confused and need some help

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by mdbrown
i'm new to the sport and looking to get a good first bike. i've read over other beginner threads here but none seemed to really help me out. the local trek shop tells me a need a 58cm frame while the specialized shop tells me i need a 56cm. my inseam is 32" but another guy told me that doesn't really give you a good representation of what sized frame you need. anybody about 6' with a 32" inseam who might be able to help me out? the guys at the trek shop told me a trek 1000 is a good bike for me to start out on but i'm not so sure since it doesn't have a carbon fork. the specialized allez is only a bit more expensive at $620 and comes with one. my only issue with the specialized bike is that it looks like the frame isn't as aerodynamic as the trek. it seems as if the top bar has a positive slope while the trek 1000's has a negative slope (look at the attached file). i've read bad things about the sora gears but i don't really want to spend much more than $600 on a bike at this point. i'm also open to other brands but i've picked trek and specialized because i've heard of them before. i'm open to suggestions though.

Don't waste time worrying about 'aerodynamics', and TT slope. Buy the bike that fits you best. If you want a CF fork and better than sora you might need more money,but look at giant,fuji, and KHS for possible better bang for the buck. Is that 32" bike inseam or pants inseam? Makes a big difference in bike fitting,but that's only part of the story. Assuming you have adequate standover, TT length and reach to the baars is much more important than 'nominal' size. Sizes aren't necesssrily the same from brand to brand anyway.

32" is my pants inseam. what are some good models from giant,fuji, and KHS?

anyone have any suggestions?

mdbrown said:

anyone have any suggestions?

Go with a Trek or Cannondale. I would recommend Cannondale if you have a good dealer in the area.

Sora can provide a few season's of good performance but when a part breaks, you will do best in replacing it with 105 or Ultegra. Parts are hard to get for any lower components.

Sloping top tubes are nothing more than a fad and a way of reducing frame inventory. They offer no weight savings unless you get expensive components. They typically ride stiffer and have problems with double water bottle mounting.

If you get a Cannondale, you can be assured the frame was made in the USA even if its entry level, something not assured on any other brand.

Weisse Luft said:

Sloping top tubes are nothing more than a fad and a way of reducing frame inventory.

If you get a Cannondale, you can be assured the frame was made in the USA even if its entry level, something not assured on any other brand.

Wanna bet the fad is here to stay? Just like threadless forks were a way of reducng cost and inventory.So what's so great about a frame made in the USA? Everything else on it is likely made somewhere else.

These days there is really very little meaning to the "size" of a bike. Manufacturers all attach different meanings to different measurements depending on which way it is actually measured.
The most important factor in frame size is the reach from the saddle to the bars and the position of your [censored] with respect to the bottom bracket. This means you should get an idea of where the seat should be first and then decide if a particular frame allows you to comforatbly reach the drops when usign a decent length stem (somewhere around 11cm stem length is best for handling). Seat height and bar height can often then be adjusted to suit.
To get a rough idea take a mesureing tape to the shop and measure along the imaginary horizontal line from the head tube/top tube junction to where this would intersect the seat tube (or seat post). Of course it gets a bit trickier when you sit on it and have to adjust where the seat should be (and thus the frame size or the stem length).
This is why it is necessary to go to a shop where you think you're likely to get the best quality frame and get them to set you up on a trainer to ensure you can get a fit you are comfortable with. If you can't then it means you need to try a different frame or frmae manufacturer. Don't settle for second best. You will enjoy riding a lot more if you spend a little bit of time and effort (not necessarily money) now.

boudreaux said:

Wanna bet the fad is here to stay? Just like threadless forks were a way of reducng cost and inventory.So what's so great about a frame made in the USA? Everything else on it is likely made somewhere else.

Threadless forks are not only easier to setup, they are far more robust. The advantage of non-threaded forks is far more than the inventory issue, a non-issue to the frame maker as they can thread any long fork into a shorter one.

The real measure of a fad staying is the acceptance by the custom frame builders. They don't do it because they can make any size.

On made in USA...I have visited Pacific Rim manufacturing facilities and the phrase "caveat emptor" should ALWAYS be remembered when you buy something from these shops. Granted, many are fine quality but you never know. Cannondale isn't likely to expose itself to lawsuits and the durability shows. Since the introduction of the CAAD series and on up to the Six13, I have NEVER heard of frame failure in anything out of their Bedford PA plant.

Now I have seen many frame failures in OCLV Treks but since the Y-foil is history, this doesn't count.

Weisse Luft said:

Threadless forks are not only easier to setup, they are far more robust.

Really.......?

Weisse Luft said:

The real measure of a fad staying is the acceptance by the custom frame builders. They don't do it because they can make any size.

That's just BS.

Weisse Luft said:

On made in USA...I have visited Pacific Rim manufacturing facilities and the phrase "caveat emptor" should ALWAYS be remembered when you buy something from these shops. Granted, many are fine quality but you never know. Cannondale isn't likely to expose itself to lawsuits and the durability shows. Since the introduction of the CAAD series and on up to the Six13, I have NEVER heard of frame failure in anything out of their Bedford PA plant.

That's a barge load of BS.

I was deciding between the Trek 1000 and the Giant OCR3, if you can splurge just a little more you can get the OCR2 which has Tiagra and 105 components.

I ended up with the Trek 1000, it's a good bike, did the job and felt good me (I cycle for cardio purposes). Yesterday I bought a Giant TCR Alloy, I took it for it's first ride today. Yeah, I'm a Fred, but I love my bike and love riding it. 😄