Shuffleman

If the bike fits you than I would go for it. Felt is a great bike. Personally, haggling over $20 is not worth it to me. Buy the bike and then go get some handlebar tape and re-wrap it. You can get this for $10-$30 with no problem. Clean the bike real well and oil the chain. Ride it a few times before you decide to take it in for service. It truly may not need it.
1200 miles is nothing. The average rider probably does more than that in a year. If that bike is 5 years old than it has probably been ridden 50-100 times. That really is not much if you think about it.
My first road bike was a Felt and they are outstanding.
After looking at the picture again, it just looks dirty. Her loss because if she cleaned it up it would sell for more.
I have a Prologo seat and love it but I find it funny when people call new seats "upgrades". It is only an upgrade if it is more comfortable and that is a subjective thing. My old Felt seat was quite comfortable.

Emperor Ryker

So I bought the Trek 2.1 for $450...

lyrictenor1

Congrats on the new ride! Now, let's see some pics!

Emperor Ryker

I don't have a camera, so the pictures will have to wait, but what else do I now need before I go on my first ride?

The pedals don't have straps, so do I need those and bike shoes, as well? I'd rather not spend money on shoes, if possible, so I don't know. I'm not sure about straps, though. But I figure I need at least a helmet, possibly bibs and a jersey, a flat tire repair kit (and learn how to use it first), a computer for mileage and stuff, anything else?

Well, I'm not buying that bike now, but I did think the seat was really comfortable.

gjhsu

Just get some platform pedals, a helmet, shorts if you want, and just get out there and pedal hard

Emperor Ryker

Meh, I guess you're right in that I don't need much. I'll get a helmet and I really want a cycling computer to keep track of stats, but perhaps I don't really need a jersey, at least not for now. I'll definitely get a flat repair kit, too, so does something like this (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A2BMREPQ5C8WT7 or https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A1W6FFIBXHB164) suffice?

What do you mean by platform pedals, though? The bike has pedals, but I didn't get straps or toe cages with them. They look like the ones in this picture:

Willbird

At least one water bottle and cage. Platform pedal is just a flat pedal for using regular shoes, some of them you can bolt toe cages and straps onto, or use without .

patch kit and a spare tube, co2 inflation setup or a mini pump, GOOD metal core tire levers....the Walmart solid plastic ones will just bend. I have a couple sets of origin8 levers I got from Amazon ,found one set at lbs, ordered second set from green canyon on amazon

Bill

lyrictenor1

The pedals pictured there have cages and straps.

Emperor Ryker

Yes, but mine don't, the cages and straps have been taken off, and I bought the bike without them. The pedals themselves are as picture above, though.

Stucky

Congrats on the bike!!!!

You can buy a set of toe clips with straps on Amazon for $12. (Get the metal ones...the plastic ones are cheesy!). You can still ride the bike perfectly fine without them, in the meantime. Water bottle; flat-repair stuff/spare tube are the main necessities. Just get out there and ride....you'll soon learn which things are important, and which you can do without. (And if you're not taking really long rides, you can do without a lot)

Enjoy!!!!

Emperor Ryker

Thanks! What kind of spare tube do I need, by the way?

cale

Your Majesty, you will find that the longer you ride, the harder it is on your arches because they are unsupported when the ball of your foot is properly positioned over the pedal axle. That's why cyclists tend towards stiff soled shoes. Take care, in your new riding enthusiasm, to watch that you don't injure yourself. New bikes take adjusting to so take it easy at first.

Shuffleman

Congrats on the new bike. I hope that you really enjoy it. As others have stated you really must have a helmet. A seat bag for a spare tube and repair kit is pretty handy. I would also get a bottle cage for sure. Shorts with a chamois are pretty nice to have but not a necessity. A convenience for sure. Make sure that you get a descent pump with a gauge. The standard bike pumps do not typically inflate at the higher psi's needed for a road bike tire.

a1penguin

What size tires are on the bike? Read the sidewall. They are probably 23 or 25c where c is mm essentially. Tubes generally cover a range of tire sizes, Mine are 23-28c. Tire diameter is 700 unless you purchase very small frame bike which would have 650. So you want 700x25 tubes. My LBS has them with different length stems.

I also recommend gloves. They are safety equipment; protect your hands from road rash.

That's a great looking bike!

ColaJacket

I just got a Fuji Sportif 1.3 c - 2014. I had to order it, and it came in this past weekend.

I got the bike fitted for me, and I also bought a few accessories:
Giro Monza helmet;
Bike Shorts; Not Lycra until I lose some weight.
Bike Gloves (fingerless);
Bottle holders (2; White w/Black Trim) and Bottles; I could have gone cheaper, but I wanted holders to match my bike.
Bike pump; and a tire fix kit (a guy at Performance helped me put it together. This include a spare tube);
Pedals;

As for the tube, take the bike to a LBS, and tell them you a tire fix kit. Some of them have kits already prepared, and all you'll need to add is the tube, and the LBS should help you determine the correct one.

I used a 20% off coupon, so that the accessories above were only a little over $200. I didn't get the clip-on/clipless pedals, because I want to get used to riding the bike a little bit before worrying about clipping in. And I hit the Performance sale, so I'll have right at $200 in a couple of weeks that I can use on some of the things that I want (but don't need for safety), such as the clipless/clip-on pedals and shoes, a bike computer, and maybe some cycling lights as the summer starts to wane. If I get down to under 200#, I may treat myself to some regular bike shorts (lycra) and a jersey. Until then, I figure that the baggy shorts and a t-shirt will do.

GH

Cafe

The Fuji or the trek are both good. Try not to get too caught up in the marketing koolaid, and stay away from clip less pedals. Seriously, they are overrated. Been there done that, and I love my light platforms without straps. I firmly believe clip less pedals will not make you faster or more efficient for the average joe.

dr_lha

Meh. I rode platform pedals for 25 years. Clipless have been a revelation to me after thinking they were a gimmick for so long. Horses for courses I guess.

EDIT: I should add that I rode platforms with no straps/cages. I could never get on with those things. I find using clipless much easier than "clipped".

Stucky

^This!

Although I now ride clipless pedals, it's only because the pedals came with my used Klein when I bought it; so I had to get a pair of cleats just to try it. I tried it. They're O-K....but they make absolutely no difference to my rides. If I had to go back to straps and cages, I wouldn't complain at all. Maybe the clipless are a little easier to get oriented and clip into- Big deal....

ColaJacket

Clipless pedals (and caged pedals) are more efficient than simple platforms, as they allow you to use the upstroke to generate power, also. You might want to ride for a while before you get cages or clipless/clip-on pedals. I'm going that way for a little while with my new bike, until I get more comfortable on it. I'll probably eventually get some clipless/clip-ons, probably SPD type.

Also, I've found this site has a lot of useful information, especially for beginners.

GH

seperry

Not everyone wants steak. Some people just want something to eat.

Gweedo1

Hmm...just had the exact opposite experience. After some extensive shopping and investigating, picked up NOS 2014 Fuji Roubaix 1.1 c. Nothing else came close for value, i.e. cost and quality...nothing. The frame and group components were better quality, far better in the case of at least the big three name brands' similar models, for less money. Way less in some cases. You do realise they're pretty much all built in the same place, by the same people using pretty much the same materials and manufacturing techniques, yes? The Ultegra RD and 10 speed shift levers with 105 brakes and FD and cassette work no less better on my Fuji than on another brand's frame, and the wheels/hubs/post/bars etc. are of no less quality than that found on other bikes costing much more. (wheels re 1960 grams btw) Sure, I may replace the saddle one day, but that's not unusual. In fact, it's a common upgrade.

Don't know how you spent 2K on a bike and were not aware of the specs before hand, but that's your issue, not Fuji's, as they make their specs easy to access. I won't mention any brand names here, but head to head, dollar for dollar, quality for quality, the Fuji was a revelation for me, and I consider myself an informed and discerning buyer, and a cyclist not without some experience riding better quality bikes. I hope anybody reading this will not hesitate on buying a Fuji over name brand bikes...just look at the components and frame, (Fuji guarantees their Al frames for life to the original owner) and price, and buy with confidence...you will get yourself a great little bike. Not that a bigger name brand wouldn't be good too...but why pay more for similar quality when you don't have too? I saved *a lot* in my case.

Maelochs

@Emperor Ryker: Please forgive me for not reading the whole thread.

Two points (probably covered by others)" First, many of us started with a bike like that Fuji, and if we are older, considerably heavier and less technical than that Fuji. Yet, we made it here.Fact is, that Fuji would have been considered a technical woder 30 years ago, and really, it still is. it's just that it isn't the latest and greatest.

if no one ever told you otherwise, you could ride that Fuji for about literally the rest of your life and never have a complaint. It would be reliable and fun and you would just see it as "my bike," and you would just ride it. (Remember when we were kids?)

Here you will meet people who compete to have the best bike, or people who simply love bikes as much as they love riding, and who aspire to better and better bikes.

I am one of the latter---but right now two-thirds of my miles are on a $500 BD bike about similar to that Fuji (though I have upgraded) but still, I love it and I love Riding it, which is what it is all about. if you stop thinking about it in terms of competitive cycling acquisition, and just Ride the thing, you will wear a big smile much of the time.

it is not just a bike, it is a decent bike. Even a good bike--if bikes are two-wheeled transportation/recreation devices. It will be there and be rideable and it will be as fun to ride as you let it.

Second ... there is another option (depending on your friends) which is to look everywhere--and have your friends look everywhere-- for garage-sale and burned-out bikes. Buy five $25-dollar bikes and make two reliable bikes ... and then ride to further-away bike shops.

It would then be a few months till you have another $500 to spend, but you would A.) be riding in the meantime and B.) be visiting shops you hadn't been to before.

All it takes is one friend with a friend with a relative who bought a bike 30 years ago and barely road it and left it sitting in the garage or shed since then, to have some basic transportation, or maybe just a lot of good parts to add to a frame from the trash or something.

You could even buy really old bikes from Craigslist or something, and if they didn't fit perfectly, so what? A few parts from Wal-mart, and you could ride to a further away bike shop and expand your range of purchasing options.

I guess what I am saying, since you have shown so much patience already, you could use a little more before dropping the (for you) big bucks and still get a basic rideable bike. The worst thing about buying a bike is buyer's remorse. The more you shop, the better you can refine your search and get what you would really enjoy having.

Also ... if you visit enough shops, you might find exactly what fits you, but if ti is overpriced, you can then shop online for something very similar.

As for building up a BikesDirect bike ... you don't need anything but basic household tools (a few allen wrenches (which you would want anyway if you own a bike) and maybe a crescent wrench and/or channel-locks.) And absolutely everything about bicycle assembly/repair is available on the Internet. There are 10,000 YouTube videos on everything from building a frame to changing a flat.

If you get a mail-order bike you stick the seat in, turn the handlebars straight, stick the wheels on, and adjust the cables. I saw a bunch of complete novices assemble a bunch of BikeDirect bikes this spring with about three minutes instruction---no exaggeration. The only thing someone experienced did was cable adjustment---something you will want to learn to do anyway, and ridiculously easy, and something about which you can find a thousand videos.

Be well and enjoy riding.

Maelochs

LOL ... read the rest of the thread ... I quit at page three and on page four you bought a bike. Congratulations ... you are infected now. You will never again be free of this wonderful disease.

dingdongwinwong

I got my Fuji 2.5 for for 440 euros. I upgraded the shimano claris groupset to Ultegra (~ 350 euros) and everything seems to work like a wonder..ended up with a strong sturdy bike (unlike fragile carbon ones - unsuitable for ****e roads) with excellent components for roughly 800 euros..the bike only weights under 10 kg..