Originally Posted by
fietsbob
Hit the shops for test rides .. the thing that will help the heavier rider's bike last longer Is service after the sale , so Pick the shop first .
then buy a bike from them..
yeah, I've kinda already done that part. I get really outstanding service at one place, buying a Specialized Stumpjumper from them for my singletrack requirements.
Thankfully, they sell Cannondale, Surly, Salsa, and Specialized, but there is a bike shop nearby that sells Kona as well, have to check them up.
Originally Posted by
Black wallnut
If mounting a rack wasn't so high on your list I'd suggest you look at endurance geometry road bikes, even carbon ones.
what is 'endurance geometry'? I recently learned that "downhill/trail" geometry means a slack headtube angle. I assume 'endurance geometry' is something like that, having to do with headtube angle, or headtube length or...something?
Originally Posted by
Black wallnut
For the money you can get a higher level of components on an aluminum bike than carbon for the same amount.
right, but I worry about getting too beat up from a long ride on a stiff aluminum bike. I'm not saying it will happen, just that I've read about it, and as a bigger dude, I'd prefer not to annihilate the bike and annihilate myself in the process.
Originally Posted by
Black wallnut
My point is your preconceived notions about pure road bikes might not fit with what they are capable of.
please, by all means, enlighten me then, I darn sure don't know what I"m doing.
I always looked at a road bike as a super stiff bike that you could bend the wheels if you whack a pothole or jump a curb. It's fast, it's super duper lightweight, it leans you way too far forward so that if you go down a hill with dirt bumps and rocks you get tossed over the front bar (Because i'm not a skilled rider, that is a concern) and it's a bike you ride on pavement, not on dirt and gravel.
for dirt and gravel, you get a touring bike with thicker wheels or a cyclocross type bike.
if I was forced into a choice now, based on what I "think" I know, and what I think I need, it'd end up being a Salsa Vaya or Fargo, or a Specialized AWOL, simply because I know they are supposed to be good on all-terrain while still being good on the road, and you can fit racks and such. I would be using this as a commuter in addition to my long distance rides, hence my desire to at least be able to put fenders on it
Originally Posted by
Black wallnut
Good luck on your purchase decision. Yo do know the correct answer is more than one bike, right?
yes. I know the answer is more than one bike. In fact, the answer is more than 3 or 4 bikes, possibly even 5 (or more!)
You got your full suspension mountain bike (a la Specy Stumpjumper)
You got your fat bike (for the snow and the sand and the silliness) (a la Surly Pugsley or Salsa Beargrease)
You got your long road endurance workout bike (such as the Roubaix you mention)
You got your touring bike (a la Salsa Fargo or Surly Ogre)
You got your Cyclocross racing bike (Cannondale Super-X and such)
You got your commuter bike (i.e. whatever you have that isn't super expensive but gets the job done)
yes, I know "more than one bike" is the answer. Convincing my wife of that answer is another story entirely.