Who rides road bikes and what do you have?

[RCWells]

I'm looking to get into the road bike thing now and want to know what you guys are riding. I know some of you do b/c I've seen some pics here and there.

I want to pick some brains on what's good and what's not, what to look for and what to stay away from. (Mountian bikes are cool for you guys that have them, but right now I'm only looking for road riders/bikes).

So post up pics and any advice you can muster on buying/riding/etc.

[Gus]

GT ZR 3.0

a pic of it in the background of this http://xs102.xs.to/xs102/06243/DSC01582.JPG


its decent...served me fine for racing/triathlon/multisport/training etc....cant really fault it...not the best out there but it works! prob from around 2001 though.

cant remember the shimano product catalog anymore, but most of the top 3 ranges is pretty decent stuff...dont get too caught up in marketing hype, if it works it works!

if you planning on racing get another set of nice wheels for racing...training can hammer them and its a pain trying to straighten a minor bend for a race the next day....also means you can have a set of light race tyres too. on my trainers ive got specialized armadillo? or the ones that dont puncture...cant recall ever having a puncture with them. nice for when it rains!

and i did not intentionally choose the german flag colours either!

[RCWells]

Yeah, by all accounts the Shimano 105 group is best bang for the buck. I'm aware of the Ultegra and Dura-ace components, but not really going for that. From what I understand the 105 is among the best stuff going, just slightly heavier than their much more expensive counterparts.

As for bike, I'm kinda leaning right now toward Specialized, I just like 'em. I'm doing a lot of cross-shopping though, so nothing is set yet.

I mainly want to ride for the fun/exercise, but want to be able to be competitive when I do triathlons. I don't need a dedicated long distance bike, or time trial bike or triathlon bike and I don't need the most expensive lightest bike out there. I just want a good all around road bike with a reliable set of components and good performance.

[Gus]

yep 105 is good....got it on my roadie...hardly ever touch it mechanically, its my mtb that takes up my time (and of course e30)

dont know much about specialized roadies, but i like the brand...their 96 brochure got me keen on biking in the first place.

dont worry too much about the bike...its the rider you have to worry about!

[PeaveyBassist]

My dad has a Cannondale but I forget which model it is. It cost like...$1800 or something stupid like that. Mostly Shimano ultegra stuff I think. Its a CRAZY light bike. If you're gonna start riding I say a new bike around $1000 would suit you fine. Make sure you fit right on it though. Shimano 105 is just like you said, pretty good. Just a little heavier than ultegra and dura ace.

Will

[Sour_Kraut]

Much faster haha "road bike" = Yamaha R1

[RCWells]

Much faster haha "road bike" = Yamaha R1

When I get back into "road bikes", I will be doin' it on a H-D. ;)

[RCWells]

Anyone know of a good road bike for sale? I'm 6'1" w/33in. inseam, so I need at least a 58cm-60cm bike.

[FredK]

I ride a Steelman Stage Race. I picked it up used with super low miles on it, and I got a pretty good deal on it. All Ultegra 9 and a Reynolds fork. I found the deal in the www.roadbikereview.com classifieds section.

Road bike frames, unless they're super, super light, last a long time. Picking one up used makes sense, especially if you find one that has low miles that some old dude just hung up in his garage and rode every 3 months.

[Paul318iS]

I have a kona deluxe

http://www.konaworld.com/Prod/000000076/2K5_KonaDlx_Side.jpg

Just the frame though, all the other parts I have purchased off my friends. I have about 400 into the bike, 21.5 lbs.

[dr.strangelove]

oh rob,

so many options out there. Are you looking to do tons of miles on it?

There are four main materials out there.

Aluminum: the stiffest of the bunch, but ideal for racing on. Not ideal for centuries or anything really long distance due to the stiff ride. Relatively inexpensive to produce, and buy. Honestly Cannondale would be my choice for aluminum. They are constantly re-engineering the frames they have, as where most others are leaving their alloy frames alone and investing in carbon.

Steel: the oldie but goodie. This is going to be the heaviest of the bunch, but will always be the most comfortable ride. Nowadays it seems as if steel is becoming more expensive everyday due to the manual labor involved to get one of these together. These frames will rust if not taken care of, and are a tad heavy. very popular amongst riders that do long miles (centuries, double centuries, touring etc.) You could race on this frame, but since steel is such a soft metal there wont be as good power transfer.

Titanium: Almost as light as aluminum or Carbon fiber, but with the comfort and feel of steel. a noble metal which means no rust. This material however is expensive. Usually guys in their forties are buying these since they have the money and sometimes need the added comfort and lightweight properties.

Carbon Fiber: the wave of the future. This stuff is cheap to make, but expensive to buy. Super light, stiff, transfers the power well (not as well as aluminum though) and is BLING. you can get on a Trek 5000 TCT for under $1,900.00 with 105 10 speed. Its softer than aluminum, and hence why many racers are moving to this material but it still performs as well IMO to aluminum.

I would highly recommend you dont buy based on brand. so many do that and then are either bummed afterwards, or see something else that they didnt give a chance. Its really based on the feel of the ride. not the components. Honest. I've worked at this shop for over three years, and i can tell you that parts and wheels can be changed much easier than a good fitting and comfortable frame. I would invest in a frame that you fall in love with and put parts second.

As for parts, Ultegra is the best bang for the buck. Dura Ace performance with durability. Its smooth shifting and works. Wheels, i would say mavic or easton. mavic due to reputation, and the quality, and then easton (formerly velomax) due to silent rear wheel, and aerodynamics.

Feel free to pm me with more questions. i have information up the wazoo. Be sure to get a carbon fork and seatpost. thats basic knowledge now. also, remember, that the rear derailleur, shifters (STI), and wheels are the more important components. Crank is up there too actually, but the first three are crucial.

REMEMBER, get a frame that fits and rides well. Then you can focus on brand.

joe.

[SchnellerVert]

How's your training coming along?

[FredK]

dr. strangelove has a lot of good advice. Definitely buy a bike for the frame, not the components.

For the skinny on frame materials, I suggest you read the article Metallurgy for Cyclists by Scot Nicol.

Yes, there are four main types of materials that bikes are usually made from. In terms of intrinsic materials stiffness, carbon is first, steel second, titanium third, and aluminum LAST.

However, when you factor in DENSITY, aluminum starts to shine. It is one third the density of steel. So you can use more material. And, to combat it's lower specific stiffness, you can increase the diameter of the tube. As diameter increases, stiffness increases to the third power. Ever heard of a Vitus? The bike used small diameter aluminum tubes and people who rode them always remarked on the whippy ride.

Carbon frames aren't particularly cheap to manufacture. You need EXPENSIVE tooling, which is a huge capital expense. That's why Trek frames didn't really change for quite a while when they first introduced their carbon frames in the mid-90s. Carbon as a raw material is also VERY expensive.

Steel frames have really fallen out of favor. Most mainstream manufacturers don't make bikes from steel any longer. Hell Huffy makes aluminum frames. The reason why the price seems to be going up is because only small builders use it. Second or third tier manufacturers like Jamis and Fuji still have steel offerings. Most Italian brands still have a steel frame in their lineup.

Steel is not sexy. Grampa's 1920s "safety" bicycle was made from steel, and so was Dad's Schwinn Orange Krate. However, steel tubing has advanced alongside aluminum tubing in terms of materials properties. Any of the best tubesets compare favorably to aluminum in terms of stiffness, while beating it out in terms of tensile strength and elongation properties. Think Columbus Foco / Spirit, True Temper S3. If you take decent care of the bike, it won't rust. Especially if you use JP Weigle's Frame Saver spray on the insides of the tubes.

Anyway, if you need a training / racing bike, don't go apeshit and buy something that costs as much as a good condition E30. If you go on group rides or race on the road, you will be in a pack of riders and if you go down, your bike could eat it.

Thanks for reading my lengthy post. :D

[RCWells]

How's your training coming along?

Ah, that. School is dominating my time right now (I'll be through next Wed. with Psych, then off for 6 weeks before the Fall semester) but I'm still managing to get in some time. Weights every other day, mostly upper body as my lower is getting exercise from the running and biking. I'm doing more running (every day lately) and I'm doing just over a 2 mile distance and could do more, but my left knee has been bothering me some lately. I iced it down tonight and may have to do that daily after runs to keep it from swelling too much. I picked up some Nike Huraches today, so hopefully they will help reduce the impact on my knees. My breathing is getting better and I will begin adding more distance incrementally every day. Not totally sure what increments or how soon, but definitely will be adding. I think I'm going to try to add at least a half mile daily, maybe a mile. I know it would help too if I had a running partner to keep me going. Oh well.

The biking has been screwed up lately due to a flat tire, a broken grip shifter, and now my derailleurs need adjusting. So, I've been doing more running as a result. As soon as I can get the bike tuned up again, I'll pick it back up, hopefully by this weekend. OH, I got new tires fr/rr and decided to go with a hybrid tire, Kenda Kross. It has the smooth road tread in the middle of the tire, with knobbies on the outer edges to give grip off-road on those special occasions. Wow, what a difference they made on the road. I easily picked up 5mph+ with the same effort. I'm not surprised that I gained some speed, but didn't expect it to feel that much different, but it does. So, I feel much better about using the Sedona for the tri now, even though I know I will be getting passed by most everyone.

As for the swimming, it's still kind of on hold. I won't be able to spend much time on that until after Psych; it's hard enough just getting the runs and rides in. They are easier though b/c I can run or ride straight from the house, but to swim, I have to go to either my Mom's or (soon to start) the Natatorium.

Overall, I'm still on course I think to make it, IF I can get the swimming covered.

[RCWells]

dr. strangelove has a lot of good advice. Definitely buy a bike for the frame, not the components.

Anything in particular come to mind? I'm open to suggestions.