Road bikes?

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by lopealle

revived to ask questions. im just curious as to where i should start on buying a road bike. i only want to spend around $400.

Check Craigslist, or whatever local classified you have.

First find out what you need, sizes and such, then search the used market for something that fits your budget.

Also, get a good helmet, gloves, shorts etc, it really makes a huge difference in the overall experience, and the more fun you have the more likely you are to continue.

[lopealle]

so where do i look to find a decent one for that price range? i dont mnd getting a 3-5 year old bike.

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by lopealle

so where do i look to find a decent one for that price range? i dont mnd getting a 3-5 year old bike.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/search...oad&srchType=A

find out what size you need first

check here too, they have good sales from time to time, I only buy accessories from them, but worth looking at.

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes...LocatorGeorgia

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/bik/1874993640.html

[lopealle]

guess im gonna have to get sized then. this may sound like a dumb question but does the sizing go by weight height or both?

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by lopealle

guess im gonna have to get sized then. this may sound like a dumb question but does the sizing go by weight height or both?

Height and your build, there are probably two frame sizes that would fit you, for example 56 and 58, but one will fit you better depending on the length of your torso or legs etc, you can also adjust the stem so if you buy a used bike that is close, you will be able to do some fine tuning.

My bike fit me well, but I ended up changing the seat and spent about a half an hour in the bike shop getting it dialed in (on my bike mounted on a trainer). It sounds stupid but a couple of mm front to back really do make a difference after 15 miles.

[lopealle]

well i must need a huge bike then. i weigh like 230. im trying to go hardcore cardio on this thing.

[Buegie]

Your weight doesn't factor into the frame size. Things that matter are your height, inseam, arm length, etc. The only place your weight might matter is in your choice of wheels. You probably won't be able to go with something uber-lightweight, you'll want something slightly more sturdy. But on a used entry level bike, you really won't be finding any super lightweight wheels anyway.

[Feyd]

Couple tips:

Since you are over ~185lbs (Me too) depending on the bike you get you're definitely going to want to stay away from low spoke count wheels.

I had a set of wheels built for me when I got my CR1 a couple months back. Velocity Deep Vs (recommended for people over 220lbs) laced to some 32hole Ultegra hubs. Pretty much as bomb proof as you can get in a road wheel. Also ditch the 23mm tires for some 25mm or 28mm tires so that you can run lower pressures. This will also help minimize pinch flats + make your ride lots more comfortable. If you can't afford a full set, maybe just look at getting a rear wheel built up.

Invest in some good riding clothes. If you are going to go "crazy cardio" you'll want to get some cycling shorts/jerseys, etc. Forget about looking goofy, these clothes are designed the way they are for a reason and will wick moisture away from your body/pad the areas that need to be padded, etc. If you are modest at first you can get some "cycling boxers" that you can wear under your regular shorts that have the moisture wicking materials/padding.

And enjoy it.. it becomes very addictive.

Pic from last Friday ~ 5:30AM here on the lake.

[ejheverest]

+1 on riding with a good pair of bike shorts, jersey.
I average 75-125 miles per week when I am home, A-/A pace, mostly flat city riding where I live, traffic lights and a few pothole filled roads so its hard to do more than a 25-30 mile ride without doing multiple loops.
Current setup- late 80's Cannondale(aluminum frm and fork) that I got for free, spent 75$ on shimano 105 derrailleurs, 75$ for mavic/ultegra rims w/ michelin tires.
Do ride a Felt Redemption 2 for my full suspension mtn bike but, I'm still scared to pick up a Felt F3 since I mostly do city riding and ride along side traffic, have crashed once in the past year and don't want to crash on a 2500-3500$ bike.
Wish I lived out in the sticks or in a biker-friendly place...

GET FITTED FIRST!!!THEN LOOK AT CRAIGSLIST and BIKE SHOPS, THE SHOPS WILL HELP YOU OUT IN THE LONG RUN WHEN U COME BACK TO BUY ACCESSORIES, COMPUTER, TIRES, TUBES, JERSEYS, SHORTS, HELMET, LIGHTS, SHOES, BROKEN CABLES, ETC.

IT IS VERY ADDICTIVE IF YOU END UP RIDING!!
C PACE 14-16mph
B PACE 16-18 mph
A PACE 18-20 mph
A+ PACE 20-24 mph, if you get dropped, they will not wait for you

IT'S THE MOST DANGEROUS SPORT I HAVE DONE- MULTIPLE INCIDENTS WITH CARS, MOST PEOPLE DO NOT PAY ATTENTION AND YOU WILL REALIZE VERY QUICKLY HOW MANY PEOPLE TALK ON THEIR CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING AND DON'T SEE YOU.

[ejheverest]

Did The Tour De Cure This Year!! Lots Of Fun, Sign Up For Some Events As Soon As You Buy A Bike!!!

[lopealle]

you guys have me all excited. im gonna go thursday to get fitted then i will let you guys know from there.

[dth656]

Originally Posted by ejheverest

+1 on riding with a good pair of bike shorts, jersey.
I average 75-125 miles per week when I am home, A-/A pace, mostly flat city riding where I live, traffic lights and a few pothole filled roads so its hard to do more than a 25-30 mile ride without doing multiple loops.
Current setup- late 80's Cannondale(aluminum frm and fork) that I got for free, spent 75$ on shimano 105 derrailleurs, 75$ for mavic/ultegra rims w/ michelin tires.
Do ride a Felt Redemption 2 for my full suspension mtn bike but, I'm still scared to pick up a Felt F3 since I mostly do city riding and ride along side traffic, have crashed once in the past year and don't want to crash on a 2500-3500$ bike.
Wish I lived out in the sticks or in a biker-friendly place...

GET FITTED FIRST!!!THEN LOOK AT CRAIGSLIST and BIKE SHOPS, THE SHOPS WILL HELP YOU OUT IN THE LONG RUN WHEN U COME BACK TO BUY ACCESSORIES, COMPUTER, TIRES, TUBES, JERSEYS, SHORTS, HELMET, LIGHTS, SHOES, BROKEN CABLES, ETC.

IT IS VERY ADDICTIVE IF YOU END UP RIDING!!
C PACE 14-16mph
B PACE 16-18 mph
A PACE 18-20 mph
A+ PACE 20-24 mph, if you get dropped, they will not wait for you

IT'S THE MOST DANGEROUS SPORT I HAVE DONE- MULTIPLE INCIDENTS WITH CARS, MOST PEOPLE DO NOT PAY ATTENTION AND YOU WILL REALIZE VERY QUICKLY HOW MANY PEOPLE TALK ON THEIR CELL PHONES WHILE DRIVING AND DON'T SEE YOU.

i have to admit, biking can become very addictive (although i only ride mtn). i got my first mtb in 94, still ride it, and i recently got a santa cruz blur LT2.

also, +1 on the danger aspect, especially on the road. from my own experience, bike/car interactions are not fun.

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by dth656

i have to admit, biking can become very addictive (although i only ride mtn). i got my first mtb in 94, still ride it, and i recently got a santa cruz blur LT2.

also, +1 on the danger aspect, especially on the road. from my own experience, bike/car interactions are not fun.

I prefer mountain riding, but it is hard to put aside enough time to get to the trail head, and get a ride in these days (wife and I had our first baby this year). I am fortunate to live in a very bike friendly area, but there are places and times that I just don't go because of traffic.

[Smac355]

TREK is a great brand... i have one myself, a solid roadbike is gonna cost you about 1k.

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by Smac355

TREK is a great brand... i have one myself, a solid roadbike is gonna cost you about 1k.

Trek is good, I have a Trek 2.3, but shop for the components that you want (Shimano 105 is a good place to start, and the reason I ended up with the 2.3). Giant, Specialized, Trek, etc are good brands to start with because you get good gear for reasonable prices because of their buying power.

The Cannondale CAAD series bike are well reviewed too, and availiable at some REI stores (sometimes you can take advantage of sales there).

[FStop7]

Originally Posted by MisterSkiMask

I use a garmin 305, the HRM and cadence monitor keep you from getting lazy, strongly recommend having a computer that handles those two things.

I have a Garmin 305, too. It's awesome. I have the foot pod for walking/running, but don't have a cadence sensor yet as I don't have a bike. I love how versatile the 305 is.

And to the other poster who asked about a starter bike for $400, you can definitely find one in that range. It depends on if you want a road bike, a hybrid, mountain bike, etc... but you can find something in each category. It won't be fancy at all but it won't be a POS, either.

[Feyd]

105 components unfortunately will be on bikes that are way over this guys budget.

105 on an aluminum bike will be $1400+
105 on a carbon bike will be $2300+


His best bet is to buy used, or buy something that he can afford and see if he really likes it before he takes the plunge. When the time comes, if he likes it enough he won't have to justify spending a few grand on a new bike.

IMO as a beginner, components don't come into play as much. I'd say that he should try to spend $500-600 or just go full boat at the $2000+ level... everything in between will be no better/no worse than those ranges. When you start to drop below that $500 level on a new bike you'll definitely see the faults. When you start to get over that $2,000 level you start to get into some really nice stuff.



*edit*

Totally forgot, but you might try bikesdirect.com. If you aren't a brand whore and are looking for a Trek/Scott/Specialized, etc., lots of people over on roadbikereview.com rave about motobecane bikes. Just keep in mind that you'll spend ~$100 having a shop assemble everything for you once you recieve the box. Be sure to get measured/fit prior to purchasing so that you know what size you need to order.

[Inspired]

A bit off topic but what kind of lock do you guys use?

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by Feyd

105 components unfortunately will be on bikes that are way over this guys budget.

105 on an aluminum bike will be $1400+
105 on a carbon bike will be $2300+


His best bet is to buy used, or buy something that he can afford and see if he really likes it before he takes the plunge. When the time comes, if he likes it enough he won't have to justify spending a few grand on a new bike.

IMO as a beginner, components don't come into play as much. I'd say that he should try to spend $500-600 or just go full boat at the $2000+ level... everything in between will be no better/no worse than those ranges. When you start to drop below that $500 level on a new bike you'll definitely see the faults. When you start to get over that $2,000 level you start to get into some really nice stuff.



*edit*

Totally forgot, but you might try bikesdirect.com. If you aren't a brand whore and are looking for a Trek/Scott/Specialized, etc., lots of people over on roadbikereview.com rave about motobecane bikes. Just keep in mind that you'll spend ~$100 having a shop assemble everything for you once you recieve the box. Be sure to get measured/fit prior to purchasing so that you know what size you need to order.

Agreed, he will get way more for his money if he can find a used bike that is a good fit.

If buying new, I would avoid buying your "entry" bike online, go to a LBS, the prices will be very close if not the same, they will be able to help you make the right decisions and get it set up. Also shop will often discount accessories for people who recently purchased a bike from thier store. My shop did this, and the offered a free 100 mile tune up.

[Buegie]

Originally Posted by twinturbo335

A bit off topic but what kind of lock do you guys use?

I don't even own one, I barely get off my bike when I'm out riding. If I want to go into a store or something, I'll take the bike in with me or lean it against something outside. I live in a somewhat rural area, no one is going to steal my bike

[MisterSkiMask]

Originally Posted by twinturbo335

A bit off topic but what kind of lock do you guys use?

I own one, but I got it as a gift and I have used it once. If I'm not on one of my bikes (Mt. or road, I don't have a collection or anything) it is either locked on the roof rack, or in the garage.

[dth656]

slightly off topic questions, because i think that road cyclists may have more experience with it.


Background:

i've been using shimano mtn spd pedals of one kind or another since 1995, and a sidi style mtn shoe as well, w/ absolutely no problems whatsoever.

then, when i bought my santa cruz about a year ago, i started riding steeper, more technical terrain, to the point where i wanted to be unclipped in certain sections. so i wanted to replace my standard spds w/ a half SPD/half platform pedal---i ended up buying a pair of Wellgo WAM-D10s. its basically a normal SPD one one side, and a flat w/ pins on the other. to go w/ this pedal, i bought a pair of 661 filter shoes--this is basically a flat skate shoe w/ room for a cleat. the flat sole grips the flat side of the pedal really well, and then the cleat will bind w/ the SPD when i need to climb.


Problem:
i've noticed that since i got the new shoe/pedal combo (it doesnt float as much as shimano SPDs, but not too much different), i've been getting knee pain. using the following article

http://www.cptips.com/knee2.htm

i figured out that the the cleat rotation was probably an issue. i rotated the cleats in the shoes, and the initial type of pain went away. however, a day or two after a ride, i still have a small amount of intermittent discomfort in my knees (either a twinge, or feeling of discomfort, slight 'burning' feeeling or slight bit of pain when they are bent for long time while driving). i have also increased the seat height, and moved the saddle back on its rails about 10mm, but not much benefit.


questions:

-is there something else i should be trying (in terms of cleat, pedal, seat combos?)
-has anyone else had knee pain after riding? was there a similar root cause?
-do the roadie "fit" sessions that i've seen advertised at bike shops address this sort of thing? i was thinking of going by a bike shop w/ my bike, and both pedal/shoe combos and seeing if there is something in my posture, leg extension that was causing an issue
-any other advice?

i've posted this on mtbr.com too, but thought i'd try to get a roadie viewpoint as well. thanks in advance