Buying first road bike-Need some opinions from the Guru's and Trolls
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#32
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Remember that Cali is a community property state, so when you get divorced, your wife gets half.
Does Pinarello make the best unicycle?
I'm sure you'll get a lot of opinions from the carbon fanboys for Trek/Cdale/Spec/Chinarello. Then a retrogrouch will say buy a steel bike with Campy because crabon asplodes, and Shimano is unfixable.
Just get a bigger cog and keep riding your FG.
Does Pinarello make the best unicycle?
I'm sure you'll get a lot of opinions from the carbon fanboys for Trek/Cdale/Spec/Chinarello. Then a retrogrouch will say buy a steel bike with Campy because crabon asplodes, and Shimano is unfixable.
Just get a bigger cog and keep riding your FG.
I run a really low cog and it always keeps me working. I guess my preference is to keep it as is because I don't want it to get "easier" for when I'm not in the hills. It's all relative but I want a bike made for the hills is where I'm finding my thoughts recently.
And Thank you for your feedback.
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If your budget is that high contact Mike DeSalvo in Oregon or Kelly Bedford in NY and speak to real experts about frame materials, quality and pluses and minuses. There is a guy in Cali I forget his name that has a seven year wait, so don't bother with him.
Kelly Bedford has forgotten more about frame building than most know. DeSalvo builds killer frames. I have seen several, for about $2,000. Bedford a little more.
I would never spend that kind of coin on a stock pre-built bike. I don't care what the fashion is.
Get a custom bike and put more money in the groupset, wheels, shoes and not the frame material.
You are just flushing money down the toilet overspending on materials for the frame.
Contact those guys and get a custom bike if your budget is that generous.
Kelly Bedford has forgotten more about frame building than most know. DeSalvo builds killer frames. I have seen several, for about $2,000. Bedford a little more.
I would never spend that kind of coin on a stock pre-built bike. I don't care what the fashion is.
Get a custom bike and put more money in the groupset, wheels, shoes and not the frame material.
You are just flushing money down the toilet overspending on materials for the frame.
Contact those guys and get a custom bike if your budget is that generous.
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Can you tell me about your riding? Like are you a serious rider? Or just an avid 200+ a week dude? You have the bike(s) and the cervelo advise that I have already been looking into so would like to hear more from you if possible
I'm interested in the F8 because of its rigidity and ease in hills(relative to rider strength of course). It's gorgeous and I will grow into it.
Being a newer/returning road rider I want a new badass bike yes but I also don't want to just buy something top shelf simply because I can, yknow? Ideally I will get a bike that Will be right for me now later and way later if that makes sense.
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#43
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Thanks for the applicable data.
Can you tell me about your riding? Like are you a serious rider? Or just an avid 200+ a week dude? You have the bike(s) and the cervelo advise that I have already been looking into so would like to hear more from you if possible
I'm interested in the F8 because of its rigidity and ease in hills(relative to rider strength of course). It's gorgeous and I will grow into it.
Being a newer/returning road rider I want a new badass bike yes but I also don't want to just buy something top shelf simply because I can, yknow? Ideally I will get a bike that Will be right for me now later and way later if that makes sense.
Can you tell me about your riding? Like are you a serious rider? Or just an avid 200+ a week dude? You have the bike(s) and the cervelo advise that I have already been looking into so would like to hear more from you if possible
I'm interested in the F8 because of its rigidity and ease in hills(relative to rider strength of course). It's gorgeous and I will grow into it.
Being a newer/returning road rider I want a new badass bike yes but I also don't want to just buy something top shelf simply because I can, yknow? Ideally I will get a bike that Will be right for me now later and way later if that makes sense.
I think the F8 is gorgeous, but way too much bike that I could utilize (maybe even appreciate), but if cost is no object, then why not? I took the 2015 Marvel over a 2016 Gan because the LBS had a huge discount to make space for new inventory. The Gan is plenty rigid, and in your budget you could get some quality components and better wheels and you'd probably be happy, but an F8 would be great to come home to and hop on.
Last edited by thin_concrete; 07-19-16 at 05:32 AM.
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If you don't know what you want, it doesn't matter what you buy. Spend 20% of your budget on the big name bike at your local shop that you like the best for that price: the ride, the color, whatever. Ride it for a while. When you have seen and experienced enough to know what you really want that you don't already have so you don't have to ask us, then spend the other 80% on your "real" bike. Not a single name recommended by someone else will satisfy you better than any other except by dumb luck. That is the bane and the beauty of good bicycles.
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I try to get 100-125 miles per week because I live in the city and it's not the best place to ride before and after work. I usually take my bike north and ride up there o the weekends. I will say that I use the Marvel the most as the Dogma is set up for racing. My LBS holds TTs every other weekend and I want to do a sprint tri, so that's where the P3 comes into play.
I think the F8 is gorgeous, but way too much bike that I could utilize (maybe even appreciate), but if cost is no object, then why not? I took the 2015 Marvel over a 2016 Gan because the LBS had a huge discount to make space for new inventory. The Gan is plenty rigid, and in your budget you could get some quality components and better wheels and you'd probably be happy, but an F8 would be great to come home to and hop on.
I think the F8 is gorgeous, but way too much bike that I could utilize (maybe even appreciate), but if cost is no object, then why not? I took the 2015 Marvel over a 2016 Gan because the LBS had a huge discount to make space for new inventory. The Gan is plenty rigid, and in your budget you could get some quality components and better wheels and you'd probably be happy, but an F8 would be great to come home to and hop on.
I see the value in getting one over the other when a discount is in play though, absolutely. I'm between the F8 at 6500 and the RS around 5. What you do man?
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#48
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When you closely examine expensive pre-built bikes, you can see the value is simply not there.
Have fun and good luck. You could get lucky and fit a standard size and save the extra fees, but you still get to pick the paint and artwork on a standard frame as well as all the components.
These guys know more about bikes and components than any shop. With carefully picked components and tubes these guys can build a sub 17lb complete steel bike, on par with any carbon bike.
Last edited by Mulberry20; 07-18-16 at 05:22 PM.
#49
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Okay, you asked for it.
If you don't know what you want, it doesn't matter what you buy. Spend 20% of your budget on the big name bike at your local shop that you like the best for that price: the ride, the color, whatever. Ride it for a while. When you have seen and experienced enough to know what you really want that you don't already have so you don't have to ask us, then spend the other 80% on your "real" bike. Not a single name recommended by someone else will satisfy you better than any other except by dumb luck. That is the bane and the beauty of good bicycles.
If you don't know what you want, it doesn't matter what you buy. Spend 20% of your budget on the big name bike at your local shop that you like the best for that price: the ride, the color, whatever. Ride it for a while. When you have seen and experienced enough to know what you really want that you don't already have so you don't have to ask us, then spend the other 80% on your "real" bike. Not a single name recommended by someone else will satisfy you better than any other except by dumb luck. That is the bane and the beauty of good bicycles.
Side note: does anyone feel like they're getting ripped buying from LBS cuz they are just trying to sell a specific brand to the cities surrounding "market?"
#50
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You can also try John Caletti in Santa Cruz and The Vanilla Workshop in Oregon.
When you closely examine expensive pre-built bikes, you can see the value is simply not there.
Have fun and good luck. You could get lucky and fit a standard size and save the extra fees, but you still get to pick the paint and artwork on a standard frame as well as all the components.
These guys know more about bikes and components than any shop.
When you closely examine expensive pre-built bikes, you can see the value is simply not there.
Have fun and good luck. You could get lucky and fit a standard size and save the extra fees, but you still get to pick the paint and artwork on a standard frame as well as all the components.
These guys know more about bikes and components than any shop.
And I appreciate this: HAVE FUN.
You classy sonuvab&$ch.