You are hereForums / General Discussion / Off Topic / WARNING...Road contents
WARNING...Road contents
I apologise for the non-MTB content, but some of you (you know who you are - not you Liam!)train on the road and can probably give me some good advice on buying a second hand road bike. It's going to be a little brother for my mountain bike...
First of all, does anyone know what FELT bikes are like? I saw a second hand one (see link). What do you think?
http://www.bikeexchange.com.au/bikes/show/100008140
What components do I need to watch out for (i.e. what not to buy).
Thanks
Anke
- Login to post comments
- Bookmark & share
Tags
id be avoiding anything with curly handlebars, tyres under 2" and those funny gear levers near your knees..and make sure it comes with matching lycra..i hear cannondales are good for road bikes
oh cmon someone had too!
The bike you are looking at seems to have a fair amount of wear and I don't think it's worth $975, the drive train may be close to needing replaced. The groupset you are looking for is Shimano 105, good quality long lasting at a fair price, the ones below this level should be avoided (sora & tiagra) if you're going to a serious amount of kms, next level above 105 is Shimano Ultegra nice groupset, lighter and generally better than 105. You really don't need any better, but then there's Shimano dura-ace, top of the line Shimano gear, it can be obtained on a second bike without a mortgage but is similar in price to XTR. Since ten speed road bikes have taken over there's some real bargins to be had in 9 speed because it's out-dated, 9 speed suits me just fine, and the same chains also suit the MTB. Also is 52cm your size, it maybe and bit big for you. You can get a new Shimano 105 Giant Alliance with composite frame for about $1800 great value on a great bike.
Cheers John.
...I wouldn't have expected anything less.
I somehow don't think I'll be going very far in a triathlon with my mountain bike.
There are so many bikes out there and I guess I don't want to go "all out" for my first road bike. The one I've got my heart set on is the Scott CR1 Pro
http://www.woolyswheels.com/listman/listings/l00...
It's $3600. By the time I've got shoes etc. I'll be looking at $4000.
I guess I'll give that one a miss then. 52cm is probably a little big for me. I am 165cm tall, so I'm probably more a 49-50cm.
I've looked at the Giant OCR Alliance Comp and Woolys Wheels have a special on the Giant TCR C2 2007, which is $600 more than the OCR ($2495).
http://www.woolyswheels.com/listman/listings/l00...
http://www.woolyswheels.com/listman/listings/l00...
Too many bikes to choose from. I now understand why some people have 4 or 5 different ones...
If you aren't in a hurry, there are many avenues to acquire the right components/gear for your tri bike (I presume that's going to be the main focus of your road riding?)
Grab one on the 'cross trainers' aka NoBMoB scummers at a ride...
...to compete at the Noosa triathlon on 2 November, so I'd have to have a bike by mid-August at the latest to give myself plenty of time.
I thought you needed it for a race in the couple of weeks...
I would hold out on buying that Felt then.
...I would like to buy a second hand bike now so I can start with some light training and get used to road riding (i.e. avoid obstacles instead of going over them) and buy a new one at the end of the year.
Why not buy a new bike with lower specs than 105 (you could get something cheaper than the cost of that Felt) and that way if use the same store, when you go back later in the year they will (hopefully) do a better deal on the bike you actually want? They might even give you a trade-in on the first bike you bought. This way you can build a relationship with whichever store you choose, and they would help you set the bike up correctly.
Some of the stores may have older models too i.e. 06 or 07 that should be nicely discounted. Also most stores throw in a free service or 2, and on a road bike that would probably last the year.
Thanks.
That's great news that your wanting to get on the road.
Like John said you don't really need a bike with anything more than a 105 group set, I used 105 for the first 5 years of riding & it works brilliantly. If it were me I would look around for a 10 speed bike purely because the 9 speed stuff may eventually become harder to replace.
Have you looked at any girl specific bikes? I know there isn't a lot to choose from but worth considering & may be more suited with geometry & components.
When you get your new bike be sure to let us all know as a small group of us ride regularly every weekend.
Was just looking on the cell web site & they have this bike http://www.cellbikes.com.au/p_62_CELL__BLADE__Lo... Sounds like a good starting bike & fairly cheap too. Don't know anything about them really but might be worth looking at.
(...or tell me I'm a fad junkie and to p1ss off
)
But seriously, they're cheap, hardly any need to worry about components, lots of fun, will teach you to pedal properly and let you trackstand wherever you like. Super smooth and quiet makes it just as easy and more pleasurable to ride than a geared bike, and however fad they may be they're still way cooler than a roadie with gears...
...Orbea are women specific bikes and have a really good reputation, but they are also expensive for what you get. Specialized also do women specific frames.
Can't wait to join you on the road. Although, I might have to do a few practice rides before I can keep up with you guys.
Yes I agree, but I'd avoid riding one anywhere near triathletes.
If its just for training it doesnt have to be anything flash.
I have just sold my geared road bike and switched to a single speed (not fixed) for training and comuting duties its great and I actually think its better for training as you have to work harder up the hills.
...I might wait a month and get the Giant OCR, which looks good for an entry bike. My mountain bike is a Giant and they just seem to be good value.
If in the meantime any of you come across a second hand one (size 49cm or 50cm), let me know.
Thanks for all the great advice.
Anke
the giant OCR range is a good starting point, i used to have an OCR2 and did many kms on it. It has a more relaxed geometry so very comfy to ride but still quite fast. The next step up is the TCR range, bit more race orientated, i currently have a TCR Alliance 1 with full ultegra and decent mavic wheels and lots of carbon parts, approx $2100 new after you haggle.
If you can get a cheap road bike for under $500 then do that to start with and then upgrade in a yr or so. I wouldnt spend say $1000 now only to upgrade in a yrs time, you may aswell spend $2000-$3000 and get a decent race bike up front.
Don
...do I buy a crappy $500 bike now so I can start riding. Or do I wait until I get my bonus paid at the end of the year and buy the bike I really want. Alternatively, I can just spend the $1000-$1200 now and then upgrade later down the line, which is what I am doing with my mountain bike.
Hey i actually have a 50cm roadie sittting at home collecting dust that i was thinking about selling (girlfriends really).
Its a Avanti Vivace with Shimano tiagra gearing and shimano 500 wheels.
The bike has got a couple of scratches etc but it is in really good working order.
Get in touch with me if you are interested in taking it for a ride, I am happy to let you use it for a while just ot try the road riding thing out if your keen no pressure to buy at all.
Im just keen to help get someone out there riding.
Gav
kind of you, Gav. I'll send you a pm a bit later.
Ta, Anke
love reading road forums
cause i have no idea what you guys are talking about
hahahah
but
i did just finish reading the daily telegraph
and avanti have a "walk in and ride out" sale on at the moment supreme cycles at Narrabeen if your a NB girl
cheers
Kurt
Hey, just my two cents,
id look in to orbea, yes i own one. . .
albeit a mid range MTB, but i think they give good value
in comparison to the main brands, other than that
havent had a go at them but Azzurri, seem a good option
hope this kinda helps,
jerem
Before you go out and buy a bike to simply get started on the road I reckon you should go buy another set of wheels for your Alias, fit them with slicks and do the old swap-a-roo between road wheels and off road wheels. If your Alias has disc brakes then also invest in another set of rotors, unless of course it features Shimano brakes in which case the whole centrelock thing represents simplicity and logic at its finest and it takes moments to swap these. Then all you need to do is become adept at swapping over the cassette-or have a cassette on each wheelset as I do-and hey presto two bikes in one.
I totally get the need for a tri specific bike for that purpose so save your cash for that, do as recommended and get a 9 speed in an end of 2008 sale and in the meantime have two wheelsets.
Cheap second hand bikes are horrible and in the long run are a disaster...
FWIW I agree with delicious-p.
I ride off road at weekends and commute North Curl Curl to Wynyard a couple of days a week. I do this on one bike with two sets of wheels. I run a Cannondale F1 with Sun-ringle / mavic 819's for off road and a set of 700c road wheels ( disc compatible and with a lefty front hub) for the commute. I have rotors and cassettes on both sets of wheels.... takes about 5 minutes max to swap over ( would be quicker without the lefty...).
The F1 goes pretty fast with the road wheels.... with a fitter ( lighter...thinner...younger...) rider, it'd go even faster !
I'm just about to sell and move to full suspension ( long standing back problem.....) but will still run 2 sets of wheels. Everyone is different, but this setup works for me.
CB