First Road Bike

cpaman87

I currently am riding a hybrid, Trek 7.3 FX and have been averaging 30 to 40 miles with it about twice a week. I am wanting to do more long rides and have decided to get a road bike. My preliminary research has taught me that there are quite a few choices of both bike frame and components. I have given myself a budget of $2,000, much to the chagrin of my wife. My question is, knowing what you do now, what would you select as your first road bike with this budget? I live in a very rural area with long flat roads.

scott091501

Just go name brand, nothing below 105 or Apex (I know nothing of Campy components so I won't comment), and see what feels best when you ride it. $2k is a lot of money so make sure you ride all the options you can before making a decision. There are so many quality options out there I'm sure you'll come away with something fun.

Cyclink

To re-use something I wrote for someone else recently:

The first question is always "what brand." To be honest, Scott, Cervelo, Giant, Specialized, and all the rest make the frame and assemble the parts, but everything from the wheels to the saddle to the brakes are made by someone else (Shimano, SRAM, Bontrager, etc). Within any given price point, you are getting more or less the same thing: same grade of aluminum or carbon frame (more expensive bikes have higher grade frames) and the same grade components (which determine how smoothly the bike shifts and brakes). Most bikes come with cheaper wheels that are reasonably durable, but neither light nor aerodynamic.

The absolute most important thing is FIT. Each manufacturer makes a frame with slightly different angles to the components. The important thing to look for is that the frame matches your upper body to lower body proportions (length of torso compared to leg length and compared to arm length).

A good fit from a local bike shop, which starts around $75 and is usually applied to a new bike's cost, measures you for frame size and angles, crank length (the arms the pedals attach to), seat height, seat front/back position, stem length (the piece that connects the handle bars to the frame) and the stem height. If the bike shop knows the sizes for the components you need, they can order the bike with those size components right from the factory so you don't have to pay extra to swap them out.

There are a ton of little things that you will need to budget for: Not all of them are necessary but they will certainly make life easier.

Most bikes do not come with pedals. Even if you do not plan to buy the type of pedals that require special shoes to click into, you will still need to put pedals on the bike.

There is be a pile of random stuff that most cyclists end up getting:
- one or two bottle cages
- bottles to go in them
- a saddle pack for carrying a spare tube or two, tire levers, and a couple of tire patches (for the tire, not the tube, in case a hole is big enough that the tube pokes through)
- all those items to put in the saddle pack
- a floor pump to pump up the tires (which lose about 10% of their pressure per day) . If your tires are not at a high enough pressure, it greatly increases your risk of flat tires.
- mini-pump to take with you on the road (if you use it to pump up your tires every day, it will break in about a week, not to mention they don't have pressure gauges on them). Some people like to use CO2 cartridges for this, but I tend to think of them as "in addition to a pump" not "instead of a pump."
- cycling gloves.

johnwhitent

First some reality. While you are younger than me, you're no longer a young dude. This matters greatly in bike choice. In my thirties I had a full on race bike, but I wouldn't want to ride it today. It would be too stiff, twitchy, and uncomfortable for me these days. You will want a bike that is less harsh, more forgiving, and that does not force you into a difficult to maintain position. In the bike world such bikes are generally called endurance bikes. All major manufacturers make them. Our friend Gary has a Jamis Quest, an excellent bike at $1,800 retail. It has quality components (Shimano 105) and a steel frame, which has a small weight disadvantage but in my opinion more than makes up for it in comfort. This is not Wal-Mart type steel, but rather high quality stuff designed to offer light weight and unsurpassed ride quality. Nothing rides like steel. There are many other good choices out there, most of which will be carbon fiber these days. The Giant Defy Composite fits the bill, as does the Trek Domane, Fuji Gran Fondo, Specialized Roubaix (my current bike), and many more. The most important decision you make may be what shop to purchase from. The purchase of a bike is just the beginning. You lbs (local bike shop) will help fit you properly, assist in selecting the needed gear and clothing, will sell nutritional products, and of course will be the ones to service the bike for years to come. There is so much more I could say, but I'll let you digest this and get opinions from others. Feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions.

Edited to add: Don't think that an endurance bike is any less than a full on race bike. The pro's ride them in the cobbled classic races and sometimes on certain stages in Grand Tours. They are made with similar materials and components, just designed to offer more comfort - longer wheelbase for more stability, taller head tube for a more upright position, and use various techniques for dampening road shock. And I usually switch out whatever stock saddle comes on a bike for my personal favorite.

lpherman01

I'll add my 2 cents here. You absolutely want to look for an endurance or "long distance" bike as opposed to a racing bike. They may look the same to the un-initiated, but the endurance bike will have a more compliant frame, more stable handling at slower speeds, a little more upright position and usually be somewhat stronger in the "I hit a pothole" department.

As far as frame materials, considering your $2,000 budget, steel and some aluminum bikes (the Cannondale CAAD 10 comes to mind) will give you a very nice ride, reasonable weight and pretty decent componants. A carbon frame in the same price range will ride a little better, and probably be somewhat lighter, but at the expense of cheaper wheels and componants (got to pay for that carbon somehow). The choice is yours and at a $2K price point you can certainly find a bike that will last you for many years and miles.

OLeoLionessO

here is a shorter response....i personally love the carbon fiber bikes. so lightweight and most of them are made for racing. the road bikes will be cheaper like around 2 grand or so....ive seen bike sales where they were marked down to $1500. ask to ride one and i swear you wont want to ride anything else (good for bus rides too,, pick it up with one hand)

Yogi_Carl

Kona Honky Inc. here - love it!
(love road riding but the country roads are somewhat unforgiving so the robust but responsive Honky Inc comes into its own out there).

lpherman01

Hey cpaman, I see that you live in Salisbury and have a goal to ride 100 miles.. One of the best centuries is in your back yard. The Seagull Century is an awesome ride, well supported, great rest stop food and one of the easier ones to do. Get that new bike & you'll have no problem doing it this October.