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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Need help picking bike

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Old 09-28-16 | 08:16 AM
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Bikes: Giant Contend

Need help picking bike

I'm looking to buy a bike to do triathlons and to do bike rides. I do not plan on winning just competing. This will be my first road bike that is younger then me. I have $600 to spend.
I know nothing about bikes. I talked to sales people and theirs are best, I look online and get confused.
These are some that are in my area:

Kona Esatto

https://https://probikesllc.com/m/prod...0-178689-1.htm



https://https://probikesllc.com/m/prod...3-264148-1.htm


https://https://probikesllc.com/m/prod...3-264219-1.htm

Last edited by Archerobx; 09-28-16 at 08:34 AM.
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Old 09-28-16 | 08:28 AM
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From: Central PA

Bikes: 2016 Black Mountain Cycles Monster Cross v5, 2015 Ritchey Road Logic, 1998 Specialized Rockhopper, 2017 Raleigh Grand Prix

Your URLs are broken.

The "Liv" is a woman's bike, in case you didn't realize.

Those bikes you list are all decent, low end bikes.

The important thing is to find a bike that fits you and you enjoy riding. I would suggest that you visit your bike shop and see if they will let you try out any of the bikes. Make clear that you have a budget limit, and remember that you'll need to budget for things like helmets, water bottles, cages and clothing.
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Old 09-28-16 | 08:30 AM
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My bad getting links up.
I was going to ask to ride before I buy. I just don't want to be taken advantage of
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Old 09-28-16 | 08:30 AM
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These are all good choices in this price range: aluminum alloy frames with more upright frame geometry and solid components. There are probably many other options to consider as well, but all will be very similar. From here, I would try to find the one that fits you best. Assuming all offer frame sizes that fit you, I personally like the Kona the best due to the bigger tire clearance. The last one is woman specific (not sure if you're female).
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Old 09-28-16 | 08:36 AM
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The last one is female . That is why I asked y'all. That could been embarrassing.
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Old 09-28-16 | 09:05 AM
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From: Antioch, IL

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find something on the used market. this might not be a popular opinion, but, I'd go to a shop or two and find out what type of bike I liked, test ride a few, figure out what size is appropriate and find something in those parameters on the used market. $600 will get you a really nice used bike that probably has a ton of the options already with it (bottle cages, pedals, seat bag/wedge pack, etc)
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Old 09-28-16 | 09:57 AM
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Once I took the extra 'HTTP' out of your links, I could check them out. Decent prices.

The first thing to understand is that the fit of the bike is going to be super-important. You'll want to figure out what size bike you need. Your height and whether or not your limbs are unusually short or long for your frame would probably allow you to figure out a size that would work for you.

The next thing to understand is that with your budget, you'll be making some concessions. The main concession is in the level of the components on the bike. The quality and weight of the components will go down/up as the price decreases. It's important to understand that they're going to still be perfectly functional, however.

The caad8 is a good bike. Note that the shifter has a thumb button instead of the second paddle behind the main brake lever. Some are not terribly fond of this design. I've used both and found that the thumb button thing wasn't that big of a deal.

The giant contend is also a good option. It has a slightly newer version of the low-end shifter that uses the more traditional shifter design.

Between the two, I'd say it's kind of a toss-up. If your budget is the main deciding factor, I'd go for the Caad for save a few bucks and invest the remainder in the inevitable equipment you're going to want/need (helmet, padded shorts, flat-fix-it kit, clippy pedals/shoes, etc. etc. etc.)
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