errantlinguist

I did a quick search on the forums and didn't see many threads about buying advice, so if there is already a thread for this, I'd be very happy to be pointed there... but if not, I'd like to ask about not just "which" road bike brands/models are good deals, but also "how" to buy them— in the sense of what to look for (or to avoid): The last time I bought a new bike was about 12 years ago, and it was a mountain bike, and this time I'm not really interested in new bikes, although if there is one for a great price I wouldn't hesitate. I'd be using it to participate in amateur competitions and general "sporty" riding, while I'd still use my ancient, temperamental French roadbike for general daily use. My ideal price is "as low as possible" but I still want a "decent" bike (one which is well-machined, durable and low-maintenance)— hence my dilemma.

Basically, I'm confused because I get smatterings of advice from people who say that [bike model] is crap and not worth the €700 or whatever it costs... which I find a bit hard to swallow, considering how much money that is. Empirically, I see loads of people riding new-looking e.g. Treks, Scotts and Cannondales, so I can assume that either loads of people choose relatively good bikes for good prices, or they pick more or less the cheap pieces of crap that the above-mentioned bikers warn about. I also see many bikes for sale from Bulls, Dynamics and KTM, but I've never heard of any of these brands.

I test-rode a few bikes at bike shops (e.g. a carbon-fibre Cannondale which was on sale for €1500, an amount which I sadly shouldn't spend) and they all blew me away, which is not really unexpected after being used to a bike which is 40+ years old. I would prefer to spend something more like ~€500 for a bike which is "decent" and, while not being the lightest/most tech-loaded bike on the road, (most importantly) doesn't have the maintenance problems of my current bike.

So how do filter the wheat from the chaff?— are all bikes for, say, less than €500 really pieces of junk? If not, how do you tell if it's "decent" or not? My standards are so low that if I could resurrect Motobecane to make a new instance of my current bike, I'd be perfectly happy with that. Unfortunately, I doubt there are any "decent" 10-speed all-steel roadbikes with tube shifters and side-pull brakes being made these days (or any at all)... and if I really have to spend €1000+ for a "decent" bike, I suppose I will cough up the dosh eventually, but I still need to know how to get my money's worth.

(sorry for the long-winded rant)

Cookiemonsta

What people generally mean is that the cheapest bikes will not satisfy most people that want to get into cycling as a serious sport or hobby. That is why everyone generally recommends people to spend just a little more, and get something that you would not only be satisfied with now, but also one or two years from now.

You could argue that by that logic, you should always tell everyone to spend more. But I think there is a certain sweet spot when it comes to the way bikes are priced. The cheapest bikes make too many omissions, and sacrifice too much in terms of performance, comfort of durability to be worth the price and to satisfy most people. This is why I think that bikes from around 1000 euro offer so much more to the serious cyclist. Around that price, you can get something really decent in every respect, and you will not "outgrow" the bike in no time. For example, you may not care about the groupset on your bike now, but do 200km a week for a year and you will.

To know which are decent and which are not, a good place to start is to simply learn what the information on the spec list means. Generally, a safe way to make sure you buy something decent is to go for well-respected brands. Tons of these brands, from Trek to Giant, Koga or Cannondale, specialized etc. offer entry level bikes that are priced fair and offer decent value. Which is best for you would depend on your individual preferences and particular anatomy, as frame geometry would be the most important difference between these bikes. You will find that the rest will be very similar for bikes in the same price bracket.

If you want the most bang for your buck , and move up a price category without actually paying the difference then you should take your time and wait for a good deal. Generally, September is when I think the new bikes come in, and you can typically buy last year's model at a major discount. I regularly see discounts of 15-30%. I bought a 2.500 euro bike at 25% off in 2011. That is quite a significant difference in price.

rcracin

I'm going through the same thing now. The approach taken is I'm learning about the bike components and ultimately what makes one bike cost more than another. I then found a common ground across a few different brands of bikes so I can compare them. Next I sought to determine what I want out of a frame.

My results were that I like the shimano 105 groupset because it supposedly performs well and it's a good step up from the 2300, sora, & tiagra. It performs almost as well as the Ultegra. Looking at frames, I found that the Cannondale CAAD10 frame is the exact same as the Supersix EVO, except it's aluminum. It has the design as the high end frame, just a different material. That seems like a great selling point to me.

The next thing I need to learn about is wheels & tires. I'm not yet sure if I want a used or new bike. I like new things, but if I don't like the factory wheels & tires, then maybe I'm better off buying used and making up the difference to a new bike by putting the parts I want on it.

I hope this helps. On a side note, you write very well!

errantlinguist

Thanks; I suppose knowing that if a brand is carried by many dealers that it should be generally good helps, and it means I can focus on getting the bike with the best "fit". Sadly, though, September seems to be (not coincidentally) the time when the "fun riding" season ends. Can people ride "good" roadbikes in icy/snowy weather, or will that ruin them?

thehammerdog

look for brand and local shop support. At a given price point most are more alike than not

Cookiemonsta

Ice and snow is a little extreme, but you can ride in winter and when it is wet just fine. You just need to have the right gear. However, I would not advice you to wait and not cycle all summer just to wait for sales. If you had a bike and planned to upgrade or something it would be different, but in your situation just get something now and ride.