First let me introduce myself. I'm a 36 year old IT guy in the Dallas area.
Now that that is done lets get into the meat of my post. I know this has been covered somewhere but I can't find it.
I've been mountain biking for several years but because of a back injury I'm going to have to take a gentler course. I want a road bike but I just don't know what to expect when buying. I [aid $800 for my Trek 6500 a couple years ago and am quite happy with it but it seems there are alot more brands and accessories I need to be concerned with in a road bike. so here is my question.
What am I going to have to pay for a good road bike?
Things to consider. I weigh 220 but I will be at 190 in 6 months :O) I plan on riding around 100 miles a week.
I think it would be really hard to say how much you would have to pay for a new road bike without a little more information. For example, are you considering a used bike or only a new one? Have you looked at end-of-season closeouts at the local bike shop? And, most importantly, have you test ridden any bikes yet? I think you should probably find one you like first, then look at the price. If we assume you are looking at new bikes, and you want one that will still be fun to ride once you have ridden it for a while you can probably find quite a decent selection to choose from for about $1000. More info on the type(s) of riding you plan to do would also be helpful. Tours, distances, speeds, etc.
You could do this and I am assuming you are going to hold true to your word and ride 100 miles per week. Go to www.citybikes.com it is a bike shop in DC. I have never been to the actual store but they have an informative website. They rank bikes by the number of miles you expect to ride per week. At 100 you are in the Hardcore level (50+ miles per week) which basically means Ultegra and Centaur bikes.
Take a look at those bikes and get familiar with their specs. At that level you are going to spend $1500 minimum for a new bike. Don't use the 50+ miles as a set in stone, "I ride more I need to spend more" but use it as a guidline. Once you're familiar with the specs of the brands that citybikes.com carries, go to your local bike store armed with that information and decide which bike fits you best.
Whatever you do, get at least Shimano 105 components. Based on your desires, you would need at least that level of quality. Expect to pay $1000 for a 105 bike.
BTW I test rode that Felt 65 cj mentioned and loved it, but I wanted Ultegra so I went with a Jamis Comet. If 105 is right for you, the Felt 65 is a great choice IMHO.
Probably about $1,000.00 USD, look for all 105 minimum, Ultegra if you can get it but by all acounts 105 is excellent with minimal differences from Ultegra. You should also be in the roughly 20LB bike range around this price point (Aluminum).
Personally I paid a little more (Approx $1,500.00 USD) for an Aluminum Trek 2200 with Ultegra and 105 Components and it's been excellent on Long Rides and Duathlons. I knew at the time I bought it that it was a little more bike than I was a rider 🙂 but as I get better I'm glad I went with it.
This is all very good information...thank you. What do you guys/girls think about slicks for a mountain bike? I'm thinking in the short run I might just switch back adn forth or maybe even buy new rims for each and switch those.
I tried doing that. (switching tires) To answer your question, I now have a road bike and a mountain bike. I guess it depends on how much money you want to invest.
I had to replace the wheelset on my new bike because my bike decided to "jump" off of my bike rack at 60 mph. My factory wheels tended to go "out of true" often. The new wheels made a noticable difference in ride quality, and so far they are as true as the day they were put on. It wasn't a very expensive set of wheels either. 32 hole Mavic CXP21s, Ultegra hubs.
My point is, there are 3 things to look at when buying a bike. Component group, Frame, and Wheelset. The bike companies have to make money and cut corners in one of the three. I think the wheelset is easy to replace and not terribly expensive. So when looking for a bike, frame fit and comfort come first. Then component group, and then wheels.
The difference between a mountain bike with slick road tires and a road bike will be quite noticeable, if not actually amazing. For road use, a road bike is definitely the way to go.
One of my riding buddies has a LeMond Buenos Aires, I think he paid a little over $1k for it. Very smooth riding bike.
I started on the road by putting slicks on my mtb - it was better than riding knobbies on the road, but the mtb is heavier than a road bike, seating position isn't right for extended riding, and geared too low to get any serious speed out of it. Riding slicks on your mtb will get you wanting a good road bike.
Originally posted by JohnO One of my riding buddies has a LeMond Buenos Aires, I think he paid a little over $1k for it. Very smooth riding bike.
I started on the road by putting slicks on my mtb - it was better than riding knobbies on the road, but the mtb is heavier than a road bike, seating position isn't right for extended riding, and geared too low to get any serious speed out of it. Riding slicks on your mtb will get you wanting a good road bike.
I started with slicks on a Diamondback Oulook. I worked up to about 150 miles per week. It really made me want a road bike. I'm not exactly wealthy. I ended up getting an end of season 2003 OCR2 from the LBS for $650. I am very happy with it. I guess it all depends on what you consider a "good" bike.
There in lye most of my problem. I don't know what a good bike is. 😄 If I knew that it sure would make all this easier. It seems there is a much larger selection of road bikes than MTB's
Quoted post said:
Originally posted by ad6mj I started with slicks on a Diamondback Oulook. I worked up to about 150 miles per week. It really made me want a road bike. I'm not exactly wealthy. I ended up getting an end of season 2003 OCR2 from the LBS for $650. I am very happy with it. I guess it all depends on what you consider a "good" bike.
