LMaster

Backstory - Mostly run, but I've been riding a little more with the family and because of an injury that keep me away from running for several months. Moral of the story; it's been fun for me and I've been thinking about taking it a little more seriously.

With that in mind:

1)Buying an Entry Level Road Bike - I've been using exclusively a MTB, but am strongly considering this, as speed is fun for me and I especially enjoy climbs...but not rocky MTB stuff. That said, I'm a poor college student and not sure exactly how serious I will take cycling, so I'm looking for good entry level recommendations. Definitely under 1,500 and probably in the 600-999 price range, unless there is a very compelling reason to pay a bit more.

Thoughts on what I should be looking for when trying to decide on a decent bike, as well as any other advice about proper fitting on the bike, etc. is appreciated.

2) Races - Let's say I want to enter some cycling races. Not knowing a damn thing, where do I start...and how good do you have to be fitness wise to not get your doors blown off (I understand it would likely happen anyway at first not knowing anything about cycling tactics, breaks, bike handling, etc.).

3) Training -I don't have a clue for what to do training wise cycling, or how to put together a schedule with that has reasonable cohesion and purpose. If it helps I can provide background information on my current state of "training" and my fitness.

Thanks in advance!

wheelreason

Dude, you are all over the place. My suggestion is to get something with 105 or ultegra, make sure it fits. Go to a LBS that focuses on road (I just threw up a little in my mouth). They will be able to help you with your bike choice, and other questions, and can put you in touch with local rides, if they don't have "shop ones". Good luck.

HOWSER

Why don't you chat with a local club. Many times they'll have a team or at least members that compete.

Not sure where you are in Colorado but I'd imagine there are plenty of clubs out there willing to answer your questions.

Here's some light reading for you concerning your racing questions.

https://www.bikeforums.net/33-road-bi...s-tip-two.html

Good luck!

joejack951

There is no real compelling reason to pay more than your budget, and I say this as an owner of two bikes that cost far more than that. My first road bike was a $750 Specialized with Sora components and it did everything I needed it to do. The latest 9 speed Sora is much nicer than the early 8 speed I was using at the time. Even Claris 8 speed stuff is pretty nice (dual paddle design with trimming capability for the front derailler) and you can find a bike below your budget with that group. Suggestions of 105 or Ultegra (really, Ultegra?) for a beginner's bike are almost too much for me to take. Find out that you like the sport and then decide where to spend a big chunk of your hard earned money, or not. Even the cheapest road bike components are well made and will last for many thousands of miles.

LMaster

That's the biggest reason why I might have been willing to buy something more expensive. If entry level components were only going to last 1000 miles, and slightly better stuff 5000+...that would have been a compelling reason to pay a little more up front. Thanks the feedback!

joejack951

I had close to 10,000 miles on those Sora levers (a lot of rain and winter riding mixed in) when I sold that bike to my dad. It's still going strong, too. Having handled the new Sora and Claris levers on friends' bikes, I think you'll be quite happy with them.

squatchy

I can give you a hand if need be. I'm in lakewood. If you want leave some way to contact you (email) and I'll get in touch

mkadam68

Ride lots. Right now, you're new to the sport. Having a running & MTB background will help. But, just ride. Keep it fun to be motivated, maybe ride with others. Now, I'm not saying ride 400-miles a week. Instead, aim for an hour or so each ride during the week (or whatever your schedule can handle), and maybe 2-3 hours on weekend rides. Just starting out, aim for 4 rides a week. Maybe a month or two. Then, when 4/week feels easy, increase to 5 and then 6 days a week.

Hang out at local bike shops (LBS) and learn. You'll meet other riders, acquaint with equipment, and hear lots of tips on training. Maybe next year you can look for a specific, detailed training program, but for now, just have fun.

KonaRider125

Nashbar has a solid road bike for $600.

Product: Nashbar AL-1 Road Bike

rms13

Shimano would be out of business if their components only lasted 1000 miles. A crappy set of tires should last at least 2000. Groupset from Shimano, SRAM or Campy should last years. I just bought a 25 year old bike with all original Shimano 600 and it all works as good as the components on my other bike that are barely over a year old.

Get an entry level bike from LBS or shop around for a used bike. Depending on your local market you should be able to get a nice 105 bike or even Ultegra in your price range. Heck, I saw a slightly older CAAD8 with Dura Ace on my local Craigslist with asking price of $1000 recently

LMaster

Alright, definitely seems like the consensus is that entry level stuff won't be breaking down after just a couple thousand miles; so I'm definitely thinking just get a reasonable entry level bike. If I really get into it and love it I can always get something new and or/upgrade.

LMaster

Some Background Info as far as training/experience/fitness in case that impacts thoughts:

Cycling History - Strava has me at 750 miles since the start of the year when I started using it it, probably a third or more of that is in the last 4 weeks. Before this year I might have cycled something like 200 miles a year, just an occasional ride for fun with friends/family or something.


Fitness - Running wise I was actually injured for 2 years with a groin issue that turned into a hip issue. Pre-injury I was 5'8" and 135 (61 kg) and in about 16:30 shape for 5k. Currently I'm around 155 (70) and probably in low 18/high 17 shape.


Cycling wise I have only a MTB to ride on at the moment, but am almost certainly going to be buying an entry level road bike in the next few weeks...its much more the riding I prefer. I know average speed means next to nothing in cycling but on the MTB I tend to cruise around at 15-17 on the somewhat hilly/rugged main gravel MUP around here. Rode 50M on the roads/MUP on Sunday at around 18 something and was fresh enough to run 6M a few hours later in the evening. Not really sure as far as wattages/FTP goes, estimating from the calculators I can find it seems like I can do 360W for 5 min effort and around 300W for 1 hour effort. That's just estimating from calculators though so that might not be even close to real.


Not sure how much it affects training but I live/ride in Colorado at 7000'


As a final question, any recommendations on how/where to look for a good group, as I think group rides would be quite fun and a nice change of pace. Info/where to find info on what to be aware of when riding in a group would be awesome too!

Thanks!

cafzali

This list of CO cycling clubs looks pretty good. Hopefully it will have something in your area. Colorado Cycling Clubs

DinoShepherd

Poor college student? An honest, real college student? And you can right now run a 16:30 5k?

Run, do not walk to your college cycling team. The answers, and potential fame, await you there.

I can tell you that college bike racing was absolutely one of the best times of my life. Huge, silly fun. And with fitness like yours, you could be a cycling rock star.

BTW, be ready for lots of weird egos in bike racing. Fight through it. Plenty of cool people.

Welcome to the sport!

LMaster

@cafzali -Thanks for that!
@DinoShepherd - Currently I think I'm in around high 17/low 18 shape. I think my aerobic fitness/capacity is about to where it was pre injury, but 20 lbs over race weight really, really slows ya down.

Might be fun to think about the team, and it might be possible because afaik it isn't an NCAA collegiate sport. Which is an issue because I had some time off, a dink around semester or two, etc. and thus my eligibility is non-existent. However, if it isn't through NCAA it might well be possible for me.

I can deal with wierd egos though, I think it's tough to find a person more laid-back and un-sensitive to things as I am.

datlas 

Wut

bampilot06

Woah, he came back, as as as spam!


Datlas promise me, when I die, you make sure I can’t come back.

datlas 

Promise.

I don’t ever recall seeing this phenomenon before. Does it have a name? OP spam zombie, maybe?

DangerousDanR

Am I the only person who immediately thought of...

Kontact

Buy something used but with low miles. High quality, low price. When you decide to upgrade you'll get your money back.

datlas 

Was it all just a dream?

Bald Paul

Uh, people, the OP last posted in 2014 as a "poor college student". I'm pretty sure that in 2023, he has graduated, found a good job, and makes enough money to afford a good bike.
Then again, maybe he dropped out, became homeless and hooked on drugs and alcohol, and will just steal yours.

eduskator

It's good to read someone who seems highly motivated to start road cycling.

At that price range, I would buy a used bike with 105 component. You should be able to find a 2020 bike at this price range. Look for a Giant Defy or TCR (they're the best bang for the buck IMO). A new one is definitively out of range.

Ride it as much as you can. See if you like it. Join a cycling club that matches your ability (too slow = you won't like it. too fast = you won't like it). Then, think about races.

Kontact

That's datlas' fault. Leave us out of it.

TMonk

LMaster what school do you attend? There are many popular collegiate cycling teams in Colorado, CU Boulder, Fort Collins etc, that are producing national-caliber riders.

I highly, highly recommend intercollegiate cycling, if it is an option to you. It's not NCAA, but rather done by the same organization that does amateurs and (domestic) professional racing in the US, USA Cycling.

I got my start in a similar situation as you and starting riding road bikes and racing them at the same time. Collegiate racing is a positive, great scene and there are often coaching resources and even travel/clothing/race fee resources at some schools. You'll have access to elite athletes and great racing in a low-key atmosphere with a small fraction of the ego, disdain and negativity that often characterizes middling bike racers outside of college. Look into it.