Average Gal's First Time At Bat

[Biking Bella]

Wow ladies! Thank you all for the great advice and forethought on all of this. I can't tell you all of the notes I have been scribbling down and pieces of research I have been doing.

I will say that the area I'm living in is hilly, so I'm wondering if having a heavier steel frame is that great of an idea - more work to get up the hill, right? And yes, I know I'm in this for the workout and I'm not trying to cheat, just asking! haha

The shifters that I've been looking up (105's, not the thumb shifters) are pretty neat looking. The DA's are too shiny for me. Again, like others have said, for a beginner bike, it can be a big expense that isn't justifible off the bat.

Beginners...we all had to start somewhere, right? Well, thanks for making this "beginner's experience" one that wasn't done alone. It means a lot that you are all willing to dump whatever insight on me that you can - keep it up! I'm all ears!

If I go to a shop, what are some good questions to ask in your opinion(s)?

[Yelsel]

At your price range, you should take a look at steel. It absorbs road buzz better than aluminum or carbon, and the difference in weight between an aluminum and steel frame these days is nominal. (Steel is heavier, but also stronger; you can make very thin-walled bikes, and use different thicknesses in different parts of the bike for strength. New alloys on the market are *very* good - high quality steel bikes are now as light as titanium bikes). Also, just like boots and hiking -- it is the rotational weight that matters the most on a bike. Upgrade by buying lighter wheels; that is where the weight really matters. I have an old Bianchi steel bike as my roadie, and she can go. Someday I want a very high-end steel frame custom-built for me -- lugs, custom paint, the works -- the nice thing is that the bike will not be that much more expensive than a stock carbon-fibre bike.

Also, are you looking for the fastest road bike you can get for your money, or a better all-around bike? Many entry level "cyclocross" bikes are more like chameleons - good for commuting, light 1-2 week touring, centuries/endurance rides, fireroad to easy singletrack, and laid-back club rides. Swapping out lighter wheels and skinny tires, even faster club rides. I have a bike built on a Bianchi Volpe frame (steel), and I love it. Eventually I will replace with a Surly Express Check or Co Motion bike -- these have couplers built into the frame, so that it can be taken on the plane as regular cargo.

Jamis has great steel bicycles, and there are tons of smaller manufacturers too that specialize in steel, such as Surly.

REI has the Camera Pro on sale, but online they only have smaller bikes. It is possible one of your local stores might have one in your size in stock. It has carbon seatstays and 105 components, for $950 on sale.

[Owlie]

Remember to set aside some of your budget for a new saddle. Stock ones aren't comfy (generally speaking)!

[Biking Bella]

Thanks so much for all of the help again, ladies. It's much appreciated!

No, I don't need something that is going racing material, but I don't want it to be a slug either. Then again, the bike will only go as fast as your legs will push it, right? haha.

The steel weight comparison is definitely interesting, I'll check into that!

Yes, a saddle is important as is bike shorts as mentioned before. I also found out while looking at a local bike store that not all bikes have pedals! Cannondale was the brand I believe. So, unless I go with the $10 flat pedal, I better budget for shoes with that too!

Thanks again, ladies! Keep it up! This is great!!!

[Crankin]

I do think the component level is important. My first road bike had Tiagra and 105's. I never, ever could get it in the big ring and I dropped the chain constantly. This continued for the whole time I had the bike, even after I had passed the "learning curve" for knowing the right gear combinations. While the bike fit me, I hated it. When I got a new bike, it had Ultegra, but since this was a few years ago, an older version. The front der. was always finicky. Again, I couldn't shift into the big ring and one time I had to commute home from work in the granny gear the whole way! Finally, after 6 months, my DH replaced the front der. with Dura Ace. This was a full carbon bike that cost a little over 2K. It took quite awhile to finally get components that worked!

[Kano]

Dropping the chain -- there's a gizmo for that now!

http://www.acecosportgroup.com/content/

I don't have one -- I'm not sure that my bike is built right, but one of these days, when it's in for some kind of service, I'm going to ask. I don't like when the chain goes...

Seattle hillies: a triple front chainring set will be nice to have. I use all three of my chainrings a lot, and it's not quite as hill in the area where I ride as Seattle. I figure maybe someday for this "compact" thing I read about here...

End of season clearances can be a great way to stretch your budget, and they're on -- if the bike fits, you may be able to get more bike for your buck by "sacrificing" color, or something relatively minor. While WSD is a good thing, a "men's" or "unisex" bike may help with this too -- don't dismiss them out of hand. Try some for feel!

The saddle -- give the one on the bike a shot, you MAY like it! I'm pretty sure that we all find that it takes a little while to be comfortable on even the best fitting saddle as we start riding, as all of it is new to our bodies and we have to get used to so much. MORE important to be sure to include in the initial investment budget is a HELMET -- which seems obvious, but I haven't seen it mentioned yet! These don't have to be expensive.



Other things to consider getting started:

Gloves that fit pretty snug (I have hand pain if they're "comfy" because the slip around) are important for our riding comfort and for just in case. I bought cheap bike shoes early on because of the nice stiff sole -- my feet hurt in "regular" shoes. At the time, I was NOT using the "fancy" pedals. The chamois in the shorts does make a difference in comfort, but I'm guessing that it will be a little while before you'll need the "good" ones, and those clearance racks will be a nice place to start that wardrobe. Like gloves, buy 'em snug, so they're not slipping around down there! (some of us are intimidated by "sausage leg" but at your height/weight, I can't see much possibility for that -- I've got a daughter about your size!)

Lights -- dark season is coming! Don't have to be real expensive, just bright. Something to carry a spare tube and tools in (I really am glad I changed to kevlar tires early on. changing tires isn't my idea of fun, and I got lots of practice the first few weeks!)

I'm finding myself going on and on, have a question I've come up with myself that I'll start a thread on, but oh CRAP! I have to get ready to go to work!!!!

Karen in Boise

[Biking Bella]

You're right, things like gloves, helmet (which is required by law here), etc are important and an investment at the time of purchase. The '09 sales are on and I have started looking around! I'll visit another shop tomorrow (Redmond Cycle) and see what they have at this point.

I'm also looking on craigslist and ironically I'm not finding too much in a 54cm. Then again, that size is really popular so it doesn't shock me. But, can anyone tell me about some of these components? Are they low end? Have you heard of them before? I'm still trying to learn the ropes so I'm sorry for all the questions!!!

Link to Bike

I also saw this one but I can get a Cannondale Synapses 6 (I think?) for $1300 at the local bike shop.

Also, I'm also seeing something on the Cannondale site that they have a "Cyclocross" bike. It seems it's for people that also tackle mud on their rides. By glancing at the bike picture, it looks the same as a road bike, but with mountain bike-type tires. Is that correct? And if so, can that be done with a road bike (or even using half and half tires), or is that a "no-no". I'm just wondering for education-sake, so no "just buy a mountain bike" comments please. haha.

Thanks!!!!