mcgeggy

I'm 51yo, 6'1", and my current weight is 220 lbs. I want to try to get down to 205-215. I purchased a used hybrid Fuji Sabres a few months ago so I could start cycling more frequently around the rural-ish roads in my central NJ town. (My only other bike previous in the last 20 years is a Giant Rincon mtb).

I would like to buy a road bike for the Spring. I was riding the other day at what felt like a reasonably brisk pace, and a group of cyclists on road bikes just blew right by me, seemingly peddling no faster than I was, lol! So my feeling is that a road bike would be more suitable to my purposes, but this is where I am getting frustrated - it is a bit overwhelming trying to figure out how buy the right road bike. So many variables! Fit, bike geometry, aluminum or carbon fiber, pedals and shoes, all of the different brands, stock wheels or upgraded (hand built?), tires brand and size? How many gears/speeds? All staying within by ideal budget of $800 or less. New or used? LBS or online retailer like Nashbar to save $? And of course the saddle...

I would like an entry level road bike that will hopefully serve me for many years without needing too many upgrades or adjustments. So I guess the only thing I can say for sure is Shimano 105?

I would mainly be riding on local roads, some slightly hilly, mostly smooth with the usual small cracks, bumps and minor potholes along the shoulder. Right now I'm doing 10-15 mile rides on the Hybrid, but of course over the Spring/Summer I'd like to be doing longer rides, and maybe even join a local cycle group.

Any advice for someone looking to go deeper into this terrific sport?

Jarrett2

I had the exact same experience 4+ years ago.

Probably best to go to a good bike shop initially so they can get to all dialed in for your first road bike. Getting a good fit is a big part of it.

Getting new for $800 is tricky. They might have a good used road bike they could set you up on. Might think about bumping your budget up a fuzz if possible and look at entry level road bikes. 105 is probably out of the question for new road bikes at a store for $800.

My recommendation is just get one. Get an entry level something from a good bike store that treats new riders well. You'll want to spend time getting a fit for the bike. Then ride the hell out of that thing a couple of seasons. Then make a list along the way of things you'd improve and save up for that bike next.

chaadster

+1

MRT2

Hmm. 105 isn't entry level. And while should look for deals, I do wonder why you feel you need 105. Even Sora is very good, and a lot closer to your $800 budget. You want 105, you need to buy used as a new name brand 105 equipped bike will go for $1,500 or more.

mcgeggy

I was looking at some road bikes on Nashbar. They had few for 50-60% off that were 105, including carbon fiber frame bikes, so I just thought 105 was the “starting point”. These bikes, in the $750 - $875 range after discount, were Fuji SL-1 Comp Limited Edition Road Bike, and Nashbar Carbon 105 Road Bike, and some other 105 aluminum frame styles. So I don’t know, it seemed doable, but of course probably not at a lbs...

MRT2

You can sometimes find good deals on Nashbar, but you have to know exactly what you want, and what fits you, and finally, how to assemble the bike yourself. You have to assemble and adjust the bike yourself. And if you have a problem, mailing a bike back for a refund or credit seems like a hassle. I don't know about your mechanical skills but from your own words, you don't know what you want. For these reasons, I wouldn't recommend Nashbar for a person brand new to bikes.

chaadster

+1

coney462

1- not sure why you could not o further on your present bike.
2- peddling faster does not automatically translate to going further.
3- they might not have been peddling faster than you, but were they peddling in the same gear as you ?

SethAZ 

If the roadies blew past you on your hybrid it's not because they were on road bikes. It's because they've ridden a lot more miles than you and are in better shape. I know you're working on it, but just getting a road bike isn't going to do much for your speed over your hybrid. When I was losing weight in 2009 I started riding a mountain bike (hard-tail 29er) at around 350 lbs, and kept riding the crap out of it. I took the wide knobbies off and put on some beefy slick tires that were maybe 32mm or 35mm wide, and rode that for thousands of miles.

When I was around 275 or 280 or so I bought a used road bike for $450 and picked up maybe 2 or 3 mph for the same perceived effort, but that meant that instead of going 15-17mph on that mountain bike I was now going 16-19 mph on the road bike. Probably much of that gain was due to a change in position from fairly upright on the mountain bike to more tucked in as I rode the hoods on the road bike.

By all means, get a road bike and enjoy the hell out of it. Just keep the expectations real. It's mileage and improved fitness and endurance that's going to get you the speed you want most of all, and the equipment comes in second.

MRT2

That is true, and if they were riding together as a group or paceline, they had the benefit of drafting. Put another way, a group of riders working together can ride faster than a solo rider.

I do agree though about keeping your expectations realistic. I have a friend who rides a vintage mid 70s vintage road bike that has been modified for his style of riding. I helped him to get it just so, swapping out the old heavy steel wheels for modern alloy wheels, lowering the gearing so his 70 year old legs can get him up hills without getting too worn out, and critically, swapping out the old quill stem for a taller one so he can ride longer without having back problems. But it did come at a cost of top end speed, and aerodynamics since his modded road bike means he rides a lot more upright than he used to. So when he wanted to replace his bike with something "faster" I told him what I am telling OP. At a certain point, you will find yourself trading comfort for speed.

And though a road bike might be faster, it is only faster to the extent the rider has the leg and core strength, flexibility, and endurance to actually ride fast. So if OP can ride his old hybrid at, say, 11 to 12 mph, just switching out to a road bike might only make for a marginal improvement of maybe 1 or 2 mph at best. And that assumes OP can get comfortable with the more aggressive riding position of the road bike. OP could fit a road bike to ride more upright, but then he will sacrifice some aerodynamics (speed). IMO, for those like OP who are over 50, this is perhaps a sensible thing to do.

mcgeggy

For crying out loud, that is not the sole reason I want to move to a road bike - I did put an lol at the end talking about the guys passing me. I have to say I am surprised at the advice being given - why the assumption that my expectations are so unrealistic? That’s 3 posts in a row questioning my intentions instead of providing some advice that I was looking for in my OP.

I’ve been reading on this forum a lot to learn as much as I can so I can make an informed decision on what bike to buy and how to go about it in a few months, but the search feature is not the best here. I’ve seen similar posts where folks were actually helpful by saying check out this bike or that one.

You guys are a bit of a buzzkill with your assumptions- except for you Jarret2.

MRT2

Not trying to be a buzzkill. Just want to clarify a bit what you want, and why. You set a price point of $800, a desire for 105 and maybe carbon fiber, and an aspiration to go further than 10 - 15 miles on rural central NJ roads and maybe join a cycling club next year, and your height age and weight.

Also in addition to your $800 budget, does that include just the bike, or are you budgeting separately for accessories, or do you already have everything you need such as helmet, lock, pump, patch kit, spare tubes, shorts, gloves, etc...

I already gave my 2 cents about buying a bike off the internet so take that FWIW. I agree with Jarret2 to buy something from a local bike shop. (and BTW, I remember when Jarret2 started as a beginner a few years ago) If you get the biking bug, this will probably not be your first new bike purchase, so what you learn from this experience will help you in the future. You still have a lot of choices, and ultimately you will have to decide if $800 is a hard limit or if you can go up a few hundred to get something better. Because at full retail, $800 gets you 8 speed Claris, which is actually fine. At $860 retail, Giant makes the Contend 1 which is aluminum with carbon fork and 9 speed Sora. Very good value. for about $100 more at $950 retail, the Jamis Coda Comp is a nice, steel frame, carbon fork and 9 speed Sora. Either of these bikes, or actually anything in that price range from Trek, Giant, Specialized, Kona, Jamis, and at least a dozen other brands will be just fine for 99% of what you want to do.

That said, some folks want full carbon and 11 speed 105. If you want Carbon and 105, the Trek Domane SL5 retails for $2000 and has a full carbon frame and 105 level components. Specialized Roubaix Sport is also full carbon with 105 and mechanical disc brakes. It retails for $2.200. You may or may not notice the difference between $1,000 and $2,000 retail. You need to test ride a few and see for yourself.

These are just a few examples, and retail prices. So you might get lucky and find something on sale, but these are examples of what you can get for $900, $950, and $2,000.

Now, get to a bike shop and test ride some $800 bikes, and then maybe try some $950 bikes and even maybe some $2,000 bikes and make a decision.

DWhitworth

A group would have quite a bit of an aero advantage as well, so even if the guys there were putting the same watts down as you, they would be going faster.

On the bike...IMO, of course...and sorry if I am repeating stuff you already know...

1) Watch the gearing on the road bike. You may have a triple or pretty big rear cassette on the current bike and some road bikes may have 25-28T cassettes and not have compact doubles on the front. As you go further, you are going to find more hills and might want those gears.

2) Watch the tire clearance. You aren't a huge clyde, but if you end up needing stronger wheels and/or bigger tires, they may not fit with your frame. This is probably way less an issue now as disc is more prevalent and the tiny tires are out of vogue, but I bring it up because when I got my Scott CR1, though it was more of an endurance bike, it was based on a previous race frame and tire clearance is really tight. I got the bike because it was carbon, ultegra and a great price and love it, but the tire clearance is troublesome.

3) IMO, the better groupsets are well worth the money, so 105 is the minimum...Ultegra is better if you can swing it.

Good luck with the shopping.

DaveW

MRT2

What about OP's $800 budget? You can find deals, but you won't find new 105 or Ultegra for $800.

DWhitworth

Yes, I know. I was just trying to provide him some *opinions* of things that I think are important as he makes his possible buying decision....like you covered, he has a lot of options and decisions in front of him.

DaveW

mcgeggy

Thanks for the specifics!

mcgeggy

Thanks,

DWhitworth

It is very confusing and I am no expert...the 8-9-10-11 speed thing only refers to the rear cassette. So you have it right about 2 front x 11 back really equals 22 speeds, but no one calls it that. That would be too easy.

I don't think you will find any 10 speed stuff new, but it would be a decent option if you did.

So, smaller front and bigger rear equals easier climbing (bit slow MPH). If the bike(s) you find still have double front ( which I think most will) then you definitely want a "compact" set of chainrings which is 50 teeth in the big ring and 34 in the small. The non compact options seem to be 53-39. I have no idea on triples, they will be pretty rare on road bikes, I think.

The rear cassette will be listed as a range like 12-25 or 11-30. These are much easier to change out later, but you are wanting that larger number to be as big as possible.

All of this to ease the transition from your current triple, which may be something like 30-32 in the lowest gear. You aren't that heavy compared to a lot of us, so you aren't going to (IMO) need the crazy gears like I have (34-36) but only having a 25 in back might be a shock.

Yeah, trust me I know. But, once again, you are *not* that heavy compared to some of us (6'6"-360) so you really might be OK on a set of stock wheels with a reasonable number of spokes. You won't be getting 20 spoke lightweights in a $1000 budget anyway.

Based on my experience, I would get an older used bike with a better groupset compared to a new with a lesser. But, there are pitfalls there, you might lose the support of the LBS, you have to figure out all of the groupset designations, 105, 5700, blah, blah). But my first bike had Tiagra 10 speed and low end BB5 disc brakes. I slowly upgraded to better and it worked fine, but that bike got stolen and I had to shop for new....once I rode the Ultegra, I was amazed at the difference/improvement in shifting and especially brakes (yes the caliper brakes work way better than the *low end* disc)

Anyway, I have had 2 bikes and am no expert and can't make a good decision for you. I also don't know anything about the other companies products (SRAM, etc) but I know friends who have them and like them.

You have time to shop, as others noted, you can ride various bikes and get a feel for what you like.

HTH,

DaveW

dagray

Nashbar has good bikes, but if you aren't mechanically inclined you need to add anywhere from $100-$150.00 to have the bike shop put it together. This might be a good idea if you first create a relationship with your bike shop by buying tires, tubes, accessories, a trainer so you can ride indoors.

You still won't get the same relationship with the bike shop if you don't buy your bike from them... they can buy from Nashbar for you with a slight markup in price, and that helps keep their families fed, and helps you create the relationship with them.

Case in point I purchased a brand new 2013 Orbea Orca (carbon fiber with 105 groupset) in January 2015 from my bike shop at a very heavy discount (they wanted to move the bike and knew it would be a good fit for me), but I had already purchased a mountain bike, an entry level road bike, a trailer, tires, tubes, helmets for my family, and other stuff from them.

I was invited to the co-owner's wedding, and I buy them growlers of beer or lunch at times.

HerrKaLeun

What do you think it takes to assemble a bike? I got a Bikesdirect bike in September and it comes in a box (same way an LBS receives the bikes). All I had to do was attach handlebar to stem and install the front wheel. Derailleur was almost perfect, I recall just some limiter adjustment. I provided my own pedals and installed those.

If I could find people paying me $100 or even $150 for that little work I would do that type of work all day.

I went above and beyond and disassembled the BB and the headset to see if it needs more lubrication, which wasn't the case. I doubt an LBs would do things like that anyway.

MRT2

Right because the easiest way to get rich is to open a bike shop.

I get it. Bikes are simple machines, and for the mechanically inclined, it isn't that hard. And even someone not all that mechanically inclined should be able to figure out how to clean and adjust his or her own bike. that said, it doesn't hurt for a beginner to start off on the right foot and work with a bike shop, at least for his or her first new bike purchase.

MRT2

If you can find a lightly used or almost new used bike, than you could really get a great deal. Now, if the bike was ridden hard, you might need to budget for some repairs and plan to replace consumables like tires, brakes, chain, cassette and bar tape. And, if you buy an old enough bike, the 105 or Ultegra designation just might be functionally equivalent to brand new Sora or Tiagra.

mcgeggy

That’s all great info thank you for sharing it! Yeah, ironically I was approaching 235-240 lbs. at the end of the summer, and then I usually put on 10-15 lbs. over the winter. My walking for exercise wasn’t cutting it anymore (15-20 miles per week) and my knee took a hit too. So that led me to switching over to cycling since I have a pretty great choice of roads/ routes right out of my driveway. Between biking and keeping my diet in check, I’ve already lost about 15 lbs. And my knee isn’t bothered by peddling either!

StephenH

If you're not in a hurry, probably best time to buy locally is end of summer and after Christmas.


Some of the guys I have ridden with, have ridden gazillions of miles. And they're all shopping for newer better bikes. The moral being, that you're not going to find the "perfect" bike such that you never need another one. So on a lot of the decisions you could make, don't feel like there's only one right answer; at some point, you've got to pull the trigger and find out for yourself.


"Which brand is better"- there's a hundred choices. If you have numerous bike shops in your area, that's a problem. If you have ONE shop only, or one that you especially like, check which brands they sell (and stock!) and that'll narrow your choices down tremendously. Otherwise, it's easy to wind up with "paralysis by analysis", trying to figure out if saving 4 ounces with Brand X is worth $20 more on the cost, and on and on.


While you're working on the road bike, check if there's an obvious upgrade (in terms of rolling resistance) for your current tires.


When I first got my first drop-bar bike, I couldn't ride in the drops very much due to having too much gut in the way (but I lost more weight and that fixed itself.) The first time or two I rode the new lower handlebars, I had some minor back twinges, but that went away pretty quick. So there's some adjusting involved, but not too bad.


My personal preference- find a local shop and buy a bike there.

On the original statement- "I want to go further, but getting frustrated... "- By all means get a newer better faster bike if you want to, but that's not a requirement to go farther. My first 200k and first five century rides were on a Worksman cruiser.

mcgeggy

Thanks, there are quite a few bike shops around, lol. As far as switching to a road bike, I just figured it would be better suited to pretty much 100% of the road cycling I’d be doing. Plus if I want to join up with a local cycling club, they all ride road bikes too. And I just want to see the difference and if hilly sections would be easier, and if a properly fitted bike would be more comfortable. But yeah, can’t really get to that next level without a bit of a minor financial investment I gues...