Have you upgraded from your first road bike?

[Grits]

Obviously I have the itch, and I know this isn't the place to come for help in ignoring it

I was curious, how many of you have upgraded already from your first road bike?

How long did you ride your first one before deciding to upgrade?

What made you decide to go ahead and do it?

[nscrbug]

Well...I certainly fall into this category. I got my first road bike - a Trek 2100 WSD 54cm, in Spring of 2008. I rode it for one full season, which included racing it in 2 triathlons - a sprint distance, and an olympic distance. Ultimately, what pushed me into wanting a new bike was the poor fit of the Trek. The frame was too big for me and I was experiencing a LOT of pain issues because of this. I went to an experienced "fitter" to see if he could possibly fit the bike a bit better to me, but he said there was only "so much" he could do with a too-large frame. He said that by shortening up the cockpit to fit me, I would be compromising the handling of the bike. This basically sealed the deal for me, as far as deciding to buy a new bike. Another reason was that I wanted to upgrade to a better component group. I ended up buying my Cervelo Soloist Carbon 51cm, this past May. The smaller frame fits me much better, and the full Ultegra SL components are super smooth. I can definitely say that I enjoy riding SO much more on a bike that fits properly.

[Cataboo]

I did a lot of upgrading on my road bike at first (handlebars, saddle, gel tape, stuff like that).... then decided I wanted a 2nd one to keep at the bf's...

Then I wanted to try 650 wheels... Then I had a cheap one from craigslist, then I was having lots of wrist pain from vibrations and didn't want vibrations...

So anyways... I guess maybe I started with 2 road bikes, there was another 1 or so... and I've got the 2 road bikes that I have now... Lots of craigslisting.

Love the 2 I have now - one titanium, one carbon... aluminum just didn't work for me, and seat tube angles bigger than 73 degrees just didn't work for me.

[Kathi]

Wow! I'm also a "got a new bike cause the 1st one didn't fit" rider. It took me 4 road bikes to get the fit I currently have.

1st bike was bought in the early 80's, Fuji Royale Mixte, it was bigger than me! Rode that for yrs, but probably didn't have 2k miles on it then SO thought it was time for a new bike. I was reluctant because I didn't ride much, that was in 1994. Bought a 48 cm (I think) Cannondale on 700c wheels. Smaller and better but still didn't fit. The next year Cannondale came out with the 650c bikes. Sold the big bike and bought a 48cm 650c R800. Wow, what a difference, really began riding after that. I rode the bike for about 5 yrs. Sadly, aluminum frames beat me to death and the fit wasn't exactly right. Then I found a Carbon Fiber Aegis. The ride was to die for compared to what I was riding but it still didn't fit. I did ride it for 5 years before I gave up, went to a fitter and bought a custom frame. I've had the Serotta for 3.5 seasons, approaching 8,000 miles, perfect fit and can't see why I'd ever want another frame.

Mtn bikes are pretty much the same story. On 3rd bike and it fits pretty well. If I had the same passion for mtn biking that I do for road riding I'd also get custom but at this point I'm happy with what I have.

I spent a lot of money upgrading both road and mtn bikes in search of better fit. The LBS and I learned about fit but didn't get it right. Once I found a qualified and experienced fitter did I find the fit I was looking for.

[OakLeaf]

Ha

My first road bike was the used Peugeot UO-8 I saved up for when I was 12 years old.

That was stolen when I was 21.

I replaced it right away with a very similar Peugeot that I rode until I started touring, and wanted a midweight tourer that fit me better. My new Specialized Sequoia (with narrower wheels than came stock) was my dream bike. In 1987 I got bit by the racing bug, and had a frame built for me by a local framebuilder. I rode both those bikes interchangeably until I burned out around '94 and didn't ride a road bike again for 12 years.

In 2006 I went to a retreat and rode a demo Specialized Ruby for three days, and realized that I'd been away from cycling long enough to love it again. I got new bearing grease, new tires, and new handlebar tape for my old race bike, filed down the brake pads and was good to go for the rest of the year. But I'd already had a taste of modern bicycle technology on the demo bike. I was amazed at how much had changed. My old race bike had first-generation indexed shifting that never worked exactly right. To go from that to brifters.... I loved the frame, but by 21st century standards it's heavy, and more to the point, it would have cost more money and a TON of effort to strip that frame down and build it back up, than it would to just buy a new complete bike. So three years ago Christmas I got a new bike.

[Zen]

Upgrade?

I don't know.
My current road bike is a down grade but the bike I ride the most has better components but it's an entirely different kind of bike.

So, it's complicated.

[annielynn]

Since I just purchased my road bike in late August (2010 Trek 2.1 WSD) I am grateful to be able to afford to get a pretty upgraded bike for my first road bike. I love my bike!

My husband is the next to upgrade. He is still riding a 1993 Bridgestone Radac. He sacrificed a lot for me to get this new bike before him. So we are upgrading him to a Trek Madone 5.2 or 5.5 February. He is going to be flying high when he get that new lighter bike.

It will most likely be a couple of years before I get a new road bike!

[buddha_bellies]

I'm in the midst of buying another bike. But for different reasons. The Specialized Ruby is a dream for me. Everything fits me almost perfectly (had to shorten the stem). I'm looking for a touring/ commuter bike now. The Ruby is nice but I can't carry stuff with it. No place to put a rack for pannier. And my beat up/ commuter bike is a hand-me-down that's too long on the top tube. Can't ride that for too long.

I did try several bikes before getting the Ruby. Being short really helps in the sense that I have very limited choice in bikes. So I kinda knew right away when something didn't fit (ie. no clearance over the toptube and feeling stretch way too far out).

On the other hand, DH bought a Norco road bike last year. Like so many others, the fit just wasn't right. The top tube was way too long for him. It didn't help the LBS he bought it from specialized in mountain bikes. So, in just over a year, he bought a Lynskey. So far, he's really happy with it.

[Yelsel]

My first road bike was a Schwinn World Sport; I can't believe that my dad thought that a 21" men's bike was a good fit for me as a 10yo! That's a tad larger than what I ride now. After that was stolen in college, I got a Novara Alight mountain bike that worked well for Santa Cruz, since I lived in the mountains above campus and could ride in on a short single trail + fire road, but overall I didn't enjoy riding it and it didn't see much use after I moved.

My 2005 Bianchi Castro Valley commuter was my do-it-all bike until recently; I wanted more gears (it is a 1x9, and from a thread here it I got the advice it would be better to get a new bike rather than spend the money to upgrade). So a 1998 Bianchi Eros followed me home in July, and I love her to pieces. Lugged celeste steel with the pretty 1997/1998 curvy rear stays, and tricked out with yellow accents, yum. She gets a lot of positive attention on the road, even from the serious carbon fiber set.

I just got a great deal on an REI Novara Carema at their scratch-and-dent sale a month ago -- the entire bike for about the retail price of the brifters alone. It was returned because the person did not like the ride (not surprising once you read below about the wonky geometry). This bike's name is "the donor bike" because I bought it for the parts. So I'm finally going to make my Bianchi Castro Valley commuter a 3x9, and the Carema will be a 1x9 or a fixed gear. The geometry is really odd on the Carema -- it is listed as a 42 cm; the seattube angle is very steep and thus the rear triangle is very compressed, but to keep 700c wheels on it, the headtube is *very* slack, and from the bottom bracket to the front wheel hub is actually a tad longer than my 52/53 cm Bianchis! So effectively it is best for someone with a short inseam and long torso, even though it is a "women's" bike. The seatpost is *really* long so that I can ride the bike, though the cranks are shorter and setback is less than I'd like. I think it will actually do a good job for the SO if I can coax him on a bike -- he is the same height as me, but has an appreciably shorter inseam.

I also just got a 1990s lugged steel celeste cyclocross Bianchi off eBay that I shipped to my SO so I have something to ride there -- I am dying to meet him but won't get out there for another month. It has the same geometry as my Castro Valley, but is a lot lighter, so I think it will make a great long distance bike.

And there is the Raleigh Super Course mixte frame that needs a serious overhaul... she's definitely going to be a fixie.

[Grits]

Thanks for the replies. Seems like a lot of you upgraded due to poor fit. I don't have any good, justifiable reason. I just have new bike fever. I think I'll try taking a couple of tylenol and see if that helps.

[redrhodie]

Thanks for the replies. Seems like a lot of you upgraded due to poor fit. I don't have any good, justifiable reason. I just have new bike fever. I think I'll try taking a couple of tylenol and see if that helps.

I had that! I had a perfectly good Specialized Dolce that I bought used from someone who rode it for 1 year. It fit fine. I rode it until I wore huge holes in the saddle. Then, I went to Eddy Merckx's website and got all lusty for one of his bikes. Before I knew it, I was waiting anxiously for my bike to be built.

I would do it again (buy my bike) in a heartbeat. It's given me more joy than anything else I have ever purchased. I ride it with love and respect. It's made me a better rider since I love being on it so much.

Edit to add: I occasionally had negative thoughts on the Dolce, like I'd be riding into a headwind, or climbing a hill, and think this really sucks. I never have bad thoughts on my Eddy.

I say go for it. You only live once. You deserve it.

[tctrek]

I got my first road bike in March, 2008.. a 47 cm Trek 2.3 WSD. I really loved it (still do), but as I got more accustomed to riding a road bike, I realized I felt cramped in it... I then saw a video of me riding it and I looked cramped as well. So, in July, 2009 I got a 50 cm Trek Madone 4.7 WSD. I love this bike and feel so much more comfortable on it and I have had many joyful rides on it. But I know in my heart of hearts that it's not my last road bike !

[Kathi]

I decided that my Serotta would be my dream bike and my retirement gift to myself. It definitely ended my bike lust.

[Owlie]

I bought my road bike in July. It won't need to be upgraded for a while, but...
When it comes time to upgrade, it will probably be directly to a second road bike. Why? While Bluewing (my teal Giant) fits me fine (or, as far as I can tell, it does...) and I'm okay with Sora components at the moment, there will probably come a time when I want something lighter and with a better "shift-feel." (I'm making up words again; there's probably a technical term somewhere.) It makes the most sense for me to upgrade to 105, maybe Ultegra. If I upgraded the bike (wheels, components) to the higher level that Giant makes using the same frame (Avail 1), it would actually cost the same or only slightly more to buy a new bike. There's a Cannondale I've got my eye on...

[pumpkinpony]

I bought my road bike July 08, and have just over 1,000 miles on it. I don't see myself upgrading anytime soon, but if I do it will be to a carbon bike. I've enjoyed my Lemond, but it seems a bit 'bouncy' compared to my cousins full carbon bike.