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I want to start cycling... what bike should I get?

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

I want to start cycling... what bike should I get?

Old 08-23-14, 04:28 PM
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I want to start cycling... what bike should I get?

New here... and totally new to cycling. Went to my local bike shop and want to get into cycling. About a year ago I really got into spinning to help lose some weight. Never thought I'd get into it, but really enjoyed it. I had to stop because I had some knee pain and knee swelling. Took a break, slowly started getting back into working out on an elliptical and have been running steady now on a treadmill for about 6 months. So there's some background.

Any recommendations on a bike for a newbie? My budget is about $2-3k. I looked at a Trek Dumane 2.0 and 4.7 today. I have no ikea what I'm looking at.

Thanks!
JP
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Old 08-23-14, 04:46 PM
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Your going to get flamed for this type of topic. Best to do a search on this topic. You'll find hundreds of threads. Most will say go to your local bike shop and test ride as many bikes as you can so you can decided for yourself as those on the Internet can't do much for you.
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Old 08-23-14, 04:53 PM
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Originally Posted by jpfour23
New here... and totally new to cycling. Went to my local bike shop and want to get into cycling. About a year ago I really got into spinning to help lose some weight. Never thought I'd get into it, but really enjoyed it. I had to stop because I had some knee pain and knee swelling. Took a break, slowly started getting back into working out on an elliptical and have been running steady now on a treadmill for about 6 months. So there's some background.

Any recommendations on a bike for a newbie? My budget is about $2-3k. I looked at a Trek Dumane 2.0 and 4.7 today. I have no ikea what I'm looking at.

Thanks!
JP
The new Trek Emonda SL5 is just a hair over $2600.

Last edited by SundayNiagara; 08-23-14 at 04:54 PM. Reason: clarity
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Old 08-23-14, 05:03 PM
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Agree with second post. If you are already looking at Domane, then you are interested longer road rides. Good for you! Last year, I purchased a Trek fx7.3 and in June bought a Domane 5.2. The hybrid bike was a good transition from not riding at all to a serious road bike.

I can not say enough positive about the Domane. It is really a great bike that keeps me comfortable all over my body. I like being stretched out (vs the my 7.3) and with a good pair of bike shorts/bibs, a rider can go and go and go..... you get the point.. good luck with your search and purchase
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Old 08-23-14, 05:08 PM
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Pretty sure what the suggested method would be, is something like this:

-Figure out your budget
-define what type of riding you want to do
-locate all of the local bike shops that you're willing to travel too from home
-Take the information learned in steps 1 and 2, and use that to put together a selection of bikes from the various shops
-ride all of them
-choose the one you LIKE the most. The bike you ride the most is the one which you LIKE, and which fits you properly. Aesthetics matter just as much as brand or quality level. If the bike ticks all the boxes but you hate the color.. well, its not the perfect bike. Of course there are exceptions for every situation but you get my point.

Not all bike shops are equal.

Ideally, find one which can fit you too your new bike. Pretty much every bike shop will take 5 seconds to adjust the seat hieght for you, but what you want is a bike shop which will do a proper fitting. Usually the cost of the fitting is worked into the total package of the bike if you buy it at about the same time.


IN your price range you can get both aluminum and carbon fiber frames. You'd be surprised what $2k buys you.



I personally can't spend that kind of money without really diving into researching the item. There is a lot of things I, and plenty other far more knowledgeable people than I, could suggest you look for in a bike, but if you don't understand the workings of it all, its not going to matter.
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Old 08-24-14, 04:29 AM
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The second post was right. Just do some research, think about the kind of riding you plan to do, and go to you local bike shops(LBS) to try bikes out. You have a budget that will give you many options. Learn about the different level of components( Tiagra, 105's, ultegra etc.) and frame materials(Carbon, Steel, Aluminum, etc.) so you know what the LBS is showing you. Don't jump at the first bike you see. Try out as many as possible. As you ride longer comfort/fit becomes more and more important. I underline my personal component recommendation.
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Old 08-24-14, 07:00 AM
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Save some of your money for pedals, shoes, helmet, multiple shorts/bibs, jerseys, flat repair kit, basic tools...
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Old 08-24-14, 01:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Homebrew01
Save some of your money for pedals, shoes, helmet, multiple shorts/bibs, jerseys, flat repair kit, basic tools...
I'm going to +1 this.
Pedals: ~$50~200
Shoes: ~$100
Helmet: ~$60
Gloves: ~$20
Bibs: ~$60~120ea
Shorts: ~30~50ea
Jerseys: ~$60~90ea
(x3, you may want to start with just one pair of shorts/jersey, but eventually you'll want to ride more than once a week and stop yourself from always washing your clothes, just get 3. Shorts are cheaper, but you may want to invest in a quality bib incase you plan on doing a long ride. Save money on your Jersey, get good shorts/bibs because thats where the comfort is.)
Flat Kit: ~$30
Basic Tools: ~$50
(wrench set, bike pump, cleaning tools, chain tool, pedal tool, some hex wrenches good enough probably more than 50 if you want some nice tools)
Bottles: ~$12 (x2)
Lights: ~$50~200

$600~1100 Plan for this! The bike is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more costs involved!
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Old 08-24-14, 01:31 PM
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Allez Expert Alum/Ultegra ~2400
Roubaix SL4 Carbon/105 ~2100
Synapse Disc 3 Allum/Ultegra ~2200
CAAD 10 Alum/Ultegra/Rival ~2400
Madone 4.3 Carbon/105 ~2200
Domane 4.3 Carbon/105 ~2200
Felt F5 Carbon/105 ~1800




I'm one of those people who'd say get a decent groupset, Shimano Ultegra or SRAM Rivals on a decent aluminum frame. There are some great bikes around 2k that are very competitive. See how much time you find yourself on the saddle and how much you want to invest in the sport. Hobbyist, competitive amateur, professional aspirations?


Also, research some older year models that might not have sold during road bike seasons and try to get some great deals. You can save up to 30%.


If you want to invest heavily you get purchase race wheels and a lightweight frame later. Most important thing now is saddle time and fun!
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Old 08-24-14, 02:07 PM
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Originally Posted by Panza
I'm going to +1 this.
Pedals: ~$50~200
Shoes: ~$100
Helmet: ~$60
Gloves: ~$20
Bibs: ~$60~120ea
Shorts: ~30~50ea
Jerseys: ~$60~90ea
(x3, you may want to start with just one pair of shorts/jersey, but eventually you'll want to ride more than once a week and stop yourself from always washing your clothes, just get 3. Shorts are cheaper, but you may want to invest in a quality bib incase you plan on doing a long ride. Save money on your Jersey, get good shorts/bibs because thats where the comfort is.)
Flat Kit: ~$30
Basic Tools: ~$50
(wrench set, bike pump, cleaning tools, chain tool, pedal tool, some hex wrenches good enough probably more than 50 if you want some nice tools)
Bottles: ~$12 (x2)
Lights: ~$50~200

$600~1100 Plan for this! The bike is just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more costs involved!
Also a saddle, most folks do not use the factory saddle on a new bike for very long.

Another thing to look into is what the LBS you choose offers included in the purchase price.

The shop where I will probably buy my Bike offers free fitting for as long as you own the bike...they have a Guru system.

Another shop I just visited in Indy offers tune ups free for a year......the same tune up they sell for $49.99.

I am interested in the technical aspects of cycling and based on what others have suggested if I had that coin to drop I would think about buying a power meter and putting it on a cheaper bike :-).

At least a bare bones cycle computer would be nice too....or a Garmin and they start $260ish for the computer and a wheel/cadence sensor.

Most folks feel that the "first bike" will not be the "forever bike" either.

Bill
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Old 08-24-14, 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Willbird
Also a saddle, most folks do not use the factory saddle on a new bike for very long.

Another thing to look into is what the LBS you choose offers included in the purchase price.

The shop where I will probably buy my Bike offers free fitting for as long as you own the bike...they have a Guru system.

Another shop I just visited in Indy offers tune ups free for a year......the same tune up they sell for $49.99.

I am interested in the technical aspects of cycling and based on what others have suggested if I had that coin to drop I would think about buying a power meter and putting it on a cheaper bike :-).

At least a bare bones cycle computer would be nice too....or a Garmin and they start $260ish for the computer and a wheel/cadence sensor.

Most folks feel that the "first bike" will not be the "forever bike" either.

Bill
Thanks! I was trying to think of a ton of things that would add up in price. Maybe a ~$1600~1800 entry level bike and then get a set of extras. The Garmin and Powermeter would tack on costs substantially. Science proves that it is not the amount of cushioning on the saddle that makes a bike comfortable, its the shape!
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Old 08-24-14, 04:05 PM
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I second adding a new saddle into the overall accesories budget. And my personal suggestion, is to not skip out on buying cycling shorts. Not everyone wears cycling shorts with the padded chamois built into them, I suppose some find it unneccesary. FOR ME, I don't ride without them. The combination of cycling shorts and the right shaped saddle for YOUR body, can be the difference between 10 mile rides and 50 miles rides. Pushing yourself to go harder and further is one level of discomfort. It goes away when you slow down. Having an uncomfortable saddle on your bike, is SO incredibly terrible to deal with, that you will dread the thought of riding. My opinion.


Ive seen two general schools of thought on bike purchasing, especially for newcomers..

-Take your time doing your research and riding bicycles at different shops. Dont just frivolously throw money at a bike, but spend the most you can on the best bike for the money. If $200 more gets you that thing that you want about the bike, then wait a little while longer, add more to your budget, and spend it. By taking your time and really learning about the different bikes and the groups available, and not buying just the best deal entry level bike, you'll keep the bike longer and will hold off feeling like you need too, or want too, upgrade to a better bike.

-Buy the best frame your money buys you and dont worry about the groupset or other components, because you can upgrade those as you go, and you WILL upgrade, its inevitable.


I personally subscribe to theory #3 , which is: Take your time on the research, and make the budget as large as possible to get the most high end bike your dollar buys you, and just accept the fact that even though you did that, you still will want to upgrade every aspect of it two months later. Why would this hobby be any different from any of your others...
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Old 08-24-14, 04:16 PM
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Such helpful info! Thanks to everyone for offering your advice. I road a few bikes at my LBS and fell in love with the Dumane 5.2. It felt significantly better than the 4.7 to me. So I bought it. it was a 2015 so I'll have to wait a few days to get it in, but I'm super pumped!
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Old 08-24-14, 04:49 PM
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Congratulations on the new bike! That Domane is pretty awesome for a first bike. (I got my Domane 5.2 in February) At that level of bike, nothing needs upgrading until something wears out and even then, only the wheels and tires possibly.

Check with your LBS about saddles. The stock saddle may work great; it may be really bad for you. Some shops have loaner saddles or a return policy so you can try a different saddle.

I recommend SPD-SL (Shimano road pedals) but pedals, like saddles, are a personal choice item. The SPD-SL have a wide platform and are easy enough to clip into.

Hopefully you live in an area with a cycling club. They offer group rides for all experience levels and you can meet a lot of really nice people.
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Old 08-24-14, 05:06 PM
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Congrats on your new bike. So many things to add to your Christmas wish list.
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Old 08-24-14, 05:13 PM
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What do you like? Will you race? Why did you set that price point? You can get a LOAD of different, extremely nice stuff for that price, but the better you know your own riding tastes, location and style, the better you'll be able to spend that money.
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Old 08-24-14, 07:35 PM
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Originally Posted by JmanEspresso
I second adding a new saddle into the overall accesories budget. And my personal suggestion, is to not skip out on buying cycling shorts. Not everyone wears cycling shorts with the padded chamois built into them, I suppose some find it unneccesary. FOR ME, I don't ride without them. The combination of cycling shorts and the right shaped saddle for YOUR body, can be the difference between 10 mile rides and 50 miles rides. Pushing yourself to go harder and further is one level of discomfort. It goes away when you slow down. Having an uncomfortable saddle on your bike, is SO incredibly terrible to deal with, that you will dread the thought of riding. My opinion.


Ive seen two general schools of thought on bike purchasing, especially for newcomers..

-Take your time doing your research and riding bicycles at different shops. Dont just frivolously throw money at a bike, but spend the most you can on the best bike for the money. If $200 more gets you that thing that you want about the bike, then wait a little while longer, add more to your budget, and spend it. By taking your time and really learning about the different bikes and the groups available, and not buying just the best deal entry level bike, you'll keep the bike longer and will hold off feeling like you need too, or want too, upgrade to a better bike.

-Buy the best frame your money buys you and dont worry about the groupset or other components, because you can upgrade those as you go, and you WILL upgrade, its inevitable.


I personally subscribe to theory #3 , which is: Take your time on the research, and make the budget as large as possible to get the most high end bike your dollar buys you, and just accept the fact that even though you did that, you still will want to upgrade every aspect of it two months later. Why would this hobby be any different from any of your others...
Sounds like the OP is set for now, but I'd promote another approach: Forget about researching bikes. Research local bike shops. Almost anything one reads comparing bikes is opinion, which can be misleading to novices. But surely even novices know enough about buying things to form a well-founded opinion of their own as to whether they want to be a regular customer of a shop. A novice should just be honest and give the shop a chance to be honest. Besides, any number of bikes would be right enough for someone who hasn't figured out what he wants. Also, novices shouldn't pretend to know what they are talking about, because salesmen will beat them at that game, which is even more ridiculous.

Last edited by kbarch; 08-24-14 at 07:39 PM.
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Old 08-25-14, 04:24 PM
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Originally Posted by kbarch
Sounds like the OP is set for now, but I'd promote another approach: Forget about researching bikes. Research local bike shops. Almost anything one reads comparing bikes is opinion, which can be misleading to novices. But surely even novices know enough about buying things to form a well-founded opinion of their own as to whether they want to be a regular customer of a shop. A novice should just be honest and give the shop a chance to be honest. Besides, any number of bikes would be right enough for someone who hasn't figured out what he wants. Also, novices shouldn't pretend to know what they are talking about, because salesmen will beat them at that game, which is even more ridiculous.
I dont disagree at all.
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Old 08-26-14, 05:28 AM
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Originally Posted by jpfour23
Such helpful info! Thanks to everyone for offering your advice. I road a few bikes at my LBS and fell in love with the Dumane 5.2. It felt significantly better than the 4.7 to me. So I bought it. it was a 2015 so I'll have to wait a few days to get it in, but I'm super pumped!
Great bike. You jumped in with not only both feet, but your whole body! Doubt you will be upgrading anytime soon.
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Old 08-26-14, 10:01 AM
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https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Cycling-10...9068323&sr=1-1
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Old 08-26-14, 12:07 PM
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Personally, I think you're getting mostly terrible advice so far.

The #1 important thing on a road bike is fit. This is especially true if you've had knee problems. Buying the right size bike to begin with, then having it adjusted to fit you right, is more important than any decisions over components, frame, etc.

If you've experience problems with knee pain, you may want to pay a professional fitter to do a fitting. The biggest thing is to buy the right size bike to begin with.

#2 , regarding your knee pain, "clipless" pedals usually make knee problems worse, not better.

There's a lot of ego battles about clipless vs non-clipless, but bottom line is adding clipless adds noteable cost, learning to use, and complexity. I have clipless, but am thinking about switching back to flats as increased performance is debateable - and relatively small even optimistically. I suggest buying a decent pair of flat pedals like these: (WELLGO Alloy BMX Mountain Bike Pedals Sealed 9/16")
Amazon.com : Wellgo Alloy BMX Sealed Mountain Bike Pedal, 9/16-Inch, Black : Bmx Platform : Sports & Outdoors

And getting some regular shoes for cycling - here's a shoe from Specialized designed for flat pedals:
Specialized Bicycle Components

There's a lot of other options to.

There's nothing "wrong" with getting clipless, but it's more hassle, more money, and most importantly more work to get adjusted right to avoid knee problems. It's something you can always add later if you want to try it.

#3 , one thing to remember about bikes themselves is that the bike manufacturers mostly just make the frame, then put all the came components from either Shimano or SRam on it. So whatever you get, it's mostly the same in components at the price level - not something to stress out hugely about.

Next, pretty much all components on $800 and up frames function well. Going from 105 to Dura-ace is like going from a Nissan Altima to a BMW - sounds flashy, but it's of little practical benefit. Even modern Sora and Tiagra is fine and functions well, it's just not as "smooth feeling" in shifting as the higher priced stuff. It shifts very slightly slower as well.

A full carbon "endurance" bike (like the Domane) is a more comfortable ride than an aluminum bike, though again the difference is not gigantic. It generally handles bumps and road buzz better.

The Domane is a nice bike. As another poster mentioned, the new Trek Emonda SL5 is a hair over $2600 and is my personal favorite so far, having ridden around 15 bikes this summer.

Bottom Line - bike fit is the #1 most important thing, more important than model.

Edit: Lol, oh great, this forum doesn't say who the OP was so he said he already bought something. Well - the 5 series domane is nice. :-) Just make sure you're getting the right size and fit.

Last edited by PaulRivers; 08-26-14 at 12:15 PM.
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Old 08-26-14, 12:45 PM
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Giant Defy Advanced 1 for $2,600

Ultegra 6800 11speed with Disk brakes. Comfy bike, with good brakes, nice carbon layup and top notch components. Honestly, can't beat that. Plus it looks super neat!

Defy Advanced 1 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

Also, for knee problems take a look at speedplay pedals. They didn't solve mine 100% but better than the SPD SLs since they have more float.
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Old 08-26-14, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by lsberrios1
Giant Defy Advanced 1 for $2,600

Ultegra 6800 11speed with Disk brakes. Comfy bike, with good brakes, nice carbon layup and top notch components. Honestly, can't beat that. Plus it looks super neat!

Defy Advanced 1 (2015) | Giant Bicycles | United States

Also, for knee problems take a look at speedplay pedals. They didn't solve mine 100% but better than the SPD SLs since they have more float.
I personally road the previous giant defy (2014), and while I **loved** it's handling, I found it's "comfy" factor to be very overrated. One of the few bikes that hurt my butt over potholes, one of few full carbon "endurance" bikes where I could feel road buzz in the handlebars.

The 2015 is redesign, so maybe they've made improvements. Same frame geo, but new carbon.

"good brakes, nice carbon layup and top notch componenets" applies to most bikes at the same price point.

Speedplays are better for knees with more float, but even better is regular flat pedals - both of which are secondary to having a good fit to begin with.
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