RuralMSRider

Hey guys this will be my first post and I hope I have it in the right location. Well I've really started to enjoy cycling here recently (2 months straight 20 -30 miles after work daylight permitting). But the only problem is I'm riding an old walmart schwinn sidewinder! It's much to slow and averaging 14-15 isn't good enough for me! So I know it's definitely time to invest in a decent quality bike. The only thing is I cannot for the life of me decide what I want. I only have one LBS in town and they really push trek and cannondale, and mostly MTB's. I know I don't want a full fledged MTB because I really go for distance on paved roads. But a lot of the roads I ride are pretty rough due to lack of maintenance. So at the LBS they pointed me towards a Quick CX5 and an 8.3DS. I rode both and liked the Trek. I also tested a MTB but definitely want something faster on the road. I'm thinking I'd really like the 7.3FX because I plan on mostly pushing myself further and further on road rides. But in saying that I realize I might be better off with a road bike. So I was thinking of stretching my budget quite a bit and getting a Trek 1.2. Any ideas and suggestions would be highly appreciated! Sorry for the long winded post.

huizar

I think the first thing you'd want to decide is what type of riding you'd like to do: super fast road racing? Going all day or for days at a time? Doing any shopping on the bike? Biking to work? Thinking about crushing some hills? This will help you decide which type of bike to get (Road / Cyclocross / Touring / Hybrid / Etc.). Since you said you'll be on pavement and want to get some decent speed going, I'd recommend against a mountain bike for sure. If you want to be able to carry loads, you might think of going with a touring bike or cyclocross bike that has a longer chainstay length. If you value comfort over speed, you might think about a hybrid or a road bike with a more relaxed geometry (anything that gets you more upright). If you want speed, you want to go road bike. Most bikes are built with a particular intention in mind, and that's what makes buying a good bike both super fun and super annoying. Think about what you want out of the bike, the kind of riding you want to do, the kind of places you want to get to, and then find the right subforum on here for you. I wanted a "sporty commuter" and got great recommendations out of the Commuting forum. Anyhow, good luck!

fietsbob

Come by the shop, here, they will let you test ride a few.

Trek is one of their Main Brands ..

Little Darwin

If your objective is speed (which it seems to be) you need a road bike due to lower wind resistance with the more aerodynamic position.

A 7.3 FX does me fine, but I really don't care about speed as much as some people. For a hybrid, it performs well.

rumrunn6

re: "I only have one LBS in town and they really push trek and cannondale, and mostly MTB's"

who's gonna ride the bike? them? you? buyers remorse is rampant. sounds like you need to shop shop before you bike shop! :-) try other towns and other shops, look for shops that aren't pushy, especially not toward any type of bike or any brand in particular. don't rush it, don't get emotional about any particular bike or color. maybe experiment with a used bike from craigslist. don't know where you live but near me there are tons of used road bikes in lots of price categories. visit some sellers and take some test rides. chances are, if you buy right, the bike is gonna last you 10+ years, so don't rush it. that said, lots of us go through bikes like some people go through cars, me included! :-) but do you wanna spend $1,000.00 every couple of years? I've spent the day in the car driving interstate to get the right bike, so don't feel bad about doing a little traveling and testing.

wingtipsdown

I'm new as well and after much research - I chose a Sportive bike (Arriving this week).
I was looking for miles, not racing. Something fairly comfortable and a little more flexible which is what the Sportive models are all about.
Do some searches on youtube and you will find some really good data.

VegasTriker

Your principal concern is speed. If the roads are really bad then choosing a road bike with narrow high pressure tires (e.g., 700C X 23) is going to beat you to death. A light bike with narrow high pressure tires is going to be a lot faster compared to your Schwinn but the trade off probably isn't going to be worth the discomfort. You also right that a mountain bike, though better on rough roads and off-road, is probably not a good choice either. Most come with a lower gear range suited to climbing hills on rough terrain and have knobby tires that slow you down on paved roads. You can change tires for no much but that will not make up for the lower gear range. Try to find a bike that is lightweight and has a road bike gear range, 28 to 124 gear inches for example. The upper end is useful on downhill runs and the lower end is low enough for most riders to climb hills easily. I'd also go along with the suggestion to look for a used bike until you are certain what you want in a bike. It beats buying an expensive bike that doesn't meet your needs and ends up an expensive lesson on what not to buy.

I looked up the term Sportive Bike and found that it is a modified road bike which appears to be popular in Great Britain. Prices run from a little under 700 pounds to 1000 pounds which I think translates to a bit under $1,000 and up. Of course we can always come up with a crappy version of anything that is good as evidenced by the ad I saw for a used one: 24"shimano 5 speed sportive bike for sale - $45 (kissimmee) A lot of the others listed were in the $1K to $3K range used.

RuralMSRider

Thanks for all the input guys. Stopped by the shop today to drop off a friends bike and tried a Cdale quick 5, the 7.3fx and 8.3ds by trek. Enjoyed all of them but the treks stood out. Only decision left is to get the front suspension or ditch it for a little less weight and a little less comfort!

Berta

Some suspension forks have lockout capability, so if you think you'd benefit from suspension in certain situations, that's something to consider. Not sure how noticeable the extra weight of a suspension fork vs. rigid would be to you, though. There are a variety of opinions on BF regarding the usefulness of suspension on general road riding.

yugyug

Those treks have 32c and 38c tires respectively - IMO thats plenty big for road riding and suspension is not needed unless you go off-road.

Strikor1

Hello guys!



Can someone please help me!



My bike was stolen and im in the market for a new one! Not spending a fortune as my last one cost a lot and im not going down that route again!



As my knowledge is very limited can someone please tell me which is better please(i.e. spec etc)?



Halfords Ireland | Carrera Gryphon Hybrid Bike - Large 21"



or



Buy Claud Butler Mercury Gold 2012 - Hybrid Sports Bike at Tredz Bikes.



I have no idea!



Thanks a mil!