ModeratedUser01102018

haha I want to ride on the road!

but I don't see how one strip of pavement differs from another, by making one too narrow for cars.

Ill just ask the guy and tell him what I want and hope he doesn't f*** me over just to sell a bike.

ModeratedUser01102018

WOW

I was a little nervous to go to the bike shop, but I did. I walked in and walked around the shop. As I almost made my loop (fairly small shop) one of the two employees walked up to me, and asked if I was looking for anything. I walked in looking for a Specialized, but he told me they mostly only carry Giant. He noticed I was looking at the road bikes so he asked if I was interested in getting into road bikes. I told him yes and he showed me the Defy 3. He seemed more of a mountain bike type of guy but he definitely knew a decent amount about road bikes. I said I'd like to get into racing, maybe for my school team next year. So he said if that was the case, I should step up to something that could handle more riding. He pulled out the Defy 1 and explained about it, I didn't understand half of it but it was cool I was about to say thank you and leave with a good idea of what price range I'd be looking at, and then....

He popped the question.

"Do you want to take it for a spin?"

I melted with joy.... but I gave a non-chalant "sure"

I looked around and saw this parking lot that was half flat half on a hill full of potholes, so I was a little concerned. He put some pedals on it, and walked it outside and explained how to ride it (I had to ask haha I never thought about how to shift the damn things before! Im used to the little wrist motion to shift) He grabbed me a helmet then was like "Yeah go across the street and just take your time and enjoy"

I was pumped because I knew the street he was talking about and its a long quiet road.

I struggled to get my feet in the freakin toe things, but once I road across the insanely busy main road, I was free. This was the most amazing ride I have EVER been on in my life, I went so fast (probably was slow compared to actual riders) but the wind was intense. I shifted a bunch of times, and went around a few cul de sacs.

Then came the serious part. I had to test myself....
So I picked out a little crack in the road a good distance away as my finish line, and pretended I was in a leadout train.
My name? Mark Cavendish
Renshaw led me out, then I bursted with speed to the line.... my god it was INTENSE but my legs turned in to jello after.

Sorry that was off-topic, but I am shocked he let me ride it and with so much freedom, and I was very impressed with the bike. I think Ill check out the Specialized at the other shop, but now I am convinced I NEED a bike.

ModeratedUser01102018

Checked out a Cannondale CAAD9 5 which was so beautiful in black.

Was great but I think Ill be downgrading to CAAD9 5 with Tiagra stuff because I asked what else I needed and it started adding up! Shoes, pedals, shorts etc! Almost $300 more!

I think I have to go with the Tiagra stuff because of my budget, and I need the bike so I can start training now, because fall and school is quickly approaching.

Namenda

Do they still put paprika on the home fries there? I hate that. I used to live just up the street (429 Main).

donrhummy

I disagree. It depends on the situation. For example, I knew that I wanted to eventually upgrade to SRAM Red but there's no way I can afford either that or a new bike (which I also will eventually upgrade). I also knew that I wanted to upgrade my old 9-speed 105's. Last year during christmas, I found an amazing deal on SRAM Rival's complete groupset for just $600. There's no way I could have spent $600 and gotten that groupset and a bike or even something equivalent. Sure, i'll eventually replace the Rival set, but in the meantime, my bike's shifting better than it ever did with 9-speed 105's. Totally worth it.

donrhummy

One thing: you can negotiate! Almost all bike stores will negotiate with you on the price of a bike and if not, a lot of them will give a good discount on accessories with the bike purchase and sometimes some free items.

ModeratedUser01102018

Can you guys give me a good deal to ask for, price wise?

CAAD9 6
CAAD9 5

How much should I ask for them, and what else should I ask for?
Like free cleats and pedals or something?

the CAAD9 6 was $1429
the CAAD95 was around $1229

Those are close to the prices listed online!

cmolway

If staying under budget is key, go for the Tiagra. The only problem with it is if you want to upgrade down the road, you'll have to swap out f&R derailers, the cassette, and the shifters (going from 9 to 10 speed). To upgrade up from 105, you can do it a piece at a time. If you know you are going to want to race, it might make more sense.

Bikes will drop in price in a few months as stores start gettin ready for the 2011 inventory. It's always a gamble that when they do, the store will not have your size in stock.

ModeratedUser01102018

So in the long run, it would save me more money to buy the 105's?

How much should I ask for the CAAD9 5?

cmolway

If you are looking to get into cycling and are unsure if you keep with it, get the tiagra. If you are planning on getting into racing and think you might get upgrade fever in the next few years, get the 105. That being said, both will serve you well.

sherbornpeddler

Mine did not. The fellow that opened up is like paprika though, full of personality and colorful. I enjoyed the food and banter.

I used to live on River street, 3rd floor and worked on Massasoit just south of Rt. 20 where the RR crosses. Before all the fencing I'd walk up the tracks to Stop and Shop and get real vanilla bean ice cream; bought my cheese and whole chickens at Moe Black's.

sherbornpeddler

Fit! Fit! Fit!
Ask to ride at least 10 miles on each bike. My favorite LBS let me ride a frame over 200 miles to try out the frame and dial in a fit. Now I give him all my business and get a discount. Service is more important than bling. My LBS will tweak and tune "no charge" in return for my loyalty.

Tiagra works fine, just a little clunkier than 105. Likewise Ultegra is lighter and smoother than 105 but the difference is less. None of it matters in a race, just esthetics over many, many, many rides.

MacCruiskeen

I got out for a ride this morning. Went up to Reading for no particular reason, just a way I hadn't been before. Through Medford and around the Fells. It's a good thing, I guess, to get out early before most of the shops are open, so that when you go by, say, Winfrey's Fudge & Chocolate shop, there's no temptation to stop. What was also nice was that I didn't see a single carbon-fiber bike today. Where were all the roadies? In fact, I saw very few other bikes at all.

jimmuller 

Got out for my oft-done run to Concord and back, 33.28mi in 2hr 55min. Yeah, kinda' slow but for several good reasons. One is we got in from Vermont last night at about 1:15AM. That makes for a short night's sleep.

Second, there was a technical detail I had to take care of. After my long ride from last weekend I'd parked the bike in the living room where it is nice and cool. Then on Friday we went to Vermont for a day and a half. When I looked at the bike this morning the front tire was flat as a pancake. What??? It turns out the schrader valve had blown itself up, apparently while we were away. It wasn't torn where it went through the rim, nor under the rim. It had blown apart outside the rim, between the rim and the filler hole. I wonder how much noise it made inside the house? (If a tires blows up in a house and there is no one around to hear it, does it make any sound?) Since my route goes near Belmont Wheelworks I detoured over to pick up a spare tube, but they weren't open yet. Hmm, wait or go? Go. Into Lexington where I stopped at Ride Studio and got a new tube.

My sweetie just made scrambled eggs for a late lunch. No paprika. But the tomatoes are freshly-picked home-grown!

CF becomes brittle at temperatures below 78 degrees F, and melts at temperatures above 92 degrees F.

ModeratedUser01102018

Alrighty.

Visited another bike shop, and this one was pretty legit. Wheelworks in Somerville. So down closer to you guys, and what was cool is they have bike lanes in Somerville! Oh, then I ate at RedBones.... yeah, freakin' sweet haha

I tried out the Specialized Allez Elite, and it felt great. I can't say I definitely can tell a difference between the CAAD9 5, Allez, and Defy 1, because I tried them out at different locations and couldn't remember the finer nuances of the first two. I don't know why, but I feel as though I prefer Specialized. I don't know why, but I just do. Maybe just good marketing haha I rode a 56 frame and it fit perfectly, but since I'm going to grow an inch or two more, I'm going to buy a 58. The man at the shop was very nice, and knew a good amount, and he said the 58 would be a little big for the first few months, but that I would grow into it.I tried the Allez sport in the 58 frame size, because the 58 Elite was in the warehouse. It was fine, but it had a long handlebar neck or w/e it's called so I was pretty stretched out but he said that he'd give me a smaller one. I noticed a difference between the shifting (105 vs Sora shifters/Tiagra gears), and I'm sure it wasn't the placebo effect. The Elite has solid feeling levers to shift down, while the Sport had these little things on the inside.

I saw on their website an 2010 Allez Elite for $1129, which would be a much better price... Is that last years model? I think Ill ask if they have it in tomorrow.

So the price is $1429, but since I'm from New Hampshire I'm going to ask if they can get rid of the sales tax for me, and waive the "10% off accessories for a month" and ask for $1200-$1275.




Reasonable? I mean, I am going to buy a helmet and gloves at the same time too.

jimmuller 

It's good that you tried more bikes and that you found one you like. Don't know why you'd think Wheelworks is more legit that the other place you went to though. The size of the display on the floor doesn't necessarily reflect how good they are or how helpful they will be in the long run. You may wish for a good shop closer to home, maybe. However you found a bike. Great! Wish I could offer advice on those models but I can't. As far as the sales tax is concerned, you can always ask for a discount but don't be surprised if they don't go for the sales tax idea. They are obligated by law to collect it. Hmm, it would be good to figure out what it is about the Specialized that appealed to you.

NE Tiger

I didn't know bike shops would negotiate. Of course, I've only purchased $400 bikes, it's not like there IS a lot of room to negotiate. I have bought two from Wheelworks, only the Belmont location.

Do you think there is any correlation between the price of a bike and the shop's willingness to barter a bit?

cmolway

Not sure if that's some kind of digg or something. This is a cycling forum after all.

I ride up in Reading a few days a week on my carbon bike but I was doing a club ride in Boxford on Saturday so I guess you didn't see me.

MacCruiskeen

Just a little. Often when riding the tonier 'burbs, you see a lot of high-end bikes--to the point where sometimes it seems I am the only one out there not on a high-end road bike. Whereas in say, places like Everett or Lynn, not so much.

Of course, in winter, it's different. Don't see so many Cervelos in January.

Pedal Dancer

Nice complex you got there.

jimmuller 

Rode the Peugeot over to the gym and back this evening. It was a lovely evening for a ride too, even if the ride was only a few miles.

Tomorrow I pick up the new rear wheel for the Raleigh. This past Sunday was the first time I really wished I had closer gear spacing. Or maybe it was just the first time I've ridden tired and known I could have had closer gearing if only I'd been able to get by the shop before now.

cmolway

Rode a punishing club ride last night up in topsfield. Had a nice paceline going for the 1st 25 miles until the ride leader proposed a "finishing climb" for the last 5 miles. I had never been on this climb as was feeling good so I was all for it. It was one of those long, twisty type of climbs where you can never see the top, with a couple of false-flats that just about broke me psycologically. That was followed by four more climbs that had me popped off the back, sucking for air and pleading for the ride to end. I finished with the leaders only 100 yards ahead of me so it wasn't a total disaster.

I am still very much feeling it this morning.

MacCruiskeen

Yep.

jimmuller 

...with a well-known LBS whose name starts with H. I got over there a little while ago to pick up my newly strung wheel and it wasn't ready. Apparently the wheel builder decided not to work with that rim. It wasn't "heat treated" or something. What that really means is that it isn't new. It is flat to a millimeter or better, and round to within 2mm which is to say +/- 1mm. It shows no sign of abuse. It is moderately used (lightly used by some standards), has been hanging for decades. It's just old, probably older than the builder. Today I discussed it with a fellow who seems to be the head mechanic and he offered to build it for me, perhaps even today.

The problem is, I work in Rhode Island and have few opportunities to get by the shop. I took them the rim on July 7 (that's 20 days ago). I discussed the same issues then. Week before last they said it would be ready "on Monday" which was 8 days ago. Now I find it isn't. You would have thought the courtesy of a phone call would be in order. I discussed these same issues with them when I took it in. What's so different now?

I do my best to support a LBS which seems worth supporting. But 5 times out of 10 I come away with a less than satisfied experience. On this project alone there are other minor details I could quibble about. For example when I first went in they said the only 126mm freewheel hub was Quando. I've wondered ever since about the not-quite-free sealed bearings. Today when I asked they pulled out a more expensive Suzue, higher flanged, with much freer bearings, with a nicer finish, and significantly lighter. Why didn't they even suggest it instead of almost forcing me to the Quando? The silver lining in this cloud is that if I choose to continue I could have the better rim than the original "only choice".

I may choose to build this wheel myself. Going to HC isn't saving any time! Today however I walked out with my rim and a lot of saved money in my pocket.

MacCruiskeen

Presumably they wanted to move some slow-moving inventory. One of their sales guys told me they don't work on commission, so I guess they don't care about necessarily pushing the most expensive stuff.

The other day I was in another well-known area store in Belmont, looking for a new seatpost and as usual being ignored by the sales staff, and I happen to see Sen. John Kerry buying a bicycle. I couldn't see what it was, he had the frame in his hand and it was wrapped in foam. I had gone over there after work and it was apparent from the way he was dressed that he had just come from the office too.

They didn't have what I was looking for, anyway.