Road Bikes

o3jeff · Aug 16, 2008, 11:36 AM

Over the past week or so with the days getting shorter and it getting dark out earlier I have been thinking of maybe picking a road bike up so I can get some riding in after work without having to drive somewhere to do some mountain biking.

Problem is I know absolutely nothing about them. Looking to spend $500-700 but then again have no clue if that will get me something half decent to ride maybe 1-2 times a week. Would even consider used.

Anything special I should know about them?

MR. evil · Aug 16, 2008, 12:03 PM

If you just want a bike to log some miles on, then you should be able to get something alright in that price range on sale at a LBS. One of my co-workers is an avid road rider (and ex-MTB), he has explained that with road bikes more money usually means lighter and faster. If you are not going to be racing or doing 60 miles rides weight isn’t that big of a deal IMO.

There is alwys Craig's list

andyzee · Aug 16, 2008, 12:04 PM

Obviously, make sure you get a good fit, this is the most important thing in my book

If you plan on riding 30 or more miles at a time, you may want to stay away from aluminum and stick with chrome molly. Aluminum is stiff and great for transferring power to drive train, but not very forgiving to the body on long rides over bumps.

Unless you find a great deal on a used bike, you should be able to find something decent in the 500-700 range.

mlctvt · Aug 16, 2008, 12:06 PM

$500-$700 won't buy much of a raod bike so used might be a good option.
If you could stretch it to $1000 or so you'll have many more options. Check this site for entry level road bike reviews http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6...6906-1,00.html
also http://www.roadbikereview.com can be a good source of info. The one recommendation I can make is buy the best bike you can afford. A good discussion forum http://www.bikeforums.net/. Do you have any specific questions?

mondeo · Aug 16, 2008, 12:18 PM

At $750 (list,) you can get a Jamis Ventura Comp. Specialized, Trek, and Cannondale will cost a bit more, but have a little different feel. I think all of them at the $700-$900 price point have carbon forks (better shock absorption, supposedly) and some mix of Tiagra/Sora componentry. I wouldn't really suggest going below that. I personally like the integrated shift levers on the Tiagra and above much more than the thumb shifter on the Sora.

One thing is that a road bike will be a lot more responsive than a MTB. Which means it will feel a lot more twitchy than a MTB.

So, for a new bike, $700 might do it for the Jamis. But it is the low end of the range that I'd think someone expecting decent quality components would go for.

o3jeff · Aug 16, 2008, 12:41 PM

This is going to be more of a secondary thing to the mountain biking and havening just bought the mountain bike a month ago I looking to spend less the road bike than I did on the mtn bike. Really not looking to spend more than an hour or two on it per ride, but you never know. I could swing some $ if I find a lot more value in a $1000 over a $700 one.

Thanks for the input so far.

MR. evil · Aug 16, 2008, 1:02 PM

Jeff, heres an idea.

Why don't you save yourself some cash, and the gay spandex roadie uniform and purchase a set a lights for your mountain bike. I know tons of guys that have them and use them once it gets dark in the fall. I will be picking up some for Randi and I come closer to fall so we can ride after work.

Also, really need to do a Case Mt ride so you can learn the place and ride there after work. I chat with a guy on MTBR that lives near Case and rides there all the time. He has offered to show me around. I will see if I can arragange for him to give the AZ crew a tour.

o3jeff · Aug 16, 2008, 1:09 PM

I was just going to wear my mountain bike gear on it

. Also we probably won't be into the new office until probably December. Buying commercial property is totally different than buying a house and a lot more dragged out. Looks like we will finally close on the property the end of this month, then we are going to totally gut the office area and redo it.

Just looking at the price of a good set of lights, they will almost be the price of a cheap road bike

mondeo · Aug 16, 2008, 4:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR. evil

the gay spandex roadie uniform

You do realize, the gay uniform isn't necessary, right?

I've got baggy shorts, and wear a t-shirt. I fully recognize that other people really wouldn't want to see me in tight-fitting clothes.

RISkier · Aug 16, 2008, 5:13 PM

I've not been a serious rider but thought it would be great exercise. Recently purchased a Giant FCR 2. It's basically a road bike, has road bike gearing but flat handle bars. My wife has a similar bike made by Specialized that she really likes. I think it was in the $750 range. I looked at similar bikes from Jamis, Specialized, Cannondale, and some other brand. All pretty similar. The Giant seemed to fit me the best, I liked the guys at the shop, and they tossed a few accessories in. So far I'm really happy with it. If you're looking for drop down bars, lots of folks recommend the Specialized Sequoia and the Giant OCRs as good entry level bikes. My brother and sister in law both have Sequoias and really like them. There's a bunch of good brands, most use similar components, and I think finding a bike that fits you is probably more important than brand.

Aug 16, 2008, 11:36 AM	#1 (permalink)
o3jeff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Southington, CT Posts: 1,594	Road Bikes Over the past week or so with the days getting shorter and it getting dark out earlier I have been thinking of maybe picking a road bike up so I can get some riding in after work without having to drive somewhere to do some mountain biking. Problem is I know absolutely nothing about them. Looking to spend $500-700 but then again have no clue if that will get me something half decent to ride maybe 1-2 times a week. Would even consider used. Anything special I should know about them?

Aug 16, 2008, 12:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
andyzee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Home Posts: 7,899	Obviously, make sure you get a good fit, this is the most important thing in my book If you plan on riding 30 or more miles at a time, you may want to stay away from aluminum and stick with chrome molly. Aluminum is stiff and great for transferring power to drive train, but not very forgiving to the body on long rides over bumps. Unless you find a great deal on a used bike, you should be able to find something decent in the 500-700 range. __________________ __________________________________________________ _ I got my baby back!

Aug 16, 2008, 12:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
mondeo Goose Stompin' Time! Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Cromwell, CT Posts: 733	At $750 (list,) you can get a Jamis Ventura Comp. Specialized, Trek, and Cannondale will cost a bit more, but have a little different feel. I think all of them at the $700-$900 price point have carbon forks (better shock absorption, supposedly) and some mix of Tiagra/Sora componentry. I wouldn't really suggest going below that. I personally like the integrated shift levers on the Tiagra and above much more than the thumb shifter on the Sora. One thing is that a road bike will be a lot more responsive than a MTB. Which means it will feel a lot more twitchy than a MTB. So, for a new bike, $700 might do it for the Jamis. But it is the low end of the range that I'd think someone expecting decent quality components would go for. __________________ 2008-09 Killington: 11/2 (1 total) Overall: 1

Aug 16, 2008, 1:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
o3jeff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Southington, CT Posts: 1,594	I was just going to wear my mountain bike gear on it. Also we probably won't be into the new office until probably December. Buying commercial property is totally different than buying a house and a lot more dragged out. Looks like we will finally close on the property the end of this month, then we are going to totally gut the office area and redo it. Just looking at the price of a good set of lights, they will almost be the price of a cheap road bike

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Aug 16, 2008, 12:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
MR. evil Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,034	If you just want a bike to log some miles on, then you should be able to get something alright in that price range on sale at a LBS. One of my co-workers is an avid road rider (and ex-MTB), he has explained that with road bikes more money usually means lighter and faster. If you are not going to be racing or doing 60 miles rides weight isn’t that big of a deal IMO. There is alwys Craig's list

Aug 16, 2008, 12:06 PM	#4 (permalink)
mlctvt Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CT, VT Posts: 278	$500-$700 won't buy much of a raod bike so used might be a good option. If you could stretch it to $1000 or so you'll have many more options. Check this site for entry level road bike reviews http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6...6906-1,00.html also http://www.roadbikereview.com can be a good source of info. The one recommendation I can make is buy the best bike you can afford. A good discussion forum http://www.bikeforums.net/. Do you have any specific questions?

Aug 16, 2008, 12:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
o3jeff Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Southington, CT Posts: 1,594	This is going to be more of a secondary thing to the mountain biking and havening just bought the mountain bike a month ago I looking to spend less the road bike than I did on the mtn bike. Really not looking to spend more than an hour or two on it per ride, but you never know. I could swing some $ if I find a lot more value in a $1000 over a $700 one. Thanks for the input so far.

Aug 16, 2008, 1:02 PM	#7 (permalink)
MR. evil Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,034	Jeff, heres an idea. Why don't you save yourself some cash, and the gay spandex roadie uniform and purchase a set a lights for your mountain bike. I know tons of guys that have them and use them once it gets dark in the fall. I will be picking up some for Randi and I come closer to fall so we can ride after work. Also, really need to do a Case Mt ride so you can learn the place and ride there after work. I chat with a guy on MTBR that lives near Case and rides there all the time. He has offered to show me around. I will see if I can arragange for him to give the AZ crew a tour.

Aug 16, 2008, 5:13 PM	#10 (permalink)
RISkier Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 678	I've not been a serious rider but thought it would be great exercise. Recently purchased a Giant FCR 2. It's basically a road bike, has road bike gearing but flat handle bars. My wife has a similar bike made by Specialized that she really likes. I think it was in the $750 range. I looked at similar bikes from Jamis, Specialized, Cannondale, and some other brand. All pretty similar. The Giant seemed to fit me the best, I liked the guys at the shop, and they tossed a few accessories in. So far I'm really happy with it. If you're looking for drop down bars, lots of folks recommend the Specialized Sequoia and the Giant OCRs as good entry level bikes. My brother and sister in law both have Sequoias and really like them. There's a bunch of good brands, most use similar components, and I think finding a bike that fits you is probably more important than brand.