Get road bike now or wait?

I am looking for advice on timing to buy a road bike.

I currently have a 5 year old Raleigh Hybrid I ride. It's ok but I can only get top maintained speed of maybe 13.5-14mph on it.

I want a road bike, as I'm riding longer distances and it just takes forever on the Hybrid at those speeds. My LBS told me I could probably expect 18-20 mph on a road bike! So I plan on buying a road bike, obviously.

I know that I only have maybe 4 more months of good weather left to ride outdoors here before it's too cold, so I originally was going to wait until next Spring to get the bike.

BUT--I am riding the 15 mile bike leg in a Triathlon for a team I've put together on Sept. 23. My first Tri--and probably the only one! We have no intentions of winning and are doing it for fun.

I know I can do that ride no problem on my Hybrid but it will take a while. If I get a road bike now, I can do that ride much faster and not be blown completely away by the other riders.

My concerns--

---I can't get the bike until Sept. 1: that will leave me 3 weeks to get used to the bike before the Tri. Is that enough time?:confused:

--I would be buying the bike now instead of waiting for next Spring primarily just to use in the Triathlon. I'm doing some Charity rides in the fall but I can do those on my Hybrid--the road bike, again, would be much faster but Charity rides don't have time limits :)

It would be better financially to wait on the bike until spring, and I might be able to find a used one by then, too and save some money.

Should I get the bike now or wait until Spring?

Let me add--I am a new rider, just started in April. I am also losing weight--have lost 55 pounds but have another 80 or so to lose.

I'm all for buying more bikes, now now now.

But if your finances are tight and you *need* to wait until Spring, you might be best off waiting until Spring. If finances are just snug, and it'd be *better* to wait until Spring, I'd get the bike now.

All our LBS TE'rs are saying bike prices for 2009 are going up. A lot.

I'd think 3 weeks would be plenty of time to get used to the bike before a sprint tri. You've been riding the hybrid all this time, it'll only take a little while for your body to say "whoo-hoo, I dig this road bike thing!" And if you have trouble with the road bike, you'll still have the hybrid to ride as back-up. (keep the hybrid, it's good to have a utility bike in the stable)

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

All our LBS TE'rs are saying bike prices for 2009 are going up. A lot.

I'd think 3 weeks would be plenty of time to get used to the bike before a sprint tri.

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That's exactly what I'd say!

I can imagine you are going to hear a lot of "BUY, BUY, BUY". You have to remember that most of us are completely addicted to our bikes. Heck, I'd buy 2 more right now if I had enough money in the bank. :)

Whatever decision you make is the right one. From my own experience, I didn't regret my road bike purchase for a second and wondered why I hadn't gotten it sooner.

You can always put her on a trainer and ride in the winter, so she doesn't get lonely. :)

Ditto what Knot and Flybye have said. You can still be tweaking fit when you do the tri - 15 miles isn't really *that* far (and you've been doing longer distances on your hybrid, no?).

I think a lot of it depends on whether you've decided (at least sort of) what you want, and whether there's a decent chance you'd find that used. I've bought 2 used bikes, and both have been good experiences. Of course, a grain of salt is in order:)

CA

Normally late summer and fall is the time to get the best deals. There may be an issue this year as my LBS has told me they have sold a lot of bikes this year.

So I would go looking for a deal.

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Originally Posted by SouthernBelle

Normally late summer and fall is the time to get the best deals. There may be an issue this year as my LBS has told me they have sold a lot of bikes this year.

So I would go looking for a deal.

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+1

And my buddies at bike shops also have said that 2009 prices could go up as much as 20%, depending on the brand.

But...(hey, someone has to be the damper on the buy-party ;) ), buy it if the price is right and you get a good deal. Don't buy it for the speed. My gut says the bike shop is exaggerating. Depending upon the hybrid, if you're running narrower tires and smooth tread, your speed improvements won't be that dramatic. Yes, it will be faster; yes, you'll be more comfortable for the long haul; but in the end, it all depends upon the engine. I saw about 1-1.5mph switching from my hybrid.

That said, of course, by someone who is always planning her next bike purchase :D It is an addiction.

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Originally Posted by Thorn

But...(hey, someone has to be the damper on the buy-party ;) ), buy it if the price is right and you get a good deal. Don't buy it for the speed. My gut says the bike shop is exaggerating. Depending upon the hybrid, if you're running narrower tires and smooth tread, your speed improvements won't be that dramatic. Yes, it will be faster; yes, you'll be more comfortable for the long haul; but in the end, it all depends upon the engine. I saw about 1-1.5mph switching from my hybrid.

That said, of course, by someone who is always planning her next bike purchase :D It is an addiction.

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I use the tires that came with the bike. slightly knobby ones. although they're about wore out right now. I've put close to 1200 miles on them since April!

Can you get slick tires for Hybrids? Would that help the speed?

you can get slick tires absolutely. and it will improve the ride immensely.
you will NOT believe the improvement!

Firstly, good for you on the weight loss!

Secondly, I couldnt really afford a road bike but I caved and used the plastic. So instead of saving I am paying it monthly to my credit card and I am loving every minute of my new bike!

Best of luck whatever you decide but you must post a pic of the new bike if you get one! :D

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

you will NOT believe the improvement!

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Yep. You'd be surprised. DH's hybrid came with knobby tires; my hybrid had a smoother tread. I should never have told him to get the slicks! :eek: Once he went to slicks, he was no longer dragging behind me. I'm the stronger rider between us, but when he has a good day.....ooohh, I'm in trouble.

If your hybrid is always used on the road, replace your tires with higher pressure slicks and you'll see a difference. It might buy you time to make the road bike decision when you're ready.

Going to load up the bike and go to my nearest LBS--60 miles away!--tomorrow and check in to slicks then! they're supposed to have used bikes there, too, so I can check it out.

If you're worried about getting used to the bike in 3 weeks - I wouldn't worry about that. I did a metric century on a rented road bike because all I had was a mountain bike. I had no problems (except for the fact that the metric wa 2 days after I climbed Mount Princeton and my thighs were screaming - but that's another story). I wouldn't exactly recommend that, but it is doable.

As for the hybrid vs the road bike - you'll see a difference. Maybe not 20%, but you'll see a difference.

And when to buy? Whenever you feel comfortable. I agree that right now is the best time to get a good deal. Check 'em out and if you find one you can afford and absolutely love, go for it. If you don't, well, then Spring is when it was meant to be.

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Originally Posted by squirrell

Going to load up the bike and go to my nearest LBS--60 miles away!--tomorrow and check in to slicks then! they're supposed to have used bikes there, too, so I can check it out.

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I had bought slicks for my MTB and it was almost as fast as my road bike. You'll see a HUGE difference, believe me.

my LBS always has a sale of last years unsold models in the spring. That's when I got a deal on my newest and favorite bike.

Then again, they are selling a lot more bikes this year.

I'd wait. Finding the right bike takes time.

Called up the shop I bought the bike from and they said they've got slicks to fit it! And, they will put them on for me while I wait tomorrow. I live about 80 miles away from there, so I didn't want to have to leave the bike.

going to poke around the new bikes while I'm there and maybe test drive one or two to begin to get some ideas.

Thanks everyone for the advice! I hadn't thought of putting different tires on my bike!

As someone else alluded to- bike prices for 09 are going up. In fact in many cases they are soaring. So if you find something you like now, I would snap it up. I also saw many posts about year end sales, and sales in the spring. Don't count on it this year. All of my manu's - Giant, Felt, and Jamis ran out of 08's. I won't see a felt road bike until late september. And with bike prices going up, there aren't going to be any blow outs on 08's. People keep asking me and I just laugh. Esp. with the prices going up the way they are. Any 08's I have leftover will be veritable bargains compared to the 09's.

BUT don't rush out in a panic. You need to get a good fit and find a bike that fits you. And that may take trying out MANY before you find the one.
But whatever you do make sure your shop does a professional fit.

Good luck, and have fun with your tri and fall rides.
Train smart, train safe.

denise :)

I've never ridden a hybrid, but I've ridden a mtb with studded tires, knobby tires, wide semi-slicks (well-worn slightly knobby, flat in the middle) and narrow slicks, and a road bike with standard road tires. For shorter rides I can go almost as fast on my commuter mtb with the semi-slicks as on my road bike but it takes a little more effort and I have to concentrate on riding as aerodynamically as possible, ie. hands close together on the bar and chin low down. This is just too tiring in the long run, so for longer rides I take the road bike as that puts me in the same position with less effort.

The narrow slicks gave such a harsh ride that I've stopped using them. In effect I slowed down to dampen the jarring. But that may be because they're 26 in and hold less air than 28 in road bike/hybrid tires. I hate riding with knobby tires and do so only when I have to, they feel almost as sloooow as my studded ones.

So I think you might get a good speed increase from your hybrid by switching to smooth tires and checking your sitting position, maye you want to swap your stem for a lower one.

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Originally Posted by lph

I've never ridden a hybrid, but I've ridden a mtb with studded tires, knobby tires, wide semi-slicks (well-worn slightly knobby, flat in the middle) and narrow slicks, and a road bike with standard road tires. For shorter rides I can go almost as fast on my commuter mtb with the semi-slicks as on my road bike but it takes a little more effort and I have to concentrate on riding as aerodynamically as possible, ie. hands close together on the bar and chin low down. This is just too tiring in the long run, so for longer rides I take the road bike as that puts me in the same position with less effort.

The narrow slicks gave such a harsh ride that I've stopped using them. In effect I slowed down to dampen the jarring. But that may be because they're 26 in and hold less air than 28 in road bike/hybrid tires. I hate riding with knobby tires and do so only when I have to, they feel almost as sloooow as my studded ones.

So I think you might get a good speed increase from your hybrid by switching to smooth tires and checking your sitting position, maye you want to swap your stem for a lower one.

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Another good point--I'll see if they have time to check my fit while I'm there. They did a quick fit when I bought the bike years ago but I'm 20 pounds lighter now, and I'm sure the bike parts have shifted somewhat as well.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THE SLICKS! What a difference! I went out with a steady 15 mph wind and gusts to 24, had them in my face 40% of the time and still got almost 14mph average! I had a max speed of 23.5 and maintained a speed of 18.5 mph for almost 3 miles at one point before the wind killed me.!

I can't wait to see what they can do without wind!

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Forgot to ask them about the seat post though.

But now I'm thinking....hmmmmm. different handlebars???

Way cool :D

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Originally Posted by squirrell

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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Awesome!

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Originally Posted by squirrell

But now I'm thinking....hmmmmm. different handlebars???

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That is more work that it looks. You need new brifters and cables, I think. The techies will know more.

Went out today--light wind only about 9-10mph--and got in 22.5 miles at an average speed of 15mph! That's an increase 2.5 mph over my "knobby tire" average of 12.5mph.

I know the bike is capable of going faster now--but now it is limited by the "motor"--me! Now I can really work on building up my stamina and endurance.