bikeflo

I'm brand new to bike forums-I own an ancient Miyata and am considering getting a newer road bike that's lighter. A few questions-will it allow me greater speed? I haven't shopped for bikes and am unaware of options out there-I'm aware of Trek of course, but not much else-this is highly general I imagine but does anyone have any recommendations?

Wildwood

Welcome to Bike Forums.

for riding flat terrain, a lighter bike won’t make you faster. But a new bike always inspires, even if only for a while.

as to which new bike? Best to visit a good bike shop and ride a few. Flat bar, drop bar. Skinny tires, fat tires. Rim brakes, disc brakes.

a refurbed Miyata just might be more than adequate as well.


a World of choices to satisfy your (unstated) preferences.

Good Luck!

I like vintage.

10 Wheels

Got one of these when I was 70. Fast it Is.

bikeflo

Looks sharp! I will investigate further-thank you!

leftthread

Indulge yourself.
Finding stock might be hard.
If you are comfortable with assembly and know what size you need, take a look at Canyon bikes.

ratell

I recently bought my first carbon bike (I really liked the BMC but ended up with a Cervelo). My first ride I got personal bests. Definitely faster on hills. Acceleration is shockingly faster. If your riding 50 miles mostly flat it will end up being only slightly faster unless there’s a lot of starting and stopping, but it will put a big smile on your face. I was shocked how comfortable a carbon endurance bike is compared to my trusty steel bike.

bikeflo

I'll research them-thank you!

bikeflo

Acceleration is nice!!!

ironwood

What Miyata are you riding now? Some of them were very nice bikes. There are lots of us on the C&V sub forum who stick with old (or new) steel. As far as weight is concerned, A pound or two lighter doesn't make much difference if you are overweight. As for speed, tires make a big difference.

John E

A kindred spirit! I like horizontal top tubes, frame lugs, leather saddles, toeclips, and non-indexed shifting.

Wildwood

Depends upon how one approaches the sport.

Vintage and basic is fulfilling for many.
New technology fulfills others.
Some like both. We all like speed.
A social thing for many (clubs, e-sports)
A solitary thing for many.
Pick your place in the bicycle scene,
and just ride your bike.


This a way, or that a way!

Jtmav

I will turn 70 on Tuesday. During the lockdown when all the gyms closed down I started riding a 15 year old hybrid steel, heavy bike. It helped me get a little more endurance and some confidence that I wouldn’t kill myself on it. I tend to ride only on dedicated paths and not too much on the roads and arm lucky to have several near me to use. This summer I was lucky to get a 2021 Trek Domane 5 that my LBS had on order and came in early. Love the bike and while I gained a bit of speed, not much, the bike is so much more comfortable to ride and allowing me to go further more comfortably. My LBS did a thorough fitting for me which I would highly recommend and make sure you buy a bike that is the right size.

bikeflo

Nice philosophy Wildwood-

Helderberg

Most of the brand names are good bikes. The mechanical parts are similar to a price point so you can look at Trek, Cannondale, Giant, etc, and find similar models at a similar price but the geometry will be the big difference. In a perfect world, I would say go ride all of them and find the one that fits you best. Unfortunately with the supply chain issues that is not a possibility at this time but you can go ride what you can find and see what fits you best. Lighter is better but I have found a 5 lbs. weight savings on my bike by losing some of my Covid weight gains. That has been a noticeable difference in my riding but that is just me. I ride a Topstone as I like the drop-bar configuration with 105 gear but the relaxed frame is best for my 73-year-old body. If I were to do it again I would have given Giant a longer look but probably would have ended up on my Cannondale anyway. I find Giant is a good bike for the price. Just my opinion so go with what fits you best and you will ride it more and that is the objective in the end anyway.
Good luck, Frank.

ratell

Helderberg is right they are all good bikes. The supply issues complicates things, but I usually suggest focus on the finding the bike shop you like best. Then work with them to find the bike for you.

Gravel Rider

Bombtrack.com

Iride01 

Every time I get a significantly lighter bike, I can feel the acceleration surges as I sprint from a stop or increase my speed rapidly. Also, some of the hills that use to give me issues become no longer an issue.

As for increasing my average speed, not so much. Maybe a 1/2 to 1 mph. Lighter does let me ride farther and retain more energy.

If you live in constantly rolling terrain as I do, I'd get as light a bike as you can reasonably afford if distance and climbing are something you want to improve your numbers for.

Cougrrcj

Please define 'ancient'! Mine is a '86. -- it is also the NEWEST road bike I have!

Chuck M 

I don't see anything wrong with wanting a new bike. More power to you and I hope you navigate the sea of what is out there and find something you enjoy.

But by all means... Keep that "ancient Miyata". I wanted a Miyata in the early 80s but never got one. I hope to some day find one in decent survivor condition local to me.

Carbonfiberboy 

I restarted my bike passion at 50 on a 10-speed Miyata and in retrospect, it sucked. You won't believe the difference in a modern carbon bike. When we get into higher-end bikes, it becomes a question of how many $100 per ounce kind of thing. You'll be happy with anything under 18# with saddle and pedals. I bought a new ''99 carbon Trek in 2000 and it's still my main ride. What astonished me on my first ride was that i could pedal hard and as long as I kept shifting up, I just went faster and faster. All my power went into the road. That's what to look for. Some bikes are magic. 10 Wheels BMC is one of them.

Yes, a little faster but mostly more fun, easier climbing, easier to ride long distances, and the ability to change components to suit your strengths and weaknesses..

In this situation, I'd buy used. Avoid all the hassles. You'll need to know frame size. You can modify the exact fit quite extensively as long as the frame size is right. I suggest something carbon with compact gearing, 50-34 in front to avoid replacement part issues later.

You can use this calculator: https://www.competitivecyclist.com/S...ulatorBike.jsp
to get frame size.

jaxgtr

What bars do you have on your bike. I've not been super impressed with the Bontrager on my Domane. They are nice in that they really null out the road buzz, but to me they seem just a little to "thick" on the drops, but that might be because they have to handle the DI2 port. I have a set of FSA SL-K bars on my Emonda, non DI2, and I really like them, fit my hands really well, but again, the DI2 might require a slight larger tube dimension.

Jtmav

The bars are the standard oem, Bontrager Elite IsoZone VR-CF, alloy, 31.8mm, internal Di2 routing, 93mm reach, 123mm drop, 42cm width. I had the stem replaced during my fitting but everything else on the bike is stock. Haven’t had any issues with the bars, truth be told my time in the drops is fairly limited.
Jtmav

late

Back in the day, roadies ran teeny tiny 23mm tires. I tried explaining that physics had something to say about that, but no one listened.

Now, even pro racers usually ride larger tires, 28 is common, I like 32. A lot of old bikes don't have the room.

You want relaxed geometry, regardless.

Carbon is good, I prefer the new steels. Best bike I have is my Gunnar Sport, you really should at least try one of the new, and expensive, steel bikes. Gunnar is the 'budget' version of Waterford. One old review of the Sport, years ago, was by a bike shop guy that said 90% of his customers buying pricey bikes would be better off on the Sport. I made the mistake of trying it while a bike shop was working on my Ti bike, and it literally put a goofy grin on my face, and then changed my life for the better.

Trakhak

The majority of pro racers use 25-mm tubular tires on the road, except for special events such as the cobbled classics, where 28-mm or even larger tires are fitted. It's true that the use of 23-mm tires is diminishing except for time trials and the like.

I agree that wider tires may be more enjoyable for someone returning to road riding later in life. That said, at 70, my road bikes (all of which are aluminum, which I prefer over the other choices) roll on 25-mm or 28-mm tires. I'll probably end up using 28 mm on all of them because I enjoy the extended mileage and reduced likelihood of flatting.

Plus, at 5' 8" and about 115 pounds, I don't worry much about ride comfort, since I run my tires at 60 or 70 psi. People who have gained rather than lost weight over the years would probably be better served with wider tires.

big john

I ran "teeny tiny" 23s on everything for 35 years and only switched to 25s recently. I feel a difference but it's not huge. 28s don't really fit on my Seven. I have one road bike that won't fit 25s. I could put 28s on my Gunnar but why?
Here is the Gunnar with 23s on a cold day.