Bikie buying question

[SadieKate]

My problem is comparing the dolce to a trek road bike and being able to know this one has more for bang the buck and so forth.

The better one is the one that fits you. You can replace components. Find the bike that fits you and buy the top level component group you can afford. Wheels, shifters and rear derailleur are the most expensive to swap out (and in that order) -- and wheels will make a big impact on the ride quality.

[bikermomma]

Thanks Sadie Kate!

Let me ask this to everyone. What makes one chain ring better than another. i know I read somewhere you want one number to be a small as you can get it and the other to be biggest. Something like that. Anyone want to help me shed light on that?

I guess what I want is to read a post where some is recommending this or that upgrade and be able to understand why. And how that upgrade will help. So I will start with one thing at a time and try to figure out the chain ring.

Thanks
Shelia

[SadieKate]

Go read Sheldon Brown. Your terrain, fitness, desire to expand to other terrains, etc., should play into chain ring choice - but chain rings can be swapped out. Between those two triple cranks, just worry about the bike that fits.

Oh yeah, and indysteel's advice was spot on and much more detailed than mine. The only thing is and it's only opinion is about the component cost. I tend to like more expensive -- to a point. My personal experience is that the higher level components take less adjustment. If you take care of them, they take care of you. But the others certainly function just as well and get you on the road. Again, get the frame that fits and good wheels.

[bikermomma]

Thanks Indy!

Yeah I know fit is important. That needs to be my number 1 priority. I guess where some of my problems stem is when I went in and bought my hybrid I was looking in the 275-350 dollar price range. I found 2 bikes I liked and felt good. One was $300.00 and one was $375.00. The guy told me in his opinion to go with the 300.00 bike that the 375.00 had nothing that warrented the extra 75.00. Since I know nothing about bikes I was drawn to the 375.00 one because I thought it's a better bike more than likely. I know 75.00 isn't the same as a 400.00 jump, but it made me think more in what does this bike offer over another.

My plan is to go in over the next few months test ride some bikes..find what feels good and is the best fit and the LBS that is the best. Then i want to start the comparitive of what one bike has over another from the ones I like. My price range I figure will be in the $1000.00 range. I am saving to get it. i am a stay at home mom so I don't bring in money. So it is money saved here and there I am socking away for the bike. It may even be next fall before I buy. I don't want to settle so if it takes longer...it takes longer.

Thanks all for your replies.

[indysteel]

One was $300.00 and one was $375.00. The guy told me in his opinion to go with the 300.00 bike that the 375.00 had nothing that warrented the extra 75.00. Since I know nothing about bikes I was drawn to the 375.00 one because I thought it's a better bike more than likely. I know 75.00 isn't the same as a 400.00 jump, but it made me think more in what does this bike offer over another.

I know that logic well. I have to admit that I'm seduced by bike bling to some extent. I've learned (because I love researching bike stuff ad nauseum) that some of the added expense of that bling is justified and some of it is just hype. If you do your homework, you can start to get a feel for it, too. I think it's great that the shop where you bought your hybrid was straight with you that the extra $75.00 wasn't justified. Sounds like my kind of a shop.

All that said, some of what we do and buy when it comes to our bikes IS purely emotional. While there's objective logic when buying or building up a bike, at the end of the day, the bike should "speak" to you. Sometimes that means spending a little extra $$$ for no rational reason. Just ask the guys on RoadBikeReview's forums who have 10 bikes in their collection!

[sandra]

The following advice is worth what it cost you ~ FREE!

When you test ride, TRY to test a Jamis Aurora like Elk got. Man I love that bike and would have gotten that over my Trek, but they don't sell them anywhere close to me.

Good luck and enjoy the hunt! That's part of the fun.

[Tarbaby]

I'm not well qualified to comment but from experience I can say that 'fit' is important and I also think it is wise to err on the small side as you can extend reach with a longer stem say 90to 10 or 100-110 but trying to reduce reach back to 80 can cause problems with twitchness. Most bike shops, sadly, still think women have the same reach and flexibility as men so tend to size you according to the other sex. My current bike, a little over 12 months old, is just a touch too small, I'm extended with straight arms when on the hoods and riding in the drops is not comfortable as deep drops and also hard to see the road and yet it's not set up as an agressive style with the stem raised. I guess my advise is to make sure you test a size smaller than people may recommend so you get a 'feel' for the differences in fit.

Also, good deals can be had in bigger centres and you feel great getting a killer deal (I did this) but paing more and buying locally can helps should something go wrong or the bike requires a bit of tweaking due to discomfort. Hard to stomach an extra 400 odd smackers and I loathe buying from somewhere at full price when others will discount but I am likely to do this when I purchase another bike (smaller frame -10mm smaller) in the coming weeks. Just my 2 c
Hope this thread is helping with the background research, cycling is fun when the bike fits and you suffer from no discomfort. I have a mountain bike that fits the bill and whilst 5 years old now it is 'heaven on earth' as far as fit is concerned.

[elk]

Yup....I love my Jamis Aurora. My journey (short and intense and TE was base camp, BTW) led me pretty quickly to touring bike geometry and gearing because of fit and because I live in very hilly terrain. I have a Specialized hybrid that is pretty great, but it's HARD to ride in the hills.

I rode every "touring" bike I could find: Surly, Salsa, Bianchi, Trek, Seven, Carbondale, and in various sizes. I talked to a bunch of people at alot of different BSs, and when I got on the right size Aurora, all the fit problems of the other bikes just melted away....
The bike I thought I would like the best, the Trek 520, was the one that fit the worst.

So...my advice....and only as a person who just went through the process...is to figure out why you want a road bike (what about your hybrid isn't enough), identify a BUNCH of bikes that may have those qualities and ride all of them.

That is also how I learned about components. What little I know.

It's like grammar, when you need to use it, learning it is easy...As an abstract concept it can be...well...abstract!

The whole thing is tons of fun...I wish you lots. Of fun.

[RoadRaven]

The better one is the one that fits you. You can replace components. Find the bike that fits you and buy the top level component group you can afford.

This is the best advice.

Find a bike you like the look of, ride it and if you like the feel of it, and the frame fits you, thats is the one for you. Get it professionally fitted in the bike shop.

If your hands feel stretched to the levers - that can be altered
If you don't like the gears available - that can be altered
The only thing you can't change on your bicycle after you buy it is the frame.
Get that right and all eles will fall into place...