Cyclists: Recommend Me a Road Bike

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I’m thinking of buying a new bike.

Something for my nine-mile work commute. I’ll get some much-needed exercise and save gas. It’s win-win! Well, win-wheeze anyway. I’m not interested in boulder- and root-bashing singletrack (those guys look nuts to me), but I want a bike that I won’t have to worry about if I take it on an occasional gravel or dirt road.

I haven’t been on a bicycle in fifteen years. My last one was a Sears ten-speed racer when I was a teenager. You know the kind: curvy handlebars wrapped in hockey tape, taint-pinching bullet-proof seat and indestructable (and heavy) steel frame.

Naturally enough, I first looked in my local REI store.

:eek:

$2049 for a bicycle?! What the heck happened to my ten-speed?

Apparently, quite a lot: there are steel frames, aluminum frames, titanium frames, carbon fiber frames, front suspension, rear suspension, seat suspension, 10 speed, 21 speed, 25 speed. I can buy a whole bike in one go or build it up from individual parts. I can spend anywhere from $300 up to the cost of a good used car.

:confused:

I’m completely lost. Please help.
Here’s what I’m looking for:
[ul][li]A road bike that can handle reasonably smooth gravel roads once in a while. [/li]
[li]I’ll mainly use it to commute to work on city roads, nine miles each way two to four times a week. (This is Seattle - I ain’t riding in the rain.)[/li]
[li]I guess I’ll need somewhere to carry my lunch and other sundries (tire patch kit, lock, tire pump - am I missing anything?)[/li]
[li]What about stuff like tires, helmets and “gel” saddles? What do I look for? What do I avoid?[/li]
[li]My budget is pretty flexible, but I’d like to stay under $500 or so for the whole shebang - if that’s even possible these days.[/li][/ul]
Any suggestions?

2

Try Performance Bicycle (performancebike.com) and Bike Nashbar (bikenashbar.com). My boss is a serious cyclist, and he says that unless it’s sale season, the floor for a decent-quality road bike is around $600. I just bought my first new bicycle since 1981, and bicycles are very different from what they were then. I’m still getting used to the new toy. :slight_smile:

3

200$ US?!?!?! I looked at bikes at Canadian Tire just yesterday, and they ranged from about 150-300$ - and thats not even a bike shop! The 300$ one was a Jeep bike, so they were’t exactly no-name, either.

But, to answer your questions, well, I don’t know. I know nothing about bikes, but I plan on buying one too :slight_smile: Seriously, if thats the prices youre seeing, drive up to Canada and get yourself something cheaper!

4

There’s got to be a real bike store there, check around the college campus if there is one. Stop one of those messengers I hear about there and ask them where to buy a good bike. Talk to the other guys who ride in to work, ask them where to go.

3 basic types: mtn, road, and in between- a hybrid. I bought a hybrid you may want that, more comfortable, especially when hauling stuff. Bar-ends make it moreso.

I went to buy a Trek a few years ago, the salesperson suggested I try a Marin before I buy it, I did and I loved it. It doesn’t matter to me what someone rides. What really matters is if if fits you right. Some 19 inch bikes fit right, some don’t. You’ll know when you ride it. Some better known brands are Giant, Trek, Gary Fisher, Cannondale, Santa Cruz.

Gel seat, helps. A good bike store will have a variety. Buy gloves too, and a helmet. Bike shorts if it’s warm where you are, much more comfortable than riding in jeans. (No underpants under them, underpants seams do nasty things to your legs)

$500 is a good start. $450-$600 will get you a good bike. You may want to wait for a big sale at a store, buy everything at once. They should cut you a deal, and at least put everything on for you. If you want a fancier one get one with front suspension to handle bumps better. You don’t need rear suspension.

Aluminum is lighter and faster than steel. Titanium you probably don’t need, and not available in your price range. Aluminum is more expensive, probably starts at about $600 there?

A good store won’t sell a dangerous helmet(hopefully), find one that fits. $25-$40 is usually good enough. i think I have a Bell.

Test ride them all, go to different stores, find one that fits and you like. No K-mart or Wal-mart bikes, please.

5

DO NOT BUY YOUR BIKES AT A DEPARTMENT/TOY STORE!

You have NO idea who has put them together. The bikes arrive at the store in boxes, in pieces. The guy who can’t figure out where to put the batteries in the Walkmans may be the one who stuck it all together.

And stay away from the Huffys and such.

The Big Cheese has some great advice. But if you go to a bike shop and tell them what you told us, they will find something to suit you.

6

I agree, do not buy at a department store. A real bike shop can provide much better customer support - and you do need it for a bike. Unlike the auto industry, most of the money is in the sales and repairs don’t pay well. If you buy a discount bike and take it to a neighborhood shop for maintenance they won’t be too happy. (There are exceptions, of course)

My first decent bike was a Trek hybrid I got at a local bike shop. Around $300, IIRC, and it served my needs well.

Two years ago I discovered recumbent bicycles and I never ride standard bikes anymore. Contrary to popular belief, they are not just for retired overweight men - I’m in my late 20s myself and ride a high-performance recumbent. A BikeE CT costs about $600 new - a bit more than you specified, but they are incredibly comfortable. You can ride forever and not feel any pain in your arms or butt. Not everyone likes them, I know, but it’s worth considering. For a bit more you can buy a RANS Rocket, which IMHO is the best entry-level recumbent you can buy. (Well OK, it’s more like $1000 but used ones are easy to find)

Whatever bike you get, you definitely need front and rear lights in addition to reflectors (lights are not substitutes for reflectors, and vice versa). A set of fenders will be useful - you may not ride in rain, but they come in handy if the road is wet with melting snow or previous day’s rain. You can carry your stuff in a backpack, but a pannier on a rear rack would be more comfortable. Remember that some bikes - upright road bikes in particular - can’t be fitted with fenders and racks, and thus be a poor choice for commuting. If you’re carrying a patch kit and pump, throw in a spare tube as well - replacing the tube is usually faster, and sometimes slow leaks are difficult to find and patch. Helmet and gloves, as already mentioned - gloves are useful in summer too, to absorb road shock and to protect your skin in case of a fall. If you scratch your palm badly, you won’t be able to continue riding.

If you find yourself riding after dark on a regular basis, you might want to invest in a hub dynamo. These are front wheel hubs with built-in dynamos. They are far more efficient and quiet than other types of dynamos. Shimano makes one, and any bike shop should be able to get one for you. It’ll cost around $100 to buy and have installed, but you’ll never have to worry about batteris again.

7

I forgot to mention that Bicycling Life is an excellent web page about bicycle commuting, safety, and other information about practical cycling.

8

Backpacks are the best way to carry gear due to the way they affect handling as opposed to pannier systems. On most road bikes, without a lot of modification, they are the only way to carry gear. They’re also good for including a hydration system. www.camelbak.com have the best stuff. I have the Blowfish and find it absolutely invaluable.

Check out www.topeak.com for tools and tool carrying systems. I use their seat pack and it allows you to carry some stuff like a wallet or phone, in addition to tools, for a short trip if you don’t want the bulk of a backpack.

Forget about gel seat pads. They are marketing attempts that play on beginners’ ignorance of cycling physiology and will actually add to discomfort during a long ride. Look at the bikes used by Tour de Francers and the ilk. Small and hard seats but the cyclists spend hour upon hour on them. I’ll second the comment about bike shorts sans undies though. Take that advice and you’ll soon get used to riding with a hard seat. You can get what are called shy shorts which are just like normal shorts with a bike short inner if you’re worried about appearance. However, if you keep up with the cycling, you’ll probably end up wanting to show your legs off if you were ever inclined to mdesty when you started.

Go to good bike shops and and get talking to low pressure-tactic staff. Bike shops are often staffed by cycling obsessed people who really do care that you enjoy their sport. You’ll know you’ve found a good shop when you find they have that kind of staff.

Buy some American magazines and get to know some brands, prices, terminology and shops in your area. I also go here to narrow down short lists for new purchases. They were excellent a year ago but I think they’ve made some changes. Give them a go anyway.

At your level (commuter), any helmet with whatever sticker Americans use to certify helmets will suffice. Extra money will pay for extremely sexy looks and more comfort through better ventilaltion but won’t necessarily protect you any better.

Have a look at http://www.giantbicycles.com/ but bare in mind that I am extremely biased.:smiley:

And have fun.

9

Just be careful though, such people are sometimes wannabe racers who shun practicality. Some bike enthusiasts think racks, kickstands, fenders and lights are nothing but dead weight. It all depends on whether you view a bike as sports equipment or a mode of transport.

I still think a rack is useful on a commuter vehicle. It doesn’t prevent you from using a backpack, and it allows you to carry extra stuff if necessary. Just keep a bungee cord on it and you can strap anything to the rack. I carried a 13" TV the other day. (OK I admit it, it was an LCD TV set, but still a fairly big package.)

By the way mnemosyne, bicycle prices are higher in Canada than in the US because of heavy import duties - 13%, if I remember correctly. The $200 bikes you saw would probably be $100 at Wal-Mart in the US, and something a real bike shop would not carry. Jeep doesn’t make bikes; I believe they just license the name out to a Taiwanese company. (Taiwan makes some of the finest bikes out there, but also a lot of cheap junk. Same with China.)

10

Wow! Thank you all for the great advice and web pages.

I’d already guessed that buying from a bike shop would likely be the way to go. Does anyone have experience of REI’s bike selection and staff? They’ve been plenty helpful to me in other areas (I snowboard, inline skate, hike, camp and kayak) and their bike selection in the Seattle stores is huge!

I’d never thought about a recumbent bike. I’ll definitely take a look. How are they for climbing hills vs a regular bike you can stand up and bear down on?

11

Kamandi-- you are buying in the Seattle area? Consider going to The Bikesmith over in Wallingford area- the guys there are extemely practical and deal in used bikes. Personally, I ride a good steel Trek frame from about 1985 and all is well. You can find top-of-the-line older bikes easily and very affordably.
I agree about gel seats and such-- your ass will get used to a decent firm seat and your circulation will be happier. There is a cult following around old fashioned leather seats, like Brooks and Lepper. Do get some gloves with padding in the palm/thumb base, and some shorts and you’ll be happier.
Recumbents on hills-- if you have been a cyclist it’s a tad hard-- the leg muscles that are used are a bit different and will take some building up. However if you are a runner, you will rock on a recumbent. Recumbent handling varies greatly-- take a number of different types for test rides to see what you like. They’re really great, though.

12

Recumbents can climb hills just fine - maybe slightly slower, but you’ll get to the top. You can’t stand on the pedals, so you just shift to a low gear and spin fast. That’s why recumbent bikes are equipped with very wide gear ranges. Even on an upright bike, spinning is a preferred technique to mashing anyway - ever notice how fast Lance Amrstrong spins?

If you want to find out more about recumbents, check out BentRider Online. In addition to good monthly articles, it has a great buyer’s guide, FAQ section and a message board. And get the free catalogue from Hostel Shoppe, probably the largest recumbent-specific mail order shop. (Or at least, one with the best catalogue and web site.)

Recumbent vs. upright bike is largely a personal preference. Some people think recumbents are too, um, sedentary - you can’t shift your weight, so you can’t hop over a tree trunk like you do on a MTB. And wannabe racers don’t ride recumbents because recumbents are not allowed in UCI-sanctioned races. But there are many of us who feel that recumbents are so comfortable and fun that it’s the only way to bike. In addition to the comfort factor, the view and the feeling of openness is incredible - your face naturally faces forward instead of looking down. Many people think that recumbents are safer. It’s almost impossible to do a “header,” i.e. locking your brakes or hitting an obstacle and flying over the handlebar, hitting the road with your head. If you do fall on a recumbent, you most likely land on your butt.

Some people worry that recumbents are too low to be safe in traffic. This is true for some high-performance recumbents like the M5 Lowracer, but you shouldn’t be using those for commuting anyway. There are many tall recumbents which are perfectly safe in traffic, such as the BikeE and RANS I suggested above.

13

Ooh look, capybara’s 1000th post, right above my 1500th!

14

I have to disagree. In my experience, panniers are the way to go, particularly if you’re carrying a lot of stuff to the office (computer, lunch, clothing, etc.).

While the bike might feel less responsive with the extra weight of the panniers, the rider is unencumbered by the weight of a backpack. It’s more difficult to do a shoulder check in traffic if you’re worried about the weight of a backpack shifting on you. Also, your back will get sweaty under a backpack, which you might like to avoid if you’re on your way to work.

Any bike that meets the criteria described by the OP will be easy to attach a rack to.

Best of luck in your bike search.

15

I still stand by backpacks. Good ones often have a kind of frame holding the pack away from the back. It allows airflow through a small gap (about 2cm) that prevents sweat building up. Also, in Kamandi’s case, she should never have to take clothes with her to work on the bike. She’ll still be driving regularly and should use the car to take a week’s worth of changes in to the office or wherever. A shoulder check shouldn’t cause you to twist your torso enough to shift the weight on your back very much at all. Cycling packs are made with this in mind and so they don’t extend up like hiking or backpacking packs do which would make them less stable.

16

I have a seat from Terry’s, the chubby cheeks it is heaven.

check out the men’s saddles, below
http://www.terrybicycles.com/Saddles/msad.lasso

17

I just bought one - I had about the same desires as you. Comfort, commute, occaisional off-road on prepared trails, no shooting down mountains, etc.

I ended up getting a Trek Navigator 200. It’s last year’s model so they’re selling cheap right now, about $230. It has a wider seat, a seatpost shock, tires good for on/off road with a bias to road (they’re only knobby on the edges, the center is relatively smooth for pavement). Aluminum Frame BTW.

It’s a hybrid bike and the riding position is comparatively upright - not hunched over the cross-tube staring at your pedals. It has the connector nubs for things like water bottles, fenders, & racks but they’re not supplied.

Love it. The only accessories I’ve added are a large water bottle ($4.00 at Wal-Mart) and a bicycling helmet.

Note, this year’s Trek Navigator 100 is basically last year’s 200 except for the derailure.

18

I stopped driving a few years ago. Instead of paying car insurance I buy a new bike every year or so. This one is by far my favorite:

It is very light, and without a lot of effort you can get up some good speed. I like backpacks, but my husband would advise a basket. Some would say it isn’t a ‘serious’ bike but it works for me. I commute about eleven miles (both ways) but the road is flat…no hills. I love back pedal brakes too…what a dork I am!

I would also advise getting some blinky lights and such, as you will probably find your new invisibility on the road disturbing. Buy a good helmet.

I predict you will enjoy riding your bike-I’ve found the extra time it takes to get home gives me time to unwind, or wind-up, depending on my mood. Good Luck!

19

I’d go with a rack($30) and a pannier. I use them myself. I’ve got what they call ‘Townie Grocery bag panneir’, the bottom is about wide enough for a paper grocery bag. Goes for $45, kinda dorky but works great. Panniers can be very pricey, and small. I put my big gym bag on the top of the pannier and rack and strap it down and ride to and from work that way.

I’d not get a hard seat, those are for racing, lightweight, and your ass will be sore. I have a somewhat cushy one, wears out every 3-4 years, but my ass is fine, thank you very much.

Sounds like Belrix got a good deal.

I’m in a mtn bike club here, and when a member you get 10% off all non-sale purchases at practically every bike store. IF your bike is getting pricey, consider joining, IMBA, or Bike Federation for a year, get the card and save some bucks-though not sure they have that perk in Seattle.

20

I worked in a bike shop for many years, but that was a few years ago, so hopefully my info isn’t too outdated. I would strongly recommend a Hybrid bike for commuting, here’s why…

  1. They are more durable then a road bike, but far more comfortable then a mountain bike.
  2. The riding position is more optimal (basically sitting straight up) for being alert, and being aware of your surroundings.
  3. They are very affordable, and there is a wide range of brands to select from.
  4. Since they are primarily for commution (is that a word? :smiley: ) and pleasure riding, there are zillions of accessories available.

I would say TREK has the best selection, but Gary Fisher & Specialized had some comparable models as well.

Which one should I get?

Always get the best you can afford, even saving up a lil longer to get something better. There is a big difference between a 300 bike and a 600 dollar bike, but its usually in the little details. The first major decision you will probably make is Steel Vs. Aluminum. Most people will associate steel with weight and clunkyness, and most salesman will reinforce that concept to you. They have made some great strides with steel in the past few years, and they have become pretty light. Keep your ears peeled for a term called ‘butting’ which basically means that the bike frame is reinforced at the stress areas. This allows them to make the tubing thin where no stress is present and thus saves weight. Another characteristic of steel, (and what people love about it) is the ride, its a nice giving ride, and it absorbs a lot of the bumps. The other alternative for your price range (Titanium & carbon don’t even start till about $1,500) is Aluminum. Aluminum is light, it wont corrode, and is durable as hell. In order to make a lighter frame, they expand the diameter of the frame tube, and make the walls of the tube thinner. This gives an aluminum bike stiffer more ‘brittle’ feeling ride, with all those little road vibrations being transferred directly through the bike to you. It’s certainly not as bad as it seems, more of a matter of personal preference, but it is noticable. Since aluminum is viewed (by most at least) as a better lighter bike frame, companies will usually outfit them with better parts.

Better parts? what makes a part better?

The drive train is the heart and soul of the bike. Personally I think the derailleur (the mechanism that switches the chain to different gears) is the most important. A better derailleur will have aluminum parts instead of steel (its lighter & wont corrode), and less moving parts (again lighter, and less to breakdown). Another important part are the rims and spokes. A $600 bike will have reinforced alum rims, which wont go out of true as much as a cheaper version. Well I should get back to work, but keep this in mind. If you get a bike that’s cheaper you will usually spend more on maintenance then from getting a good bike from the outset. Get cycling pants that are padded, as opposed to a gel seat, and always wear a helmet!

Happy cycling hope this helped.