Noob question about roadbikes

The brake levers go sideways. 😄

gclark8 said:

The brake levers go sideways. 😄

O yeah?? Both left and right sideways on each side of the hoof? Also what is SRAM?? I dont get the difference between it and shimano or wtver it is called in road biking, the regular parts as a noob should say??

sunnysang said:

O yeah?? Both left and right sideways on each side of the hoof? Also what is SRAM?? I dont get the difference between it and shimano or wtver it is called in road biking, the regular parts as a noob should say??

Try http://sheldonbrown.com/

That site has a cycling glossary where a lot of your questions can be answered, I imagine. SRAM is listed here: http://sheldonbrown.com/gloss_sp-ss.html#sram

Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo are all bicycle components. Shimano is probably the components that you will have.

I'll give you a quick run down on the different components they have, from lower end (less expensive), to higher end (more expensive):

Sora: usually found on primitive entry level bikes, this is the cheapest, but also has poor shifting, durability, and reliability. Mostly used on bikes w/ the price range of: $400-700USD.

Tiagra: a short step up from Sora. Is good for entry lvl bikes. Usually used for recreation, weight loss, and fun. Durability and reliability again, is a short step up from Sora. (Nothing too serious) Bikes' price range: $600-1200USD. (Might be used with some 105 components)

105: a leap up from Tiagra. Durability is much better than the previous two. Reliability and crispness is much better. Might even consider racing on it. Used for semi-serious rider, group rides, sponsored rides etc. Bikes' price range: $1300-2300USD.

Those are the most likely ones that you will be considering, but I"ll tell you the other ones as well.

Ultegra: a big leap of from the rest. Used on much higher end bikes. Wouldn't advise using it for an entry lvl bike. Used for racing and serious riders. Also costs more.

Dura Ace: this is what the pros use and some high end riders use. Enough said.

Good luck w/ making your decision, hopes this helps.

bump

Bikelyst said:

Shimano, SRAM, Campagnolo are all bicycle components. Shimano is probably the components that you will have.

I'll give you a quick run down on the different components they have, from lower end (less expensive), to higher end (more expensive):

Sora: usually found on primitive entry level bikes, this is the cheapest, but also has poor shifting, durability, and reliability. Mostly used on bikes w/ the price range of: $400-700USD.

Tiagra: a short step up from Sora. Is good for entry lvl bikes. Usually used for recreation, weight loss, and fun. Durability and reliability again, is a short step up from Sora. (Nothing too serious) Bikes' price range: $600-1200USD. (Might be used with some 105 components)

Based on the component price I wonder how these groupsets stack up against MTB components. It seems the Sora is a few steps ahead of, say, Acera. Not everything translates directly since there are no brifters on MTB groupsets, but component for component it seems road groups are a cut above. Maybe, though, they're just asking and getting more for them these days in a time when Wal-Mart and Target came out with road models & the US won the biggest road race in the world several years in a row.