Originally Posted by carleton (Post 10262983)

Road Bikes are the new Fixed Gears.

That's right. I said it.


You don't have to get a $10,000 mammer-jammer. A nice bike can be had for not much more than comparable FG bikes. Plus, there are TONS more road bikes on the used market.

If you've been riding FG bikes exclusively for a long while, give a road bike a try. You'll feel like you can ride forever.


That being said, to answer the question:


The upgrades that will deliver the most bang for the buck are usually dealing with comfort. Such as:

- Bike Fitting: The majority of casual riders NEVER get a bike fitting. A proper bike fitting will help eliminate minor discomforts as well as improve efficiency, power output while lowering the risk of injury. Some people are good at setting their bikes up based on feel. Others are not. If you don't know how moving your saddle forward/backwards 1", saddle up/down 1", handlebars up/down 1", or stem forward/back 1cm will affect your riding, then you probably could use a bike fitting and let someone explain it to you.


- Handlebars: The RIGHT handlebars for you and your type of riding. Lots of people on this board like to ride proper DEEP track drops because it looks good. Ask their backs how it looks. I race on proper track drops and I can only stand them for 5-10 minutes at a time. Consider this:
* Risers have 1 hand position
* Track drops have 1 hand position
* Bullhorns have 2 hand positions
* Road bars (with hoods) have 3 hand positions

Your back and arms will appreciate more hand position options on longer rides. Get the right width for your shoulders. Too narrow and breathing is restricted, too wide and it's uncomfortable to hold your body up.


- Saddle: This is the #1 most upgraded/swapped part on bicycles. Everyone's butt is different. Finding the right saddle is a long journey. Don't buy for looks. The best advice comes from old salty dog cyclists that have been doing this a while. The worst advice comes from folks new to cycling.

EDIT: When manufacturers are cutting costs on bikes, they usually start with a budget saddle. Also, if you are new to cycling, it will take your bottom 2 weeks to get "broken in" and not be sore on ANY saddle. So, if your butt hurts it may not be the saddle's fault. Also, saddle tilt is VERY important. One or two degrees can be the difference from not noticing the saddle to feeling like someone did the humpty dance on your junk.

Once you find the saddle for you, you will keep (or keep buying) that saddle for years. I ride a Fizik Arione.

- Grip Tape: Nice grip take is nice on your hands. Go ahead and spend the extra $5 on the good stuff. It's worth it. Personal preference.

- Tires: Good tires grip better, feel better. Good tires cost $40-60. If you are going to skid, then I guess it doesn't matter. Just buy the cheapo tires.

- Pedals: This is controversial subject around here. Clipless vs Clips & Straps is an old argument. Here are the Pros and Cons. Decide what's important for you:

Clips and Straps
Pros:
- You can use most casual sneakers (vans, chuck taylors, etc). Walking around is easy.
- No need to buy special shoes
- Double straps look nice
- Inexpensive (unless you go bling)

Cons:
- No one really uses the straps fully tight as they are designed to be used, so you never get the full benefit of the upstroke
- Not as efficient as clipless pedals

Clipless Pedals
Pros:
- Efficient pedaling
- The "once you go clipless, you don't go back" feeling.

Cons
- More expensive
- Must have special shoes.
- Difficult to walk in cycling shoes (unless you get MTB shoes which are a bit easier to walk in)


For me, Clipless is totally worth it.



EDIT: You probably won't notice upgraded wheels or cranks which are very expensive. Use them till they break then buy quality ones. The quality ones won't feel much different, but they will last longer.

Originally Posted by the_don (Post 10439267)

I totally agree with you. Recently I have been thinking it would be much better to get a sweet old road bike than a FG. serious. For training, commuting, exercise, health, it is much better! And you can change your gearing to match the terrain. I have been having dreams of getting one, I want to get a nice Radac! I live in Tokyo and see really ******** cool ones around.