Kill me! Kill me now!

[FlyingScot]

Hi all! New to the forum...new to the sport. Got another "help me pick a bike" plea... please don't hurt me So I've done a number of test rides as suggested. Problem is, every bike feels the same... that is waaaay better than my old Schwinn Le Tour. Here's my cycling plans-bike paths and roads of all sorts including gravel, distances but not for speed and probably never over 50 miles at once, focus on CV fitness and the occasional grocery store trips and riding around historical areas. Fitness is the biggie. I'm pretty hard core when I get into something (downhill skier, sailor etc.) but my body doesn't appreciate it. Can't do the drop handle position without pain bad enough to suffer a breakfast reversal. Skinny tires are out and I like a more upright position but will NEVER place my butt on a comfort bike. So long story short, too many choices and not enough experience.I finally had to just stop looking so as not to make it even harder. As a result I think I've narrowed it down to the Specialized Globe (not the city version) vs. the Trek7.3FX. Plan on swapping the pedals for the Shimano ones that clip on one side and are flat on the other. Any words of wisdom regarding the above bike choices. Oh the other thing is the Specialized is nearly identical to the Trek but is $100 cheaper and the LBS that has it is basically down the street from me. Good news is I found a great deal on shoes and a cool new pair of sunglasses LOL. Talk about putting the cart before the horse...got the shoes; got the glasses; need the wheels!
Thanks in advance-Lynne

[jobob]

Well, all I can say is, don't assume this is the last bike you will ever buy. That puts a huge amount of pressure on yourself.

Eventually you'll get to a point where you learn your body and your style and figure out what works best for you, but that takes a bit of time. Sooner or later you might "outgrow" your first road bike and sell it, or better yet hang on to it as your commuter or rainy day bike, and get another bike that suits you better.

[yellow]

Sooner or later you might "outgrow" your first road bike and sell it, or better yet hang on to it as your commuter or rainy day bike, and get another bike that suits you better.

And then you might need a 'cross bike and a mountain bike and a 'bent and a mixte for around town and a singlespeed and a Friday for traveling...you get the idea!

I am limited in the number of bikes I can have only by my (in)ability to store things!

[Torrilin]

Don't worry about perfect. As you get to be a better rider, what you like may change, or minor details that don't bother you now will start to bother you. It's just like any other activity . A longer test ride may help you shake out some of the minor details early.

If you're interested in grocery shopping on a bike, check whether the ones you like best can take fenders and racks. That way you can pick a bike that will grow with you a bit more. That also gives you the option of commuting or touring . Oh, and drop handlebars don't *have* to be super-low. Touring and cyclocross bikes have higher handlebars (and tend to take fenders and racks easily).

[rij73]

You mention the Globe, but isn't the Specialized Sirrus much more similar to the Trek FX series?

[sundial]

I'm a fan of Specialized because I think you get a lot of value for a great bike. Plus, Specialized offers nice accessories and has some great saddles available in 3 widths. With the '08's coming out in about a month or so, I'm seeing good prices on the '07's.

We have a local bike store that is good about taking trade-ins and we get a little discount for the upgrade. Maybe you can find a dealer that is willing to work with you on saving $$ for a gently used bike.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

...Here's my cycling plans-bike paths and roads of all sorts including gravel, distances but not for speed and probably never over 50 miles at once, focus on CV fitness and the occasional grocery store trips and riding around historical areas. Fitness is the biggie. I'm pretty hard core when I get into something (downhill skier, sailor etc.) but my body doesn't appreciate it. Can't do the drop handle position without pain bad enough to suffer a breakfast reversal. Skinny tires are out and I like a more upright position but will NEVER place my butt on a comfort bike.

Hi Lynne,
OK so if you want:
50 mile or longer rides, paved AND gravel roads, not sluggish or overly heavy like a comfort/cruiser, lively but smooth steel ride, ability to handle wider tires and/or fenders (think rough gravel muddy farm roads AND smooth highway riding), more upright-ish body position for comfort on long rides...

Do look into Rivendell bikes like the bikes my husband and I both have:
http://www.rivbike.com/home

If you are shorter than 5'5" you might want to look at their Saluki, if you're taller you could do a Rambouillet (there are still some available in dealers'). Their Bleriots come for both short and tall riders, and are their cheapest model (but still plush!).
I ride a 54cm Rambouillet and I'm 5'5".

[Cyclo Kitty]

basically, I'd ask around and talk around and figure out the bike hsop you want to develop a relationship with and then get their version of the right kind of bike.

I read somewhere that you shouldn't buy a bike from a bike shop you can't ride to. What's more important is that you have a good relationship with the LBS, and that it be a place that you can grow with. Meaning, we used to go to one shop and they were nice enough...but we outgrew them. The other shop that became our main (only) shop was a little initimidating at first. I couldn't imagine that a shop with all those fancy Orbeas would be interested in me and my old commuters, but they were! They were more interested in helping my fix and maintain my bike, within my budget, and in helping me keep riding, than the other shop.

So, bike brands aside, go for the shop you think will be the best long-term match for you. It's the relationships that really matter (they can all order just about anything).

(I've become a drop-bar convert so I can't help with a specific bike, but I've noticed that Specialized seems to offer very good value for money.)

[FlyingScot]

Thanks for all the smart advice. I've checked out the bikes all of you have mentioned. Beautiful machines but way out of my price range I'm leaning toward the Specialized for a few reasons. The shop is about 1.5 miles from my house. It's in the small college town where I live and I like to support the locals. They are willing to switch the saddle if I hate the one that comes on it. They'll give me a private bike repair class and free basic maintenance for life. They've done work on my old bike and they're fast and cheap! Every time I go in there are at least one or two serious bikers (or at least they look the part) in the shop and all the employees know them by name. I've tried to test them by asking different employees the same question (does a suspension seat post really make a difference and should I pay extra for it?) and they have across the board given me the same answer and it doesn't benefit the shop's sales. True they don't have the fancy laser bike sizer machine and the uber-cool looking shop but they've been around for awhile and I think that counts for more than being trendy. The really crummy thing is now that I've made my decision I CAN'T GO GET ME BIKE! I've gotta leave to go to class tonight and I'm flying all day tomorrow out of Cleveland (2 hours away)! Gaaaah!

[HillSlugger]

I thought I was going to buy a Specialized Sirrus, but the Jamis Coda turned out to be more bike for the buck. It's also got great gearing which will allow it to do some milder mountain riding if you swap out the tires for something wider and knobby.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Since back/neck pain is a big concern for you, I do hope the bike you get will not have the seat be much higher than the handlebars. Bikes can only have seat and bar heights be adjustable to a certain extent but no more. Be sure to check on that.
Be sure to ask them if your bike can take at least 28mm wide tires if you want to ride on gravel roads...and ask them to put Kevlar lined tires on it before you go home with it. You will get way less flats on gravel with Kevlar tires.
By the way- most bike shop guys discourage them though, saying they will "slow you down". That's certainly true if you are racing. But they only weigh a tiny bit more than regular tires and they will save you from getting frequent flats when you ride those gravel roads.

Remember also that bike shops are usually willing to swap parts and tires for you when you are actually buying the bike and only charge you the difference in price of the part. Once you've taken the bike home however, they will naturally then charge you the whole price of the part plus labor when you want to change something like tires or gears or saddle, etc. Also you'll then be stuck with your "used" part.