Buying used race bike questions...so many..
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Buying used race bike questions...so many..
I'm racing for my first time this year and I'm shopping for a used bike to get started. So, questions:
1. Bike mechanic guy told me to get something that weighs less than 17.5 pounds, otherwise I'm wasting my time. ( my current one weighs 22.5 haha )
2. Does the age of the bike matter? There's 10 year old bikes that were 5500$ new back then for a a quarter of the price. If they're the correct weight, am I at some significant disadvantage anyway?
3. How much use should it have? I've seen bikes with 5000+ miles on them. Are those just going to explode on me randomly or is this a case by case? I heard carbon frames get "soft" with time and usage. What??
4. Heard SPD pedals are useless?
5. Said the wheels should be ones that cost at least 500$ for the set new. What's the qualities I need to look for at minimum for race wheels ( I'm about 155 pounds )?
6. I'm 5'9, sizing charts say I should ride a 56cm frame. I see a lot of bikes that are 54-58cm, if I found a great deal on one that's a tad too big or small, would that just destroy me in races?
7. Heard the important parts are the frame, wheels, pedals and crank arm and the rest doesn't have to be top of the line SRAM/ Dura-Ace type stuff and can just be 105 and it makes almost no difference.
8. Is there some weight guidelines for shoes?
9. Can I get a good race-ready bike used for under 1500$? The bike mechanic guy insisted that I buy one in the 2000-2500$ range used but that's just... more than I want to spend.
10. New, how much would a DECENT racing bike cost? Bike mechanic guy said 3500-5000$ is the minimal range I should look for.
11. Is there anything to look out for that I missed?
12. Is there anything to check on the bike as far as usage goes to make sure I'm not getting screwed?
13. The bike guy said my bike isn't designed to go fast. Good race bikes are designed to go at 35kph and mine's designed to go at 25kph ( for instance ). What's this even mean? That my bike's geometry is just so bad that it starts to kill me when I go really fast? Aren't all road bikes designed to go as fast as possible??
14. Most important of all: what color should the bottle cages be? I heard that pink goes faster.
If you can answer any or all of these questions, that'd be helpful : D
1. Bike mechanic guy told me to get something that weighs less than 17.5 pounds, otherwise I'm wasting my time. ( my current one weighs 22.5 haha )
2. Does the age of the bike matter? There's 10 year old bikes that were 5500$ new back then for a a quarter of the price. If they're the correct weight, am I at some significant disadvantage anyway?
3. How much use should it have? I've seen bikes with 5000+ miles on them. Are those just going to explode on me randomly or is this a case by case? I heard carbon frames get "soft" with time and usage. What??
4. Heard SPD pedals are useless?
5. Said the wheels should be ones that cost at least 500$ for the set new. What's the qualities I need to look for at minimum for race wheels ( I'm about 155 pounds )?
6. I'm 5'9, sizing charts say I should ride a 56cm frame. I see a lot of bikes that are 54-58cm, if I found a great deal on one that's a tad too big or small, would that just destroy me in races?
7. Heard the important parts are the frame, wheels, pedals and crank arm and the rest doesn't have to be top of the line SRAM/ Dura-Ace type stuff and can just be 105 and it makes almost no difference.
8. Is there some weight guidelines for shoes?
9. Can I get a good race-ready bike used for under 1500$? The bike mechanic guy insisted that I buy one in the 2000-2500$ range used but that's just... more than I want to spend.
10. New, how much would a DECENT racing bike cost? Bike mechanic guy said 3500-5000$ is the minimal range I should look for.
11. Is there anything to look out for that I missed?
12. Is there anything to check on the bike as far as usage goes to make sure I'm not getting screwed?
13. The bike guy said my bike isn't designed to go fast. Good race bikes are designed to go at 35kph and mine's designed to go at 25kph ( for instance ). What's this even mean? That my bike's geometry is just so bad that it starts to kill me when I go really fast? Aren't all road bikes designed to go as fast as possible??
14. Most important of all: what color should the bottle cages be? I heard that pink goes faster.
If you can answer any or all of these questions, that'd be helpful : D
#2
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I'll try to answer your questions in order, though others may disagree:
1. Your mechanic is an idiot. You can race any bike that works. Five pounds is not going to keep you from winning.
2. Bike technology has come along way in the past 10 years. Carbon fiber frames now are much better than they were 10 years ago. But if you're looking at a nice aluminum frame, you should be fine. I still think my 2003 Specialized S-Works aluminum frame, which I purchased for $100 on craigslist, was the best racing frame I've owned.
3. It depends. A well maintained bicycle with 10,000 miles may be in better shape than a bicycle beat to hell over 100 miles.
4. Some like them. Some don't. If that is what you have and you are on a budget, use it. I've raced mountain bikes on SPDs and won.
5. Again, you do not need to set any specific budget for your wheels. You should be able to race on any decent wheels. I've raced on $150 Mavic Aksiums and I've raced on $2000 Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLRs. My results haven't varied that much.
6. BUY A FRAME THAT FITS YOU! Do not buy one that is too big - you will never fit on it right and will not get the proper power out of your legs. Small bikes can be made to fit larger, but do not go too small.
7. Again, components don't really matter that much. You can race on Sora components if that is what your budget allows. 105 or Sram Rival are good entry level race groups.
8. No.
9. Yes. Many people, myself included, race Cannondale Caads because they are good race bikes for the money. The Caad-10 Five costs about $1600 and comes race ready. The wheels aren't great, but they will do fine for someone your size. Specialized Allez is another option.
10. See my response to No. 9.
11. Find a new mechanic.
12.
13. Find a new bike guy.
14. Pink is great.
1. Your mechanic is an idiot. You can race any bike that works. Five pounds is not going to keep you from winning.
2. Bike technology has come along way in the past 10 years. Carbon fiber frames now are much better than they were 10 years ago. But if you're looking at a nice aluminum frame, you should be fine. I still think my 2003 Specialized S-Works aluminum frame, which I purchased for $100 on craigslist, was the best racing frame I've owned.
3. It depends. A well maintained bicycle with 10,000 miles may be in better shape than a bicycle beat to hell over 100 miles.
4. Some like them. Some don't. If that is what you have and you are on a budget, use it. I've raced mountain bikes on SPDs and won.
5. Again, you do not need to set any specific budget for your wheels. You should be able to race on any decent wheels. I've raced on $150 Mavic Aksiums and I've raced on $2000 Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLRs. My results haven't varied that much.
6. BUY A FRAME THAT FITS YOU! Do not buy one that is too big - you will never fit on it right and will not get the proper power out of your legs. Small bikes can be made to fit larger, but do not go too small.
7. Again, components don't really matter that much. You can race on Sora components if that is what your budget allows. 105 or Sram Rival are good entry level race groups.
8. No.
9. Yes. Many people, myself included, race Cannondale Caads because they are good race bikes for the money. The Caad-10 Five costs about $1600 and comes race ready. The wheels aren't great, but they will do fine for someone your size. Specialized Allez is another option.
10. See my response to No. 9.
11. Find a new mechanic.
12.
13. Find a new bike guy.
14. Pink is great.
#3
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See below
I'm racing for my first time this year and I'm shopping for a used bike to get started. So, questions:
1. Bike mechanic guy told me to get something that weighs less than 17.5 pounds, otherwise I'm wasting my time. ( my current one weighs 22.5 haha )
- it depends if you buy a 22.5 pound bike and upgrade it to make it lighter you will spend more in the end that a 17.5 lb bike. Also the frame will be heavy and you can't fix that.
2. Does the age of the bike matter? There's 10 year old bikes that were 5500$ new back then for a a quarter of the price. If they're the correct weight, am I at some significant disadvantage anyway?
- top level technology trickles down 10 year old Dura-ace is probably worse than 2012 105 and the 105 is probably lighter today as well (my assumption)
3. How much use should it have? I've seen bikes with 5000+ miles on them. Are those just going to explode on me randomly or is this a case by case? I heard carbon frames get "soft" with time and usage. What??
- 5000km on a bike isn't really that much, all frame materials have a shelf life, if you are looking at used carbon check it over carefully or have an experience rider help you. Carbon failure is catastrophic
4. Heard SPD pedals are useless?
- spd pedals have a smaller cleat, designed more for touring or off road and are generally assiciated with MTB or touring shoes, although garneau has an spd bolt pattern on their road shoes. The main issue with SPD on the road is the small cleat so people do tend to get "hot spots" and sore feet on long rides but if your rides are short and you enjoy getting off your bike at a cafe and being able to walk normally a mtb show and SPD cleats might be for you. SPD cleats are also metal so they are very durable compared to look or shimano spd-l cleat.
5. Said the wheels should be ones that cost at least 500$ for the set new. What's the qualities I need to look for at minimum for race wheels ( I'm about 155 pounds )?
- race what you can afford to replace unless your racing at a high level an expensive wheelset will not really matter much, in othertwords my 205lb body isn't going ot suddenly drop climbers cause I bought top end wheels on a 20km climb. That being said it is probably one of the best upgrades you can do to a stock bike as the wheels are normally cheap to achieve a price point, cervelo as an example sells their bikes with lower end wheels. You can get a good set of custom built wheels for around 500-600, at least I did
6. I'm 5'9, sizing charts say I should ride a 56cm frame. I see a lot of bikes that are 54-58cm, if I found a great deal on one that's a tad too big or small, would that just destroy me in races?
7. Heard the important parts are the frame, wheels, pedals and crank arm and the rest doesn't have to be top of the line SRAM/ Dura-Ace type stuff and can just be 105 and it makes almost no difference.
- I've never ridden dura-ace but IMHO the frame is the most important and most expensive to change. Some manufacturers sell the same frame with different components for several thousand more. Again look at cervelo
8. Is there some weight guidelines for shoes?
- the weight of your shoes is really negligible, carbon soles are stiffer than plastic and plastic is stiffer than rubber, carbon does allow you to push harder with out any flex but won't decide a race
9. Can I get a good race-ready bike used for under 1500$? The bike mechanic guy insisted that I buy one in the 2000-2500$ range used but that's just... more than I want to spend.
- it's not about the bike, in other words there are plenty of strong gifted cyclists who have won races on trek 1.5 (1500.00 ish bikes) or even lower end and dropped the guys on the latest and greatest ultralight Di2 bike. buy what you are comfortable with new or have a friend help you find a quality used bike
10. New, how much would a DECENT racing bike cost? Bike mechanic guy said 3500-5000$ is the minimal range I should look for.
carbon frame and 105 will be decent, the4 trek Madones start at 2k with a 3 series and are carbon frames.
11. Is there anything to look out for that I missed?
12. Is there anything to check on the bike as far as usage goes to make sure I'm not getting screwed?
13. The bike guy said my bike isn't designed to go fast. Good race bikes are designed to go at 35kph and mine's designed to go at 25kph ( for instance ). What's this even mean? That my bike's geometry is just so bad that it starts to kill me when I go really fast? Aren't all road bikes designed to go as fast as possible??
- he might be referring to the handling, the bike might be less stable at high speeds but I have a giant OCR 1 which is a rel;axed geometry bike that I regulatory hit 70km on while descending and race it in the 30's to 40 km range.
14. Most important of all: what color should the bottle cages be? I heard that pink goes faster.
- pink is faster for sure
If you can answer any or all of these questions, that'd be helpful : D
1. Bike mechanic guy told me to get something that weighs less than 17.5 pounds, otherwise I'm wasting my time. ( my current one weighs 22.5 haha )
- it depends if you buy a 22.5 pound bike and upgrade it to make it lighter you will spend more in the end that a 17.5 lb bike. Also the frame will be heavy and you can't fix that.
2. Does the age of the bike matter? There's 10 year old bikes that were 5500$ new back then for a a quarter of the price. If they're the correct weight, am I at some significant disadvantage anyway?
- top level technology trickles down 10 year old Dura-ace is probably worse than 2012 105 and the 105 is probably lighter today as well (my assumption)
3. How much use should it have? I've seen bikes with 5000+ miles on them. Are those just going to explode on me randomly or is this a case by case? I heard carbon frames get "soft" with time and usage. What??
- 5000km on a bike isn't really that much, all frame materials have a shelf life, if you are looking at used carbon check it over carefully or have an experience rider help you. Carbon failure is catastrophic
4. Heard SPD pedals are useless?
- spd pedals have a smaller cleat, designed more for touring or off road and are generally assiciated with MTB or touring shoes, although garneau has an spd bolt pattern on their road shoes. The main issue with SPD on the road is the small cleat so people do tend to get "hot spots" and sore feet on long rides but if your rides are short and you enjoy getting off your bike at a cafe and being able to walk normally a mtb show and SPD cleats might be for you. SPD cleats are also metal so they are very durable compared to look or shimano spd-l cleat.
5. Said the wheels should be ones that cost at least 500$ for the set new. What's the qualities I need to look for at minimum for race wheels ( I'm about 155 pounds )?
- race what you can afford to replace unless your racing at a high level an expensive wheelset will not really matter much, in othertwords my 205lb body isn't going ot suddenly drop climbers cause I bought top end wheels on a 20km climb. That being said it is probably one of the best upgrades you can do to a stock bike as the wheels are normally cheap to achieve a price point, cervelo as an example sells their bikes with lower end wheels. You can get a good set of custom built wheels for around 500-600, at least I did
6. I'm 5'9, sizing charts say I should ride a 56cm frame. I see a lot of bikes that are 54-58cm, if I found a great deal on one that's a tad too big or small, would that just destroy me in races?
7. Heard the important parts are the frame, wheels, pedals and crank arm and the rest doesn't have to be top of the line SRAM/ Dura-Ace type stuff and can just be 105 and it makes almost no difference.
- I've never ridden dura-ace but IMHO the frame is the most important and most expensive to change. Some manufacturers sell the same frame with different components for several thousand more. Again look at cervelo
8. Is there some weight guidelines for shoes?
- the weight of your shoes is really negligible, carbon soles are stiffer than plastic and plastic is stiffer than rubber, carbon does allow you to push harder with out any flex but won't decide a race
9. Can I get a good race-ready bike used for under 1500$? The bike mechanic guy insisted that I buy one in the 2000-2500$ range used but that's just... more than I want to spend.
- it's not about the bike, in other words there are plenty of strong gifted cyclists who have won races on trek 1.5 (1500.00 ish bikes) or even lower end and dropped the guys on the latest and greatest ultralight Di2 bike. buy what you are comfortable with new or have a friend help you find a quality used bike
10. New, how much would a DECENT racing bike cost? Bike mechanic guy said 3500-5000$ is the minimal range I should look for.
carbon frame and 105 will be decent, the4 trek Madones start at 2k with a 3 series and are carbon frames.
11. Is there anything to look out for that I missed?
12. Is there anything to check on the bike as far as usage goes to make sure I'm not getting screwed?
13. The bike guy said my bike isn't designed to go fast. Good race bikes are designed to go at 35kph and mine's designed to go at 25kph ( for instance ). What's this even mean? That my bike's geometry is just so bad that it starts to kill me when I go really fast? Aren't all road bikes designed to go as fast as possible??
- he might be referring to the handling, the bike might be less stable at high speeds but I have a giant OCR 1 which is a rel;axed geometry bike that I regulatory hit 70km on while descending and race it in the 30's to 40 km range.
14. Most important of all: what color should the bottle cages be? I heard that pink goes faster.
- pink is faster for sure
If you can answer any or all of these questions, that'd be helpful : D
#4
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I imagine 5 pounds would make a pretty big difference on a long mountainous road race, which I may be doing...
Especially as far as my weight % goes since I'm medium-ish weight and not a huge dude.
no?
But keep it coming, this is really helpful!
Especially as far as my weight % goes since I'm medium-ish weight and not a huge dude.
no?
But keep it coming, this is really helpful!
#5
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Is $1500 your absolute, top limit? You can get any number of brand new, carbon fiber, 15-16 pound, 105 or Rival equipped bikes brand new for under $2K with a warranty and a crash replacement program.
Fit is everything in racing. Much more important than weight. The watts you save on a light bike are overshadowed by the watts you waste with a bad fit, both in power production and in air resistance.
Good luck.
Fit is everything in racing. Much more important than weight. The watts you save on a light bike are overshadowed by the watts you waste with a bad fit, both in power production and in air resistance.
Good luck.
#6
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+1 on Bike Mechanic is an idiot.
+1 on race what you got, while you figure out if you're sticking with it, and what you might want in the way of a replacement.
Beyond that, you can spend a whole lot of money for minor improvements, with steeply diminishing return.
Around $1,000-1,500 gets you a very nice bike, spending more they get nicer, but not necessarily faster.
+1 on race what you got, while you figure out if you're sticking with it, and what you might want in the way of a replacement.
Beyond that, you can spend a whole lot of money for minor improvements, with steeply diminishing return.
Around $1,000-1,500 gets you a very nice bike, spending more they get nicer, but not necessarily faster.
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You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
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5 pounds will make a difference how much depends on your engine (you) and the engines around you, yes it is easier to ride a 17 pound bike up hill compared a 22lb but someone with a strong engine can still out climb a guy with a weak engine.
#8
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2. Does the age of the bike matter? There's 10 year old bikes that were 5500$ new back then for a a quarter of the price. If they're the correct weight, am I at some significant disadvantage anyway?
3. How much use should it have? I've seen bikes with 5000+ miles on them. Are those just going to explode on me randomly or is this a case by case? I heard carbon frames get "soft" with time and usage. What??
3. How much use should it have? I've seen bikes with 5000+ miles on them. Are those just going to explode on me randomly or is this a case by case? I heard carbon frames get "soft" with time and usage. What??
4. Heard SPD pedals are useless?
5. Said the wheels should be ones that cost at least 500$ for the set new. What's the qualities I need to look for at minimum for race wheels ( I'm about 155 pounds )?
6. I'm 5'9, sizing charts say I should ride a 56cm frame. I see a lot of bikes that are 54-58cm, if I found a great deal on one that's a tad too big or small, would that just destroy me in races?
7. Heard the important parts are the frame, wheels, pedals and crank arm and the rest doesn't have to be top of the line SRAM/ Dura-Ace type stuff and can just be 105 and it makes almost no difference.
8. Is there some weight guidelines for shoes?
9. Can I get a good race-ready bike used for under 1500$? The bike mechanic guy insisted that I buy one in the 2000-2500$ range used but that's just... more than I want to spend.
10. New, how much would a DECENT racing bike cost? Bike mechanic guy said 3500-5000$ is the minimal range I should look for.
10. New, how much would a DECENT racing bike cost? Bike mechanic guy said 3500-5000$ is the minimal range I should look for.
11. Is there anything to look out for that I missed?
12. Is there anything to check on the bike as far as usage goes to make sure I'm not getting screwed?
12. Is there anything to check on the bike as far as usage goes to make sure I'm not getting screwed?
13. The bike guy said my bike isn't designed to go fast. Good race bikes are designed to go at 35kph and mine's designed to go at 25kph ( for instance ). What's this even mean? That my bike's geometry is just so bad that it starts to kill me when I go really fast? Aren't all road bikes designed to go as fast as possible??
14. Most important of all: what color should the bottle cages be? I heard that pink goes faster.
__________________
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"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Last edited by Brian Ratliff; 03-13-12 at 12:32 PM.
#9
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Last word, your mechanic appears to be a bit of a salesman. Keep that in mind when he tells you stuff.
__________________
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
Cat 2 Track, Cat 3 Road.
"If you’re new enough [to racing] that you would ask such question, then i would hazard a guess that if you just made up a workout that sounded hard to do, and did it, you’d probably get faster." --the tiniest sprinter
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Do you even know if you like racing yet? I would hesitate to spend too much money until you know you like it.
My recommendation is if you don't know bikes that well you might want to avoid used unless you can find someone who can tell you if the bike is race worthy, specifically is it mechanically sound or are you going to have to fix a bunch of stuff. For this reason new is much easier.
I race a carbon bike with ultegra/105 mix that cost < $2K (new) since it was last year's model on clearance. I've also raced on an aluminium Trek 1.2 that cost $1k (new) and it worked just fine, though I wouldn't go that route a second time.
All you really need is a sound bike with decent shifters and you can definitely get that for < $1500 brand new. Just don't get Sora components, the thumb shifter can't be used from the drops (I made this mistake on my first bike). After that train hard and have fun.
My recommendation is if you don't know bikes that well you might want to avoid used unless you can find someone who can tell you if the bike is race worthy, specifically is it mechanically sound or are you going to have to fix a bunch of stuff. For this reason new is much easier.
I race a carbon bike with ultegra/105 mix that cost < $2K (new) since it was last year's model on clearance. I've also raced on an aluminium Trek 1.2 that cost $1k (new) and it worked just fine, though I wouldn't go that route a second time.
All you really need is a sound bike with decent shifters and you can definitely get that for < $1500 brand new. Just don't get Sora components, the thumb shifter can't be used from the drops (I made this mistake on my first bike). After that train hard and have fun.
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5lbs will make a difference, but there's more to learn as a 5 besides the weight/performance difference of different components/frames. I know from experience as I raced a bone-stock, 21lb, 105 equipped aluminum bike into the 3's including long, hilly road races. Get fast on what you can afford that fits properly.
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Hi Im looking for a new bike and have found a Jamis xenith sl 2010 with sram force and zipp wheels (below the 101's) for $2800 NZD and the a Giant tcr advanced 1 2011 with shimano ultegra and shimano rs-80 wheels for $2200NZD. What one do you think I should get and why do you thinks so?
Thanks
Thanks
#14
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My current bike is a 2004 Devinci Apex
https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...Apex&Type=bike
1300-1400$ new
I haven't taken very good care of it these last 5-6 years, rode in the rain a couple times, never cleaned it. Might have 3000-5000km, I dunno. It's got rusted chainrings and I crashed it last fall at 19-20mph. Rides pretty well still anyway and I had a nice tune-up last summer. Shifters / brakes are kind of annoying / loose. They've always been that way if I recall ( Shimano Tiagra). We train on computrainer bikes indoors and the shifting feels much smoother on those.
Frame size 54cm. I have no idea how to tell if a frame fits well or not. 54 seems fine and I have a 58cm touring bike and it also feels fine. My SPD pedals have popped out on me once or twice, almost causing me to crash...
Oh and the mechanic is not a bad guy or anything. He's really honest and will not sell people useless parts / repairs. He's got a really good reputation as far as that goes. He said the 700$ extra dollars I'd spend for a used bike ( 2200 vs 1500 for instance ) would be really worth it. He's not selling anything really : p
https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...Apex&Type=bike
1300-1400$ new
I haven't taken very good care of it these last 5-6 years, rode in the rain a couple times, never cleaned it. Might have 3000-5000km, I dunno. It's got rusted chainrings and I crashed it last fall at 19-20mph. Rides pretty well still anyway and I had a nice tune-up last summer. Shifters / brakes are kind of annoying / loose. They've always been that way if I recall ( Shimano Tiagra). We train on computrainer bikes indoors and the shifting feels much smoother on those.
Frame size 54cm. I have no idea how to tell if a frame fits well or not. 54 seems fine and I have a 58cm touring bike and it also feels fine. My SPD pedals have popped out on me once or twice, almost causing me to crash...
Oh and the mechanic is not a bad guy or anything. He's really honest and will not sell people useless parts / repairs. He's got a really good reputation as far as that goes. He said the 700$ extra dollars I'd spend for a used bike ( 2200 vs 1500 for instance ) would be really worth it. He's not selling anything really : p
#16
recovering triathlete
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Sizing charts seem to put people on frames that are either the right size, or a bit too big. Not everyone thinks the same on this but I would personally rather be on a slightly too small frame than a slightly too big one. If I had to guess just based on your height, I'd say that a 54cm frame would be what you should concentrate on.
I'm 5'11", pretty normally proportioned, and I have 2 race bikes - one is a 56 and one is a 54. I wouldn't ever want to be on a frame any bigger than my 56. The 54 handles differently, and I have a longer stem on it and more seatpost showing, but it's still a great bike for me and very comfortable.
Oh and ditch those SPD's if you want to race. More than one person has ended up needing serious dental work because their cleat popped out winding up for a sprint. Not worth the risk.
#17
Super Moderator
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My current bike is a 2004 Devinci Apex
https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...Apex&Type=bike
1300-1400$ new
https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/B...Apex&Type=bike
1300-1400$ new
You may do 2 races and decide it's not for you, so don't fixate on equipment.
Honest perhaps, but gives bad information.
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Bikes: Old steel race bikes, old Cannondale race bikes, less old Cannondale race bike, crappy old mtn bike.
FYI: https://www.bikeforums.net/forum-sugg...ad-please.html
Last edited by Homebrew01; 03-13-12 at 01:34 PM.
#19
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Just give it a try once with what you've got. If you like it, then you can decide whether or not it's worth it to buy something new.
Note: if you were 6'3 like me and lived next door to me, I'd advise you to buy the best bike you could afford (or better) right now, so that if you decide you don't like it and in a year you have a bike taking up place getting dusty in the garage you want to get rid of at a discount I could snap it up.
Note: if you were 6'3 like me and lived next door to me, I'd advise you to buy the best bike you could afford (or better) right now, so that if you decide you don't like it and in a year you have a bike taking up place getting dusty in the garage you want to get rid of at a discount I could snap it up.
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Bikes: 1996 Eddy Merckx Titanium EX, 1989/90 Colnago Super(issimo?) Piu(?),1990 Concorde Aquila(hit by car while riding), others in build queue "when I get the time"
Bikes: 1996 Eddy Merckx Titanium EX, 1989/90 Colnago Super(issimo?) Piu(?),
#21
some guy
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Honestly it's time I change bikes anyway but even if I don't end up racing next year, the bike won't sit there. I've been biking forever. I'll take better care of this next one though. If I ever get good at racing maybe I'll start caring about those 6000$ bikes.
Well thanks for your advice guys, really helped a lot. I know what bottle cages I'm getting now.
Well thanks for your advice guys, really helped a lot. I know what bottle cages I'm getting now.
#22
Draught
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'run whatcha brung' as they say around here at the car races.
Race the bike you have. Then worry about upgrading unless there's an obvious danger such as cracks, frayed cables, etc.
Race the bike you have. Then worry about upgrading unless there's an obvious danger such as cracks, frayed cables, etc.
#23
Draught
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Honestly it's time I change bikes anyway but even if I don't end up racing next year, the bike won't sit there. I've been biking forever. I'll take better care of this next one though. If I ever get good at racing maybe I'll start caring about those 6000$ bikes.
Well thanks for your advice guys, really helped a lot. I know what bottle cages I'm getting now.
Well thanks for your advice guys, really helped a lot. I know what bottle cages I'm getting now.
#24
VeloSIRraptor
+1 to your mechanic is an idiot.
+1 to your "bike-suggesting-people" being idiots
Here ya' go.
Step 1: Make sure your bike is in good, functioning mechanical condition. If it isn't, do whatever it takes to make it so.
Step 2: Practice riding in groups with other people
Step 3: Get a one day license
Step 4: Race.
there - little to no money, and you'll do just fine.
Legs count for 98% of the results in racing, Gear.... maybe 2% (and that's from a guy who makes a living selling bike stuff)
I've raced everything from the triple-crank-wearing, bottom-of-the-line aluminum bike that I paid $643, to my current setup (new carbon top of the line, sram, 808s)... equipment means so little that it is not worth bothering with.
Race,
Learn to race better,
If you want to spend money, spend money... but this is the 3rd step, not the first.
+1 to your "bike-suggesting-people" being idiots
Here ya' go.
Step 1: Make sure your bike is in good, functioning mechanical condition. If it isn't, do whatever it takes to make it so.
Step 2: Practice riding in groups with other people
Step 3: Get a one day license
Step 4: Race.
there - little to no money, and you'll do just fine.
Legs count for 98% of the results in racing, Gear.... maybe 2% (and that's from a guy who makes a living selling bike stuff)
I've raced everything from the triple-crank-wearing, bottom-of-the-line aluminum bike that I paid $643, to my current setup (new carbon top of the line, sram, 808s)... equipment means so little that it is not worth bothering with.
Race,
Learn to race better,
If you want to spend money, spend money... but this is the 3rd step, not the first.
#25
VeloSIRraptor