Pre-newbie looking for guidance!

[maillotpois]

I can't let the steel v. aluminum discussion go.

I've owned a good mixture of steel and aluminum bikes. My assessment of the difference: doodly squat. (I've never ridden any serious miles on a Ti or carbon fiber bike so I won't discuss those).

Frame builders make their money by imposing their will on the materials they have at hand. A good builder can give a frame the handling characteristics of a wet noodle or make them lively and responsive regardless of materials.

+2.

How the bike is put together (geometry, components, FIT) makes such a difference compared to materials as to how the bike will respond and feel on the road. I rode my not so cheap aluminum bike in a 600k brevet, and have no complaints about the ride (only my mental state for wanting to do such a thing.) My ti bike, on the other hand, has a harsher road feel than the aluminum bike. And it is heavier.

[KnottedYet]

MooseAmerica - can you get out and test ride those bikes for longer rides today? While you're out, see if you can ride a couple others, too.

Take notes on what you liked and didn't like about various bikes, then share that info with your LBS. The more info you can give them, the better job they will be able to do of finding bikes that suit you. (even if your likes and dislikes seem trivial during the test ride, they can be really good data points for bike selection)

I had to give myself strict rules: not allowed to buy a bike unless I've test ridden it at least two different days.

(only broke that rule... umm... a little bit. here and there. yeah.)

Come back and give us a full report! We love it when someone is going bike shopping!

[Trek420]

How the bike is put together (geometry, components, FIT) makes such a difference compared to materials as to how the bike will respond and feel on the road.

+3

And don't get us started on wheels

Look for a shop who will swap things. "I love this bike but hate the "brifters", these "brifters" are comfy but not the bike."

Saddles, bars .... a good shop will work with you to make it FIT.

Come back and give us a full report! We love it when someone is going bike shopping!

All the fun and it's YOUR money

[SandyLS]

Bianchi makes some nice steel bikes. You might want to give one a test ride. Lots of the women on this forum (including me) ride Bianchis.

[corey]

For a beginner, I know firsthand how overwhelming all of this new information can be. I kind of dove into cycling, knowing very little except what my boyfriend (now husband) taught me. I bought a Giant OCR 3 in 2003. I didn't do it the proper way- no 'real' measurements were taken. Instead, I knew I was as tall as my husband, weighed less & made the general assumption that if the OCR worked for him, it would work for me. I KNOW- the TOTALLY wrong way to go about it!!

I didn't test ride my husband's because he had it customized to fit his needs (special saddle, handlebars, etc.). Instead, I went to a store and sat on a new one for a while & was even able to test ride it on the street for a while before I purchased it.

I bought the OCR 3 because I was, at the time, in a hurry to buy one and it was the nicest bike I could get at the very TOP of my budget. I now know I may have been able to find something a little better suited to my build, but I wanted to start cycling RIGHT AWAY & didn't really take the time to shop around. I LIKE the OCR 3, don't get me wrong. It has served me well. It's durable... I've been able to take my first falls like a true champ. (Trust me, you'll have yours, too, if you use shoes w/ clips!).

I'm not in the market for a new bike (that ever-present lack of funds!) and I've taken a few years off from riding, as I've moved several times, married, etc. SO- I'm just getting into the cycling spirit again.

I would say.. if you have the TIME and aren't in a hurry to ride just for the sake of riding (as I was), take your time when selecting your bike.

[NbyNW]

Everybody's gotta start somewhere, right? There's only so much that you can learn from measurements and test rides. And even if that first bike isn't "perfect," the more miles you put on it, the more you'll know about what you want in your next bike.

I thought my first road bike would be all the road bike I would ever want, and then I learned that there are a lot of really good reasons to have more than one bike!

[GLC1968]

Everybody's gotta start somewhere, right? There's only so much that you can learn from measurements and test rides. And even if that first bike isn't "perfect," the more miles you put on it, the more you'll know about what you want in your next bike.

I thought my first road bike would be all the road bike I would ever want, and then I learned that there are a lot of really good reasons to have more than one bike!

Ditto.

I rode about 2000 miles on my first road bike in the first year. Traded it in on a different bike and then put about 2000 miles on that one in year two. In year three, I sold that road bike and bought the one I have now (which has about 3000 miles on it ) and I LOVE it. BUT, I would not have known that this bike would be perfect for me had I not had the experience I'd had on the first two bikes.

Don't stress about getting the *perfect* bike for you for your first road bike. Get something you can afford, that fits you, that's decent quality and that will meet your short term needs. Ride and ride some more. And then re-evaluate your needs...if they change, you can change your bike, if they don't, you're good to go!

Oh, and now I have 5 bikes ...one for each occasion (though my 3rd road bike still gets the most use, by far!).

[Zen]

Steel

Pros: Cyclists and builders have long sung the praises of steel, citing its strength, reparability, and magical ride quality akin to being carried across a land of mattresses while on ecstasy by a phalanx of fairies wearing running shoes. Common sayings include, “Steel is Real,” “If it’s ferrous, others will be jerrous,” and “Aluminum sucks, but chromium and vanadium will get you laidium.”

Cons: Rusts, goes soft, is noodly and heavy, can give you tetanus, and eventually will turn on you and try to kill you in your sleep.

From The BSNYC Used Bicycle Buyer's Guide , a classic.