Road Biking: Convince Me

[riverc0il]

I have a CX bike from Bikes Direct and love it. Slicks for road and triathlon. Knobbies for CX and trail riding (nothing technical).

I love my road bikes but If I had to own just one bike a Cyclocross bike would be it. I put fenders on mine and use it to extend the season. I rode it Saturday on lots of sandy and wet roads and didn't get splashed at all. Great for touring or for forest roads too.

I keep debating getting a CX bike. Both for actually doing CX races but also for doing off road stuff like mellow single track. Lots of it around here.

I was going to make the recommendation but I don't think it really works. Sev already has a mountain bike and is considering something to make road more enjoyable. You start adding in slicks for the road when the intent was a road bike and it doesn't really seem like the way to go. Swapping out tires all the time, eh. Seems kinda a hassle. Cheaper for sure, though.

 

[severine]

Yeah, there's no point in getting something that does what my mountain bike already does. Also why I'm not looking at hybrids. I figure that if I go with a road bike, then at least I can get up some more speed on those state highways, with gearing better suited to this use than that of the mountain bike. My concern is that the lower end road bikes have less gears available though. Is it really an advantage in the end?

Checking out craigslist. No hugely great deals on there right now in the area that I can tell, though there is a 2010 Jamis Venutra Sport Femme for $450 OBO. Guess the original MSRP was $650? It might be too small though.

Still mulling it over. Thanks for all your advice!

 

[Jisch]

We bought a 29er MTB from BD, the deal was too good to be true, but its proven to be a solid bike, no issues.

 

[ts01]

Yeah, there's no point in getting something that does what my mountain bike already does. Also why I'm not looking at hybrids. I figure that if I go with a road bike, then at least I can get up some more speed on those state highways, with gearing better suited to this use than that of the mountain bike. My concern is that the lower end road bikes have less gears available though. Is it really an advantage in the end?

Checking out craigslist. No hugely great deals on there right now in the area that I can tell, though there is a 2010 Jamis Venutra Sport Femme for $450 OBO. Guess the original MSRP was $650? It might be too small though.

Still mulling it over. Thanks for all your advice!

Patience, grasshopper ... Craigslist will come through - or sort by zip on eBay or here: http://classifieds.roadbikereview.com/index.php (some reasonably priced older stuff mixed in with the exotics).

You're right about hybrids, worst of both worlds. And listen to the people saying faster is fun and it will get you on the bike more. If this was a birdwatching or chess forum, not relevant, but you are a skier, so I assume you enjoy the whole moving-through-space thing. So yes, a road bike.

About gearing - "more gears" is not better. It's the range of gearing, and the intervals ("steps") between gears, that make a bike easier or harder. That's determined by the number and size of cogs on the rear cassette (i.e., the freewheel on the rear hub) and the number and size of the chainrings on the crank. Probably good info on the beginner forum that I linked to earlier on roadbikereview or if you really want to geek out, read the "Gear Theory article here: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/articles.html. (Tons of good info on that site, and also check out the "bicycle glossary" on that page if any terminology throws you.) IMHO unless you're riding uphill in the Rockies with a fully loaded bike, no need for a triple crankset up front. If you can get a "compact double" crankset up front (i.e., 50/36 instead of 53/39) then you'll have a huge range of usable gears with any standard rear cassette (usually in the 12-23 or 12-25 range). It's the "triple" up front that gives you "more gears", since you'll theoretically have 27 gears (3x9) or 30 (3x10). But that adds complexity and weight with no meaningful gain in utility for your intended use. The only thing to avoid is a rear cassette with only smaller cogs (e.g., 11-21) that's only for strong racers - but that's unlikely to be found on anything in your price range.

 

[marcski]

My buddy also got a nice monocoque carbon frame with a full SRAM gruppo for less $ than you could find the components alone for. He is also very happy with it. They have lots of nice bikes in your range. Also don't get so hung up on components...tiagra or 105 will do you just fine.

 

[severine]

Hard to get hung up on something I know nothing about.

Tried that fit system on Wrench Science so I at least know what geometry to be looking at. (And that Craigslist bike is too small..) Doesn't seem to jive with what my height would indicate on sizing charts, but it does make sense with my mountain bike sizing issues (in that, the shop put me on a smaller bike than I probably should be on).

I wish I were more technically-minded. Would make it a little easier to research all this since I have no one local to refer to.

 

[mondeo]

World of difference between a MTB with slicks and a road bike. It's like putting slicks on a truck vs a sports car. The geometry and weight of a road bike makes it much more nimble, which makes a huge difference in how much fun it is. Even if you could get the MTB efficiency to match a road bike, the handling characteristics makes it worth it on its own.

 

[mlctvt]

Checking out craigslist. No hugely great deals on there right now in the area that I can tell, though there is a 2010 Jamis Venutra Sport Femme for $450 OBO. Guess the original MSRP was $650? It might be too small though.

Still mulling it over. Thanks for all your advice!

Bicycling magazine rated the Jamis Ventura COMP the number 1 "entry level" road bike in their current 2011 buyers guide. The MSRP for the comp though is $950. All of their recommended entry level bikes are in the $900-1200 range. Alhough there are usually lower end versions avaiable that are built on the same frame with less expensive components that should give similar performance.

I asked my wife if she'd be willing to part with her 1994 OCLV Carbon Trek 5200 but she wants to keep it for a backup bike. It sold new for $2100 but the value today would probably be in the $500-600 range. New similar versions today are over $3000.

I'd keep checking Craigs List, there should be lots more listed in the next month or two. Spring is the best time to bike shop.

+1 on the recommendation of road bike review , here's a link to the road bike reviews http://www.roadbikereview.com/reviewscrx.aspx

 

[andyaxa]

Yah, if you already have the MTB and are just interested in the road for your new setup, CX is certainly not needed. It was great for my needs when my MTB was run over and I wanted to get into Tri/CX on a casual level while also doing some trails....but could only lay down cash for one bike.

I would still, however, take look at BD. We've purchased three bikes from them and know a handful of others who have had good experiences as well. Google them and check out the various cycling forums....you'll see the subject elicits responses much like helmet/no helmet thread. Choose for yourself. We have had good experiences, but we are also the types who shop at Level 9 and Sierra Trading.

 

[severine]

I have no problem buying from discounters, trust me. I don't pay full price for sports equipment--no reason to.

Been investigating a few of the bikes at BD... We'll see.

 

[Jisch]

My wife would be buying a road bike from BD, except for the fit part.

Despite using the wrenchsciences fit chart, we have worked forever to get her comfortable on her MTB, I honestly want someone else to deal with that on her road bike. This is compounded by the fact that I don't have any road bike parts (stems etc) sitting around like I do MTB parts. She's going out today to a few LBS to talk to them about fitting process and the ability to come back and swapping parts if she doesn't like something.

John

 

[mondeo]

My wife would be buying a road bike from BD, except for the fit part.

Despite using the wrenchsciences fit chart, we have worked forever to get her comfortable on her MTB, I honestly want someone else to deal with that on her road bike. This is compounded by the fact that I don't have any road bike parts (stems etc) sitting around like I do MTB parts. She's going out today to a few LBS to talk to them about fitting process and the ability to come back and swapping parts if she doesn't like something.

John

Fit and ability to road test is what would keep me from buying online. While any bike will be miles ahead of a MTB, there are distinct differences in handling qualities between brands.

 

[bvibert]

My wife would be buying a road bike from BD, except for the fit part.

Despite using the wrenchsciences fit chart, we have worked forever to get her comfortable on her MTB, I honestly want someone else to deal with that on her road bike. This is compounded by the fact that I don't have any road bike parts (stems etc) sitting around like I do MTB parts. She's going out today to a few LBS to talk to them about fitting process and the ability to come back and swapping parts if she doesn't like something.

John

That's my biggest worry as well.

 

[andyaxa]

Agreed. If you want someone to fit you, the LBS is the way to go, just like boots.

I guess my point is more along the lines of... if someone is thinking of going to Craig's List, they might also consider BD or similar. And sometimes, the problem is you might be at the mercy of proximity to a good fitter and a LBS with stuff in your price range.

 

[Jisch]

Yeah, I know there will be sticker shock when my wife buys a bike locally, then we compare it to what is on BD. I am going to consider the difference the cost of the fitting and insurance if she needs to swap anything.

 

[mlctvt]

I agree that proper fit is extremely important.

You guys are from Central CT right? In addition to Suburban Cycle you may want to check out Berlin Bike. They've got a good selection of road bikes with many at discount.
http://berlinbicycle.com/specials.htm
They have the Specialized Allez sport in many sizes at a good price. At $695.00 it's a little over your price but it may be worth a look?

I bought my Cyclocross bike from them last summer. They're a great shop and do a good fit job too.

 

[mondeo]

I've had mixed experiences with Cycling Concepts as well (G-bury, Rocky Hill.) Been pretty good when I bought my bike there and a couple servicings. But I'd like to get my bike back at some point. Took it in in September for a broken spoke, called them after 2-3 weeks at which point they told me Shimano sent the wrong ones, haven't heard a thing since. Didn't really bother me that much (outside of it being irritating from a customer service perspective,) but April is coming up with longer days and ride to work potential.

 

[Jisch]

I'm in Northern CT (Tolland). My wife is down at the new Pedal Power location - she previously went to Tolland Bike - she liked them but they have very limited stock. I'll update with what she ultimately decides to do.

 

[mondeo]

I'm in Northern CT (Tolland). My wife is down at the new Pedal Power location - she previously went to Tolland Bike - she liked them but they have very limited stock. I'll update with what she ultimately decides to do.

Ooh, a Pedal Power in Vernon? Nice, much more convienient than Middletown. Another good shop.

 

[Jisch]

My wife bought a Z85 Felt from Pedal Power Vernon. They did a basic test fit on a few bikes before finding the one that she felt (no pun intended) best about. They have an option for a full on, 3 hour fit session for $150, but they said that because my wife had little/no experience with road bikes, the fine tuning from that fit session would be lost on her. She's psyched, and is already going out for a ride - its working already.