Alligator

I've been commuting, running errands, and generally having fun with a number of bikes for a number of years, but I've never ridden a road bike. I think it's about time. I'm 170 pounds, 6 feet tall, and in good shape. I feel like I know enough about bikes to know what I like, but I also feel like I know very little about road bikes.

I've read a number of articles, and will be visiting a bike store tomorrow. If I spend $2-3k, is that enough and what can I expect for that price?

Recommendations are always appreciated. I tend to favor high-quality but lesser known brands.

Finally, how do I get started in the road bike community?

Thanks!

Buffalo Buff

Go test ride a few and talk with the shops around you about fit. That's the biggest thing to pay attention to right now, how well each bike fits you.

I went with a Ridley Fenix for my first road bike and I'm incredibly happy with it. Also tested out a Cannondale and a Fuji that felt nice, but the Ridley is the one that fit me the best. I paid around $1,000 for my Fenix equipped with 10 speed shimano 105 components, carbon fork, aluminum frame. The carbon frame version was another $600.

I've never felt like my bike was holding me back, so I'm happy with my choice.

To get started in the community, ask the different shops about group rides. You can also google for info, a lot of bigger cities will have their own cycling advocacy group.

milkbaby

Check out your local bike shops, $2-3k will get you an awesome road bike. The gap between an entry level $700 road bike to an expensive $10000 road bike is exceedingly small nowadays. You'll get over 99% of the performance from the sub-$1000 bike at a fraction of the cost of a $10k bike.

While you're at the shop, you can also ask about local cycling clubs as well as any group rides the shop sponsors. Good luck and enjoy the ride!

Mkhira2

My first road bike was an entry level aluminum Specialized Allez for $700. I upgraded it slowly over time, but loved it from day one. For $2-3k (which is far more than enough, in my opinion) you can expect a solid carbon fiber frame with mid-level components suitable for racing and long rides.

The best way to get started in the road bike community is find a local bike shop you like, and see if they offer group rides, or ask the employees for route suggestions in the area. Perhaps one of them will offer to go on a ride or two with you and show you his/her favorite loop. Sign up for a bike rally in your town. Find other riders to group up with on message boards like this one. It's a great community.

Most importantly, have fun!

slimyfrog

I second and triple what others said about price and test riding a few bikes first.

For joining the road bike community I suppose it largely depends on where you live. I would check the regional forums here and from what I can tell most areas have clubs, teams or shops that host weekly open group rides. They range anywhere between leisurely and recreational to fast paced death rides. Where are you located?

thin_concrete

In addition to test riding, see if the local shop will let you take the bike for some extended period- a few hours or overnight. It's tough to get a feel for a bike in a 15-20 test in their parking lot. I was convinced by a salesperson at a LBS that I was perfect for a size 58 (he was the manager of that LBS). I'm 5'8" and was in excruciating upper back pain after a 15 miler and nearly gave up on cycling altogether.

I ended up going to another LBS and spent almost 3 hours with the owner and am now on a more size appropriate 53. Had I been able to demo that Domane for a real test ride, I would have known that a 58 should never have been a part of the conversation.

Darth Steele

Don't do it... us road bikers are a bunch of ****** bags.

- prancing around in spandex with an air of superiority towards other cyclist and a disdain for non road bikers.

- we would run over our grand mother pushing a baby stroller if she blocked the path and made us slow down.

- we laughed at peasants not able to drop the hammer and dial up 400 watts

- Lord have mercy on the soul if we say on "on your left" and he doesn't hear it.

- And last but not least.. we should castrate anyone not on Strava and has at least 3 KOMs.

again my friend I say unto you... remain human and stay far away from "road bikers"

Merry Christmas

GovernorSilver

Yikes!

I'm about the same height and was told at multiple LBS' that 57 would be too big for me - let alone 58!

To the OP, I echo the advice to visit at least one LBS and ride a bunch of road bikes. There are different kinds of road bikes these days - racing road bikes, gravel/adventure road bikes, touring road bikes, etc. Riding lots of different road bikes and communicating your wants/needs to the LBS should land you the right road bike.

thin_concrete

Well, the worst part is that I have a perfectly good Domane that isn't being used. The shop that sold it refuses to take it back even though there are less than 50 miles on it, and all of those are on a separate non-stock wheelset. I can understand their position somewhat, but I offered to take a hit, and I asked if I could upgrade and pay the difference plus some other amount.

I know when people ask me for a LBS recommendation, their name won't be one I mention.

Maelochs

For only $3000 you can't join the road-bike community. Doesn't matter what bike you buy.

Seriously, you can buy a good road bike for anywhere from $500 to fifteen times that amount.

Probably (depending on frame style) anything between 55 cm and 58 cm might fit you. it is always better to go a size small than a size big.

With that much to spend ... I envy you extremely. You have a choice of great machinery.

I'd suggest you try and figure exactly what kind of riding suits you best. Do you want to do two-hour group rides at a high pace? At a relaxed pace? Slower solo rides six hours long? Super-fast one-hour blasts? Do you want a bike you can use both to go fast and to get groceries or go to visit friends? Do you want to be able to go for week-long tours?

There are so many types of bikes, and the ones that are really good for some things won't be so good for others.

datlas 

Sweet spot for road bikes is $1500-2000. That gets you 105 level components and a good frame (aluminum or CF), allow a few hundred more for good clipless pedals, shoes, and misc. accessories.

Go to your LBS for fit and test ride.

ErichVonCartman

Great Decision!

Road Biking is the way to go. Road bikes are truly built for the road, you can spin easy and yet still be fast and cover a lot of ground. Or if you want to really hammer, you will be much faster on a Road Bike on the Road than a Mtn Bike. People that ride Mtn Bikes on the Road are truly missing out. I myself consider myself a "Mountain Biker" more than a Road Biker, but I spend more time on my 1 Road Bike with drop bars than the other bikes combined (with "flat" bars).

I think $2-$3k is a very nice limit to set! I myself would not spend that much for a first bike, $1200 is fine and buy some nice clothes, shoes, helmet, etc, etc. Ofcourse this is just my opinion, in the end you should spend and buy what you want.

I would get a $1200 bike, Ride for a year or more, upgrade as needed, buy parts as needed, and and at the same time you can also take your time to shop for a new bike (or build your own). It is much easier to find deals when you are not in a hurry. Then when new bike is finally done, turn around and sell that old bike for $700 or so. You can even put the upgraded parts on the new bike.

Me and my neighbor just each bought a Nashbar Carbon 105 for only about $825 shipped. Mine was converted to a "grocery bike" with flat bars. However, as a road bike straight from Nashbar, I can't see needing anything more. I have a $4000 Carbon Road Bicycle to compare to and I have to say, the Nashbar Bike is about 80% as good at a fraction of the price. Once Carbon Wheels is on the Nashbar, then it is 90% of my $4000 Dura Ace Bike. Shimano 105 gruppo comes very close to Dura Ace in performance, and only way you can really tell a difference is if you ride both gruppos back to back. And when I am saying 90% as good, it is all nitpicks. If I am faster on the $4000 bike, it is only because it is lighter. Both bikes feel equally fast as long as the climbs are moderate.

As for sizing, I would go with what is just recommended for your size. Then you can adjust from there. I would not try to nail anything the first time. With Road Bikes, you are on the bike in the same position much longer than the other bikes (XC Mtn Bikes, XC DH, Motocross, Motorcycle Road Racing, etc), so getting the perfect fit is important! but also know that it takes time. Over time, your riding position will also change. So make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get the perfect sized parts.

You will most likely start with a more upright position, but eventually you will go "longer" and "lower" the more you ride. The parts that come equipped with a factory bike are very rarely 1 for all. Sure you can live with them, but it's better to get maximum output with properly fitted parts.

Here are the adjustments I made to my Roadie only after 6 months:
- My Road Bike has a 540mm Effective Top Tube length with a 90mm stem, but now I am using 110mm stem.
- I use to have 1.5" of Spacers below the stem, now I am at .25".
- I have tried various seats, and it seems those that are shaped like the Selle Italia SLR, fit me best. However, a lot of people can't ride those seats. Finding the perfect seat takes time. Seats can get pretty expensive, but Nashbar sells various style for a very good price.
- I had 175mm cranks and 53/39 gearing, but now I am at 170mm cranks and 50/34. Compact Gearing is the way to go! The 170mm for me feel much better than the 175, and now I am thinking of even going 165mm.
- I have adjusted the seat height multiple times and it took about 2 months of riding before I nailed my preferred height. However, that "preferred height" is now no longer preferred as now I am thinking I need to raise about another .25".
- I started with 42cm width for handlbars, but now have 44cm, they just feel much more natural (to me).
- The biggest upgrade in my experience to make the bike faster is get some nice Chinese Carbon Wheels! The Chinese wheels will be about $500-800 shipped. Or get some $3000 Enves or Zipps if you have the money. Those 38mm or 50mm Carbon deep dish wheels just makes the bike feel so much better and faster, and you will feel it right away.

Have fun!

Maelochs

I agree with Everything EVCartmann says.

RPK79

So you smoke pot?

You should start a thread about this.

PaulRivers

I don't know what the other details are, but I wouldn't hesitate to mention their name as something negative. All the shops around me have return policies even on bikes - freewheel bike for example has a 30 day return policy where you only get in-store credit, but that's fine for realizing the bike is the wrong size.

Size is the #1 most important thing (I mean after it functioning safely), and everyone's "new" bike has been test ridden by someone else first - anything returned with < 100 miles on it can be cleaned up and sold as "new".

A shop that talks you into the wrong size then refuses to fix it with an exchange for the right size after just a few miles is a crappy shop.

ErichVonCartman

Seems like you have a problem of 1 of 3 things.. or maybe you even Hatez on all 3!
- pot smokers
- Erich von Cartmann
- Grocery Bikes

For the record, Erich does NOT smoke pot, but also don't see's nothing wrong with it. Erich does not believe in taking drugs other than maybe Endurox or Protein Powder. Even Aspirin is a NO NO to Erich.

Care to discuss offline what you hatez? Let's NOT discuss in this thread... I myself don't mind discussing it in this thread, but others will mind, and let's be considerate of them.

Erwin8r

I would go so far as to say that the level of intentional deceit is actionable--a simple demand letter and a threat of a small claims action might get them to remedy the situation. I would understand if it was close in size and you were finicky--but a new 58cm Domane for a 5'8" rider--from a bike shop employee let alone the store manager? Inexcusable...

ErichVonCartman

I guess it depends what that 5'8" guy is configured by the Heavens? 58 cm does seem to be on the big size, but it depends how long the guys arms are, and how he fits on the bike. If the Top Tube of that 58cm bike is only 55-56cm than he should be good to go.

Me personally, I have tried many 52cm bikes and they all fit so differently. I think if you stick to Effective Top Tube Length you can't go wrong. Some 52cm bikes I have found have a 51cm top tube while others have a 54.5! That is quite a huge gap. Me I like about 525-545mm ETT is perfect for me and and I can adjust from there with longer or shorter stem. Right now I am using a 110mm stem with a 537mm ETT. Which is like some 54 cm bike with 100mm stem.

GovernorSilver

Good points. I test rode about 10 different road bikes and even the ones that were supposed to be the right size for me varied quite a bit.

I'm glad the LBS owner who sold me my road bike put me through a bike fitting on the bike, just to make sure. This included putting the bike on some kind of roller stand and observing me as I pedaled on it, and taking measurements before, during, and after the test pedaling session on that stand. She thought I had longer than average arms for my height.

PaulRivers

I don't know that you could take it to court, but I agree that's completely ridiculous and is clear to me that it's a "sell whatevers on the sales floor who cares if it works for the customer" skeezy sales attitude. 5"8 on a 58cm frame? Depending on frame and body distribution (longer arms or longer legs), it could be anywhere from 52cm to 56cm. But 58cm is just "don't give a crap if you this fits you or not" territory. That's not even a reasonable guess.

McBTC

You get your money's worth up to about $2k. After that you get mostly just small incremental improvements up to about $3K. At about $5k you pretty much are paying top dollar to drive the state of the art. From there to $11K you're mainly buying bragging rights. That said, you can get a top flight bike for under ~$1300 if you're okay with an alloy frame and 105 components and ~$700 or less more for CF. So, $2-3K will get you quite a lot. I'd say maybe a 59 frame.

thin_concrete

Do you really think so? I have no problem going back there and trading in or up, and even asking for a refund. Please PM so we don't detract from the OP's purpose for this thread.

Alligator

Good to hear that I don't need to spend as much as I expected. I was basing that off the cost of a friend's bike, who is a serious rider. I did try to stop by a LBS today, even in the snow we are getting, but it turns out the LBS closed that location. They have a few more in the area, so I'll try again in a few days. I chose that store since they had BMC bikes, which I stumbled across while looking at different manufacturers.

I have a few months to find the right bike, since I'm in Minnesota. Plus, I have several other bikes in my garage (although none are road bikes!), so I have plenty to ride throughout the winter. Because of the snow, the studded tires are going on one today.

PaulRivers

$800 - entry level decent road bike, aluminum frame
$1,500 - similar frame but with crisper and longer lasting components - wheels, shifters, etc
$2,000 - entry level full carbon, decent stuff but entry level
$3,500 - usually the peak price/performance ratio for a full carbon bike, some people also like to buy a lighter wheelset and add it
> $4k - severely diminishing returns in exchange for much higher prices

These are all wide generalizations, but this is what I've found. I personally own a bike at the $800 level, and the $3,500 level. The $3,500 is definitely a machine that feels faster and more responsive - though actual numbers it's only a little faster. Frankly I ride the $800 bike more, because I'm not afraid to leave it locked up outside and the rack means it's more useful.

You certainly don't "need" to spend more than around $800. $800 is like a Toyota Camry, $3,500 is like a Lexus, above $4,000 is like buying a new experimental car lol. It sounds fun on paper, but almost everyone has better things to spend their money on.

#1 thing in buying a bike is buying the right size. Buying the wrong size bike because "it's a good deal" or "cool sounding components" is like buying jeans that are the wrong size - it's never worth any cost savings or brand name.

PaulRivers

I test rode around 15 bikes I think 2 summers ago - there is a difference in feel between $2k and $3.5k. I mean the manufacturers do it deliberately, but Trek for example. A $2k Emonda feels "fine", but the $3.3k Emonda feels like a slick put together race machine. All one unit, all moving together - dunno how else to describe it. The $2k Domane was fine, but the $3k Domane (don't remember the exact price) felt way more like a race machine. Less sloppy, more connected to the ground, etc.

I mean like I said in my previous post, in reality I mostly ride my $800 road bike because it can carry stuff, it rides "fine", and I can lock it up outside and not be overly paranoid about it. But personally I kinda feel like the $2k price point isn't useful to me - I'd rather either have a good-but-cheaper alloy bike, or a completely put together and slick feeling bike from the $3.5k range.