! Good bike, good value. Only limit is how wide a tire you can put on it! It will run a 32c road tire, too.

Hi,

The front suspension locks on the Roams, so not a big issue.

rgds, sreten.

Ok for better or worse I came home with a Giant Escape. He only had one Roam in stock and it was the cheapest one. Then after we talked about the kind of riding I want to do he showed me the Escape and I really liked it. He had to put one together in my size and he adjusted it for me. Rode it around the parking lot and it felt good. We got home and I rode 15 miles with my son who has a inexpensive 21 speed mtb. We rode around in town some then out in the country and back to our house via the highway. I ran off and left him with ease. I LIKE MY NEW RIDE! I am not sure about the saddle yet as it got to me some. I'll give it a chance though and if it doesn't get comfortable I'll be trying something different.

Which model? Seems there are plenty of versions of this one and even a couple I would not mind riding. Saddles and I am afraid you have some pain to go yet. The original saddle may not be the best around but you have a new butt to get attuned to riding. No matter what saddle you have on it right now- with that tender butt that you have it would hurt. Cure is simple- get the mileage in and between rides allow time for the butt to harden up. If it still hurts after your 3rd 50 mile ride:eek:- then think about getting a new one.

I have had a Giant Roam 1 for three years and love it. For paths and back roads, it is great. On the heavy side for doing any real road or distance riding, but that is n ot what it is designed for. Good luck!

Roger

I thought you might wind up with an Escape! If that saddle doesn't work, I'd encourage you to order a Brooks saddle from Wall bikes. They are expensive, but Wall has a six month return guarantee. I bought one, have had it a couple of weeks now and Wall ain't getting it back!

http://www.wallbike.com/

As a Hybrid , if you dont have a Giant brand dealer where you live, dont worry ,

lots of bike companies make a Hybrid bike type, and since multiple brands

are actually produced by a very few very large Asian companies, under contract ,

though it may not have Giant, the brand name painted on the frame ,

they may have been the one that made the frames for the other Importers .

they did that for a long time before they began to market them under their own name,


and got even Giant-er, Supply Pro Race teams, sponsor them , and all that.

Update: I have rode my escape about 80 miles 30 of it yesterday. I changed the saddle to one we had bought for my wife's bike and she didn't care for. Its a Royalgel Avenue. I don't think she gave it enough time but I like it. No soreness today at all. I also got a pair of padded shorts from Academy and they seem to help too. I have made about two weeks worth of shorter rides and think I am getting tougher too. So far I think this is a really good bike for me. I love the ratchet shifters and the handling, the gearing seems very good and overall its very smooth feeling and responsive. Of course I am comparing it to a 30 year old big box store 10 speed so I might be happy with about anything.

I very nearly bought an Escape rx 0, really liked that bike, it just didn't fit. Not surprised you like yours, they are a really nice combination of traits.

I'm 64 years old, and just learning to ride. I bought an RX 0 as my first (and probably last) bike. The small size was the closest match for me, but the fit specialist at the bike shop adjusted several settings, and swapped out a few parts. He replaced the stock 90mm stem with a 120mm 60 degree piece. I also opted for a softer saddle (Serfas Dorado) and grips with small bar ends (Ergon GP2). The guy at the bike shop claims that very few bikes come out of the box in a configuration that matches normal human dimensions. Perhaps they are set up to look zoomy in a catalog or, on the showroom floor. Of course, the shop has an interest in selling more parts. This particular shop gives credit for parts swaps, and allows multiple re-fits for one year.

As a beginning rider, I don't have any experiences to compare the RX 0 with. It seems pretty fast and nimble. Maybe a bit squirrely for a novice - I need more practice at maintaining position on a narrow path.