Zephyr11

I'm a runner who was forced to take a break due to injury, and decided to try cycling in the meantime. I ended up enjoying it more than I originally expected. However, there's something upsetting about crawling up a hill on a mountain bike while all the roadies fly by. Plus, if I decide to do any duathlons in the future, the mountain bike will probably not do much for my finishing time. So I figured it's time to drop the cash on a road bike. The question is, just how much bike do I really need/want? My weekly long ride is ~50 miles, and my typical ride is about 90 minutes at 60% effort. I've only been biking for just over a month, so I haven't gotten into any speedwork yet...just trying to build a mileage base and keep my endurance and VO2 max from running for now. I can't see myself doing any bike races quite yet, but the idea of a duathlon sometime in the future sounds moderately appealing. I'll probably buy an aluminum frame, since carbon seems to be out of my price range, but is it worth it to try to get a carbon fork? And what about components? Will I be sorry a couple of months down the road if I buy a Sora/Tiagra mix and decide I want to race it? Is the jump to say, a pure 105 or 105/Ultegra mix THAT noticeable, and if it is, is it worth the extra money for what I'm using the bike for? I don't mind some upgrading...but I'd prefer not to have to upgrade major components in a month. And is there any advantage to going double, other than the couple grams of weight? I won't ask for actual bike recommendations, since I'm not sure what frames will fit me yet, but is there anything else I should be looking for? I don't mind paying a little more upfront if it'll save me down the road...but I also don't want to end up with tons of debt and a Tour-worthy bike that I'll never actually appreciate. Thanks in advance!

Doctor Who

Buy as nice of a bike as you can reasonably afford. I don't know what your budget is, but Felt has a ton of bikes at various pricepoints that are well worth taking a look at. If I were you, I'd definitely go with a 105 or 105/Ultegra outfitted bike, as the components are more refined and just a smidge lighter than Tiagra or Sora. Now, Tiagra and Sora is good stuff and won't make you any slower, and in many races, you'll find plenty of bikes with those groups on 'em.

Regarding CF forks: you'd be hard pressed to find a bike that DOESN'T have a carbon fiber fork. Most manufacturers spec them just because it's easier and cheaper to make a CF fork than a metal one, or so I've heard from numerous sources. Nothing wrong with that, as most CF forks are damn nice.

Geoff326

yup what he ^ said.

I have a 105/ultegra mix and love it. You won't need to upgrade 105/ultegra for a long time unless you really want to for some reason. I wish I had a double now, but when I started climbing hills, I did use the granny gear. Now that I'm stronger I never use it. My bike also came with a carbon fork, I think it's hard to find one without a carbon fork as previous poster mentioned.

I have an 05 cdale r700 that I bought for $1300.

Zephyr11

Funny you mention it...I actually was looking at an R700 that I found on sale for $1000. It seems to have nice components for the price, and I have absolutely no problem with buying a slightly older model, so I'm sort of hoping it fits. The local bike shops are also offering a Synapse 4 and Trek 1500 at around the same price, though the 1500 is a double, and I'm not sure if I'd want that granny gear for now. I'll have to check out Felt's lineup...the local Felt dealers don't have their offerings online, so I guess I'll call around. Thanks guys!

Another thing I noticed is different shops seem to have different components on their bikes. For example, one shop had all 105's on a 1500, while another was selling the same bike with a 105/Ultegra mix for a couple extra bucks. Is this normal? I'm wondering if I should bring along someone who knows a lot about bikes to make sure they didn't slip in a WalMart seatpost or something.

opn2itsd

If you get aggressive at all, you'll likely outgrow sora/tiagra (plastic internals) fairly soon, and component upgrades can get expensive fast.

FASTandLIGHT

yup, buy as nice a bike as you can afford and don't think twice,

quanteleditor

A very good friend of mine had the same situation the latter part of the summer. He purchased a Trek 1600 and us folks on the carbon bikes watch him as he disappears in the distance.

cuda2k

105/Ultegra or full Ultegra would be the price point I'd be looking at.

johnny99

Yes, but watch out for companies that mount 105 and Ultegra components on entry-level frames. I would rather have lesser components on a better frame. Also, fork and wheel quality matters at least as much as component quality.

Zephyr11

Johnny, is there a way to tell the frame is decent, other than years of experience riding different bikes? Upgrading the frame is something I'm hoping not to have to do for a few years.

liverust55

I purchased a Lemond w/ Tiagra components. I don't plan on racing and ride a couple of centuries during the year. So far I've been very happy with the bike and plan on putting many thousands of miles on it.

michaelmc

Buy as much bike as you can afford to pay for in cash. Period. No bike is worth going into debt over. 105 or Ultegra if you can afford it, but if not, Sora or Tiagra will take care of you well.

sillywabbit

I believe they changed the components going from 2007 to a 2008 model so maybe you were looking at 2 different years of the 1500.

Pharmr

I agree with what's being said....buy as much as you can afford...I went from Sora/Tiagra to full Ultegra and loved the switch.....that being said the fist bike suited my needs at the time, and was still faster than me.

Adgooroo

Sounds like you are a pretty serious athlete - and that you probably want your equipment to measure up to your commitment. If that's true, I'd suggest a 105 or higher (Ultegra) level of drive train gear. You'll NEVER get a better deal on components than when you first buy the bike. That's simply a function of the purchasing power of the bike builders buying parts at wholesale vs. you buying upgrades at retail. As for frames, I'd stick w/aluminum - well-proven durability, stiffness and low weight, at WAY less than carbon fiber prices. The comfort of aluminum frames can be improved with a carbon fiber fork (and/or seat post) - most are sold this way now. You should watch out for "carbon-wrapped" forks/seat posts that simply add a cosmetic layer of cf to an aluminum part. These are usually found on lower-priced bikes. Because all of this can be a bit confusing, it makes good sense for a new rider to stick w/one of the major name brands - Giant, Trek, Felt, Cannondale, etc. All of these builders are making great-performing, high-value, well-equipped, competitive aluminum frame bikes.

Treefox

+1


I race with a Tiagra / 105 mix (+RX100 crank & brakes). The groupset isn't what's holding me back.

Treefox

+1

If in doubt, pull the seatpost out and have a look up its bottom.


Also worth nothing that you'd pay a premium for DuraAce just because it's DuraAce.

mgmoore7

I am in a similar situation and after doing research for a few months now, I think that I would not settle for anything less than 105. You may consider used as well.

Also, keep in mind that as soon as you get the bike, you will be wanting/needing more accessories and therefore, you should budget an extra few hundred at a minimum (shoes and pedals could easily be $200). Here are some of those items:

-cyclo computer
-spare tube, pump, tire levers, seat bag
-cycling shorts
-gloves
-helmet (if you don't already have one)
-cycling shoes and pedals
-bike rack (depending on your vehicle)
-jersey(s)

This sport gets costly fast. Much more expensive than running for sure..

vuduchyld

I am in a similar situation.

One thing that I'm curious about is how much components have improved over the years. Is it better to get a 105/Ultegra equipped bike that might be new or maybe a year or two old?

Or is the vintage Campy/DuraAce stuff better than the newer 105/Ultegra?

Based on my experience with my Cannondale m400 mountain bike, I like the feel of an aluminum frame, but I would sure be willing to take a chance on something like this:
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll....cWAT.m240.lVI
vintage steel with DuraAce

or this:
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll....cWAT.m240.lVI
vintage steel with Campy

Any thoughts? Is the new Ultegra just that much better? As for friction versus indexed, I really don't care either way. I'll turn 40 in less than two months, so I've ridden plenty of bikes set up both ways.

ovrrdrive

It almost seems like it would be cheaper to buy a lesser quality frame now with great components, then upgrade to a better frame later on one of the group buys...

Wasn't there just a great CF frame in one for like $399?

How much would it cost down the road to upgrade from Sora to Ultegra?

I also am looking to jump to 105 on my first bike so I get some longevity out of it. I just can't decide if I want to buy used with a name on it or from BD and get new. I think I'm leaning towards the latter. Those Motobecane Vent Noirs seem to be a decent mix at a good price. [/shill]

Spin Cycle

If you stick with cycling you'll probably end up with a few bikes in your "stable". No problem with that, as you'll probably use the different bikes for different reasons. In each step along the way, I researched the various component choices, stuck with the established marques, and bought when prices were low (usually end of season). My evolutionary path:

- Got back into cycling on my 1985 vintage McKinley mountain bike. VERY heavy, but great for effective training.
- Upgraded to flat bar Marin hybrid w/Sora. Huge step forward, and allowed me to go for longer distances (including double centuries)
- Bike was holding me back so got my current Specialized W/Ultegra+DA. Good quality bike, and I don't expect my conditioning to exceed it for a very long time (if ever).
- Upgraded the McKinley to the K2 Lithium 4.0

I still have all four bikes, and although I mostly ride the Allez the others all get used on occasion. Gotta ride someplace where I can leave my bike unattended all day - the McKinley. Poor weather riding and/or harsh road conditions - the Marin. Tearing it up offroad - love the K2. 90%+ of my riding is on the road with the Allez.

Treefox

Just my own perspective, but I'm more of the nice frame with cheaper parts attitude. That way you've got a good foundation to slowly build up as money is available or good deals on various parts are found. For instance Bianchi has some quite nice frames with carbon seat stays that can be had with Sora or Mirage - but they could be gradually upgraded over time to a really very nice ride. A new frame is a fairly big cost jump.

Though in that case one might be better off with a 105 setup so that everything stays 10-speed and more costly 9 to 10 speed jumps are avoided (though I upgraded my current main ride from 7 to 9 in one big wheels/RD/shifters/chain/cassette purchase)

kukusz

I think it's been mentioned in passing, but I suggest to most people starting out road riding (even mountain bikers) to buy used. If you commit to a new bike, more often than not you don't really know what aspects of the bike you are going to like or dislike. For instance, you might go out and buy a compact frame and realize you don't like the feel. Or you realize that 105 components are fine for your needs and you would rather have an upgraded frame. I learned a lot about what I'm looking for in a bike from from my first bike and I know I would have made the wrong decision had I not had something to base my opinions on. If you are set on a new bike, make sure you test ride everything and at least get a feel for geometries and component groups.

waterrockets 

I have a friend who's racing on Tiagra, and having no problems.

If 105 isn't too expensive, go for it. There will never be a substantiated reason to upgrade. It's completely race worthy.

Ultegra and Dura Ace carry the names and slightly lower weight, along with very minor shifting improvements. Mostly they're just expensive.

That said, I ride Dura Ace, but I've been on the same group for 7 years now, and I know in my heart that I bought it for the name.

cooker

To echo others, buy a good quality used (steel?) bike for $300-400, and ride it while you figure out what you want to spend the big bucks on, and get a sense of your preferred frame size and fit. With steel it's less likely there will be hidden damage that could lead to catastrophic failure. When you do upgrade you can then keep the used bike as a backup or sell it and almost break even.