New Cyclist

Hey FastFly,
I'm a younger cyclist like yourself (16), and my advice is, don't skimp on a bike. If you buy a cheap or discount bike you wont be statisfied. A base model Trek or Specialized will suit you well and last for some time. I used to run but I made the switch to cycling and haven't looked back. Whatever bike you get, just rember: Have Fun.

Good Luck

Cam

To answer your other questions, you track experience will provide you with some nice baseline cardio fitness and your quads will already be in decent shape.

What is your budget for a bike? Maybe some more veteran members can step in here and provide you with some advice.

FastFly said:

Hey Everyone,
My name is Mark and I live just outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota, USA. I am 17 years old, 5'8", 129lbs. I run Cross-Country and run Track (400m).

My father bought a road bike when he was 17 so it is very old. Although it is all I have to ride for now.

I was just wondering if there are oppurtunities somewhere to get a decent road bike for cheap. I was also wondering if my experience in Cross-Country and Track would help in Cycling. I work out every day of the week. It is advanced training, using pullies and bungies and the like.
Track is ending soon and I wanted to try Cycling over the summer to see if I enjoy it/good at it, and plus I want to try a non impact sport during the summer months.

Thanks for listening!

I read a thread from someone who got a really awesome bike at a thrift shop and felt badly that I'd spent over $700.00 on a just OK bike as they had spent next to nothing on theirs. Give it a shot. Good luck!

Thanks for the replies.

I guess I am going to have to check out my local thrift shop!

I looked at bikesdirect.com and they seem to have decent bikes in the 600 range. (Alum, CF fork etc, shimano)

Anyone know about those?
Could someone just whip off some Brand/Model names that are in the 600-1200 range that would be great for advanced entry level bike.

Fastfly, I purchased a FELT F-70 last year that was a real nice package at $900. It has a carbon fork, full Shimano 105 group, FSA crank and a nice Selle Italia seat. I've used it in a couple of races already. I'm maybe going to upgrade on wheels in the future, but I'm happy with it. It performs superbly for Cat5 entry level racing. Don't get too hung-up on price, just focus on getting a bike with solid components that will get you your money's worth. Since you are here in the States, a bike running less than $600 may not be race-worthy, but would sure be good for an introduction to the sport of cycling. I started out riding a GIANT Cypress Hybrid bike for a couple of months, and went to the FELT after realizing that I had reached the limits of the Hybrid's performance for 'road' riding. It may be worth it to get a low-end road bike around $500 to start with, then after a few months of riding on your legs, you'll have a good idea of where you want to put your money. (Then you can trade it in or sell it towards a better one) Ride with a club in your area, ride lots, then start making out your Xmas list for a nice bike that you really want. You'll have picked up the lingo and knowledge about bikes by then to make an informed decision. *** But don't forget,,,the bike is only part of the cost of cycling. There are clipless shoes ($150+), Helmet ($100+/-) pedals ($100+), extra wheels ($200+), jerseys/shorts ($50+ each), tyres, tools, chain lube, etc. You'll figure it out, but don't blow all your money on the bike itself, you may end up stuck with payments and a hobby you can barely afford. I'm almost finished with my first year of cycling, and I still fork over about $50+ a month on various things for this addiction. I ride about 200miles a week. You'll love it, and going out with a group will motivate you more than lousy after-school track runs ever did. When I think of the time I wasted on track, I want to puke.

Olasnah,
I really appreciate your response! I think I am going to skip getting a bike that I will have to deal with trading it in and selling it after a few months.
My father's bike will treat me well for a while. I was thinking of a bike that I would get after my father's.

I guess my best bet is to talk round and read about different bikes and brands.

Thanks a lot for your insight!

Mark

FastFly said:

Olasnah,
I really appreciate your response! I think I am going to skip getting a bike that I will have to deal with trading it in and selling it after a few months.
My father's bike will treat me well for a while. I was thinking of a bike that I would get after my father's.

I guess my best bet is to talk round and read about different bikes and brands.

Thanks a lot for your insight!

Mark

Fastfly,,,just because it's your Father's bike doesn't mean it's right for you. Fit is very important. Go to a local bike shop with the size info for your Father's bike, get measured for your own, and see if your current bike is that size or not. If NOT, then I wouldn't get used to riding it. You can get injuries and a lot of unnecessary aches and pains from riding the wrong size bike.

Don't overlook other possibilities of finding bikes. I bought one at a garage sale for $8.00. All it needed was tires and tubes and it fit me! I bought another at a church sale for my wife. It was an older Seraph and the tires were new but needed air. $10.00 complete with aluminum rims and custome bars. Have you looked at "craigs list"? I think it is www.craigslist.com?

FastFly said:

Hey Everyone,
My name is Mark and I live just outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota, USA. I am 17 years old, 5'8", 129lbs. I run Cross-Country and run Track (400m).

My father bought a road bike when he was 17 so it is very old. Although it is all I have to ride for now.

I was just wondering if there are oppurtunities somewhere to get a decent road bike for cheap. I was also wondering if my experience in Cross-Country and Track would help in Cycling. I work out every day of the week. It is advanced training, using pullies and bungies and the like.
Track is ending soon and I wanted to try Cycling over the summer to see if I enjoy it/good at it, and plus I want to try a non impact sport during the summer months.

Thanks for listening!

There are alot of good replies here . The best is go to a bike shop or shop's and ask questions. You don't half to buy anything , and a good bike shop will lead you in the right direction, maybe even be able to adjust your father's bike to fit you . Good luck.

Thanks for all the replies guys.

Well, school for me is about to come to an end and when it does I plan to go shopping.

I will get the chance to ride a
-OCR3
-F80
-F70
-1200
-1500
-Allez

I keep hearing about tiagra cranksets and some others that skip my mind. What are the differences between these main parts?

If you're going to spend money on parts, you will find that some make a big performance difference, and some are hardly noticable. On a tight budget, choosing your upgrades carefully is critical.

In your situation, wheels are probably the most cost effective upgrade. You will see the biggest performance difference, and they can be moved to another bike if you upgrade later. Get on ebay and look at the Rolf Vector Pro wheelset - I have seen them go for < $200 a set, and they're fast. You will eventually need a good set of high performance clincher tires, but save them for race day. They puncture easily, keep a set of average tires for training.

A good set of pedals and shoes. Clipless are the way to go - they take a bit of getting used to, but are comfortable and efficient, and can easly be moved to another bike later. I ride Campy Pro-Fit, but you might also check out Look, Time, or Speedplay. Check ebay for shoes - some times you can find a scuffed up but useable set of high end bike shoes in the $50 range, and you will need them for clipless pedals - they have the screw holes to mount the cleats. Sidi, Carnac are my favorites.

A decent saddle makes a huge difference, not so much in speed but in posterior longevity. You won't ride fast if your backside is sore. Ebay is a good source.

Cycling clothes - a couple of good jerseys and bib tights make a big difference. You're a lot more comfortable and dry, and after a couple of hours on the bike, that makes a big difference. Plain old shorts have a way of rubbing you raw in some pretty sensitive places. Ouch!

Cranksets, shifters, etc... if yours are working, then don't waste money replacing them. You don't see much performance improvement for the money you spend. Anything beyond wheelset, pedals, or saddle... save the money and put it towards a new bike.

Good luck - reminds me of when I was 18, had wheeled and dealed my way into a high end road bike, and was scratching for the money to keep a decent set of Clement cotton tubular tires on it. Yeah, that was quite a few years ago...

FastFly said:

Hey Everyone,
My name is Mark and I live just outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota, USA. I am 17 years old, 5'8", 129lbs. I run Cross-Country and run Track (400m).

My father bought a road bike when he was 17 so it is very old. Although it is all I have to ride for now.

I was just wondering if there are oppurtunities somewhere to get a decent road bike for cheap. I was also wondering if my experience in Cross-Country and Track would help in Cycling. I work out every day of the week. It is advanced training, using pullies and bungies and the like.
Track is ending soon and I wanted to try Cycling over the summer to see if I enjoy it/good at it, and plus I want to try a non impact sport during the summer months.

Thanks for listening!

So how's it going?

Don Shipp said:

So how's it going?

Try garage sales

FastFly said:

Hey Everyone,
My name is Mark and I live just outside the Twin Cities in Minnesota, USA. I am 17 years old, 5'8", 129lbs. I run Cross-Country and run Track (400m).

My father bought a road bike when he was 17 so it is very old. Although it is all I have to ride for now.

I was just wondering if there are oppurtunities somewhere to get a decent road bike for cheap. I was also wondering if my experience in Cross-Country and Track would help in Cycling. I work out every day of the week. It is advanced training, using pullies and bungies and the like.
Track is ending soon and I wanted to try Cycling over the summer to see if I enjoy it/good at it, and plus I want to try a non impact sport during the summer months.

Thanks for listening!

Have you tried garage sales? You'll be shocked at what people consider garbage not knowing the value of them. When I moved into my own house 11 years ago the previous owner had left behind a nice road bike that I used for years. Give it a shot and don't forget to haggle! Remember, these people want to get rid of the stuff and consider it junk. Good luck and let me know how you do. You may luck out and get a decent bike that requires only a tune up for less than $50.00.

wackydeirdre said:

Have you tried garage sales? You'll be shocked at what people consider garbage not knowing the value of them. When I moved into my own house 11 years ago the previous owner had left behind a nice road bike that I used for years. Give it a shot and don't forget to haggle! Remember, these people want to get rid of the stuff and consider it junk. Good luck and let me know how you do. You may luck out and get a decent bike that requires only a tune up for less than $50.00.

A useful piece of advice generally, but too late in this case. FF now has a new Felt 65.

Don Shipp said:

A useful piece of advice generally, but too late in this case. FF now has a new Felt 65.

Didn't know, I got something in my mailbox about his post yesterday and thought he was still looking. I'm happy for him! I hope he got a good deal. I often wish I knew the things I now know when I was looking for my bike last November. Then again, I'm so happy with my OCR3.

wackydeirdre said:

Didn't know, I got something in my mailbox about his post yesterday and thought he was still looking. I'm happy for him! I hope he got a good deal. I often wish I knew the things I now know when I was looking for my bike last November. Then again, I'm so happy with my OCR3.

Don is right!

I kinda left these thread for good :p

My felt f65 is treating me wonderfully. I could honestly not be happier with the performance, appearance, and the usability of the bike.

FastFly said:

Don is right!

I kinda left these thread for good :p

My felt f65 is treating me wonderfully. I could honestly not be happier with the performance, appearance, and the usability of the bike.

Welcome back then!
There are several members from MN asking about cycling through the winter, it seems that you have pretty severe ones. They also want to know what training other than cycling people do over winter to maintain fitness levels.
Also, new members frequently ask about bikes that they are thinking of buying, with the brand name Felt coming up. We just don't see them in this country, you have knowledge to share now. So don't be a stranger!
Don.