Which brand? Which Brand?
 

I'm another victim of the dreaded IT band syndrome from running, and I'm just flat out tired of going slow. So I'm looking to switch sides of the road and start moving a little quicker.

I'm looking to spend between $800 and $1200 on a bike, and I don't have that many acquatences that are cyclists. I live in Columbus, Ohio and I've been in to the two LBS in my area and I'm not sure of which brand to go with. One store sells Specialized, C-dales, and Giants while another sells Bianchi's and some other sells Fuji's. When I ask these guys to compare one brand to the other store brand, they avoid the question.

Can someone give me the low-down on bike brands considering my price range?

All of the brands you mention have good bikes. The first thing is which ones fit and feel the best, then you can compare other things such as price and components. In that price range you may also want to look at Trek, specifically the 1500, it is a nice bike for around $1000. Hope this helps.

Allan

Get a specialized, they are the best.

i love the cannondales, look at the 04 R600, it has a nice mix of ultegra, and 105.

Welcome to the right side of the road! :beer:
They're all good brands. In your price range you should be able to get a nice entry level road bike, or a mid to higher end hard-tail mountain bike, depending on what interests you.

Like it was said before, look at which bike is most comfortable, and compare the componentry, such as shifters, wheels, seats, brakes etc. For online reviews of specific bikes go to: mtbr.com for mountain bikes, and roadbikereview.com for road bikes. They're both pretty good sites, but I guess all online consumer review sites should be taken with a grain of salt, or two. Good luck, have fun.

Pick the bike shop you like best. One with a good mechanic, a good attitude, and who know how to fit you properly. This is generally more important than the label on the bike.
Pick your bike style with care. Do you want a fair-weather racing/fitness/fun bike or an all-weather training bike. Do you want to commute or do overnight tours?

Hi,
it is possible to have IT problems from riding. My exeperience leads me to believe that improper fit is the cause. The distance
between the cranks is called the Q. If the Q is too narrow then the IT muscle will be used during pedaling, which can lead to irritation. Fortunately most bikes these days have adequate Q. Of course, if you're skinny in the hips, it is just possible to have the opposite problem. When you pedal, pay attention to your knees. If they splay outwards, this is not good. Also, do an IT stretch after riding, at least for a while.

I'm partial to Bianchi's but you need to just take several for rides and see which bike suits you best. The staff at the LBS can be a big help.

Thanks for some of the tips. It looks like bike fit is the most important, and then I just need to try some bikes out. I also guess since some people have different riding styles some people are just going to like certain brands over others.

Happy Riding!

Some brands are configured differently than others.

I.e., traditionally the LeMond road bike is considered to have a longer top tube, which many have found to be most suitable to those of us (me!!) with long bodies and shorter legs.

Fit, fit, fit.

That is the single most important thing.

If you can get a good Local Bike Shop in whom you have confidence and who takes the time to fit you properly, you will be way ahead of the game.

To my knowledge, all of the top "brands" will give you an excellent bike. Some of thoise would be Cannondale, Trek, Specialized, Lemond, Bianchi, Giant etc., and some would argue Raleigh.

Component variables (like selecting a good motor and transmission for a new car - if you had that choice) - might be whether or not the bike has Campagnola (Campy) or Shimano components (big argument about which are better) and the level of component.

I am not familiary much with Campy - Chorus and Record at the top.

Shimano would include at the lower end Tiagra and Sora, with 105 being in the middle and Dura Ace and Ultegra at the top.

There is a good book - "Bicycling for Dummies" which is really pretty comprehensive.

So go and get fitted!!