n00b Roadie Seeks Bike: A Tale

[trickycoolj]

Long time lurker, first time poster… really maybe about 3 weeks or so. You guys keep popping up in my google searches so I had to finally join!

A little bit of background, I’m 26 about 5’5’’ live in Seattle and recently made a very positive career switch. I’m neither coordinated nor athletic; music was my “thing” in high school since I wasn’t so great at sports. As a kid I loved riding bikes with the neighbor kids and for half of my childhood lived in a housing development that was basically a half mile circle of perfectly paved roads and cul-de-sacs that we’d race around until the sun went down. My last bike purchase was at the age of 13, I was fully grown and had very much out grown my Toys R Us fake mtb. My parents finally agreed on a 1997 17” Specialized HardRock AX FS. I distinctly remember my mom saying I’d never understand how much money that cost (something like half a paycheck?) and it was the last bike my parents would ever buy me. Boy, were they right! I’ve been rocking my HardRock ever since. It’s a champ. I’m on my 3rd saddle now that I understand sitbones should be ON the seat!

That said, for the last 10 years or so I’ve lived in towns directly on the 206 mile Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic route. It’s an epic weekend of 10,000 riders coming through town and I always secretly wanted to try. One year my dad did it with no preparation on what my friends have described as a Frankenbike, a box store clearance floor model mtb outfitted with car sized lights and batteries. We all thought he was crazy, but he just wanted to prove it to himself. 3 years ago my mom’s boyfriend and his buddy signed up and put slicks on their mtb’s. Mom and I were the support team, got up at 4am racked their bikes up on my teeny Honda Fit and dropped them off, met them at several of the food stops along the way for encouragement, and stood for hours in the rain after the finish line festival ended to cheer them into Portland. They learned, got road bikes and trained somewhat (they also like mountain climbing and other extreme sports) and for the last two years have made remarkable time achievements. That said, I’m tired of cheering at the finish line, I can totally do the STP! Oh wait, I need a ROAD BIKE!

I’ve been doing all kinds of research and have been out test riding at a few LBSs as well as two REIs. I’ve tried looking at Craigslist and a few used shops but the used bike market in Seattle is difficult since things sell so quickly if they’re quality. So far I’ve tested:
-2011 Trek Lexa SL (my first try on a road bike, liked the shifters, hated the white/gold/sliver paint job)
-2011 Specialized Dolce Sport (didn’t care for the Sora style shifters, loved the red paint job)
-2011 Marin Portofino (Again Soras and this bike was heavy/sluggish so didn’t bother to seek out the WSD version)
-2011 Novara Carema Pro (REI house brand, full 105 gruppo, rode fairly nice, a bit heavy and the frame had big welds, also a blah black and white paint job)
-2011 Raleigh Capri 3.0 (A local company now, full 105 gruppo and nice cranks, was a double and I’d prefer a Triple since I live at the top of a hill, the welds on the frame didn’t look very nice and in general felt a notch lower all around to make up for the 105 price)
-A used red clunker almost as old as me (great non-profit LBS that teaches all things bike to kids, but not a lot of used selection, the top tube was way too long and it had downtube shifters that I couldn’t figure out, good for the tinkerer, not for long hauls or busy lives)
-2010 Specialized Dolce Elite Triple (Clearance at an LBS, they put it on a trainer and I had a chance to really feel that Specialized WSD geometry was a bit too cramped, too far down in the drops)
-2008/9? Trek 2.1 WSD (Also clearance at an LBS, big step up from the Lexa, carbon fork, seat post and stays, Tiagra/105 mix, upgraded wheels… Orange/Cream paint job it’s a creamsicle for sure!)

That said these all hover around the $1k mark, which is significant to pay a month’s worth of rent for recreational equipment. I want this bike to grow up with me just like my HardRock. (I swear I feel like I’m cheating on it!)

Right now I’m really leaning towards the creamsicle 2008/9? Trek 2.1 WSD it felt good on a trainer and in the parking lot. It’s a great frame for the money which the LBS guy mentioned would be worth upgrading components someday unlike lower models. They’re asking $999 and according to Bikepedia it was $13-14k at release.

Hopefully I’m on the right track as I test and critique these bikes. I know color has nothing/everything to do with it. I want to love it and my HardRock is boring black so I’d like to switch it up. I do feel like I have learned an immense amount of bike in just a few weeks. Am I going to get a good long term ride looking at this price/group? I’m probably over analyzing, it comes with the trade. I just want to start getting out to ride, possibly join the local bike club and do classes, social and training rides with them as well as prep for the 2012 STP. I’ve put on 30-40 lbs in the 4 years since college, desk jobs are terrible for that, so I’m hoping to really engage myself in something fun with a big end goal for fitness!

[pinsonp2]

I purchased a 2009 Trek 2.1 WSD in orange/cream in April 2010. At that time I only paid $975. At first I was put off by the color, but it has definitely 'grown' on me (I get a lot of comments on how cool it is). Although I now have multiple road bikes, this one is my 'go to' work horse. No problems with the bike in general. I changed out the saddle..finally settled on a Specialized Ruby. Had a front tire blow out due to a sharp object in the side wall, so got a new set of tires about a month ago. Hope this helps.

P2

[amb]

I think everyone on this board will tell you to buy what fits best/is most comfortable and with the nicest components you can afford. I purchased a 2010 Trek 2.1 WSD in March (this year) for $1099. It has mostly 105 components (Tiagra brakes) and is a double. It's comfortable for me and rides great. I hadn't really ridden a bike since i was a kid either. In starting cycling, I wanted a decent quality bike that wasn't going to totally break the bank. The 2.1 is perfect for my needs/skills/riding style and I LOVE it. I do not however, love the boring gunmetal grey/white/bronze paint job. I went for "function over fashion" on this one. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to a bike that looks more fun. Until then, I happily roll along on my little 2.1.

Good luck with your choice and many safe miles of riding!!

[badgercat]

Sounds like you've been doing the best thing you can--which is riding a whole bunch of different bikes and getting a feel for what you do and don't like about them. I've purchased a new "old" bike (a 2009 Jamis on clearance nearing the end of the 2010 season) and would not hesitate to take that approach again. I even had to learn to love a food-related color scheme, too... mine is white and "Butterscotch."

Happy shopping!

[Biciclista]

welcome to TE! If you're liking the creamsicle, I'd say go with it.
you can totally do STP if you train for it.

But you should know that Raleighs are no longer made locally

[trickycoolj]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm still debating hard on the creamsicle 2.1! They want $999 which seems like a lot when 2012's coming out this month make it 4 years old.

I stopped by my favorite LBS last night, they have their 2011's marked down and have the 2011 Trek Lexa SLX marked down for $1149. I'm thinking of dropping by a third time tonight and actually taking that one for a ride tonight too. For $150 more it's a step up in components to full 105's, outgoing year and a neutral silver/white combo (easy to jazz up with accessories).

I love the red/white on the 2012 Lexa SL, but it's still a few weeks out and definitely not on sale (maybe a little bit lower than MSRP according to my LBS since they have a good relationship with Trek).

Either way I think I'm settled on one of the first two bikes and will hopefully pull the trigger this weekend on one of them!

[Velocivixen]

I have thoughts & questions. Other than the STP how will you ride this bike? Will it just be for out on the road, long training distances? If you ever plan on just riding around for fun or commuting you'll want fenders and maybe a rack someday. If so make sure to get a bike that can take fenders/racks. Many "Road" bikes cannot take those things. Once you do STP how will you use the bike?
Also, keep in mind that the 2012 bikes are here any second and bike shops will be clearancing out their 2011 stock, so wait for a sale.

[laura*]

Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm still debating hard on the creamsicle 2.1! They want $999 which seems like a lot when 2012's coming out this month make it 4 years old.

I wouldn't consider bikes to depreciate like cars. The big component groups only get changed every 3 or 4 years. Some people even prefer components of a previous generation. Your continued riding of the 1997 bike demonstrates that you don't need to the latest and greatest parts.

The more important consideration is how much wear and tear the bike has gotten from test rides and sitting around the shop.

[trickycoolj]

Last night I put a refundable hold-deposit on the 2011 Lexa SLX at my favorite LBS. The deciding factors were the fact that for $150 more than the creamsicle I am able to get a step up in components (105s vs Tiagra mix) and fender mounts. I was told at a different LBS and in subsequent research that the 105s had a significant upgrade around 2009/10 so I decided that was worth the jump. The lower end components on my '97 HardRock do show their wear more these days but generally still works for the easier trail riding I do with it.

My goals with this bike are to start working up to distance rides for fitness. There's a great large local bicycle club here in Seattle that hosts rides almost every night of the week at varying levels. They also have classes on riding in traffic and for learning to do group rides, which I'd like to take to make sure I'm at the right level before joining the group rides. I also work for a large corporation that has a non-sponsored employee bicycle club that also organizes local rides on weekends and after work. With luck, doing group and solo rides I'll be able to build up mileage to do some bigger event rides like the Seattle Century, STP and the many Tour-de-[insert county name here] rides. I may consider commuting but currently that involves riding through the heart of downtown Seattle and the industrial/port area in south Seattle which involves lots of semi-truck traffic so I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with that idea just yet. Maybe a bus/bike combo a few days a week.

I have two friends that I have also encouraged to join me for some riding. One used to be an avid racer about 10 years ago in college and it fell by the wayside to full time swing/night shift work. He's ordering new components for his bike and rebuilding it next week. The other friend got a late-1980s Trek from his dad that needed a few parts replaced but is otherwise a sturdy aluminum bike. He's planning to try commuting to work a few days a week. So I'm very excited that I'll have a couple of friends joining my cycling adventure!

[GingerbreadGirl]

Can't wait to see pictures! I have been deeply in love with the gray Lexa S with the aqua tape since I saw one on our local path. Enjoy your new ride.