From Powerlifter to Bicyclist
 

I'm an 18 year-old from foggy san francisco and recently found an old motobecane sitting in the garage and decided to give it a ride. I first just went around then block, then around the neighborhood, then around the city and now I'm in love. I'm planning on buying a new road bike before college to take up with me to oregon (well actually bike parts and then throw them together, I'm a big DIY-er). This sport is unlike anything I've done before seeing as its so based on endurance whereas powerlifting just favors the brute. I've been taking about 30 mile rides daily and plan on never stopping. But first I hope to crack the code that is road biking because from reading the forums it has a **** load of jargon.

hey welcome. I'm a 20 year old newbie myself...going for my first group ride tom morning.

make sure you get fitted, do your home work but don't get to caught up with reviews and internet stories.

make sure it fits, I chose a cannondale caad9 after test riding a specialized allez elite, giant OCR and TCR variants, and a few scott's.

don't spend a fortune on the first one...

oh and get fitted properly.

Chad

welcome. Its not uncommon. for powerlifters/weighlifters/bodybuilders to take up cycling. I'll tell you what an older guy told me once.

"lifting weights and 10 speeds, the ladies love it!" lifting weights and road bikes, is what its all about.

have fun on the forum, and don't get too serious around here, nobody does.

whats a good price to spend? I'm thinking in the 1000 price range.

for $1,000 bucks you can get yourself a really nice ride, aluminum is going to be your frame choice at that price range most likely.

my caad9 was $1100 and worth every penny...LOTS of bike for the money.


also make sure to budget for gear...pedals, helmet, shorts, shoes, gloves, saddle bag and spare tire kit.

Chad

also, in that price range is it wise to build yourself or are you better off buying something preassembled?

building yourself for sure at that price range.

the caad9 frame alone is over $500. a 105 group set is 500+

i was going to do the build it route...maybe for the next bike down the road.


Chad

Do not built it yourself if you want to save money unless you already have the parts and just need a frame. You will get much more bang for your buck buying a whole bike than its parts as bike makers get factory direct deals and you are paying retail on stuff with large markups.

For the price range you are talking about, I'd really look at used road bikes. $1100 new is where road bikes start getting really decent components, so you ought to be able to get a great used bike for that amount.

Go over to the Classic and Vintage board. There's a lot of Motobecane love over there. Ask a few questions and you may find you've a very good bike that will do what you want it to do...maybe do a few mods on it.

Hello Duchene, I can attest to the fact that Motobecanes are well loved in C & V :) . I have a Motobecane Jubile mixte myself, and one of my friends, stringbreaker, just picked up a Jubile mixte himself! Odd, because the Jubile mixtes are rather rare, and we picked up gorgous examples of the mixte within a few miles and weeks of each other!

East Hill
Forum Moderator

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I was a body builder into my 30s until I accepted that biking was better for me. Sheldon Brown's web site can explain some of the terms. Try his Glossary. Lighting systems are still a great place for Do It Yourselfers.