Choosing my first road bike; help w/ two options?
04-04-10, 11:59 PM
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Choosing my first road bike; help w/ two options?
I wanna get more serious with road riding this summer and I'm looking for my first road bike. I'm torn between a cyclocross and a touring bike from BikesDirect:
Dawes Lightning Cross (Cyclocross, ~23lbs, $450) - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/ltcross_x.htm
Mercier Galaxy (Touring, ~27lbs, $400) - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/galaxy.htm
(I know, it's BD, but 1. I'm a college student; $450 alone is a stretch, and 2. I've done ~2000 miles on three 50lbs dept. store bikes for 3 years and I'd think ANYTHING would be an upgrade!)
Right now I do 30-40mi of road riding per weekend, on high rolling hills and kinda' rough roads. Hoping to work up to 80. Although my top interest is scenery and touring, the speed would be a really good plus (so I can feel the adrenaline!) I'm leaning towards a Mercier/touring bike, mainly for the cheaper price but also for the comfort -- but my main concern is, does a touring bike still feel nimble and fast, compared to a CX? And especially my dept. store bike? Is the difference noticeable?
For speed, would I do better to shell out the 50 extra $$$ for the Dawes/CX? Or does the comfort, speed, and components of the Mercier seem good enough for a "fast-paced touring/racing" ride? I'll be able to stop by the LBS on Wednesday and hopefully test the difference, but I'd like to ask some opinions from here too. Thanks!
Dawes Lightning Cross (Cyclocross, ~23lbs, $450) - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/dawes/ltcross_x.htm
Mercier Galaxy (Touring, ~27lbs, $400) - https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mercier/galaxy.htm
(I know, it's BD, but 1. I'm a college student; $450 alone is a stretch, and 2. I've done ~2000 miles on three 50lbs dept. store bikes for 3 years and I'd think ANYTHING would be an upgrade!)
Right now I do 30-40mi of road riding per weekend, on high rolling hills and kinda' rough roads. Hoping to work up to 80. Although my top interest is scenery and touring, the speed would be a really good plus (so I can feel the adrenaline!) I'm leaning towards a Mercier/touring bike, mainly for the cheaper price but also for the comfort -- but my main concern is, does a touring bike still feel nimble and fast, compared to a CX? And especially my dept. store bike? Is the difference noticeable?
For speed, would I do better to shell out the 50 extra $$$ for the Dawes/CX? Or does the comfort, speed, and components of the Mercier seem good enough for a "fast-paced touring/racing" ride? I'll be able to stop by the LBS on Wednesday and hopefully test the difference, but I'd like to ask some opinions from here too. Thanks!
04-05-10, 05:51 AM
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Guessing the Dawes might be a faster bike.
The Mercier would be more comfortable on a long ride.
The Mercier would be more comfortable on a long ride.
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