help please
 

i am a newbie-posting here bits of what i just posted on the cyclocross fourm:

i am 230 lbs, 5'11" and will ride roads mostly
may hit the shoulder or a dirt road or 2, or some rails-to-trail or light gravel
worried about bike selection
have not ridden in 25 years
drop vs straight bars?
drop offer me more options over time for hand position
tire size-is fatter better for me, more forgiving, better on multiple surfaces?
looked at trek fx and pilots, and at specialize sirrus, sequoia elite, and now tricross
i like the tricross comp triple
is it too much bike for a beginner?
what shouid i do?
lbs has a tricross expert i could try
and one of each of the others mentioned but not the tricross sport or comp to test ride
help!!!

seems my thread is similar to one by rickyaustin on cyclocross forum
sorry about that
but i love these forums
good to have a place to get help and advice
seesm bikers, like archers, want to help each other...
glad to be here
any ideas about what bike i should get?
lbs is big on specialized, and some trek
if i drive further i could get jamis or cannondale or giant
ideas???

There's no such thing as too much bike for a beginner. If you have the budget, just get what you like! What's the point in riding if you aren't having fun, eh? Don't fall into the trap of "I'm just starting out so I don't deserve quality"! You'll just wind up getting something else.

Tom is right, I got into this sport last November and didn't invest then, less than 6 months later I bought another bike because I loved the sport so much. Should have bought the FX first but didn't want to spend the extra couple hundred even though I had it. Now taking a huge loss on selling my first bike. Just bought the 7.5FX Livestrong and love it. Have double the mileage of my first bike (Specialized Crossroads XC Expert) in the first month of having it.

Jason

To add to what I said, ride a LOT of bikes! Find the one that calls out your name and just buy the bloody bike!:D Don't recriminate and don't skimp!;) You will be happier in the long run!:D :beer:

Do you live in an area that has bikes for rent? Riding a bike around the block a couple of times may not be enough to tell you how the bike feels. Once you have bike type down, road, comfort or MTB, you can then narrow the style, relaxed diamond tourer, speed bike, fix gear etc. I anticipate that I will go through several different handle bars trying to get my riding position to be comfortable for me, and that my position will change over time. I will start out with old man albatross bars and later move to a more tucked position.

This is what aI went through to decide to buy my bike and get back into riding. I am still waiting for the bike to arrive. The last thing that helped me was knowing that if I got good parts I could move them to another frame later on.

i have been reading today's/tonight's posts and getting worried
i curently weigh 230 and am on the way down to my goal of 185
was goona get a specialized tricross, sport or comp, but the wheeels???
should i start out from the very beginning by putting on wheels with more spokes?
i will ask the guys at the lbs but would welcome any and all advice here from fellow big men...
this process of deciding on a bike seems almost as bad as taking that first step towards getting exercise
ugh!?!?!

You should be fine on those wheels. 230 is not that bad. Just keep your tires maximally inflated.

hi again
rode tricros expert at lbs today, and a roubaix
thinking of the tricross comp triple, should do all i could wangt a bike to do
it has 20 front 24 rear roval pave wheels, 32 tires, lbs said i should be ok
i am 5'11.5" and 230lb +/- 10 lb, losing about 8 lb/month
do y'all think this wheelset will hold me?
if yes, then i will order a tricross comp triple on wed unless somebody suggests some other bike

Heh, the fact that you haven't ridden in 25 years shows in your concern over drop vs. straight bars. 25 years ago, drop bars were cool, and if you didn't use 'em, you were a poser. Things are different now. Tell you what, turn on your TV, tune in the Giro d'Italia, and see how much time the racers spend in the "drop" position. That's right, on the downhills, when they're going for maximum speed -- and let's be honest, these people are a few tacos short of a combo plate, smokin' down a mountain at 50 mph in a peloton. The "drop" position has its uses, but unless you're really concerned about speed and time (vs. getting a workout or getting from place to place), it's not something you'd often use.

Buy the best bike you can afford and like. In the grand scheme of things, it's small change with huge returns in personal satisfaction and enjoyment. Have you checked out Jamis Bikes lineup of Codas and so on? Great bikes there IMHO, though somewhat underappreciated due to limited distributor network, lots of folks just never see one. Steel frames at reasonable prices with good components. Just sayin...

oh no
now i am worried
are drops a mistake or what?
i could shift to a trek fx or spec sirrus or cannondale road warrier, might not be easy to get a jamis
i was going to order my tricross tomorrow...
HELP!

Relax, if you like the tricross,get it. If it turns out you hate drops, then it's an easy changeover to a trekking bar or flats or whatever! Try the drops out first though, because that way you have the tuck option if you are riding into the wind. You can also get more power and speed down in the drops.

This is worse than people asking advice about skis, I swear to god.

Sorry if that sounds exasperated -- it is, a bit, but I'm exasperated at the situation, not you. The problem is that you're stressing about a purchase decision instead of doing the one thing that will really get you the information you need. You need to ride, then buy. Really. If you do it any other way, you're rolling the dice. This is a great forum for getting opinions from people who are trying to do some of the same things that you're trying to do, but the best data is your own body's feedback. I have my opinion about how often most people will want to use the "drop" position on drop bars (seldom), and on the remaining positions that a set of drop bars will give you (doable, but takes some tweaking and aren't nearly as "off the shelf" comfortable as straight bars), but who knows? You could find that you love the drop position and never want to ride any other way -- now, mind you, I've never in my life known a single cyclist for whom that was true, but you could be the first.

The bottom line, I think, is that you can research a bike purchase all you want, but if riding isn't part of your research, you have to accept the likelihood that you're not going to get your Perfect Bike, and the possibility that you could get something very far from it. Your choice, ya know? A lot of people buy all kinds of gear this way, they find some internet reviews and a great mailorder price, and sometimes they make out like bandits. But if you make your purchase decision based on something other than riding experience, you are somewhat shooting in the dark. If it's really going to worry you that you might not get what you want out of it, then reconsider how you're doing your buying. I buy from a local shop where I can ride the bike beforehand and get it fitted. If, OTOH, that big internet sale is something you can't turn down, then make the purchase and accept what you get.

i have gone to lbs and rode a few models but no straight bars recently
will go back and compare a sirrus or trek fx to a drop spec tricross and then decide
fyi i am NOT buying this bike on the net
i AM trying to take in all of the advice to help with making a proper decision
but i realize it is a matter of personal preference
i did notice some upper back and shoulder discomfort riding a drop but holding the flat part
new work for old tired muscles i guess
so i need to ride drops and straight and then decide and pull the trigger
(actually for me it is letting loose the arrow, see my forum name...)
thanks for the help
it is appreciated
:)

Well, there's also the question of fitting. Discomfort isn't always a matter of "old tired muscles", it can be a sign that a particular configuration is just never going to work for you -- I have a short torso relative to my legs, so if the stem is short or the top tube is long, I'm going to have pain no matter what.

Wherever it is that you're thinking about buying, say, "What about fitting?" If they give you a blank look or say something like, "Well, what do you want to change?" think about shopping around. A good bike fitter will look at you, have you sit on a bike, etc. and figure out what adjustments will make the bike work for you. They won't ask you what you want to change, they'll look at you and tell you what they think ought to be tweaked.

last night i asked about fitting
lbs said frame was correct (only had me on one)
offerred a full fitting on a trainer to adjust things by measuring me and various angles of my body once my bike was delivered and built
is this backwards?
i guess i need to ride more to make this decision
few shops nearby
i do not want to keep bothering this one place over and over again
they will become impatient

Your lbs should check your general measurements like height and inseam to get the right sized frame. Then when it comes they should do a more indepth measurement to adjust the handlebars, stem, and seat to the right positions.

In terms of drops vs straight - I say Trekking bars! I was having a really hard time dialing in my roadie. [Rereading Brown Rat's post - I was trying to ride in the drops the whole time because I found the hoods dangerous - but I'm an anomoly]. Once I put them on they really solved my wrist problems though of course everyone is different. The nice thing is that you can get about six different hand positions on it (being creative) to solve any comfort issues. Check my sig for a few other discussions on straight vs drop, plenty of people change the handlebars since they don't take full advantage of the drop position.

I did get a few comments on the Century I just completed from one or two roadies asking why I took a hybrid. Nevermind the tires or the frame geometry. Posers!

what are "posers"
i've seen that term several times
still lost and can't decide about the bars
ugh again

A poser, or Poseur:


Has the kit and hangs around the Starbucks with his $5000.00 Carbon Fiber bike and rides three blocks to get there and that's the extent of his riding.:D ;)

"the kit"?
again, please excuse my ignorance (read = naivite... not so sure of spelling)
drops or straight? i am so confused, since when it test ride, mostly i notice how it hurts my butt
i do not want a suspension seat post and gel seat, or do i?
my friends at work who ride tell me no...

Ride. Ride. Ride. Put at least 50-100 miles on it. Then decide on the handlebars. The bars are cheap on the whole continuum of parts to get, you're looking at $25-40 for a decent one and then *maybe* $20 for your lbs to change them. That's if you're uncomfortable. I'll make a prediction - starting off you'll probably want to be more upright and as you gain strength gradually be more over. Make sure that the stem can accomodate that change - something to ask the lbs.

There's a really unfortunate part of this whole biking thing which has been said here a few times - you won't know that you need until YOU actually start riding. What type of bike? Ride a few. Bars? Ride some more. Yeah, you may spend some money on stuff you may not use. But then you'll know if/when you get another one.

I know now off the bat when I do get another road bike I will start off with these trekking bars. I really love them and solves a lot of issues I've had with my wrists on both my mtb and this road bike. So that was my lesson. I wound up paying $40 for the set of al drop bars that will probably go up on ebay or something.

Sorry about the use of Bike Lingo, and no worries about the questions: the only stupid question is one you DON'T ask!

Kit is Jersey, Spaneex shorts in Team Logos. Poseurs aren't on the team but they wear the colors and hang around the coffeeshop....posing, one example.:D

archermd - where in NJ are you?

thanks tom
i was wondering about your sig/location
what's that?
foreign language (deutch) describing a us locale?

air
scotch plains, nj betwen rt 22 and exit 135 on gsp
local shop is in westfield, jay's (mostly specialize, some trek, very kind, let me ride owner's tricross)
these is another in cranford (mostly giant, cannondale, some lemond)-the guy there wanted to put me on a road warrior, and not much else)
there is another very small shop on rt 22 near here, mostly a raleigh shop, some jamis i think
there are others 20 min away-a small place in summit, not much selction there, and i think in milburn and basking ridge or berkley hgts or such
does that help?