Advice for Entry Road Bike

Quoted message said:

Guys, what's going on? I am looking into getting a basic road bike for
about $ 500-700. Last time I rode a 20yo Panasonic until it was stolen 2
years ago. I am moving back to the States and looking to get back on the
horse, but don't know where I should look. I looked at KHS and Trek. But
have not gone further into it. Maybe you can suggest something.
Thanks a lot for the help.

The TREK 1000 is a very nice entry-level machine, much nicer than what was
available for that price just a short time ago (the carbon fork is a feature
added for the '05 model). There are going to be some other nice machines
out there as well, although I can only speak to those that I'm familiar with
(which, naturally enough, are those that I sell).

But aside from the bike itself, there are two other things to consider.
First is the quality of the shop. Consider how well they assemble it, and
later take care of it if something isn't quite right (which can vary greatly
from shop to shop, and has more to do with their attitude in terms of
keeping you on the bike and making sure your investment pays off). Ask
yourself if it seems like you'd be comfortable going back to them for such
things. Second, your enjoyment of the bike is greatly dependent upon how
well they fit it to you. Do they take the time to check out your position
on the bike, and watch you actually ride it (even a parking lot ride can
tell a lot)? Or do they just have you stand over the top tube and tell you
"Looks good!" and leave it at that?

Finally, as far as test-riding goes, you might check out this article on our
website- www.ChainReaction.com/roadbiketestrides.htm. It's one of the few
that are entirely unbiased (doesn't talk about brands or say that one frame
material is superior to another), but gives you an idea of how the bike
should be set up and what to look for.

Hope this helps-

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
IMBA, BikesBelong, NBDA member

C A III A said:

Guys, what's going on? I am looking into getting a basic road bike for about
$ 500-700. Last time I rode a 20yo Panasonic until it was stolen 2 years
ago. I am moving back to the States and looking to get back on the horse,
but don't know where I should look. I looked at KHS and Trek. But have not
gone further into it. Maybe you can suggest something.
Thanks a lot for the help.

There's something to be said for shopping for a bike shop. Find a bike
shop that you like, that you feel comfortable in. Then discuss with
them what kind of riding you want to do and how much you want to spend
and let them show you some bikes that fit the bill.

The major bike manufacturers all make good bikes; the trick is just
finding one that suits your personal geometry.

Good luck and have fun. :-)

-km

--
Only cowards fight kids -- unidentified Moscow protester

http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts
proud to be owned by a yorkie

C A III A said:

Guys, what's going on? I am looking into getting a basic road bike for
about $ 500-700. Last time I rode a 20yo Panasonic until it was stolen 2
years ago. I am moving back to the States and looking to get back on the
horse, but don't know where I should look. I looked at KHS and Trek. But
have not gone further into it. Maybe you can suggest something. Thanks a
lot for the help.

Others have covered the good shop aspect, so I won't discuss it.

Definitely get a bike that fits you well. This is essential and really
colors your experience. You won't want to ride an ill-fitting bike, and a
bike that fits well feels like a dream.

I encourage you to look at touring bikes. This gets you drop bars,
reasonably skinny tires, etc. -- a machine designed to be used on the
roads, but not a racing bike (which is what most "road" bikes are designed
to be). These machines have gearing for normal people, and sacrifice a few
grams for durability and comfort.

Specific product endorsement: I ride a 2004 Jamis Aurora and find it
fabulous. It cost $730 new.

HTH

Reid

Giant makes 3 levels of road bikes, one around 600, one around 800,
one around 1000. ocr1, ocr2, ocr3. They look like really good bikes.

Quoted message said:

Giant makes 3 levels of road bikes, one around 600, one around 800,
one around 1000. ocr1, ocr2, ocr3. They look like really good bikes.

Only if you buy into the idea that bikes only need to come in a couple sizes
and can be stretched or shrunk to fit. I'm not convince that's a good idea.
Saves Giant a ton of money, but...

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Only if you buy into the idea that bikes only need to come in a couple
sizes and can be stretched or shrunk to fit. I'm not convince that's a
good idea. Saves Giant a ton of money, but...

According to their web site, Giant OCR3 (their cheapest road bike) comes in
5 sizes now. I think they used to only have 3 sizes, which was pretty bad.

Mike Jacoubowsky said:

Quoted message said:

Giant makes 3 levels of road bikes, one around 600, one around 800,
one around 1000. ocr1, ocr2, ocr3. They look like really good bikes.

Only if you buy into the idea that bikes only need to come in a couple sizes
and can be stretched or shrunk to fit. I'm not convince that's a good idea.
Saves Giant a ton of money, but...

Well, if you come close to the right size for the bike, it's fairly nice.
I was happy with the fit of my OCR2, it was the lack of clearance for a
rear fender, and lack of eyelets that made it not the best bike. But it
worked as a first bike for me. After riding it I knew more *precisely*
what I did want out of a bike.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking
about.
-- John von Neumann