dixonoo

16 year old son has decided that his "heart" is into road cycling. So he spends hours trolling the sites, looking at videos, doting on his new sport crush. I want to surprise him with a bike for Christmas, but frankly have no idea where to start. Look forward to recommendations of a quality first-time bike appropriate for recreational riding on hilly roads. Not keen on breaking the bank, but want to make a good purchase that will be deliver great hours on the road and very little time in the shop.

gerundium

You want to get a bike that is the right size for him. Do your research about the bikes available in your budget and your needs but the surprise should be a trip to a good LBS to get fitted imo. You don't want to buy him a bike that isn't right for him because he will end up not riding it and quitting the sport.

Commodus

Well, I think if he's spending that much time researching his bike, he probably has developed some pretty definite ideas about what he wants.

I think perhaps a better idea would be to take him to the bike shop and help him get what he wants.

Also, you need to define a budget. Quality road bikes range from $900 to $15000.

Rancid

Does he already ride mountain or any other discipline?

Depending on your answer to that, I would focus on something with some versatility and can take some abuse. I doubt he needs carbon fiber to start and aluminium is okay, but good modern steel bikes, IMHO, are great for first timers.

For a first bike, I'd goto your local bike shop but I know someone will chirp up about bikesdirect (BD). BD's a great deal, but I think having an LBS size him and on hand for (usually) free adjustments and warranty is good for someone just getting into the sport.

My last little bit of advice, since this is a 16 year old, is that it may be wise to focus on components more than the frame. If he is still a growing boy that frame could be a bad fit in as little as a year. If nothing else, he would at least have a good set gear to put on a better fitting frame if that happens.

dayday82

Do you have an idea. If it were me, I would rather choose my own bike than have someone else choose for me. Perhaps a gift card?

dixonoo

Thanks for guidance so far. No idea about sizing, etc. So that is a good steer. He did mention a Fuji 3.0 but I have no idea if this is (please forgive the retail analogy) Old Navy, Gap or Banana Republic--you can get a polo short in all three, but the quality of the fabric differs.

walshconor

This was my first real road bike. Got it when I was 15 or 16. Great place to start.

ColinL

good generic advice so far.. and I sure hope your son isn't jrstudman..

anyway, do you have a budget in mind? all I saw was 'not break the bank' but I don't know if that means $750, $1,000, $1,500 or what.

valygrl

+1 - that's the same thing I say to the guys that want to buy their SO a bike -- better to help buy / gift card and let the person pick it themselves, with help of course since it's your kid. a good fit is very important, and can't really be figured out without an in person fitting.

Nachoman

Years ago I bought my wife a bike as a surprise gift. And even knowing her exact height, I ended up buying the wrong size bike. I think gift certificate is a good idea.

sherpakid

Don't do what my Dad did. He "surprised" me with a bike when I was younger and not knowing much about bikes...well, let's just say I was very appreciative of the thought, but a bit disappointed. I echo what others say and highly recommend that you take your son to the shop and let that be the surprise - let him pick out the bike. Fit is key and the best way to do that is in person. There are so many options out there and everyone has an opinion. Let him find something that fits your budget, fits him well, and he's happy with. I could throw out brand names and models, but that would just be my opinion.

One "truth" in this process is avoid the walmarts and department stores when shopping for a bike. Go to a reputable bike shop. And shop around.

There will be lots things to consider that will be confusing as a newbie - such as components, frame material, geometry, etc... Just stick to budget, fit, and what makes him happy. If he's just starting out, all this will mean nothing. Best experience is from riding the bike and over time he will learn more about how fit affects his ride, whether or not he needs to upgrade components, which frame material he prefers, etc... Only way to know precisely which bike is best is to ride and learn from experience. Pick one, ride it and learn...

adclark

I agree with what everyone else has said here. I tried to pick up a used bike for my wife a while back, and thought I knew what size she needed. Turns out it didn't fit and ended up selling it a few weeks later. We took her to a local bike shop, had her fitted, and ended up buying a bike that she loves. Like most everyone has already said, I wouldn't want anyone buying a bike for me because it is such a personalized fit. A great surprise would be just taking him to the bike shop and letting him pick out a bike that is within your budget.

urbanknight

Fuji is a decent brand, but 3.0 is a designation added to many of their models (Newest, Absolute, Roubaix, etc.). In any case, I don't recommend getting any lower than Sora level components, even for a beginner. Sora and Tiagra are fine components for a beginner and usually come on bikes running around $600-900. If you can afford more, 105, Apex, Rival, or Veloce is my opinion of the sweet spot between price and performance. Also, since you mentioned hills, consider a triple or a compact for front gears, but your son might have already made some decisions along that line.

2ndGen

Gift Card is the best idea inside a cycling related Christmas card.
That would blow him away. The Fuji he mentioned is a decent bike.
But, his tastes/needs might change between now and Christmas.
CAAD8, Trek 1.X, Allez, also all good entry-level bikes with strong support.
I'd say, go with a good LBS that offers a lot of brands. In fact, don't limit
yourself to one LBS for consideration, but try a couple and let him have
the option of picking his bike.

Spending up to $900. (the ones I mentioned can be had for about $600.)
will ensure a better quality product than the Walmart type bike and again,
will get you a solid guarantee (which is important).

I'm poor, but I'd have no problems spending $600. and up on a good bike
for my 17 or 19 year old if they showed an interest in a healthy sport that
would benefit them and would encourage them to live a "fit" lifestyle.

Good luck and I think you're a great mom! He's a lucky kid.

ecnewell 

Here's what I would do: Tell him you made him a dentist appointment, and act like you're driving him there. Drive to the bike shop instead! I know this is a Christmas present, but you might consider doing it as soon as possible--that way he'l have at least a few weeks to ride the bike before the weather gets awful. And, that way it would really be a huge surprise. Maybe Christmas comes early this year

Homebrew01

One idea for surprise gift bikes is to buy one from the local shop, as close to what you think is appropriate, but with an agreement from the shop that it will stay unused and may be brought in to exchange for a different bike. That way you have a physical bike to give instead of just a promise. (Not sure if a shop would agress to this)

Or, get him in the car, but don't tell him where you're going, and drive him to the shop. Check with the shop ahead of time that they have some selections that would be good for him (size, price, style ...).

2ndGen

My dad took me to Target and I had to get a Huffy BMX bike.
Once I got it home, I cracked one of the Mags on my first jump.
I had a rich friend who found the bike amusing and he traded me
a P.K. Ripper frameset for it and threw in the rest of the parts.
I took it home, built it up and was bunny hopping on top of cars
in no time. When my dad saw this mish-mosh of the best parts
a person could put on a bike, he was livid! He lost it. But, my mom,
who I'd been "educating" on BMX by showing her BMX Plus magazine
and telling her exactly what I wanted shut him down and told her I
did good on the deal and got a bike that costed about 10X what they
Huffy cost and she told him I broke the rim on the Huffy on my first jump.
He said "what the heck was he doing jumping with his bike!"
She told him that's what these bikes are supposedly for!
She was a welder in a factory and showed my dad how strong
the Ripper was by pointing out the construction of the frame.

Then, I took my P.K. Ripper outside and did a few 36" vertical hops and
a few tricks and impressed my dad and he conceded I got a good deal.

Mom's rock!

Werkin

There are three versions of the 3.0: Newest, Roubaix, and Absolute. Each have a different focus or style, so it would help to know what is heart is set on. If you were in my area I would send you to a professional https://www.joesprobikes.com/ for absolutely the best prices on Fuji bikes plus real world guidance.

ilovecycling

Don't buy him something he will want to upgrade in a year. Get him something "fail proof" that he will want to keep even if he falls in love with the sport even more and wants a nicer high-end carbon fiber bike in a few years.

https://www.cannondale.com/2012/bikes...-4-rival-20059 in the raw silver color. There's no way he won't like it and it also makes for one hell of a race bike should he get into that some day.

A gift card works too, but if you want to actually roll the bike out to him on Christmas day, that Cannondale CAAD10 should make him smile ear to ear.

gw280

I don't know what your budget is, but I'll assume you're looking at the $1k-$2k bracket:

- Make sure you get it fitted properly. This is more important than any of the components you can buy.
- Budget for accessories. Pedals, shoes, helmet, bibshorts, jersey, gloves, water bottles, bottle cages, pump, lights, cycle computer, etc.
- Groupset - as previously mentioned the lowest you want to go is Shimano Sora or thereabouts. SRAM is probably best in the low-budget market though with their new Apex group. As he's young and just starting out, maybe look at getting a compact chainset.
- Honestly, in my opinion the frame material doesn't matter hugely to a beginner. My first frame happened to be carbon because I got an incredible deal on an ex-team bike directly from the manufacturer, but a good aluminium one will be just as effective and probably more sturdy.

And finally, make sure you go to a variety of bike shops that stock lots of different brands and speak to the guys who work there!

valygrl

^^^ uh, $2000 bike for a 16 year old, intended to last multiple years? You think he might still be growing, maybe?
(edit, was replying to ilovecycling)

urbanknight

You could just cut out a catalog picture of a bike and wrap it in a small box. I did something like that when I wanted to buy my college sweetheart a guitar, but knew she had to be particular about the specs since it was for her career.

ilovecycling

Duh. I didn't even think about the fact that he will be growing.

New suggestion: Get him something < $1k. Gift card to Competitive Cyclist would probably work since they have great deals on bikes rather often. They had a super nice BMC with Shimano 105 components for $999 just a few weeks ago.

ColinL

I grew two inches between 16 and 18. Some of my friends, not at all.

He has picked the absolute best bike for $2,000. If the budget is less I'd be considering the CAAD10-5 105 and various trims of the Specialized Allez. If the budget is below $1,000 then it gets tricky.

2ndGen

Yes and no.
New buyers should (when possible) buy from a LBS for fit and service.
Definitely with you on the <$1K. suggestion.
That's why I suggested something like a CAAD8 or Trek 1.X.
(But secretly I wanted to yell HECK YEAH on the CAAD10! Shhhh!!!!)