Before it starts Snowing!

[lph]

Is there a group of people on here that just ride the entry level bikes? Like bikes in the 500 dollar range?

As I read and look at the bikes people are riding, it's 1,000's of dollars. What happen to the toy store bike prices?

Just wanted to add, we don't all ride expensive bikes. My dh and I have bought many not entry level bikes on sale, used or through auctions, for what would amount to a price range of 500-1000 dollars. But it does cost us extra time and takes a little knowhow and a fair bit of maintenance. The retail price would be about 2-3 times as much.

I can appreciate how neat it must feel to save up and buy that perfect bike, shiny and new! But I bike a lot for transport, they get heavy use in bad weather, I'm not very good at cleaning and parts wear out. So for my use it's best to have just decent bikes, not a dream bike.

[tytbody]

Hey Katz and all. How am I going to know the difference between a well-fit bike and just getting used to riding again?

Say, in the beginning as I will be, I get aches, hands, arms or back.. How do I know it's just an adjustment period versus the bike being ill-fit for me?

Not sure what you mean by upper level riding

I guess I mean racing. competing.

the bike I'm ordering won't have the skinny tires. I went between the both, I think they call it. wouldn't mine also be a hybrid if it can go both places? road and off road?

[Owlie]

KatzPajamas, your Synapse is a little nicer than "entry-level".

My bike cost $750 new, and is very much an entry-level road bike. My next bike will probably cost double, if not more than triple that amount. I was not expecting to get as into it as I did. Not counting fit issues with this bike, I find there are a number of things I want to change as I add more and more miles. If I had to do it again, you can bet I'd want to spend $1000+ and not be shopping for a replacement 2 years in. I'm not a racer. Nowhere near.
There's no such thing as more bike than you need--just bike that you don't know that you need yet. (Well, pro-level race bikes aside, that is!)

It's like any hobby, I think--as you get more into it, you find yourself wanting to put more and more money into it for better stuff.

[tytbody]

I can agree to that Owlie I do understand. Now you see, I'll have something to write about later on as I grow into riding.

[Crankin]

Also, sometimes I think when people start riding, they look at it like running. A lot of people run and quite a few of them compete. They might not compete seriously, but they do 5Ks, 10Ks and train for that. Making the commitment to race in cycling is just a whole lot more. But most people in the US have no idea of what bike racing is all about. You need more equipment, clothing, a team, $ to pay for broken stuff on your bike, and way more time to train. There are some very serious riders here who could compete, but they are happy with club rides or riding on their own/with friends. So yes, there are some fast riders on TE, who can hang with the A group on group rides, but they are not racers. They're having fun.
Did I ever think I'd be riding 50 or 60 miles for a fun weekend activity? No. Did I ever think that just about every vacation I take is a bike tour or cycling/x country skiing related? Never.

[tytbody]

Crank-it Crankin lol

[girlsubobscura]

Test ride a lot and talk to the bike shop people extensively. There is such a huge difference in what they know and how they treat you.

Don't buy used unless you have a very good idea of geometry and fit - I unfortunately did that with my first bike and my shoulder pain from being stretched out doesn't show up until 30 minutes into the ride.

I'll tell you next week how my hopefully "perfect" cyclocross bike feels (Specialized Crux). I did test ride the Specialized Tricross and it was not a comfortable ride. It was also a lot of work for me to get up to my usual speed. The Giant TCX W that I tested was very smooth and fast, but a shade too big and too expensive for me.

Pretty much nowhere else had a cross bike in my size to test or even any bike in my size.

Northern Michigan? If you have time, maybe a nice trip down to Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, or Detroit for more choices.

Hey Caddy,

Please do give us a report on the crux, I'm dying to know how it feels on Ann Arbor's "Paved roads". I tried out a TCX W last week and it felt just as rough on a test ride as my hybrid which has an aluminum fork. Too bad your terry was too small for me......

And to tytbody:
I ride a raleigh alysa sport hybrid that cost me $350 on sale new, it was a year old model in a brand the shop was not going to continue, but had been marked as $520 new. I ride 8 miles a day minimum, year round, and after only a year, am now looking to upgrade to a road bike, because 600 mm straight bars suck for the longer (15-30 mile) rides I want to start doing. I had no idea I would like riding for pleasure this much, despite bike commuting on and off for almost 15 years (on a number of really sucky bikes). The 40 pound behemoth I rode for 8 years prior to getting the (22 lb) alysa, actually cost me $100 more for a much lower quality bike. It seems to me that although actual prices do climb (which is called inflation ) the quality of bikes at any specific price point just get better and better as time goes by. And regardless of what price your bike is, everyone has always been warmily welcomed by all you fantastic ladies posting on TE.

[tytbody]

thank you girlsubbobscura What makes straight not so good for long distance. But then does the long distance depend on what one calls long distance? the bike I'm getting has straight bars also.

[Owlie]

Tytbody: You can absolutely do longer rides on a flat-bar bike. However, most (but not all) people like drop bars for distances because they allow a variety of hand positions, which is important for avoiding injury over long rides. You can minimize some of these issues for flat-bar bikes by adding bar-ends, moving your hands around on the bars, and shaking your wrists out periodically during your rides.

[girlsubobscura]

For me, it is a combination of two things. One, the fact that my bars are 600 mm (compared to 380 or 400 mm on a comparable road bike) means that my arms are splayed out at a very wide angle, which gives good control, but pushes the inside edge of my shoulder blades too close toghether, so I start getting an aching, buzzing pain in between my shoulder blades after about 12-14 miles of riding. The second issue is that because there is only one position to put my hands my arms are in the same position for the entire ride which contributes to my general feeling of arm fatigue at about the same point. Also, because of the setup of that single position is probably not ideal for me, it is very easy to forget to keep my elbows bent, and so my elbows and shoulders end up killing me from all the road vibration at this point, too. I never notice it on my daily commute, which is only 4 miles at a go, but if I don't end up buying a new road or cx bike, I think I will need to either shorten the straight bars and change stems, or swap out entirely to road bars (which would unfortunately probably end up costing almost as much as the bike itself, and then I still have the road buzz from an aluminum fork to contend with).

If I never rode more than 10 miles a strech, though, none of these things would be an issue for me, and my Alysa would be the bomb-diggity. So, it all really depends on how much you will ride, how long at a strech, person geaomety etc, etc etc as everyone else has already pointed out.

hope that helps.