Geek.Verve

I'm getting ready to purchase my first bike, and have been reading a lot about the factors I should consider, given my own personal situation. I am 5'10" and 258 lbs. My primary goal is to improve my health and fitness level, as well as general enjoyment of rides of increasing distance and speed. My riding will pretty much be be exclusively on paved roads and MUP's. My budget is < $600.

I have decided that a drop bar road bike with a design that leans a bit toward comfort rather than racing is what I should be considering. Right now I am looking at the following:

2013 Diamondback Podium 1 Road Bike

2013 Fuji Sportif 1.7 C Road Bike

I would appreciate any input anyone may have on those particular bikes, as well as any other options I should consider. Performance Bike is one of the few major LBS's nearby, and they have been very helpful when I've stopped in to browse a couple of times recently.

Any other suggestions would be welcome as well.

Thanks!
GV

TrojanHorse

Don't forget to include things like a helmet, spare tubes, a pump, patch kit, little pouch for these items, water bottles and maybe shorts / gloves in your budget. It doesn't end when you purchase the bike.

$600 is way way low on the price scale for a road bike, so find a shop that's helpful and go with them.

Geek.Verve

I do get that, and my initial purchase will include a helmet, gloves and shorts (which may push me a little over my budget, but not much). The rest I will acquire as soon as I can. Unfortunately, my budget is what it is. I fully plan on spending plenty more on accessories such as a rear rack, bottle cages, spare parts, tools, etc. in the near future. I just need to get to riding.

Thanks.

pghbikedude

+1 for the Fuji.

awfulwaffle 

I'd talk to them about what they would be willing to do if you start wrecking those wheels due to your size. I say this because I am a tad over 30 lbs lighter than you, and I had trouble with the stock wheels that came on my road bike. I do commute often and not always on the nicest roads, but even when tensioned after the initial purchase I popped spokes on the rear wheel, and I pretty much knew I'd be spending some time with a spoke wrench whenever I rolled over any rough patches of road at an appreciable speed. Since I bought my bike online, I just took the plunge on some beefier wheels and haven't looked back since. If you're buying a bike from the store, there may be some sort of assurance they can give you so you don't have to spend more money on new wheels if you find the ones that come with the bike are inadequate. Just my .02

TrojanHorse

I wasn't trying to insult your budget, sorry if I did. I just think a supportive shop will be very beneficial for you at that price point. Happy shopping!

Long Tom

Don't disregard used. $600 can buy a lot of used bike. That's exactly what I paid- at a LBS no less- for my Specialized Sequoia Elite, which was a list $1250 bike in 2008. On Craislist I bet it would've been more like $500. If you are a common size (54, 56 cm) then the heavens really open up! I'm routinely shocked at what I see on Craigslist in the $500-600 range in common frame sizes.

Better budget for:

Frame-mounted pump $35
Bike shorts $40-50 (pretty much a must-have)
Helmet $30-50
Gloves $20-40
Spare tube, tools, patch kit, seat bag $40

And very soon you will need:'

Pedals/cleats/shoes $125-$200

99Klein 

Your gonna need wheels right away. Not a big expenses nashbar has the vulata. HD for $150.00 with a 300 pound limit.

Fuji if those are my options but I would visit some local shops and look for better used.

Menel

Diamond back has a slightly more modern 8spd vs 7spd drivetrain. But in the end that isn't going to matter.

I would say it's worth the small difference in price to step up to the 1.3C, to have the dual paddle shifter and 9spd.
https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...400309__400309

You'll have a hard time beating Performance's price.

Look for a double points weekend and join their membership. Should get you $80-100 or so in store credit for helmet, etc.

seymour1910

a lot of good info here. one thing to add, they only have that Fuji in 58 and at your height a 58 will be on the big side honestly. at 5'10" I would suggest looking at 56cm bikes. I know more goes into it than just height, but 58 is a pretty big frame. Stay within youe budget, you will find something

last year I got my first bike and my budget was low as well, I went used and got a bike off CL because there was nothing in any bike shop less than $800 and I just didn't have it. Performance can provide the same support as any other shop, and their prices are hard to pass on. If you can find a nice used 56 that wouldn't be a bad thing. where are you located? some of us don't mind helping you look.

Geek.Verve

No worries. To be quite honest, I tend to take more of a purist approach to my various interests and hobbies, so I could appreciate where you're coming from if you were.

I agree with you, though. I'm trying really hard to find the right bike for me at PB, as I would much prefer having the benefit of a qualified guiding hand in the process. Plus, developing a good relationship with a dedicated bike shop could only be a good thing.

I've been looking at CL, but the thought of spending several hundred bucks on a bike without the benefit of professional guidance is a bit intimidating. I really don't know what I'm looking at in most cases.

I stopped in PB again at lunch. Talked to the same salesman as last time. Really nice guy and was not bothered at all to answer all my questions and provide some valuable advice. I sat on both the Diamondback and Fuji, and it turns out the best size for me is about 52cm. My budget does limit my options quite a bit, but I those two bikes seem like pretty good options. I actually liked the feel of the Diamondback better - can't really point to any particular reason, as the Fuji seemed more along the lines of what I am looking for from a features standpoint (I know, they're almost identical in that regard, but the Fuji has little things I'm interested in like braze-ons for a rear rack and 50/34 crankset for example).

One thing was abundantly clear, though. Padded, snug-fitting bike shorts will be a must. I was wearing jeans at the time, and...well, let's just say the giblets were crying foul. Maybe that's more a problem for us older fellas.

On a related note, the salesman told me that Diamondback used to have a negative reputation for road bikes, so they replaced their design team, including bringing in a lead designer known for quality bikes, and that the Podium series is one of the first lines designed by the new team. Anyone have any further info on that?