Bike buying tips?
Replies
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I agree with this type of fitting before spending on a good road bike. I was fitted for a TRI bike and the fitting took about an hour. 75% of the time was getting my measurement of hip and knee angles during peddle stroke, shoulder and back angles while leaning forward on handle bars.
Then we picked bike based on my measurements and type of rides I planned to do. Ironman events.
You will spend most of your money on the gearing. Front and back gears.
hope this helps1 -
I had a business counterpart once say... "Bikes can be expensive; I saw one selling for $300 !"
I had to tell him: "Dude, my wheelset alone was eight hundred dollars, never mind the bike."
My husband's friends joined us for his first Ironman and were amazed when I told him the upper end bikes were at least $10,000 - 15,000 bikes plus more for different components.
Love the $4.95 additional receipt option.
Yup, my best argument for another bike is to remind my bride that four of my tri friends have each spent over $10k apiece for new bikes in the last two years. One of the them has actually purchased both a new road bike(Madone Project One) and a new tri bike(Speed Concepts) in the last year at a cost of well over $10k each.
I'll also make the argument that I"ve given up my expensive boating and shotgunning purchases since taking up triathlons, but she's fairly tired of that excuse.
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Motorsheen wrote: »
this is awesome.
I had a business counterpart once say... "Bikes can be expensive; I saw one selling for $300 !"
I had to tell him: "Dude, my wheelset alone was eight hundred dollars, never mind the bike."
Did your wife think you bought new tires?0 -
There's always a model just slightly above your price range with features just a little more desirable. It's far more economic to buy a bike with the spec you want rather than upgrade.
For my friend his "must haves" were carbon frame, disc brakes, at least Shimano 105 gearset.
UPDATE:
@sijomial and others
Well this (bold) is the decision I find myself faced with. I can get a used Raleigh Capri 2.0 from a friend with aluminum frame, rim brakes, and Shimano Saro gearset or buy new and get a lighter frame, disc brakes, and Shimano 105 gearset. I'm concerned whether my friend's bike would keep happy for more than a year based on what I've read and heard from talking to people. Everyone seems thrilled when they upgrade to a lighter bike. I don't want to spend $500 (cost of friend's bike plus fitting) only to wish I'd gone for upgrade a short time later. OTOH I don't want to buy more bike than I'll ever need. Do you buy something you might grow out of or something to grow into? Thoughts?0 -
Grow into... definitely grow into.1
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There's always a model just slightly above your price range with features just a little more desirable. It's far more economic to buy a bike with the spec you want rather than upgrade.
For my friend his "must haves" were carbon frame, disc brakes, at least Shimano 105 gearset.
UPDATE:
@sijomial and others
Well this (bold) is the decision I find myself faced with. I can get a used Raleigh Capri 2.0 from a friend with aluminum frame, rim brakes, and Shimano Saro gearset or buy new and get a lighter frame, disc brakes, and Shimano 105 gearset. I'm concerned whether my friend's bike would keep happy for more than a year based on what I've read and heard from talking to people. Everyone seems thrilled when they upgrade to a lighter bike. I don't want to spend $500 (cost of friend's bike plus fitting) only to wish I'd gone for upgrade a short time later. OTOH I don't want to buy more bike than I'll ever need. Do you buy something you might grow out of or something to grow into? Thoughts?
If it's within my financial reach, I always buy something I'll grow into - even if I never grow into it. I've made the mistake of settling for less too many times, and I always end up regretting it and eventually buying what I really wanted in the first place. I subscribe to "buy once, cry once" whenever possible - as high as my budget allows, even if it means stretching it a bit.1 -
There's always a model just slightly above your price range with features just a little more desirable. It's far more economic to buy a bike with the spec you want rather than upgrade.
For my friend his "must haves" were carbon frame, disc brakes, at least Shimano 105 gearset.
UPDATE:
@sijomial and others
Well this (bold) is the decision I find myself faced with. I can get a used Raleigh Capri 2.0 from a friend with aluminum frame, rim brakes, and Shimano Saro gearset or buy new and get a lighter frame, disc brakes, and Shimano 105 gearset. I'm concerned whether my friend's bike would keep happy for more than a year based on what I've read and heard from talking to people. Everyone seems thrilled when they upgrade to a lighter bike. I don't want to spend $500 (cost of friend's bike plus fitting) only to wish I'd gone for upgrade a short time later. OTOH I don't want to buy more bike than I'll ever need. Do you buy something you might grow out of or something to grow into? Thoughts?
Think you mean Shimano Sora? Probably only 18 speed? (More modern groupsets might be 22 gears.)
If it's five years old you might need to budget for a service. Aluminium frames can be harsh although that's not universal (my ally hybrid is like riding a road drill so I'm biased!!)
My choice would be to go for new, Shimano 105 is really nice to use, disc brakes are far more confidence inspiring, lighter bikes are far more responsive and lively to ride. All the components are new. Riding a ride is a very tactile experience - far more so than driving a car. There's a real feel good factor from a bike that feels right.
Of my last 4 bikes bought the only one I was disappointed with was the one chosen for it's low purchase price rather than the specs I desired.2 -
There's always a model just slightly above your price range with features just a little more desirable. It's far more economic to buy a bike with the spec you want rather than upgrade.
For my friend his "must haves" were carbon frame, disc brakes, at least Shimano 105 gearset.
UPDATE:
@sijomial and others
Well this (bold) is the decision I find myself faced with. I can get a used Raleigh Capri 2.0 from a friend with aluminum frame, rim brakes, and Shimano Saro gearset or buy new and get a lighter frame, disc brakes, and Shimano 105 gearset. I'm concerned whether my friend's bike would keep happy for more than a year based on what I've read and heard from talking to people. Everyone seems thrilled when they upgrade to a lighter bike. I don't want to spend $500 (cost of friend's bike plus fitting) only to wish I'd gone for upgrade a short time later. OTOH I don't want to buy more bike than I'll ever need. Do you buy something you might grow out of or something to grow into? Thoughts?
If you might find yourself commuting/shopping/touring on the bike, then the used bike would still not be a waste. Sport bikes make for lousy city commuters/touring bikes.1 -
continued... carbon frames do not play well with racks, especially when loaded - can structurally damage the frame at pretty low weights, and the lightness makes them handle very, very squirrely when loaded. They also may draw professional thieves with tools to defeat a good U-lock when locked outside a shop/bar/etc.2
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more continued... disc brakes are preferable IMO for a city bike though, especially if you might be riding in inclement weather (but they do significantly increase the prices of the otherwise comparable bikes).
I'm currently in the market to buy a cheaper, heavier road bike for next season (and I do own a sport bike) to replace the hybrid I use for city use.1 -
There's always a model just slightly above your price range with features just a little more desirable. It's far more economic to buy a bike with the spec you want rather than upgrade.
For my friend his "must haves" were carbon frame, disc brakes, at least Shimano 105 gearset.
UPDATE:
@sijomial and others
Well this (bold) is the decision I find myself faced with. I can get a used Raleigh Capri 2.0 from a friend with aluminum frame, rim brakes, and Shimano Saro gearset or buy new and get a lighter frame, disc brakes, and Shimano 105 gearset. I'm concerned whether my friend's bike would keep happy for more than a year based on what I've read and heard from talking to people. Everyone seems thrilled when they upgrade to a lighter bike. I don't want to spend $500 (cost of friend's bike plus fitting) only to wish I'd gone for upgrade a short time later. OTOH I don't want to buy more bike than I'll ever need. Do you buy something you might grow out of or something to grow into? Thoughts?
105 is very nice and noticably better than Sora. It isn't just that it has more gears, shifts faster and more smoothly and weighs less, the "hoods" are more comfortable (for most people).
Rim brakes are fine but if you ever ride in the rain, here in our very hilly environment, discs are really nice. They perform more consistently in rain or shine. They give you more control over how much brakes to apply. And if you ride in the rain, they mean your rims won't wear out.
Even if you don't plan to ride in the rain you can still get caught out in an unexpected storm.2 -
There's always a model just slightly above your price range with features just a little more desirable. It's far more economic to buy a bike with the spec you want rather than upgrade.
For my friend his "must haves" were carbon frame, disc brakes, at least Shimano 105 gearset.
UPDATE:
@sijomial and others
Well this (bold) is the decision I find myself faced with. I can get a used Raleigh Capri 2.0 from a friend with aluminum frame, rim brakes, and Shimano Saro gearset or buy new and get a lighter frame, disc brakes, and Shimano 105 gearset. I'm concerned whether my friend's bike would keep happy for more than a year based on what I've read and heard from talking to people. Everyone seems thrilled when they upgrade to a lighter bike. I don't want to spend $500 (cost of friend's bike plus fitting) only to wish I'd gone for upgrade a short time later. OTOH I don't want to buy more bike than I'll ever need. Do you buy something you might grow out of or something to grow into? Thoughts?
Think you mean Shimano Sora? Probably only 18 speed? (More modern groupsets might be 22 gears.)
If it's five years old you might need to budget for a service. Aluminium frames can be harsh although that's not universal (my ally hybrid is like riding a road drill so I'm biased!!)
My choice would be to go for new, Shimano 105 is really nice to use, disc brakes are far more confidence inspiring, lighter bikes are far more responsive and lively to ride. All the components are new. Riding a ride is a very tactile experience - far more so than driving a car. There's a real feel good factor from a bike that feels right.
Of my last 4 bikes bought the only one I was disappointed with was the one chosen for it's low purchase price rather than the specs I desired.
Yes!!
@lorrpb "feels right" means different things to different people, so ride both if you can.2 -
Relatively new convert to road cycling here!! Dont buy a bike for the name ie Boardman or Pinarello. If money is no object, get the frame fitted for you then attach everything else. If you fancy going faster then lighter wheels are worth the investment,.
Its not just the number of gears which will help you up the hill but the gearing ratio (or whatever its called!) My boyfriend got a granny gear fitted to his new bike as his style of pedalling whilst going up hills called for a lower gear than standard. He has a smaller gap between the cogs on the back (I think! happy to be corrected by experts)
Seats - I have a basic Giant mens frame (£700) and used the saddle it came with until 5 months ago when I got a Selle Diva Italia and wow oh wow!! What a difference! Its the most amazing comfortable saddle I have ever used. A good bike shop will let you pay for a saddle and if you dont get on with it, return it for replacement within 30 days.
Pedal cleats or toe cage? I prefer the cleats even though I have problems at junctions sometimes forgetting to unclip AND steer AND change gear
. If you do go for cleats, make sure you order your cycle shoes a size bigger than you would normally wear
Clothing - basic padded cycle shorts/leggings are way more comfy than just leggings. The longer your cycle, the more padding you will appreciate and its worth paying a bit more but dont need to spend hundreds. Cycle jerseys are useful as they have pockets at the back for phone, keys, snacks etc . Gloves - I dont use the padded gloves but my boyfriend does.
Helmet - essential - I started with a basic one from Halfords but will upgrade once I go on longer rides next spring.
Happy cycling!!0 -
I ended up buying my friends Raleigh. She also had an extra hybrid she also planned to sell. When tried them both just for fun, I better appreciated their different uses and ended up buying both. I had no intention of doing that!
I know neither are the fanciest or sleekest bikes ever but once I saw them it just made more sense. I took my first ride today and didn't fall or run into anyone so I considered it a success! Thank you all for your feedback.6 -
That's brilliant - chapeau!
PS
When you start buying toys and trinkets for your bikes something I find handy as a rider of multiple bikes is a cadence sensor that attaches to my cycling shoes rather than a bike mounted one - it's made by Wahoo.2 -
So excited for you. Any chance of you posting a pic of you and the new bikes.
Cheers, h.2 -
middlehaitch wrote: »So excited for you. Any chance of you posting a pic of you and the new bikes.
Cheers, h.
Yes I'll get to that soon! I haven't yet taken possession of the hybrid beause I didn't take it with me when I met up with my friend last weekend.2 -
Welcome to the rule of bikes - when asked the appropriate number to own, the answer is always n+15
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deannalfisher wrote: »Welcome to the rule of bikes - when asked the appropriate number to own, the answer is always n+1
Truth!
I'm currently working on getting my old hardtail & road bike back into service (it's been too long). With a bit of luck I'll have the road bike back in service this weekend (compact crankset shows up today), then I can start tearing into the mountain bike.
I've also been contemplating getting into the full suspender world in the near future. Test road a '19 Stumpjumper Comp Carbon this past weekend while picking up a bunch of gear/parts for my existing bikes. Had no intentions of even looking at new bikes, but got to BSing w/ the sales guy (ex-Marine) after we tracked down the parts I was looking for and he ended up pulling it out of the rack for s*&%s n' giggles. That won't happen until spring sometime after I work a bunch of OT or tax return. But it did do wonders for fueling the fires to ride again.1 -
Love the pictures. Happiness=a new bike!!1
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Lots of great suggestions on here. My only suggestion ride as many bikes as you can until you find one that just feels right. Then pay the $$$$ to get a good bike from the start because it will make riding way more enjoyable. I started mountain biking a couple years ago and bought a entry level hardtail because I was hesitant to spend a lot of money. I was immediately hooked and LOVED biking but once I rode a well built bike I wondered why I wasted the money on a cheaper bike. I bought the bullet and purchased a full suspension enduro bike and now I enjoy riding 10x more than before. Having quality parts will make your riding experience a lot better. It will give you good piece of mind that if you purchase a good bike your skills won't exceed your bike.
Definitely get on Strava or some kind tracker so you can see your improvements. Find local riders and join them whenever possible. Ride with strangers and get out there. The biking community is full of amazing welcoming people. Best of luck and feel free to add me!1 -
Picked up a used Giant Cypress today to ride more leisurely rides with my bride.
Not bad for $250 from a local bike shop.
Sure, I could have probably found a used one from a private seller for a bit less. But gotta support the LBS.
Now if I lose another 15-25 pounds, I'll be looking to replace the Aluminum Giant Defy 2 with something more carbon fibery....
But for now, this will be good around town and on the crushed limestone trails with my wife. Kind of a, "let's hop on the bikes and earn an ice cream cone" bike.
Goes with her Womens Cypress we bought back in 2012.0 -
We started out with a hybrid. Then we quickly ended up trading them for road bikes. Trek has a plan where you can trade them in (like a car so to speak). I would suggest trying regular peddles first, then upgrade to clip less.1
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