Emperor Ryker

So due to not owning a car (hence being unable to check out bikes that aren't sold in my town) and the limited availability of used bikes at my local bike shops, I still don't own a road bike. I probably also set my first upper limit too low, so that I discarded a lot of options that I should have considered. But in any case, I have now been looking at some new entry-level road bikes, as well, and there's one that would fit into my price range, namely the Fuji Sportif 2.5 C (2014). If I were to go with it, I'd buy it for $450, and have it sent to the closest location for free assembly. I don't know if it would fit me, but I'm ~182 cm with an inseam of 33" - 34", so I think a 56 cm frame would fit. Locally, I also checked out a 58 cm Canondale R500T (I was really stoked on that one, since I could get it for $350, but alas) that was noticeably too big and some 54 cm GT that was a bit too small.

Anyway, what do you guys think? The few online reviews seem positive. Yeah, I know I could get a better used bike for that money, but my options are severely limited due to not owning a car. I've looked for ages, and I just need to buy something, I can't wait forever for the perfect deal. But would this bike be good for commuting and weekly rides (say, ~150 miles weekly, non-competitive, just riding at a steady pace, though doing my best to be as fast as possible)? Do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks!

PiLigand

The fuji isn't really the bottleneck there. It's more the components. Are you sure there's no better clearance deal at a local shop? Normally I'd say you should be able to find something a bit better used, but if you cant, a bike is better than no bike.

You may outgrow that one within a short time, but Fuji is a good brand and a great value. That's not a bad bike for the price.

cale

I'd check for a Claris-equipped bike at bikesdirect. Hard to beat their prices. Save Up to 60% Off Carbon Fork Shimano Road Bikes - Motobecane Mirage S

Alias530

Fuji is cheaper for a reason. I had a Fuji road bike (carbon frame/Ultegra group) that I just hated. EVERYTHING but the groupset was trash.

$2k bike with a $9.99 saddle, 2,300g wheels, dangerously weak brakes, etc. Never again. You get what you pay for. If you want something cheap just to commute with for short distances go for it but if you're doing longer rides, riding longer distances, etc, NO, run away.

dcoy

That's a bit of a stretch... The brakes, though the brake pads that come equipped are fairly trash (Easily upgraded at a LBS for ~$30 for 2 great pads), stop my Fuji with no problem no matter how fast I go. The brakes don't stop a bike from skidding, or drifting, when the wheels are completely locked. That's a matter of physics. The frames aren't cheap and flimsy either. You can purchase a specialized and obtain the same results as what you described. Reason I back Fuji so hard is because I've owned 2 in my life, my only 2 road bikes, and both were/are great bikes. My previous was an older Fuji Roubaix with 105 components, road quick, was light, strong frame, and handled great. My current, Fuji Sportif 1.3 came equipped with Tiagra Rear, Sora front, and Sora shifters, frame is strong, bike is even faster than the older roubaix, though it's only 18 speed (don't need more to out run something that's not a motor vehicle), and it's still fairly light weight. I personally like fuji because of their colors, frame style (Similar to Specialized, but their entry bikes come equipped with much better components than Specialized), and the $650 price tag my LBS offered for my Sportif 1.3 Hard to beat.

My point is, knocking the brand because of a bad experience isn't the way to go. You'll shy newcomers away from a potentially great purchase.

Alias530

I'm not familiar with the model you have but I imagine if their $2k models are bad, a cheaper model would be even worse. The brakes on mine were Oval something or other. I thought road bike brakes were just crap compared to mountain disc brakes, as the Fuji was my first road bike. Then I rode another one with ultegra brakes and almost went over the bars when I applied as much force as I was used to.


You think maybe you like Fuji because it's all that you've owned? The Emonda that replaced my Fuji Gran Fondo is in a completely different league. The way it rides and the way it was equipped. Absolutely nothing on it is junk. I'm just saying that if you compare a $650 Fuji to a $1k Specialized or whatever price point you want to pick, Fuji isn't just being generous in their offering. They're cutting corners to reach that price point.

In my case, I had the 2012 Fuji Gran Fondo 2.0. Retail was ~$2,500 and I got it for $1,900. Another tactic of Fuji, they jack up their "MSRP" just to immediately slash it. I've NEVER seen a Fuji that wasn't discounted like that. Anyway, everything on the bike besides the groupset was junk. The wheels, the saddle, the brakes, the bar tape, the crank, EVERYTHING. In fact, not even the group was nice because they used some off brand for the crank, brakes, and chain. Shifters and derailleurs were the only thing Ultegra level and they stuck a 105 cassette on it.

GreenAnvil

To the OP: my wife has that bike and it is a good bike for the money. For the type of riding you describe it will serve you well.

Regarding the other comments about Fuji bikes being crap, that's just not true. There was a rider that won the Vuelta a España on a Fuji Altamira. Sure, that was a pro-level bike but a Fuji nonetheless.

I have a Fuji Roubaix 11-sp with 105 shifters and derailleurs, and right now the only thing holding me back is me. I've done a few club rides with people that seem to have more money than they know what to do with, so they ride every day on very expensive bikes, and don't you know the satisfaction I get when I get there with the rest of them (even ahead of them) on their 3-6 grand carbon monstrosities while I'm on a $999 "cheap" bike. I'm now starting to ride with a much faster group than I and so far no one has given me any kind of grief over my bike, and the bike is performing fine. I just need to get faster/fitter. These people kick a$$.

It's not the bike; it's you.

Sure, I have an entry level bike and at some point I'll upgrade just like (almost) eveyone does at one point or another, but to paint the whole Fuji brand with a broad brush and say it is "junk" is just not accurate. The other thing is who (LBS) is assemblying, maintaining, fitting the bike. I bought my bike at Performance mainly because I love those guys (my local store); very down-to-earth people that are easy to get along with.

Back to the OP: buy what you can afford, develop a good relationship with your (a) LBS, and then just go out and ride. Try it first and see if you are comfortable, and if so, don't overthink it.

Good Luck!

Alias530

If a 2,300g wheelset, saddle that costs $10 new at full retail, and a $30 brake set are found on a $2,000 bike let me ask you this:

If those parts aren't junk then what is? If you go much cheaper they'll be free and wheels much heavier don't really exist.

Also, if that's on a $2k bike, what do they put on a $600 bike?

cale

Will the Fuji Spotif 2.5 C wheels, 7-speed cassette, allow the OP to upgrade to 8/9/10 speed if he wants? I'm reading, he is "doing my best to be as fast as possible." I also like to think that the OP might be in a better position, down the road, to make some upgrade to a strong frame. But wheels can be expensive and when I think of the "if only I'd known" moments I've had with bikes, having advice on what can or can't be done is really helpful.

I don't know these wheels but on bikes with 8 or more speed cassettes, you're almost certain to have a route to upgrade the components for speeds.

GreenAnvil

Let's be honest here...

1) Saddle. Anyone please raise your hand if you have never changed your saddle. I thought so. Me personally? I went through several until I finally settled on a Selle Italia Gel Flow. My wife has a Selle Italia Diva on her bike. Saddles and pedals are like the first things to be changed on a bike.
2) Brakes. Mine came with Tektro. I changed the pads to Kool-Stop salmon. Enough said.
3) Wheels. Hang around on this forum long enough and I'll guarantee that at some point you'll feel the itch to increase your avg mph by purchasing some aero carbon wheels. Another show of hands please. True, my stock wheels where a tad heavy, but unless you have a lot of climbing to do or are riding over 20mph, or look like a walrus clad in spandex the Oval wheels are probably fine. I've bought a couple of extra wheelsets: Mavic Open Road wheelset (for training) and the Ultegra 6800s (for more spirited rides). But I could sprint over 30mph on the stock Ovals just fine. As long as the wheels stay true most riders on the other side of the pro fence (that's us) should do Ok for recreational and fitness rides.

It's really unfortunate that you had such a bad experience with your Fuji Gran Fondo. I like a bit more aggressive geometry so I can't comment on that specific model, but your experience seems to be an outlier compared to the vast majority of reviews I read and comments I hear from other fellow Fuji owners. But granted, if it didn't work for you then it didn't work for you. As a Performance customer I know I could have just taken the bike back and they'd honor their lifetime guarantee, but I guess I just got lucky and so far it's been a great ride.

GreenAnvil

I thought to pass on my Oval wheels to my wife, and our mechanic said that they'd fit. But at that point you'd have to also change derailleurs, shifters, etc so it would be better to just get another bike.

Regarding speed, yes it's only 7-sp, but if you can't go fast with 50x12 you just can't go fast with anything.

rms13

When I just looked at PB website, every Fuji for $2000 either had 5800 or 6800 brakes which are the best calipers you can buy imo. Wheels are 2000 g but that's typical at that price point. Most manufacturer provide sturdier wheels that will suit the 250 lb rider as well as the 130 lb rider. As for saddles, look around and you'll see you don't get a fizik until you start spending $3-4k. This has nothing to do with fuji, it's all manufacturer

cale

It isn't top speed that makes a rider fast, it is the ability to match the right gearing to the rider and conditions. Having more gear choices makes that easier and therefore, makes for faster riding.

As far as the "..get another bike" side of the upgrade equation, there are certain experiences I've had where taking matters into my own hands, skip the mechanic, have been most gratifying.

YMMV.

GreenAnvil

Agreed, with only 7 cogs gearing choice on the Sportif is rather limited. At this price point some compromises are necessary. The gearing jumps are bigger and it's harder to get used to, but not impossible. I had a hybrid with an 8-sp cassette and never felt I was missing anything "for the type of riding I was doing". Perhaps the OP should consider this and go with a more current 10 or 11 speed choice.

7 speeds is still 6 more gearing choices than a fixie!

In full disclosure, the Sportiff also has thumb shifters so it is inconvenient if you are riding in the drops. So that's another compromise.

BUT, for the money, and for fitness and recreational rides it is a good and affordable alternative. If we are talking a minimal setup for club (or more advanced) rides or so then there are more suitable (and expensive) choices out there.

It's funny; I just got back from a quick trip to Walmart, and on my way back saw this guy riding the same model we are discussing here and apparently having a good time at it.

cale

It's a good bike.

Emperor Ryker

Hmm, so it seems there are mixed opinions, but from what I gather it should be "decent"? I mean, some of you are saying that I'm looking at a cheap bike, but to me that's one ****ing expensive bike. $450 for a bike is a whole lot to me. So I don't know, I don't think I'm being a cheapskate here, but I don't have a money-growing tree in my backyard. Nor do I have a backyard I just want to be able to do longish rides (say, two - three hour rides) without worrying that the bike is going to fall apart. I don't care if other people beat me with their time, but I also don't want to have to work against the bike, if you know what I mean. If I get into road cycling more, I'm sure I'll be saving up for a better bike, but at this point I can't (or even if I could, I won't spend) $1000 or more on a bike.

Do you think that bike is better than the Fuji I linked? If so, why? With the Motobecane, I'd also have to factor in assembly costs at my LBS, because I don't think I have time or much expertise to build it myself. I could, but then it'd just be a mess like the Walmart mountain bike I assembled myself. I'd rather have this done properly if I'm spending that amount of money on it.

Thanks. If I'd buy this one, I'd buy it at Performance, but I'd probably go to a different LBS for other stuff and repairs. As I said, I don't have a car, and their shop is out of my way, so it's harder to get to it. But I don't know, I guess I'd see anyway.

Well, by "doing my best to be as fast as possible", I just meant I wouldn't use the bike for a family ride alongside a river on a sunny Sunday afternoon I don't know whether I'd want or need to upgrade it.

nastystang

Buy what you can afford. This bike has some features most would pass on, but it will do long rides and should work for what you are asking from it. Like it has been said, maybe at some point upgrade the brake pads. The saddle might be fine for you and as far as wheels go, heavy but they should serve you well. Every one starts some where and this could be all the bike you ever need, only you will be able to determine that. People that suggest spending huge amounts of money on high end equipment otherwise it's a waste should not get much of your time. Performance has a great return policy if it does not work out, and it will not hurt to at least check it out.

Alias530

Let's take the Specialized Tarmac Elite as a comparison. Specialized is practically famous for paying extra for the name.


It's $500 up on the Fuji model I had.


It comes with an $80 saddle (i.e. not garbage), 1,690g wheels, FULL Shimano drivetrain as opposed to "here's a decent shifter/derailleur but everything else sucks". The only exception is the crank but as far as I know all Specialized road bikes come with proprietary cranks. It also comes with decent tires and a carbon seat post. That's one other thing I forgot was absolute rubbish on the Fuji--the tires. Not a big deal, just another tally tally mark in that direction.


I didn't look because I'm not familiar with the bike in question in this thread, but I presume the difference at the lower price point would be about the same. All I'm saying is that you get what you pay for and Fuji isn't just giving you a good deal out of the goodness of their heart.

GreenAnvil

Well, it doesn't matter that the OP has already stated his budget and his situation, Alias just seems bent on suggesting options that are out of the OP's reach and pissing on Fuji no matter what.

Alias530

Lol where did I suggest any specific model?

All I said is that Fuji is cheap for a reason, the same way McDonald's is cheaper than a steakhouse for a reason. I have said several times that my situation is likely exactly the same at a lower price point.

GreenAnvil

Fuji Gran Fondo? Specialized Tarmac? Hello? ?The OP wants to get a bike he can start with, and you are dissing a brand based on your unique particular experience when you are not even familiar with the model the OP is interested in. Yes it's funny... allow me to share in on the laugh.

One approach that might work for the OP is to look for good values in the used market (Craiglist, fleabay, etc.) Let's help the OP better that way.

GreenAnvil

And I'm not saying you recommended these models; it's just that they are not apples to apples to this particular discussion.

GreenAnvil

After re-reading the OPs original post I see that buying used is not a good alternative to him (his words).

Alias530

Self-contradict much? "Alias just seems bent on suggesting options" followed by "I'm not saying you recommended these models". In that context, "suggest" is a synonym for "recommend".

You realize that often bikes have many more models than there are actual frame differences? My road bike has 21 models, but only 3 "levels" of frame. What I'm driving at is that if I'm unhappy with a bike at the Ultegra level, the frame could be exactly the same at the Sora/Tiagra level. Obviously not in this case because we know he has named a different model. Just playing devils advocate in this situation and saying "you get what you pay for". I feel that it's ignorant to not at least acknowledge the truth to "you get what you pay for", that's ALL I'm saying.

GreenAnvil

Ok, cool. Let's not split hairs over this.

It's good for you to state your opinion/experience based on the specific instance of a Fuji model that you bought. That can definitely help the OP make a better decision.

Just so that the OP can also have the other side of the coin:
1) I have the Fuji Roubaix 1.0 LE 11-sp 105. It's a solid all-around performer. Aluminum frame, carbon fork. Shifts well, rides well. I only paid $999 and IMO and the opinion of many of my cyclying friends and acquaintances, I got more than I paid for.
2) My wife has the model that the OP is inquiring about. Nothing fancy, but for what we paid, it's been trouble-free and my wife just loves it.
3) My 2 sons have the Fuji Sportif 1.1 Disc, which has been nothing but a joy for them to ride.
4) We ride with the Performance group every chance we get, many of which have bought Fuji bikes at the store as their entry to road cycling, and most seem very happy with their purchase.
5) If the above wasn't true, we could just return our bikes.

All of our bikes are sub-1K bikes. Perhaps our experience would be different if we paid > $2K on a bike and we felt that we just didn't get enough (quality) bike for what we paid. Some of our friends have Altamiras and SSTs and no issues. Perhaps we're just not advanced enough riders to know better.

So there you have it. All of us got enough bike or even more bike than we paid for. Not acknowledging that would be ignorant too.

Peace.