halfspeed

Not particularly.

It's a bike, not a home explosives kit.

Wut?

Clearly you're actually quite concerned about how other people spend their money, in spite of your protestations to the contrary.


And the light begins to break through the clouds of absurdity!

You're welcome!

They are adequate.

To say the least. Though "sad" might be a better adjective.

Why do you care whether or not I know how to ride them? WTF is it any of your concern at all? Who the eff are you?


I suspect that almost all of the riders you think are on the "wrong" bike are there because they wanted to be there, not because some evil salesman's diabolical plot. People own and work in bike shops because they love bikes and are passionate about getting people on the right ones. It sure as hell isn't about the money.

SundayNiagara

See my previous post regarding people who don't know how to sell.

lsberrios1 

Today is Grumpy mod day! Must be the soccer

lsberrios1 

You must be very rich sir... Pat on the back and firm handshake.

Roopull

I seriously wish that were the case.

I quit going to my LBS after watching the owner try to sell a guy in his 60s who was clearly not in the best of shape his first bike. The bike he was trying to talk him into was a full carbon racing bike. All I could think was, "That guy's going to ride that bike precisely twice and stop riding at all, hopefully before he breaks a hip while crashing."

I had another older guy in horrendous physical shape stop me to ask where I thought he could "learn to ride his new bike." In the back of his Chevy S10 was a brand new full carbon racer. Seriously... who would sell this guy that bike? Maybe he did go into a bike shop and say, "Sell me the best bike you have." I doubt it, though.


Call it my concern for the well-being of my fellow man. Although with you, I becoming markedly less concerned.

Also, regarding your defensiveness... yeah.

halfspeed

You'd be surprised. It's not at all unusual.

Thanks. It's always nice when busybodies turn their noses elsewhere.

"Mind your own business" is "defensiveness"? OK.

Roopull

Someone responding to someone asking for opinions is hardly minding someone else's business. Showing concern for someone else getting ripped off by unscrupulous bike shop owners is hardly being a busy body.

wallrat

I wish I was rich. I'm just a middle class family man in a 2500 square foot home in Marin. I'm scraping by. I was just saying everything is relative.

vzwire

Some would say a family man in a 2500 sq ft home is in fact "rich". Just sayin. Being rich is only relevant to the one who feels rich. Lots of people that have more money than they can spend aren't "rich". I feel the most rich when I am with my children, laughing.

laf

Man, I would really like to drive a 911 GT1 hehe.

The best way is to try all the bikes if possible and decide from there.

As for the nice bikes hanging on hooks, im sure there is a lot of them. This is mostly the responsability of the bike shop to sell the right bike but the buyer still have to ask some questions.

WK95

Don't spend $2000 on a beginner bike.

If anything, you should spend $1000 on a bike and $1000 or less on a power meter and some accessories. A powermeter does more to make you a good cyclist than does fancy parts and carbon fiber everything.

vzwire

I don't understand this at all. My first was a Madone 4.3. I ride it daily- 250+ miles a week in moderate to heavy traffic. I've never fallen, and if I do then I'd be just as upset as a 10 year cyclist.
So... According to you... When is it acceptable to buy a 2k bike???

If he has the means to buy a 2k bike and all the accessories you mentioned, why shouldn't he? Remember- $2k may be a crazy amount of money for some, but not all. When buying my first bike I wanted a brand new bike- not used. I also wanted to be sure that I would buy a bike that I wouldn't have "wished I spent a little more" for better components a few months later.

Now- I just read the $15k Trek new release thread. I wouldn't have considered that as my first choice... But a 4.3- why not?

rms13

Maybe you'll run into my friend with his $10K bike in the back of his GMC pick up. Or his $5k bike. One reason he can afford the bikes is because he could afford a much more expensive car but he has priorities. He's also a competitive Ironman/Triathalete so he spends money on his bikes

Heathpack 

Sorry, late to this thread. Have you actually gotten the bike yet?

The first question I would have asked you is what kind of riding do you intend to do? You've purchased an endurance bike, is that because you think you will be going for long distance rides? Maybe you want this kind of bike even if the answer is "no," for example if you are older, or less flexible, or have back problems, say. But if you are a young guy who aspires to racing or hanging with fast group rides, you might be better off with the Tarmac or the Madone. At least in theory, probably the most important factor is how much you like the bike & how well it fits/feels when you are riding it.

I am pretty much a newby myself, but I'm already on my second bike. I started with a $600 entry level Trek, just to ride awhile & see what I liked cycling-wise. Then I decided I was into endurance type riding and I bought the right bike for that. Total game-changer for me, having the right bike. Now I'm *really* into endurance riding because the bike makes what I want to do so much more possible. The right bike really can make a huge difference.

If you're not sure where you're going with this, stick with your current choice, you'll probably be pretty happy with it. But if you are considering the racing/fast group ride thing, you might consider switching to one of your other options, if possible.

aaronmcd

On carbon being so "fragile":
Tipping over a carbon bike clipping in is NOT going to break anything. I crashed my carbon bike in a sprint at 30+ mph and broke a shifter and bent a derailleur hanger. That's it (oh, and I lost some skin as well). I've seen crashes where bikes got snapped in half, but it takes one helluva crash... and I don't think it's the carbon's fault.

wallrat

Buy what you think it's cool and make you ride more. The varying opinions on this site probably won't help you make a decision. It'll just cloud the issue.

My first road bike was a super six ultegra. I didn't know anything about road biking and just went for it. I've put 3000 miles on it this year and have done 4 centuries.

Dive in head first. You only live once.

MikeM21

N+1

That's the real answer here. Buy the Synapse (great choice, just helped a friend make the same decision) AND buy the Tarmac so you can ride even faster, AND buy a used bike off of craigslist for bad weather, AND buy a dedicated commuter for anywhere from $250-$1250, AND when you decide to try tris buy a $4000 tri-specific bike, don't forget a mountain bike to ride off-road. After all of that you'll still be lusting for that "perfect" bike (which doesn't exist), oh and upgraded wheelsets, electronic shifting, power meters, etc., etc., etc.. At least that has been my experience!

Spend the money, ride a lot, be happy!

Gramercy

Race this weekend in the park. Broken carbon. Not sure how an aluminum bike would look after this but it probably would not crack in half.

rms13

I assume you crashed and your bike didn't just spotenously implode

seymour1910

Nope, a CAAD10 wouldn't have done that

Gramercy

That's not my bike. I didn't even know Louis Garneau made bikes until I saw that picture on a local team's website. Even though it may be an unlucky break (pun intended) I won't buy their bikes because of that picture.

wphamilton

Not to be argumentative, but do you see how your perspective with the $15K bike is the same as another's perspective with the $2K bike? Only the number changes, the other reasons are the same. Either way, you evaluate the improvement of quality as insufficient to justify the higher price, whichever it is.

Generally the advice for a "first beginner road bike" is no more than a decent entry level bike, so as to determine whether you'll like the sport enough to invest further and to gain enough knowledge for an informed opinion for the subsequent purchase. If $2K is trivial then the question is moot, but it would still be a waste of money (even if trivial), if an $800 bike or a $1000 bike serves the same purpose in the beginning with little or no loss in performance or ride quality.

It also depends on temperament. In my case, I know that I'd want a beater bike anyway for bad weather and trips to the store, or to blend in with the great unwashed masses. So I wouldn't consider the price of the initial bike to be charged against the budget for the good bike. I'd just buy the beater first and delay the $2K bike or $15K bike.

I didn't see this ... congrats and best of luck to OP.

lsberrios1 

Thank god! Something like that would have ended my racing forever.

vzwire

I mentioned the $15K bike only to prove my point that different price tags are affordable to different folks and to suggest someone should not buy a $2K bike as their first is just silly. I do know this.. if I could afford to buy the new $15K Trek as my first bike... I sure the hell would have!

I don't take you as argumentative at all. As a matter of fact I believe you and I are completely aligned.

lsberrios1 

Afford and need are not the same. A beginner doesnt need a 2k bike but if he can afford it it wont hurt him either. The only thing id have some issues with might be that a begginer may not exactly know his or her preference due to inexperience. Buying an expensive road bike then realizing that that person really wanted a hybrid or a tt bike is definitely crappy. Maybe they could have only afford it once.