humpbog

I like the Rip3. It's the same price as the Defy Advanced 1 in Canada: CrossRip 3 | Trek Bikes

Differences:

Trek Rip3: Aluminum, 105, no thru-axles (how??), better clearance (stock 32), tubeless ready, more mounts
Defy Adv 1: Carbon, ultegra, thru-axles

Rip3 might be better suited for my needs but damn, how can it not have thru-axles??

Pendergast

I have about 30 years of cycling experience(about 50 years if I start counting from my first bike). I currently have 7 bikes ranging from pure road to full suspension mountain. If I were starting from zero, the first bike I'd buy would be the best gravel bike I could afford. That would probably be the only drop bar bike I'd end up with.

italktocats

i know fancy shiney bikes are cool and all... but arnt you compensation for your ability by buying something you know nothing about? oh the people i know who spend 5k$ and never gotten to 5k km/miles riding, or they blame everything on their bike (no its too heavy/fat/ugly/cheap) and still dont ride, while i ride every day, on a bike i picked up for free and fixed up
thinking about slamming past traffic at 30mph in a summer breeze with hot chicks looking at you is easy... most people find it a lot harder in reality (and end up not doing it)

but maybe not..

humpbog

Wow, I never knew that after 15 years of experience and a temporary, but lengthy absence that I would be considered unknowledgeable and/or compensating. Let's get real here, this is bicycle riding, not golfing.

I'm glad you were able to find something for free. I'm pretty sure whoever got rid of it, was happy to get it off their property. To each their own.

wphamilton

That's the point, right there. Do you make all of your purchasing decisions based on how much you have in savings? Or do you decide what you need first, and then judge prices? I don't think you'd have savings if it were the former, so why is a bike any different?

I could afford 10 times the price of the bike I ride, but it would be senseless so I don't. Maybe I'm just old fashioned with obsolete values, but I find it foolish to spend more than I need to simply because I have it to spend.


Yes, that is all hype, and that's why I recommend experience before expenditure. But it's your money.

Maelochs

When it comes to discs, no through axles should be a deal-breaker.

After more than twice your time, I also took a very long hiatus ... and came back with a cheap road bike I still ride ... added a few others .... And I will not lie, if I could buy a bike which made the hot chicks look at me---and not think, "Why is that fat dirty old pervert making us look at his engorged body crammed into spandex---that's gross!" I'd buy it no matter how much it cost.

No way to compensate for some stuff.

Maelochs

Oh, and also ... OP seems set in his ways ... he might make a great choice, or a huge mistake ... but I can pretty well see that no one here is going to sway him much.

His way would Not be my way ... but why should it be? Besides, he ain't gonna listen to what he doesn't want to hear.

Best thing we can do is offer little bits of positive guidance ... as in "When it comes to discs, no through axles should be a deal-breaker."

Lots of people do things that I find silly, for reasons I find silly (myself included, often.) Key for me here is when to recognize that I cannot sway a person's opinion, and then stop trying. We are both happier therefore.

He might buy exactly what he wants. He might learn to want exactly what he bought. He might hate what he bought but be too stubborn to admit it even to himself.

If nothing else, you might be able to buy his lightly used expensive bike in two years.

humpbog

Wow, have we met? You've pretty much nailed it.

I did a lot of research before I ended up with the car I love. I didn't break the bank, nor did I cheap out. I was and still am extremely pleased. Would I have felt the same way if I bought used or a lesser of a car? Personally, no. (I spent roughly 22k USD, but i could have spent 100k). I'm trying to follow the same practice when buying my bike, that will ultimately last me upwards of 10 years. Maybe it's a bad analogy for the community but I don't mind it.

I think I know what I need/want now, and it's a versatile, "adventure" type "road" bike. A bike that can give me decent speeds on the roads with proper tires, a bike that can allow me to hit rail/gravel paths if I encounter them, if I dont, so what. A bike that can allow me to do extended trips on any surface or elevation/incline with great comfort. A do it all bike.

So my options are now:

Giant Anyroad, Specialized Diverge (I can get Sora version for $1300), Jamis Renegade, Crossrip 3 (doubtful because of thru-axles)

Surprised nobody mentioned the GT Grade or the Raleigh Roker Pro.

birru

I'm a big fan of the adventure category and for my riding goals a jack of all trades/master of none bike works really well. I'd say don't rule out steel bikes either or focus too heavily on materials before testing. Steel bikes may be a couple of pounds heavier, but they do have a nice ride. I almost went with the Renegade Exploit instead of the Expert as I thought it felt almost as nice, and had proper rack mounts on the seat stays. The Raleigh Tamland 1 (steel) felt great too. I haven't ridden the GT Grade, but have heard and read really positive things.

Also +1 on thru axles, at the very least on the fork.

DeadGrandpa

Like you, I wanted one bike that would do everything. I picked the carbon Renegade Expert, and loved it. Then I discovered I needed lower gearing for hills, particularly because I wanted to tour. After several iterations of drive train combinations, I have converted to mtb gearing 26/38 crank, 10/42 cassette, trekking bars w/mtb shifters + brake levers. I have found the original TRP cable actuated hydraulic disc brakes are excellent. The rack attachment points are insufficient for heavy loads (don't ask...). My point is that I didn't know what I didn't know. I still love the Renegade all day ride, and just got back from a 500mile paved/gravel tour on it. Whatever bike you select, I advise a minimum capacity of 40c tires. 45 or 50 would be better, for my purposes. You never know if you are going to want to tour Iceland a few years from now.
And +1 on the thru axles, front and rear. Also, test ride the steel exploit, as solid rack braze-ons are good.

rekmeyata

The same goes for me as well, but I don't see or have the need for a more expensive bike, buying a more expensive bike serves no purpose. Now of course there are very wealthy people out in the world who can afford the best bike made and not blink an eye at buying one because the expense to them is like one of us reaching in our pockets to pull out some change to buy a soda out of a machine! And that's ok, they got the money so do it, they deserve it, while I'm not that kind of individual with that sort of means I could have still bought a more expensive bike, but I tend to be more practical and a tightwad on top of that. Like a TV set I bought 5 years ago, I paid $428 on sale, a 48" Panasonic Plasma, I could have spent more, but that TV filled my need for our main TV extremely well, and spending another even 5 grand I would not have noticed more than maybe 5% gain in picture quality at the very most, and 5% gain isn't worth 5 grand to me.

I'm going to go out on a limb here but I have a feeling our friend is all mouth, why you scream, because if he had that kind of money then one would think he would also have sound financial sense, which I now think he's totally lacking to make such a statement as he did, and most people that have wealth don't go around bragging about how much they have in savings...drug dealers do this sort of thing though, so maybe he does, and most drug dealers haven't been educated in the matters of finance. Not saying our friend is a drug dealer, just saying his statements are becoming difficult to believe.

humpbog

Is being able to afford something not a valid reason to want to spend a certain amount? If my thought process doesn't exactly match yours or generally speaking, a frugal person, does that make me wrong or a bad person? With some of these responses, perhaps I should add to the list of requirements for my bike, a bike that can get me as far away from people like you in the bike community.

I'm glad you chose a plasma. It matches the ignorance from your post and makes me want to completely ignore you. I could list the reasons why, but why.

You also realize, I'm completely anonymous? What difference would it make for any variable about an individual. Money or no money, fast or slow bike, who cares? Someone asked why, and I told them why. If that's bragging to you, perhaps I should apologize for making you feel inferior - it was not my intention.

Anyways, I appreciate everyone's comments and suggestions, it's been helpful.

02Giant 

This thread has run it's course. I could list the reasons why...

rekmeyata

Yes, I realize you're completely anonymous, and I said I was going out on a limb, and it wouldn't be the first time that limb broke from under me either. I can't help to think your statement I was commenting on earlier was highly peculiar in thought.

I would prefer if you ignore me because sometimes I come across harsh and some people can't deal with it, and sometimes I'm wrong for doing it...but sometimes I'm not...which is it this time, I don't know due to the peculiarity of your comments. So I should have held my thoughts back a bit longer before I said what I said, so I apologize for that. In the meantime just ignore me, I'll be ok with that.

funbikerchick

I agree with those who have said, buy a less pricey bike first. Ride it and see what you like and don't like. If you stay away from department store bikes, you can get a good quality bike even if it is at the lower end of the model line. In the end, spend as you see fit. However, no one here can tell you what you want or even what you need. You can tell yourself what you want, but you can't really tell yourself yet what you will like or not like or even need, really, until you ride for a season.

I also don't like cheap or low quality. I don't generally do used if I can afford not to do so. However, pretty much any brand name bike purchased at your LBS will be of good quality. If you go to the LBS and tell them that you are a new rider (or getting back in after many years) and are looking for a good quality starter bike to help you decide what you really want and need, they will point you in the right direction. They are not likely to just point you to the cheapest thing available. I know my LBS wouldn't anyway.

In fact, tell them you want decent quality while riding something that isn't necessarily top of the line while you get back into the sport and discover for yourself what you consider ideal for you. A good bike shop will let you test ride bikes if you are a serious buyer. Even with relatively short rides you will find some bikes simply don't appeal and others will stand out.

When selecting my first bike (July 2015), I rode five or six. One absolutely stood out to me. I bought it, rode for a little over a year, and figured out what I really liked about it and what I would like to change. I bought a new bike this past Saturday based upon those experiences. My new bike is a much nicer model, higher end, and more pricey. Most important this bike is absolutely wonderful for me. Someone else might find it not nearly as nice as I do, though.

In any case, I say go try some bikes out at your LBS. Buy what you want at whatever price point you want. Buy the one you are most likely to ride because if you don't like it, you won't ride it. Most important -- have fun!

funbikerchick

Off-topic, but this makes me want to schedule a vacation to Canada for a week of riding!

wphamilton

Even there it's relative on both sides of the equation "buy bike = the best that you can afford". What's the most expensive bike that Elon Musk could afford, gold trim, designed by a team of aerospace engineers? Leveraging his rocket scientists and built by Tesla? I don't know what bike Musk would buy for his personal use but I doubt that it would be something like that.

Your second paragraph, yes that was overly harsh and uncalled for IMO.

reppans

I'm of the "buy-once, cry-once" school. If you know yourself, know what you want, and do the research, you can get it right the first time. More often then not, I've taken the cheaper route, to only later buy again what I really wanted in the first place.... and wasted money, and time (still searching/shopping).

italktocats

must have missed that part between 'im new' and 'im 35'

if its that easy, why do so many have trouble doing it?

humpbog

Wait, so the saying isn't true after all? "It's like riding a bike". I've never met anyone in my life who can't ride a bike.

king_boru

You have never met Stephen Hawking?

Neither have I.

jimb100

Here's the way I looked at it when faced with your situation.

I'll be riding on paved roads over 80% of the time, perhaps over 90%. Why would I buy a bike that compromised my road riding experience because I "might" ride on gravel or dirt 20% of the time, but likely, less?

I'll hold out $100 from my budget and if I ever need to ride on gravel, I'll buy a $100 bike from Craig's list for those odd occasions.

A bike compromised for all surfaces diminishes the experience wherever you ride.

a1penguin

I don't blame people for suggesting used or inexpensive bike, but going on an on is just wasted energy. I'll give you something else to consider. Perhaps you should consider that you might end up wanting two bikes to meet your riding needs. A $1.5-2k road bike will be a fairly light, 105 level aluminum road bike that will last forever. Add a $1k mtb/gravel style bike that can accommodate 2" fat tires. I'm just not convinced that a cross bike is a great road bike. A coworker had one and it was quite heavy and have components designed to take a beating. I think that many of the bikes that will accept tires wider than 2" will be on the heavier side. If you are going to spend 95% of your time on paved roads, perhaps buying a nice road bike and a less expensive off road bike will be a good use of your budget.

PS. I don't like that Giant Anyroad Comax frame. But it is unique.

humpbog

Yes, but this entirely defeats the purpose. You need to travel 90% on the roads to get to those 10% others. Do you carry your $100 bike on your back while you ride on the roads then switch when the road changes?

Jack of all trades; master of none. That's the compromise.

jimb100

Now I'm confused. 15 years of riding experience and you come here asking for help on what to buy?

Here's a suggestion, go to a few stores, try a few different types of bikes, talk to the people in the store, buy a bike.