Spending Theory?

[Haudlady]

Hello all,

I am looking at buying a road bike in the spring... my DH is a "serious" cyclist and says the ideal thing is to have a Seven made up for me. The theory is that I could buy one bike that would last me for years, fit exceptionally well, etc. He has a Seven MTB, and his road is a Scott carbon-fiber.

I'm wondering if the same thinking applies to bikes as it does to saddles (horse, that is) - instead of buying a cheap or mid-range saddle, I bought a really good one; it has served me very well for ten years now.

-GASP- a Seven is expensive!!! What do you guys think? Is it better to spring for what you really want... and have it last you a long time... or is it better to go the mid-grade route (probably about $1600), knowing you may end up springing for it in the end?

Help me... PLEASE!!!

[Grog]

A good bike will definitely last you a long time. Say a $200 bike from Target will not last you very long compared to a $1500 decent-manufacturer road bike.

This being said, it's not like a saddle: depending how much you ride (it's a function of distance not time), you will eventually have to change your chain and eventually the cogs too, because these parts get worn out every now and then. (Mind you, if you're light and careful, they can last you a LONG time, they will just not be as sharp after 5000km.) You'll have to change tires once in a while (a $100 expense every time, more if you want!). If you're light and careful (and lucky) you might not have to get new wheels until you feel like throwing money on that.

What will make a difference is the quality of components. A set of Ultegra shifters will probably last much, much longer than Tiagra components/brakes. I saw Sora and Tiagra stuff this week on a friend's bike and I was surprised at how they felt when I tried to adjust them. The Ultegra will last you longer and be much easier to adjust. I would be pretty trustful about the 105, too, but if you have the financial means to go Ultegra, and plan on the long term, just do it.

It's also about making the right choices, especially regarding cranks/chainrings. Do you want a double, a compact double or a triple? How will your cycling evolve over the next few years? How will your skills/strength evolve? Making sure you make a good choice and retain enough flexibility in this matter will allow you to keep yourself happy on your bike (and riding) for a long time with the same creature.

Don't get a Seven specifically. Get a bike that fits and that makes you happy. Chipping $2000 will probably be way enough to have a bike that will last and last and last... But you'll still want to throw some money at it once in a while, trust me.

[DeniseGoldberg]

I'm absolutely a fan of custom bikes (that's all I own at this point in time).

But - if I had started in the road bike world by buying a custom bike I suspect it would have been replaced sooner rather than later. Not because there is anything wrong with a custom bike - but do you know enough about road biking and your style of riding to make the right long-term decisions on a custom bike? Are there standard bikes available that will fit you with a few tweaks, or do you really need custom to fit your body to the bike correctly?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd recommend that you look at both. Maybe buying a non-custom bike and riding it for a year or two will give you a better idea of what you want from a custom bike. Or maybe custom is right for you from the beginning. I suspect that the only way to know is to start test-riding bikes.

Happy dreaming, and happy bike shopping!

--- Denise

[Steph_in_TX]

Wow! DH is ready to spring for a Seven? Lucky girl. My DH just got a Seven this spring (road bike) and it's a lovely thing and perfect for him. However, it was like his sixth or seventh road bike and his body proportions are not like the average male and he had trouble fitting any other bikes without some sort of comfort issue. Personally, I'd be leary of jumping to full custom until I REALLY knew what I wanted in a bike, but that's just me being extremely nervous about dropping that kind of money without knowing absolutely for sure it was gonna work like a dream. There are some aspects of fit that can be tweaked after it's built, but there are going to be things like the stiffness of the ride that can't be changed.

Go out and test lots of bikes. You may find one that fits like a dream. Have fun with your search and keep us posted.

[7rider]

Hello all,

I am looking at buying a road bike in the spring... my DH is a "serious" cyclist and says the ideal thing is to have a Seven made up for me. The theory is that I could buy one bike that would last me for years, fit exceptionally well, etc. He has a Seven MTB, and his road is a Scott carbon-fiber.

I'm wondering if the same thinking applies to bikes as it does to saddles (horse, that is) - instead of buying a cheap or mid-range saddle, I bought a really good one; it has served me very well for ten years now.

-GASP- a Seven is expensive!!! What do you guys think? Is it better to spring for what you really want... and have it last you a long time... or is it better to go the mid-grade route (probably about $1600), knowing you may end up springing for it in the end?

Help me... PLEASE!!!

I have a Seven Axiom road bike (not custom, off the shelf) and I love it!!!!
It is the best ride...and even off the shelf, I love the fit. The frame is a '99 and I just rebuilt it in October '05. I plan to keep it around for many more years, and when it's time to replace it, I'm saving my pennies for another Seven.

My LBS is a Top-10 Seven dealer in the US. One of the managers also leads a spinning class at the gym next door. He got one of his students - who hasn't been on a bike in YEARS - to spring for a fully custom Seven ID8 (hate the name - like Idiot - but it's an awesome bike). What a salesman! But she loves it and she's been joining us on the weekly ride and doing great.

If you can afford it and you ride enough to justify it in your own mind, a custom ride like a Seven is a great way to go. You can't go wrong with it. It'll last you for years. My friend (who also happens to be the wife of the LBS owner) calls Sevens "heirloom" bikes - because you can hand it down to your kids. It'll be around for that long. And they will love it as much as you do.

Downside...some said - jokingly of course - that it's against the law to put any components lower than Ultegra level on a Seven! Since I really think the Shimano price/value break point is at the 105 level, yeah you end up with a premium bike. But boy! What a premium bike it is!!!

Did I say I love my Seven????

[Kathi]

Yes, yes, yes go with custom if you know what you want and can't get the fit on a stock frame.

I just got my custom Serotta Ottrott and am so happy with the fit of it. I'm not sure if I'm happier with the fit or the ride or both but it certainly is a wonderful bike!

Anyway, this is my 5th road bike, 4th in the last 10 years. My first bike was a Fuji Mixte Frame, which I had for a very long time. My partner decided I needed a new bike so I bought a Cannondale. It was too big and the next year I bought a Cannondale Compact, now called the Feminique, but then I decided that aluminum was too harsh of a ride and the Cannondale was too stiff for my size 105 lbs, so I bought a carbon fiber frame. I did ride the cf frame for 6 years and have 15,000 miles on it so I feel I got my money's worth. The CF frame had some fit issues so I gave up and went with custom.

Wow, what a difference this bike is of any bike I've ever had. I had it built for 650c wheels and Serotta did a wonderful job of designing it. It's a small bike but the frame and wheels are very proportional. It corners so beautifully, rides smoothly, handles well on downhills and my average speed has picked up 2-3 mph.

My LBS did a great job of doing the fitting, it's right on and I haven't found a thing I want to change.

Another advantage of custom is that you pick your components so you build it exactly the way you want it or with components that work for you and you chose the color so your bike won't look like every bike in the LBS.

I've had my bike for 5 weeks and have close to 1,000 miles on her.

The key to doing custom is to find a fitter or builder that you feel very comfortable with. Their expertise with fitting and your confidence in them is very important.

I spent a lot of money on my bike but no more wishing for a better fit or that my bike handled better.

You may have buyer's remorse at first but that goes away very quickly with the first stroke of the pedal.

Look at Serotta's website, everything they say their bikes are, they really are.

[Haudlady]

Thanks everybody!

I guess the real answer all will come down to cash... if I can only come up with $1600 or so by spring, then custom won't be in the cards. I don't want to have to wait a year to get my road bike! I'm going to have a full fit done in the next few weeks. Maybe, if I'm lucky, the standard sizes will be what is best for my body!

I'm very lucky - DH is most concerned that I enjoy the sport, and he (along with all of you!) says that the fit is the most important thing. He keeps checking in with me... wants to be sure I am doing this for myself and not because I am trying to make him happy (he's been a "serious" cyclist for about fifteen years now). Um, no dear -
It's all about ME!!!