Breaking in: New to cycling
 

So I'm interested in purchasing a road bike. I've been riding a bike for as long as I can remember, but I've always just had relatively cheap Schwinn mountain bikes. Lately I've been riding a 13 mile loop, which on my crappy bike takes about 50 minutes and leaves my legs pretty dead by the end of it.

I'm not looking to spend an obscene amount of money as I don't plan on racing or touring, but I'd like to find something decent that will make road cycling a little easier and more efficient.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Craigslist if you don't mind buying used. You can get really good deals if you are patient.

Look at entry level bikes from the major manufacturers (Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, Felt, etc.). Any, and all, of them will be fine for the type of riding you want to do.

Go to your LBS, and browse their inventory. Get fitted. Purchase bike. Ride.

Go to your local bike shop and tell them exactly what you've posted here. Then go to another local bike shop and tell them exactly what you've posted here. Then go to another local bike shop....

Pick the bike shop that has the best customer service and doesn't make you feel pressured to buy more than you want to spend. Buy a bike there.
Because you're not looking to spend an obscene amount of money, don't plan on racing, don't plan on touring, and basically want to find something decent what really matters is getting fit properly to a bike that you like and will keep you cycling. Specific brands at your level don't matter. What you want is a bike shop that is trustworthy and will match a bike to your needs and goals.

Go to as many bike shops in and around your city as possible and talk to the staff. Go with the best bike shop first and then see what they have that will work for you.
If you have an alternative newspaper that has a "Best Of" your city list - check out the shop that they recommend. Usually those shops are quite good and they will have a good selection of brands and models.

Realistically, entry level road bikes start at about 700 and run up through about 900 depending on manufacturer. They will all have some combination of Tiagra and Sora components. In the end, one of the bikes will speak to you when you are test riding them, that is the one you should get. Remember to budget for shoes, pedals (assuming you are going clipless), and water bottles/cages. It is possible to get a good deal on CL but you will have to shop wisely, and if you need to adjust the fit (different stem, etc) that will cost extra as you will have to go purchase a different stem, whereas if you buy new from the LBS changeing the stem and such is included. As an example, I bought a Cannondale CAAD9-7 (entry level in that series) and by the time I scored shoes (on sale), pedals (Look Keo Classics) and a couple of cages & bottles, a tube, patch kit etc it was about 1150 out the door with the bike representing about 875 of that.

Go here and take a look at a Jamis Ventura Sport. A great entry level road bike that will not break the bank.

Life Cycle Bike Shop Address 1733 Pearl Street Suite B
Eugene, OR 97401 Phone (541) 686-2994 URL www.lifecyclebikeshop.com

if you know exactly what size range fits you and if you can tell by looking at a picture of a bike whether or not the bike is a good fit for you

GO TO A BIKE SHOP

Just noticed you are female (I think), try and find a shop that stocks WSD (women's specific design) bikes, most of the manufacturers make them even at entry level. It is only really an issue if you are average height, if you are taller the differences lessen. As an example we just got a new road bike for my wife, and she rode the Trek 2.1 WSD and a regular Trek 2.1 both in 58cm frame size (she is 5' 10" and long legged), the only difference between the two was the width of the handlebar and the reach on the brake levers, the frame geometry was identical. In the smaller sizes the differences between the WSD and the regular versions are greater.

Yes, I am female, and I'm a little below average height, 5'2. Should that make any huge difference in what kind of a frame I'm looking at?

I just finished my undergrad in June so I'm not exactly rolling in cash. Is $1150 a pretty realistic amount to expect to spend for what I'm looking for?

That's a good amount. Don't forget the little things that add up fast. Seat bag w/ multitool, tire levers, spare tube, mini pump, real sized pump, shoes/pedals, and set or 2 of shorts/jerseys

EDIT: although you haven't asked about it, it's really worth it to get clip-in pedals and shoes. It makes the riding experience a WHOLE lot better.

+1, after you stop falling over.

That's not very "women specific" then is it? I'd say a good bike shop should be willing to swap out stems & handlebars to get you fit properly anyway.

If you don't mind splurging and buying yourself little bike presents (and who doesn't!) then spend the 1150 on a bike... but as noted, you'll need spare tubes, a pump, pedals, bike shorts, water bottles etc. depending on what kind of riding and how far you plan on going. Just take that into consideration.

Sure. I bought my wife, who is about the same height, a new Trek 1.2 WSD for under that amount. It's a good bike for someone starting out with road cycling. Her bike, up to that point, was a Trek city/hybrid/commuter. After she got the 1.2 WSD she l-o-v-e-s road cycling and won't touch her other bike.

Right now might actually be a good time to get '09 season bikes on sale so you could possibly get a 2.1 for that (they're usually in the $1200 range). A Trek WSD 1.5 would be somewhere in the $900-1000.00 range and a 1.2 will be about $700-800.

I would not hesitate to buy last year's model if that means you get a better bike for less cash. Most of these models don't change that much from season to season.

Still, don't settle on Trek until you've tried all available options. Best thing to do is test ride as many as you can and make sure the shop makes any adjustments (for free) to the bike for you. You want to walk out with a bike that you have no hesitations about the fit and comfort.

Regarding the extra bits after purchasing the bike - spare tubes are cheap (should be under $10). However, if you don't know how to, or intend to let a shop service change your flats, buying spare tubes beforehand is pointless. Learn to change a flat - then buy spare tubes. Otherwise, bring the bike to a shop and buy the tube and changing service (but I suggest learning how to change your tires/tubes at some point). Platform pedals (with or without toe-clips) should come with the bike unless you want clipless, then you'll need pedals and shoes but you don't need that stuff right away. Best to get used to the feel of a road bike first. You could go a whole year or two without clipless pedals. Padded shorts are a good investment but you might be able to find some inexpensive ones at REI or some other all-around outdoor shop. You're dropping $1000 on a bike - a decent shop will throw in the damn waterbottle and cage for free.

If you don't have one - get a helmet, and some front and back lights. Those are the only three things you really need to spend more money on right away. You'll go further distances on a road bike and at some point you'll get caught out in low daylight. You'll want a front and back light that will, at the very minimum, allow you to be seen by automobiles from behind and ahead. The helmet is in case they don't see you. ;)

Yes, but you do not have to buy everything at once. You only really need a bike to begin riding. Also, do not forget about gloves too.

The WSD type bikes (most manufacturers make them) accomodate women's builds (IIRC shorter legs & longer torso) so definitely worth it in your case, at 5' 2" you are going to be on a pretty small frame and the little geometry tweaks do help. That being said, ride both WSD and standard bikes in your size and see what you think.

If you get an entry level bike 1150 is a reasonable number to get out the door with. Try and swing a package, bike, shoes, pedals, patch kit and inflater, tube, bottles & cages, a pair of shorts & and a jersey for 1150 out the door, you should be able to swing that with a reasonable shop. you will get entry level on all of the stuff, but even entry level is still solid for years of use. I wouldn't bother with platform pedals, clipless aren't that difficult to learn, it is mostly a habit thing (turn foot out before stopping). Also have them teach you how to change a tube with the contents of your repair kit, you will flat out on the road, and it is better to learn how to deal with it before you are sitting on the curb staring at the problem :)

With all the aforementioned extras, you should also get a cyclocomputer to track, at a min., mileage, trip mileage, speed, & avg. speed.

Remind me not to take you along when car shopping. :) I walked out the door with my first new road bike for $450. They also threw in a tube and patch kit. Also, sometimes it is best to do research on the accessories rather than tossing in unknown products into a package deal.

yeah, and then you should get a PowerTap and some disc wheels and aerobars, try out for a team, and enter into a race right away - I suggest the Tour de France

The PowerTap will allow her to CRANK IT UP TO 400 WATTS and drope the hamer.

First of all, I was working from the hypothesis that the bike itself would run somewhere in the 800 range. I am not sure what you bought, but having just gone through the entry-level road bike thing myself last summer, I can tell you from experience that you aren't going to find alot of bikes from reputable manufacturers below 700.00, and most run closer to 900.00. You can get cheaper from performance and online, but alot of those bikes come with sub-sora shimano components. At the 700+ range it will be all sora/tiagra and have a carbon fork, but you don't have to believe me, check for yourself. When I was test riding bikes I rode specialized, cannondale (synapse and CAAD9) Felt Z100 & F100 (I think that was the model, it was definitely the entry level one) Trek 1.2 & 1.5, and a couple of really awful off-brand bikes at performance. The major manufacturer bikes were all very similar in ride quality and component groups, the bikes from performance really just didn't feel as good as the majors despite having similar component specs, contrary to my inherent cheapness I couldn't justify it in my head to buy the cheap bikes as the cost vs. feel didn't play out.

A new leftover 2007 Jamis Ventura Sport that I bought in 2008. Equipped with 2200/Sora and it has been great for many thousands of miles. As a matter of fact I am going to be riding this sub sora bike from my house to Sioux City (100+ miles) for RAGBRAI on 07/24/10 and then riding the piece of junk another 68 miles to Storm Lake Iowa the very next day. I have even raced the bike twice. In June I placed 14th out of 132 in the biking portion of a Duathlon.

After you get your bike and feel happy about it, I recommend investing in a Brooks saddle. You will be able to ride your bike for as long as you want wearing any type of clothing and not suffer a sore bottom. This will save you money by not having to buy a bike riding "uniform" (padded shorts or whatever) and the money you save will pay for the saddle in the long run. I also recommend getting standard platform pedals and using strapless toe clips (Zefal) to keep your feet on the pedals. This will save you having to buy expensive "clipless" pedals and the shoes that work with them. Bottom line...keep it simple starting out.

No need to get all butt-hurt dude, I am basing my numbers off the pricing I found when I bought a new bike last year, congrats on getting a squeal deal on your bike. If the OP can score a similar deal then all the better, but working on the assumption that there aren't going to be alot of <52cm 2009 models sitting around on the showroom floor at this point, the numbers I posted are fairly realistic for what is out there.

Just helping out. Reverse that. Women have longer legs, shorter torso proportionally when compared to a man.... generally speaking. :thumb:

When you mention numbers like $1150 for an entry level bike, it can scare some people away. Remember the OP is a recent college grad. All I am saying is that you do not have to spend that much to get out of an LBS with a decent quality road bike and what you need to ride. The rest can come later as you ride more.