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Bike Suggestion for new cyclist

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Bike Suggestion for new cyclist

Old 12-01-10, 06:16 PM
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Bike Suggestion for new cyclist

I would appreciate any advice on what bike to purchase as a first time buyer. I have been riding my mountain bike on the roads long enough and want to get a good basic bike that is light and fast. I am not ready for a huge investment but $1,500.00 doesn't seem out of line. I am 6'3" and will likely need a 60 - 62cm frame. I have been looking on Craig's List but, when I find a bike, I don't know if it is good or not or if the price is good or not. Thanks for your input!
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Old 12-01-10, 06:19 PM
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Go to your LBS (local bike shop). See what they have. Get sized up properly. With a budget of 1500 bucks you should be able to get a decent entry level bike and have money left over for a set of clipless pedals and road shoes.
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Old 12-01-10, 06:25 PM
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Originally Posted by datlas
Go to your LBS (local bike shop). See what they have. Get sized up properly. With a budget of 1500 bucks you should be able to get a decent entry level bike and have money left over for a set of clipless pedals and road shoes.
+1, Go to an LBS. A good price on a used bike that doesn't fit right is still a bad deal. As you know from your mountain bike, riding a bike 5 or 6 miles doesn't tell you how well it fits. A good LBS should be able to fit you to a bike and for $1500 you should settle for nothing less than 105 level group. Some of my freinds were able to get full CF frames with 105 10 speed for less than $1500 buying leftover bikes. Something to consider.
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Old 12-01-10, 06:41 PM
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not to mention that buying from an LBS will mean your bike has a warranty and guaranteed service.
stay away from used if you have no idea what is good or bad, and your budget allows you to buy a new bike.
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Old 12-01-10, 06:48 PM
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How much experience do you have on a road bike? Another reason to buy from a local bike shop is you can try it before you buy it. If you don't have much experience on road bikes you're all too likely to buy a wrong-sized bike online.

If your budget is $1,500 hard, if you can try to hold back $200 or $300 for contingencies.

If your budget is flexible, don't be afraid to break it a little to get a bike you really like.
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Old 12-01-10, 07:49 PM
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Dont forget about all the money needed for the extras. The bike is only the first purchase to the outfit. Youll probably want quality shorts/shoes/pedals/jersey/gloves/bottle cages/bottles/HELMET/may want a computer. It all adds up pretty fast but if you make sound purchases they will last you a while.
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Old 12-01-10, 08:03 PM
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+1 on going to an lbs. Best way to find the right size and bike is to rides lots of different ones. I really liked the Cannondale Synapse and Caad9/10 but they ride differently so you have to see what works for you. I also thought the Specialized Secteur was pretty nice. Never tried any Felt or Giant but hear good things about them too. Fwiw, I'm 6'3" and got a 58cm bike but if I had gone with the Secteur I would have gotten a 60cm. Different bikes fit differently.
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Old 12-01-10, 08:05 PM
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Originally Posted by datlas
Go to your LBS (local bike shop). See what they have. Get sized up properly. With a budget of 1500 bucks you should be able to get a decent entry level bike and have money left over for a set of clipless pedals and road shoes.
There is no such thing as entry level.
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Old 12-01-10, 08:16 PM
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I'm 6'3" as well and ride a 58cm Specialized Allez. A different shop sized me at 60 cm on a Trek. Definitely go to a LBS and get sized and ride as many bikes as you can and buy the one that feels the most comfortable. I NEVER intended on buying a Specialized. I was deadset on a Trek, then a Cannondale, then a Felt, and totally wrote Specialized off...I'm glad I didn't.

I can't recommend my Allez enough. I got the Comp M2 with Apex for $1,250 out the door. The Felt F75 is about the same price as well, definitely under $1,500 MSRP I believe.
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Old 12-01-10, 08:24 PM
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+1 on the LBS, I'm a rather experienced rider (7 years of road riding, 11 MTB) and I still go to my LBS for fitting, and I like to know that they'll be there to bail me out when I need some obscure tool I don't have. Plus now is a great time to buy a bike. I just bought a new bike a couple weeks ago, and I walked out of the shop with a 2010 Trek for a steal compared to sticker. Model year on a bike really means very little, so go and ride everything you can, and don't just go around the block, take it out for half an hour and see how you feel afterwards. I brought my own helmet and wore bike shorts while test riding, so, I'd recommend buying a helmet before a bike (that way you don't have to use the loaners...ew) When in doubt ask a question, the people who work in bike stores usually ride a lot and know what they're talking about. In the end buy the bike that you liked the best, not the one that had the "nicest" components or was necessarily the lightest. Truth is, anything Rival or 105 and better is going to shift pretty damn sweet, and be pretty light these days, and will be more than adequate for your needs, even if you start racing.


Just so you have an idea:
I'm 6'0" and I got a Trek Madone (Pro geometry) in a 56cm frame, with 40cm bars, I test rode all sorts of exotic (and not so exotic) bikes (Wilier, Orbea, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale, Colnago, Pinarello) and in the end I stuck with trek (this was my 4th trek) because I got a good deal on it, and I felt it fit me the best.

Last edited by pjn0629; 12-01-10 at 08:28 PM.
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