Advice on road bike purchase

[Cyclesome]

I know you girls can guide me skillfully through this process. I am looking to purchase a road bike within 0 - 18 months. But I don't want to rush into this major purchase before reseaching thoroughly. I am thinking of spending between $1000 - $3000 for my bike. I currently own a Cannondale Hybrid which I plan on using soley for Rails to Trails once I purchase my road bike.
I am renewing my love of riding and consider my self a novice. My longest bike ride has been 64 miles. I plan on riding in the Seagull Century this October. My hardest ride was the Mount Davis Half Century, Hills, Hills, hills!

I think I would like a wide range of gears, relaxed geometry, light bike, good components, not sure if I am ready for dropped handle bars yet, tires that are not so skinniny I have to worry about every little pothole and gravel on Pa roads.

I know I sound like a real rookey, but please spend some time guiding this novice.

[Fredwina]

I would with that much money, you should be able to get a decent bike.
Are you happy with your Cannondale? If so, maybe you should get another one. There are plenty of flat bar road bikes out there now, so you should'nt have to get a drop bar unless you want to. I prefer them. More postions, and my usaully tend to fall asleep with flats.

[Lenusik]

I wouldn't spend this much because unless you are sure that you will LOVE road biking. I would start with something between $500- $600, maybe a used one as long as it fits right. After you are sure about road riding, I would actually spend much more than a $1,000. It will last you longer and will be right for you.

[bcipam]

There is literally a world of difference between a $1000 bike and a $3000 bike. A $1000 bike will usually be aluminum or steel with lower end components for $3000 you can get Ti or Carbon with at least Ultegra.

I agree, first ride decide if you like the sport and then if so, by all means plan on spending $3000 and get a good bike. Spend the time while you are riding and deciding to visit bike shops, check with other cyclists, join a club and ask questions. Don't rush the decision. Take your time. This is even more important than buying a car!

[bikerz]

I was thinking about getting a new bike a few months ago - maybe even a custom bike, and so I started looking at the questionnaires the custom bike places ask you to fill out to help determine geometry, components, material, etc. I quickly realized that I had a LOT more to learn about cycling in general and my own preferences, strengths and weaknesses. I have been trying to "study" my rides with these questionnaires in mind, and I find it really has helped me think about what I ultimately might want - even though I'm not ready to make a descison yet!

here are some links that might be interesting:

Seven Cycles - custom fit kit (http://www.sevencycles.com/order/CustomKitFormRoad.html) (oooh - I love Sevens!)
Luna Cycles (http://www.lunacycles.com) - custom questionnaire can be downloaded

[Bike Goddess]

I agree with what Biker Z is saying. I started out with a steel bike- Jamis Quest- which has been a wonderful bike for me. I had a mtn bike derailleur put on as I wanted lower gears to climb steep mountains.

This last fall (2005) I had the opportunity to get a carbon bike on sale (Scott CR 1) and I bought it! Had I purchased this bike 3 years ago, I wouldn't have been ready for it as it is a very fast bike.

I would highly recommend that you find a good road bike in the $1000-2000 range before you commit to something more expensive. You'll discover what kind of riding you like to do, how far you want to go, and what kind of gears you like. Ride lots of different types of frames- aluminum, steel, carbon (if you can find one for the price)- get the best wheels you can for the money, as well as components. If you ride enough bikes, you will discover which one feels the best. None of us can tell you that part, we can only tell you what we like. If the shoe fits, wear it!!!!

[Cyclesome]

I appreciate all the good advice. I am 5' 5 1/2 ", 144 lbs., average proportioned. I work out at the gym at least 3 times per week and consider myself to be in relatively good shape.

What specific bike would you recommend in the $1000 - $2000 range? LBS shops within my area carry Trek, Cannondale, Giant. Do I need need a bike designed specifically for women or is this just a fad or for the petite woman?

Any advice is appreciated.

[KnottedYet]

Have you considered buying a frame and having a bike built from the frame for you?

I know I've posted this before (sorry everyone!) but I'm also looking for a road bike. I know I want a tourer with a steel frame. Not a speed machine, and certainly not a light weight with skinny wheels and tight geometry. I know the components I want (for the most part). Actually, I'm literally on my way out the door in a few minutes to go to Free Range Cycles to discuss building tourer from a Soma Double Cross or Surly Long Haul Trucker.

"Instant" bikes I've looked at are Jamis Aurora and Burley Vagabond. But I think I'd be happier if I could put exactly what I want on the frame.

www.freerangecycles.com
www.somafab.com
www.surlybikes.com

[Trekhawk]

I appreciate all the good advice. I am 5' 5 1/2 ", 144 lbs., average proportioned. I work out at the gym at least 3 times per week and consider myself to be in relatively good shape.

What specific bike would you recommend in the $1000 - $2000 range? LBS shops within my area carry Trek, Cannondale, Giant. Do I need need a bike designed specifically for women or is this just a fad or for the petite woman?

Any advice is appreciated.

Go take a look and have fun. Im 5'4 and neither of my road bikes are WSD. We are all so different in our body measurements regardless of height that you really need to try lots of bikes including WSD and see what fits your body best.

Enjoy and happy bike hunting.:)

[bcipam]

Do a search on this site for "bike fittings"... before you consider spending any money on any bike get a fitting. Once you have your measurements then you can start looking at bikes and comparing geometries etc. You may or may not need a WSD bike - its depends on your proportions not your height. If your legs are long but torso and reach short you may want a WSD bike but not necessarily.

You need to understand how you ride, you need to know materials and how they feel when your ride - such as Ti, steel, carbon and alumnium, and you need to know components. Do some internet research. Aluminum bikes are harsh feeling but stiff, can go fast. Carbon, Ti and steel are more forgiving materials generally but can also be stiff. There is also bike design (such as compact frames, touring, race, comfort etc) to consider.

If you need to stay around $1000 - 1500 look for a good steel bike (just my humble opinion) with the best components you can get. Lemond sells a nice steel bike with full Ultegra for around $1500. Although not a fan of carbon (but alot of folks are) you can get a nice, comfortable carbon bike from say Trek for around $2000.

[dachshund]

If possible, shop for the LBS as much as you do the particular bike. I'm not sure all of them approach the fitting process the same way. They don't all have an attitude towards female cyclists that will suit you. I was really surprised by both of these things, and picked the LBS that had the "features" I wanted here.

If you've got plenty of time, then ride lots of bikes! That should make it clear what you like. There are many accounts here of what other women like and own, which did help me when I was shopping. My take on the > $2000 end was that you could get the carbon frames that are "stiff and responsive". In other words, aluminum is stiff, steel is responsive... custom carbon has both features. I never tried one, so I don't know if that's all hype. But it was an interesting concept. :)

And I agree on bcipam's comment on a good steel bike, but that's just me. Bianchi 2005 Veloce is what I bought. I prefer the Campagnolo components, another personal preference thing. :)

Let us know how it goes.

[betagirl]

I agree with what the others have said.

I have a 2003 Trek 1200 and a 2005 Lemond Zurich. The Trek is in the $1000 range, give or take. The Lemond was $2400. There are considerable differences in the bikes, including the frame and quality of the components. With that, the Trek is a great bike but I love my Lemond. The reason I upgraded was I knew I was hooked on road cycling so I decided to get the better bike. Now I have 2 great bikes to choose from :D

Differences include Shimano components on the Trek vs. Ultegra on the Lemond. The Trek is aluminum with a carbon fork and seat post, the Lemond is a carbon/steel combination frame. So it's lighter and smoother on the road than the Trek. But the Trek isn't uncomfortable. The Lemond also just feels more solidly built, if that makes sense. The Lemond also has an additional gear on the back (Ultegra 10), but my understanding is that Shimano has since gone from 9 gears to 10 from when I got my Trek.

If you have $3000 to spend, maybe try a lower end road bike first and see how you like the feel since it is different than a hybrid on many aspects. If you decide you're hooked, upgrade :D

[hibiscus09]

I have this as my first road bike:

http://www.bianchiusa.com/06_eros.html

Mine is the pretty Celeste color. :p

http://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/2003-bikes/2003-road-bike/bianchi-usa-inc/PRD_138630_4338crx.aspx



It runs around $1,300.

I recently bought my husband a nicer bike for his first bike -- a Trek Pilot 5.2 -- now, I want to upgrade. :D

Anyway, the Bianchi Eros has served me well. :)

[Cyclesome]

Thanks for the great advice. It is definately helping me narrow the search.

How do I go about trying out bikes? When I bought my hybrid, I spent about 10 minutes riding it in the parking lot. Not enough time to really know if it is the correct bike for me. I did go to a LBS an hour away from my home for the better service. The LBS near my home (15 minutes away) has an owner and manager who come across as very aloof.

I am considering the Cannondale R1000 Feminine or the Trek Pilot 5.2.
How do I ride these particular bikes in MY size if they do not have them on the floor. How do I get any more testing time than a 10 minute parking lot trip?

Do any of you gals ride either of these bikes?

Please help.

[Jen Jen]

I'd talk to your LBS... do they rent bikes that you're interested in? So that way you can get a real feel for it? It's really tough to get any idea from a bike for a 10 minute ride. Lots of things feel comfy for 10 minutes, but not for a few hours!

[bcipam]

I am considering the Cannondale R1000 Feminine or the Trek Pilot 5.2.
How do I ride these particular bikes in MY size if they do not have them on the floor. How do I get any more testing time than a 10 minute parking lot trip?

Do any of you gals ride either of these bikes?

Please help.

This is where belonging to a cycling club is a real help. I decided to buy my Lemond Zurich after riding another members Lemond Buenos Aires. I had before that done tons of research so knew I wanted a steel bike and once I had a chance to take her Lemond around the block knew I wanted the Zurich.

Some bike shops have loaner bikes and will allow you to take the bike for a day. These bikes tend to be higher end, say $3000+ range. You can also contact the various manufacturers to see if they are holding demo days in your area. Otherwise, you buy a bike like most of us - on faith and research.

PS my comment on the Cannondale R1000 - beautiful bike but very very stiff and harsh. If you are lightweight and your roads are smooth, you will be OK. In addition the bike is very agressively styled - its geometry will have you very stretched out although WSD bike maybe be alittle less agressive.

And what's interesting is the Pilot is exactly the opposite of the R1000. It's geometry is less agressive, more relaxed, you sit further up not as stretched out as the R1000. If these are your two choices you need to think about why you selected these two bikes and why you think either suits you. Like I said, they are "ying and yang" "night and day" from each other.

Check around to some other shops and look for brands alittle less "big" such as Felt, Lemond, Lightspeed etc. Even Colnago makes a beautiful steel bike.

[Lenusik]

I think that you certainly need to go fitted first. Then you will know if you need WSD. Testing would be great. I undesratnd that finding a short that has everything that you need is impossible. I would use every resource that I have. Good fitter is the first one. They usually have different bikes. I think that my coach/fitter probably has 15-20 bikes at home. He is crazy. :) Check with your friends and definitely shop around.

[dachshund]

How do I go about trying out bikes? When I bought my hybrid, I spent about 10 minutes riding it in the parking lot. Not enough time to really know if it is the correct bike for me. I did go to a LBS an hour away from my home for the better service. The LBS near my home (15 minutes away) has an owner and manager who come across as very aloof.

Hmmm... the LBS should offer to let you ride the bike as long as you want. I would go back to the local place and ask to take the bikes out on long test rides. This is standard, so "Mr/Ms Aloof" should know this.

Do both shops carry the same brands? I would narrow it down as much as possible at the local place, to make the best use of your time, and maybe take my business somewhere else if I thought they would handle the fitting and advice better. In fact, this is exactly what I did. :) The local places were good, but the bikes they put me on felt too big. I felt like I was stretching my arms too much. Then I went to a place near work, which is about an hour away from home, and chatted about the situation with them. They said "You probably need a smaller size frame." They also said more "female positive" things that made me feel like plunking down my $$ there. For maintenance work, now I'm building a relationship with one of the local places that carries Bianchi.

On the fitting, I think (could be wrong) that the full-blown fitting is offered after you buy the bike. This is when they put you and the bike on a trainer and spend an hour looking at all the angles and measurements. They may recommend changing one or more parts as a result of this. I learned a lot from this while chatting with the fitter. I had a pair of shorts to wear during this, which helped because he could see what my knees were doing. So my sequence was, test-ride bikes all over town, narrowed it down to the Bianchi, decided I like the LBS near work, rode the Bianchi there. Slept on it. :) Paid for the bike, made the fitting appt for 2 days later, then did the fitting and brought the bike home. Somewhere in there I bought a helmet & shorts.

During the test phase, they lined me up against a wall and took a couple of measurements, to get in the ballpark. So if they don't mention doing a full fitting, ask them if it's included in the price of the bike. If they say "we already fitted you", well, maybe they don't do the more involved fitting.

[fasteryet]

I've had a lot of experience with Cannondales. My first was a 2002 hybrid, which I love and still ride on the towpaths and old railbeds. The next year I bought a R800 WSD C-dale road bike, which was a great way to get into road biking. I'm a little over 5'4'', and the 50cm size fit perfectly. After putting about 3400 very happy miles on that bike, this spring I bought a Cannondale Six13. It's not a WSD, so I went for a little smaller bike, and put a shorter stem on. It's like driving a Porsche.
Some people say otherwise, but I really love Cannondales. And don't be afraid of aluminum. If you need to, a little gel bar tape, and Buzz-kills in the bar ends, and you'll smooth right out.
Also consider what you want to do. Is touring in the picture? Or just club rides? If you're planning on touring, you may need something else entirely.
The best thing is to go with a good shop, where you can ask anything, get any adjustment made, and be treated well.
They shouldn't mind you taking a long test ride, either. Go up and down hills, stop fast, go over bumps. Do everything you think you'll do while riding.

[Cyclesome]

Thank you for the advice. I haven't ridden either of these bikes, but have been reading on line and trying to get advice. There are no bike clubs in my area that I know of.

I am not looking for a speeedster, but one with somewhat relaxed geometry and plenty of gears to get me up those hills and good components. I am not looking for a bike that streches me out at a ninety degree angle. Remember, I am going from a hybrid to a road bike. I know my half century would have been a bit easier had I had a road bike. I want to use my hybrid for the Rails to Trails and my road bike for training and organized rides with my husband and friends. All three LBS carry Trek, Giant, & Cannondale (15 minutes, 45 minutes, and 1 hour away).

Does Cannondale make a bike comparable to the geomerty of the Trek Pilot? What would be the best Pilot for me? The 5.2 is about $3000. A bit of money.

I don't want to make any hasty decisions. I have a lot to learn! Thank a million!

[fasteryet]

I don't have any experience with the Trek Pilot, but from what I read it is supposed to be a bit more upright, with a little more relaxed geometry.
The biggest problem is that is takes some time to get used to go from riding a hybrid to a road bike, so whichever bike you pick will feel a little strange at first.
I think you will have to try as many as possible. I don't think you'll need to start with the top of the line Pilot. Again, if you have good feelings about a particular shop, see what they advise.

[Fredwina]

I also have an older 'dale r1000 (CAAD7 frame) regular geometry with a shorter stem. I really don't notice the harsh ride. But then again, I've never ridden a Carbon bike. It's a nice bike.
I believe Cannondale competitor to the pilot is the Synapse. I have priced it, but it should be similar. The only thing is the all carbon models are imported (not made in Bedford, PA. I noticed that the OP lives in Somerset) There are aluminum Version of the Pilot and the Synapse that would run you less. I think a lot of other brands are hopping on the bandwagon, too