CReed

It's like entering a foreign country, this road bike business. The language is different, the customs are different, the clothing is VERY different. But just as the travel bug can bite hard, so it is with cycling.

About 3 months ago I got bit and I've spent most of that time on a 10-year-old Gary Fisher MB (that's mountain bike for you who are new to this country) with city slicks (those are smooth tires for MBs) and wearing a lot of cotton and basketball shorts.

About 4 weeks ago I decided it was time for a proper road bike (as kids we called them "10-speed"). My inclination is to do a lot of research when I buy anything significant and it became clear early on that road bikes had "significant" written all over them in the form of 4-digit price tags. What follows is a tidy novella on my experiences in the world of road bikes so far. These sentences exist for one purpose: I wish I'd had them when I started and I hope they help some other poor noob set adrift in the land of "road."

Research:
The internet is a big, bad, beautiful world populated by the sublime and the ridiculous (and the rare and precious decent, ordinary person). This forum has been very helpful to me in learning about things like "gruppos," "downtubes," "seatstays," "pelotons," and "EPO." I learned that wheelsets are wheels but chainrings aren't chains. Whenever I came across a word or phrase I didn't understand I googled it or used the search function on this forum – in other words I googled it 90% of the time because the search function on this forum doesn't usually function.

After many hours of reading what was often the digital equivalent of a child's scrawl (c'mon guys, less of the sarcasm, puhleeze), I found a handful of folks who knew what they were talking about and who wrote like reasonable adults. I PM'd a couple of these people and almost always received useful, thoughtful responses.

Bike Shops:
After a couple of weeks of online research I started visiting bike shops. By this time I knew how to speak a rudimentary form of the road bike language. So when the salesperson pointed out the "Dura-Ace components" or said something like "Campy Record" I already knew I couldn't afford the bike. At first I just "dropped by" these shops, my main intention being to find a place where I felt comfortable. I have an LBS (Local Bike Shop) that is small and friendly but which carries few bikes. Pilgrimages were also made to exotic places where the bikes were all custom and the feeling of being way over your head was palpable. Eventually, I found three shops that seemed to be a decent blend of friendly and professional and I began to frequent them, getting to know the salespeople and scoping the brands they carried. All of these shops had good websites on which I was able to compare inventory, specs and prices.

Test Rides:
After a week or so of "just visiting," I finally started test riding bikes. This was so foreign to me that I didn't know if I was meant to already have proper shoes or if they would provide shoes or what... As it turns out, they love to sell bikes so they'll let you ride in any clothing you want, save perhaps a thong. The flip-flops I had on for my first test ride are not recommended, however. A pair of shorts and a pair of athletic shoes are all you need - just so you know.

I rode quite a few bikes and from my research I had my heart set on one in particular. On paper, it was the best deal and it was the house brand of a well-known shop (sort of the Wal-Mart of bike shops, actually). It looked good and the "57" seemed to be about the right size. I was set to just walk in and buy it - until I rode it. The crappy seat didn't help, but I knew I could change that. Still, I wasn't comfortable. I had them change the stem, rotate the bars, adjust the seat - it was closer but I still wasn't convinced. So I left and went to another shop. Tried one bike...not bad. Tried another...pretty good. Tried a third and that's when it happened: the moment I took off on it I knew. Didn't want to believe it but it was true – love at first ride.

Buying:
Still, I walked away that first day. Went back and tried the other bike, the "on-paper" best deal. Not even close to riding my true love. Went to the third shop and tried one...nope, no magic. Once more on my true love and it was settled - almost. I tried the model just above the one I'd been riding and you can imagine my irritation when I realized that the bike which cost $350 more was worth every bit of it. Even better than my true love. This brand may very well have a lifetime customer.

The Deal:
I didn't just walk out with the bike. I went away and started to haggle by email. The front and rear DR (derailleur) were reversed from spec - the better part was on the front and I wanted it on the back, which I reasoned was a more sophisticated part that would get more work. Plus, I didn't need the clipless pedals which were spec on this bike (a rarity, many don't come with pedals at all) since I'd bought my own online already. So, we settled on a trade out - I lose the pedals and gain the better rear DR for the same price. Works for me.

The Fit:
This salesperson had told me that he's really interested in fit. So I shouldn't have been surprised when I wound up spending 2 hours in the shop when I thought half an hour would do it. For what it's worth coming from a noob, proper fit seems to be very important. I don't have many miles on it yet, but I love the way this bike feels.

Clothing:
Go ahead, get the shorts and the jersey. It seems absurd, since we rode for hours as kids without any of this crap, but once you wear the right stuff you'll understand why it exists. And don't be afraid of the bright colors. One or two close calls on the road are all it takes to want to be a bright-ass beacon out there. Make sure they see you!

Shoes, too. Clipless pedals are a kind of miracle which can only be perceived by those who've entered the golden gates of cycling Valhalla. Try it, you'll like it.


One last thing I'll mention is the guy who sold me the bike. I'd been to the shop twice before and had decent experiences, but the guy from whom I finally bought was just someone I could relate to. He was calm and rational and loved bikes and I just felt good about his advice. This is a shop I trust and feel comfortable going back to for tune-ups, repairs, and of course, that new and even more wallet-draining bike someday.

So it was the total experience - the shop, the bike, the salesperson, the deal. But mostly, mostly, mostly it was the bike. I learned that you've got to ride these things and that even for a complete noob the differences are very noticeable.

If you are reading this sentence you are almost certainly in the same position I was a few weeks ago. Most of the people on this forum don't like reading posts of more than 300 characters so I know you're interested if you've gotten this far. But as long as this post is, it barely scratches the surface. If there is anything I can do to help with your new passion for bikes, please don't hesitate to PM me.

Cheers and good riding,
Reed

IKYR

Post of the day (so far), but useless without pics...

wayne

CReed

Good suggestion. I'll get a pic of the actual bike later today.

Panic

Nice job Reed.

At least tell us what you bought

But pics are required.

CReed

Lemond Alpe D'Huez

SesameCrunch

You're a good writer. Look forward to your future posts about your riding adventures.

Cheezerod

Well CReed, I have to say you made a great choice. This was my first bike too, which I bought last year. As you ride more, you will become more loving of it ride and feel beleave me. Its a great starter bike and will bring you much pleaseure (rideing that is). if you have any questions feel free to ask; having this bike a season has tought me alot about it. again great choice and happy rideing. Reed

nostromo

Reed, fantastic write up. For those of us trying to learn and decide what bike to go for, detailed writeups like yours help a lot.

You're a few paces ahead of me as I'm still trying to learn all the names and purposes, but I'll get there. I haven't taken any bikes out for rides as I'm still far from putting together the money for a bike.

What you said about 'finding the ONE" really got my attention. With the stores I've visted so far I've been willing to let the salesperson tell me what I should get based on what I know I will do with the bike and that it fits within my price range. But getting that feeling that you're on the right bike is just as, or more so, important overall.

I just hope I'm rational enough like you were to pick a bike that feels right over a bike that pulls at my vision when I see it sitting there. I look at Pinarello's and Cinelli's and get that feeling, having zero idea what one feels like to ride. I'll be asking you guys for advice when my time to purchase arrives.

woodcycl

Wonderful write-up Reed! You know -- that was a better write-up than most of us "seasoned" cyclists could do for someone new getting into the sport IMHO. Good job!

That is one beautiful bike too. Love the color and the understated yet classy styling.

Look forward to your future posts.

rapidcarbon

good post, and congratulations on your "first love" and get ready for many "loves" to come,

Basscycle

Man, that totally sounds like the experience that I've been having -- learning the lingo, visiting bike shops and research and sifting through the miriad of bikes. So far, my true love is a Cannondale SystemSix, not gonna drop four grand plus on a bike though so I'll have to find another. Congrats on the new bike and thanks again for the great post!

How about telling us about some of the runner ups and exactly why you went with the Lemond?

pgaulrapp

Something I've noticed, as you wrote I kinda had a feeling you'd end up with a Lemond at the end. It seems to me that Trek dealers who only carry Trek are not that interested in getting people set up properly, but Trek dealers who carry the Lemonds are very helpful to the customer.

Good choice!

senatorw

Reed,

You described my precise experience from about two months ago. I have been addicted to the game of golf for the past 5 years, so I am no stranger to equipment obsession and puchasing. Recovering from knee surgery in February, I fell into cycling and my experience was exactly as you described--except there is so much more fun equipment to learn about and buy in cycling that I hardly think about golf anymore. Half the fun was learning the lingo, here, at Pez, Velonews, et al. I was up to about 112 miles a week through about a week ago--I too live in the Bay Area, although in Marin County--before the knee surgery failed and I had to go in last week to re-do the entire thing (no biking for probably 12 weeks or more as I am crutch bound again). This time, the bike is pulling me through the recovery.

Anyway, I write to tell you that I loved your write up because it so accurately described the "noob" experience, and (unless you already discovered it), that in my experience, (1) Pacific Bikes (South of Market) and (2) Bicycle Oddessey (Sausalito), are two excellent LBS in the Bay Area. Hope to see you on the roads in a few months.

Darren

PS Here is a pic of my beauty (although I established a great relationship with Pacific who fit me and gave me many bikes to test, the Look was a far better bike than what I was considering in my price range and I got the frame set and gruppo on the Internet at R&A. I felt bad about it, but Pacific understood due to the vast difference between the bikes I was looking at there and what I got for the price onthe Look, and I go to them for everything now.

Vitamin_J

A great post, thanks for sharing this. Be sure to update us as the honeymoon continues.

clutchy

Great write up, I had a very similar experience except i did my own fitting with friends and research... although i still ended up on a lemond. It should be here in a week or so.

I'm also curious how you came into the Lemond fold?

CReed

Darren: Ok, ok, I was trying not to name names, but I did indeed purchase the Lemond at Pacific Bikes in San Francisco.

Now that I'm back from my morning 12-miler, I've created a little web page with some pics I just took. Here it is: https://www.sutradesign.com/Lemond.html

deanp

Congrats on the new bike. Let's see more pics!

CReed

I rode Cannondales, Bianchis (first runner-up), Treks, Scattantes, and Fujis – all between $900 and $1300. Lemonds were not even on my radar screen, in fact I had no idea they existed. Scattante sure looked good on paper but I couldn't get it to fit. The rest were all good and I could easily have ended up happy with any of them, but I was lucky enough to have the salesperson pull out the Lemond and the rest is history.

The Bianchi was close, but I didn't like the aero-wheels on the one I rode. The first cross gust had me scrambling a bit and I didn't like that feeling. Plus there was a difference between the slow speed handling and the handling at higher speeds - much better at higher speeds but a little awkward at slower speeds. I'd have gotten used to it but I'd already ridden the Lemond on which the handling was smooth and consistent in all conditions and speeds. The Bianchi ride was second only to the Lemond, though - excellent feel to that bike.

The others all seemed pretty much the same to me. Very nice, just not as sweet as the Lemond. Who knows really!? I'm sure plenty of people get on a Lemond and think, "Holy crap, what is this thing?" But for me, it was perfect. Of course, I only knew it was perfect by comparison and that's the biggest lesson I took from the whole experience.

CReed

For me, it's those carbon Orbeas. Dang, those things look cool.

nostromo

Well all this talk about LeMond and how sweet it turned out for you...I just visited another bike store on my lunch break. Took a while to get there but it was worth it. Good bunch of guys, very relaxed atmosphere (helps that it's fall outside and hot today, adds to the mood).

They sell LeMond and the prices are very very good right now. I liked their Tourmallet. They explained about components (mix of Ultegra and 105) and what it means to go to Durace. We talked about what I want to use it for and the roads I ride and one guy brought up about another model called the Versaille that's a mix of steel and carbon and it's advantages and extra cost.

It's an interesting journey, it'll be interesting to see which bike will eventually sit in my stable.

AzureDrpTp

Great story!

sandy_pangle

This has my vote for "post of the day".

G5Ti

I think anyone who has come about to biking on his or her own after years of absence will really take heart to the OP.

When I was young(er), all the way up through high school, I rode my bikes all the time. How did I get to my friends' houses? Bike. How did I get to a local store? Bike. School? Bike, of course.

And then college hit, and the commuting rush and excitement of a 3000-lb hunk of steel won me over (or so I thought). I'd always loved cars and in 5 short years had purchased 3 (never at the same time). Autocrossing, check! Weekend drives? Check!

And then a funny thing happened. About a year after my college graduation, a friend asked me if I'd like to go out on a bike trail sometime. I thought this was an absurd idea, to drive to a trail to ride a bike, but the inner urge to get that old Trek out again and ride it was overriding in my mind.

So we went out, and I had an absolute blast. I found a part of the trail that went off-road, and instantly decided I needed to go that route. And that's when I realized that I needed to look into a mountain bike.

I searched the internet high-and-low, came across several sites (local groups as well as this one) and gathered information. I did the bike shop thing, trying several bikes and ending up with a mountain bike that was twice the price of my original intended budget. Plus about 25% of the bike cost in various accessories, including shoes, helmet, hydration pack, and so on.

And then it really started to hit: I loved riding my new bike. But the MTB didn't fare so well on roads, and thus my 10-year old Trek 830 morphed into a commuter bike. Now I was riding 30 miles per day to and from work, with 25-50 miles of trail riding throughout the week. I went from 0 miles per year to 200+ miles per week... and in a period of only 3-4 months!

My latest revelation was with the road bike. I actually just purchased mine today after soliciting a bit of advice from the folks around these parts. I ended up with a Specialized bike, and I'd have to say the search was much, much easier the second time around, despite the different bike types' inherent differences. I, too, spent about 2 hours on fit today alone, and spent about 30 minutes on my first visit. Fit makes the bike. It just happens that I ended up with two Specialized bikes... who knows, maybe I'm similar to their test dummy in stature.

I'm anxious for my first, real "roadie" experience this Wednesday. An avid roadie co-worker of mine plans to show me the ropes, and I can only hope it's as fun (maybe less eventful than) my first MTB ride.

Now, I'm to the point that where if I continue with this whole bike-overhaul through the winter, I'm considering selling the car altogether. Sure, I'll likely pick up some $500 beater for the times when 50+ mile transport in less than a day is necessary, but I think that life by bike is possible; and quite certainly, more satisfying on a whole slew of levels.

Psimet2001 

This has entered my all time favorite quotes list.

Unless the post actually has something to say...

Good job.

ovoleg

What year?

Grats cant wait for pics!