lungustefan

All right,I live in Romania and I own this:
Eurosport DHS | TRAVEL 28"
it's a DHS 2855,city bike,with 700/28 tyres

the ride is/was great,because of the straightup position in the saddle,and i know its not aerodynamic but thats what I have for now.

It costs around 200 euros/220$

I want to buy a 1000-2000$ road bike,and I have some questions
1.What shall I look out for?I want an endurance bike because they say its more confortable,but is it really true?I mean,how unconfortable are aero road bikes?I've never ridden one in my life

2.What separates a 300$ road bike from a 3000$ or even 10000$ one?I mean I know they are made either of carbon or aluminium,with different gearing and geometries,but other than that why do they cost that much?

I am tempted to buy a cannondale synapse 105 2016 with disk brakes,it's an endurance bike.Any suggestions?

Homebrew01

cannondale synapse is a great bike. "Endurance" bikes usually have taller head tubes, and slightly less aggressive geometry.

The super expensive bikes are basically lighter, with the top tier also having electronic shifters.

berner

You can buy a fine and fast bike for $1000 more or less. More expensive bikes are lighter and have more expensive components and will be oriented toward speed. Speed oriented bikes use narrower tires than commuters and will not have room for fenders or any way to mount a rear rack to carry things. There is a class of bikes that are not full expedition touring bikes which might be called Sport Tourers. These bike will fit fenders and wider tires and a rear rack and thus are quite versatile and are still quite fast. In order to narrow your choices from the vast number of bikes available it will help you to have an idea of how you will use the bike.

fietsbob

The bike frame and each part have a cost. The total cost of a bike is the sum of the cost of the parts. (at factory wholesale)

+ the business margins to get it ready to ride in a Bike shop.

Still the motor is You. fast=work.

lungustefan

yaeh true

I will be riding it in city,ofcourse there will be potholes,but I can avoid them.And on the road ofcourse

One question though

how does one ride a road bike on a road with 2 lanes ,where trucks pass you at speeds of 50-80kph and they literally blow you apart?

cause I tried riding my current bike on a true road with 2 lanes,and the trucks and cars were going with about 60kph or more,and the wind was soo strong,I could barely do over 15kph even in a low gear.I had to get off the road altogether and ride on a gravel track adjacent to the road cause the cars were horning me to get off the road cause they had to slow down too much ,and the wind they created after passing me was horrendous.

So,how does one ride a road bike on such a road?

Seattle Forrest

Please test ride plenty of them before you buy one. A good shop will let you do a longer ride on a bike you're interested in buying. Test several, even ones you don't really like, if you can, to get a sense of what makes them different, it'll help you figure out what's best for you.

lungustefan

and another question

shall I buy a road bike with disk brakes?Mostly endurance focused.

Cause I heard they have better braking power modulation,and they work much better in the rain.Or are the sstandard brakes good enough even for a road bike?cause rememgber,some time,these brakes WILL save your life

Homebrew01

I wouldn't ride on such roads.
If you have a gravel track alternative, and plan to ride it regularly, consider a cyclocross bike that will accept wider tires.

Homebrew01

Disc brakes have a benefit in mtn biking and cyclocross because disc brakes are better in wet, muddy conditions.
None to slight advantage on road bikes, when descending steep hills in the rain, with some carbon rims.
99.5% of road riders will not benefit from disc brakes, but no real reason to avoid them, if they're on a quality bike.

lungustefan

well,yes mate,me neither,but in essence ALL the roads are exactly like this.That road was a mere 5-10km away from my city,and it was very sunny,28 degrees C,and no winds in the city,but big winds outside.And that's my question,how does one ride a road bike on a circulated,windy road?cause you won't find empty roads just waiting for you,will you?and those conditions are,more or less,the standard on nearly all roads fit for a road bike

Homebrew01

Lots of nice empty roads where I ride.
Sorry you have to face heavy traffic. Safety first

lungustefan

does an endurance road bike work in cities?mainly streets and pavement,but sidewalk too.Ofcourse,potholes.

fishboat

I think touring folks appreciate disc brakes when loaded, wet(or not), and facing a long downhill stretch.

Homebrew01

An endurance bike is a regular road bike, that commonly comes with 23mm or 25mm tires. If you expect to ride on rough roads, trails, gravel etc, on a regular basis, then wider tires may be a better option. Some road bikes have room for wider tires, some no not.

That's why I suggested a cyclocross bike, or the new "Gravel grinder" category, which is like a road bike, but expected to handle rougher situations.

So, first determine how & where the bike will be used most of the time.

Do you have a bike shop nearby ??

Seattle Forrest

I live in Seattle. I like disc brakes because it doesn't mean I need to replace my rims every other year.

lungustefan

well I already told you mate,the city of Bucharest,so pavement and asphalt,and the occasional sidewalk,which is sometimes harsh.Also bumps in the road.Occasional long range trip on highway

ramzilla

There's an old saying that goes like this: "if you're going to be stupid you better be tough". If you can't avoid busy roads, then you should invest in very bright colored riding clothes, flashing LED lights on front & back and, protective helmet & gear. Good luck. Be good & have fun.

Nachoman

Never heard that one.

ltxi

Cheap and Expensive are polar. I'd never advocate cheap. For most folk I'd believe the best answer would be good quality inexpensive.

blue192

As long as you buy a bicycle at a dedicated bicycle shop and not a department store you will have a 96% chance of a good bike. More expensive generally means lighter components or carbon fiber. Most don't need this for getting around and does not actually make you faster (I know several people in this forum like them however).

twodownzero

I live in the desert, and I like disc brakes because if my wheels are slightly out of true, they don't need to be fixed immediately.

The difference between an $800 road bike and a $3000 road bike and an $8000 road bike is mostly marketing. Even just having my preferred tires on a bike probably makes more of a difference than Sora vs. Dura Ace or whatever. The DA bike is lighter though and will probably have a lighter wheelset. I think I'd rather have a cheap road bike with a bad ass set of carbon wheels than a $2500 bike with whatever come on them.

American Euchre

Most people don't consider an $800 road bike to be "cheap." I told someone I was considering getting a road bike on closeout for $900, and the gal I was talking to almost fainted. She said she was buying a bike but didn't want to spend more than $80.

twodownzero

An $800 road bike at a bike store is a bottom-basement level bicycle. If someone doesn't consider that cheap, they have probably been looking at department store bicycles, which are toys/junk compared to even the cheapest bike shop bicycle. $80 wouldn't even buy the tires for even a mid-level bicycle.

$800 might buy you a mid grade bike on Bikes Direct, but it sure isn't much to spend at a bike shop.

American Euchre

That's just ridiculous. Entry level bikes at most bike shops is around $300, and often far less.

techsensei

Well, the discussion is specifically about road bikes, and there are very very few $300 ones. But $800 is definitely a cut above the bottom basement. I'd say the bottom for road bikes is about $500, less on sale. Regardless, a Cannondale Synapse 5 is a very nice bike, as it should be for $1500 (or whatever it costs in Romania). Me being a cheapskate, I'd look for a closeout; you'd get the same for less money, or more for the same money