big john

I don't get it. Two very different machines.

rubynewbie

Apparently so. I really am not sure I was guided in the right direction in the first place. Hence returning it and going a different direction. The more input I got, a lot of it from this forum, suggested maybe a different type of bike might be a better choice to get my feet wet in the cycling world. It seems enthusiasts LOVE the Roubaix however, and after a season or two maybe I will find then is a better time to revisit one.

meyers66

Sorry but if you haven’t ridden in 10 years spending $2300 is too high a bike. In Power of Persuasion you learn the psychology of sales. So on a big purchase you should walk away and sleep on it. E.G. I called a bike shop for a test ride. The disc brakes weren’t set so when I test rode it no brakes. He told me ahead of time. Later I thought what the hell if the shop isn’t responsible enough to set the brakes for a test ride what else didn’t they do? I canceled the deal. In your case the next day if you still want the bike buy it. Take the impulse buy out of the equation.

big john

I don't see how you can make such a statement. Spend whatever you want, even if it's just for wall art. If you want a nice thing, (bike, watch, car, etc) and you can afford it, who cares how much it costs?

If having the nicer bike makes you happy, or makes you want to ride more, then why not?

Besides, have you seen bike prices lately?

big john

Have you ridden a drop bar bike that fits?

rubynewbie

I believe so. I wasn’t trying them by myself, an employee at the bike shop (River City Bicycles in Portland Oregon) was sizing them and adjusting them for me.

badger1

Three things.

First: you absolutely did not 'overbuy' with the Roubaix you've returned, assuming always that the purchase would have been within your financial comfort zone. I'm with @big john, among others, on that point.

Second, and fwiw, the Cannondale Quick 1 is also a very nice bike, and not all that different: it is a flat-bar road bike, and has quite a bit in common with 'endurance' drop-bar road bikes like the Roubaix. Given your start-point, you'll be able to progress your cycling for quite a while on it, assuming it fits and is correctly fitted to you. At some point you might want a change; with experience, you'll know when.

Third, and most importantly, best of luck with the medical stuff. Ms. Badger has twice fought and beaten cancer (thyroid and later, breast). Her course of treatment for the latter sounds very much like the one you are facing: she's now six years clear.

kingston 

While I love the idea of riding a hybrid to stay in shape, the concept of a carbon hybrid makes no sense to me. What difference does a few pounds make on a bike that's designed to be ridden at a moderate pace? If I were buying a flat-bar road bike for personal fitness for myself or someone in my family, my budget would be $5-600.

badger1

Makes perfect sense to me, and to many, many cyclists who prefer flat to drop bars. I've just treated myself to one, to replace my aging carbon/aluminum one. If I could afford it, I wouldn't bat an eye at buying something like this (https://road.cc/content/review/21802...nowdon-paradox).

And btw, flat-bar road bikes are no more inherently "designed to be ridden at a moderate pace" than are their drop-bar cousins -- so-called 'endurance' or even 'gravel' bikes.

kingston 

It's just my opinion. People buy all kinds of thing that don't make any sense to me, but I'm sure make a lot of sense to them. You and I likely have different definitions of "moderate pace". I don't know anyone I would call fast who prefers flat bars on a road bike.

badger1

Of course, as is mine ... mine.

big john

Well I hope it works out for you, whatever bike you decide on. It's a great way to stay active. I've been riding as a recreational cyclist for more than 30 years and I still get excited about upcoming rides, still get the feeling of satisfaction even from solo rides around the neighborhood. And I have lots of friends made through cycling.

big john

The point of the carbon fiber frame is not to save "a few pounds" but to provide a smoother ride than aluminum. Carbon fiber frames can be manipulated to change the ride characteristics easier than aluminum. The weight difference would likely be less than 1 pound between a quality aluminum frame and a cf frame.

scott967

My thought would be that a Roubaix Sport is not some exotic bike that only a select few can handle and appreciate. Could OP achieve stated goals on a cheaper bike? Sure. And if the bike is just going to sit in the garage then it's kind of expensive for that. But for a rider who spends most of the time on roads or MUPs with a little gravel that bike will work for them. As a sidewalk bike probably not worth the expense.

Of course if you are unsure what direction your cycling hobby will lead you, then it would make sense to me to limit the financial exposure until I figured that out.

I do agree that whatever direction OP heads, getting a bike that fits with saddle and pedals that you like is the first step to enjoyment.

scott s.
.

Riveting

Tell the spouse to look at it this way: the gym membership that you have currently is about $1,080 for 3 years (assuming $30/month), which you can now cancel and save that money instead. And then you can ride this expensive new bike for the next 3 years and sell it used for half its original value (or a little less). So the bike ends up being almost free.

If you then add on top of that, the gas savings and "wear and tear" savings of not using your car if you also decide to bike-commute to work, this bike might actually start to make you some money. Ask you husband if he can say the same about his golf clubs, boat, tools, cameras, video games, musical instruments, etc...

mrt2you

i agree with this.
in my opinion the 2019 roubaix will ride significantly smoother than any allow bike made.
the 2019 roubaix sport has a shock absorber built into the fork for 20MM of travel to absorb bumps without feeling them. the rear stays also flex over 10mm to absorb bumps. you can also upgrade it with a better seat post off the higher level bikes that also flexes so give additional cushion to smooth out the road. it is also designed to allow tires up to 32mm to smooth out the ride.

quote from a bike radar review. Overall, the Roubaix is one of the best ever endurance bikes, and though this Sport model is on the expensive side for the level of equipment, it does deliver the full-fat full-flavour Roubaix experience.

If comfort, closely followed by exciting handling, are at the top of your wishlist, then the Roubaix could be the bike for you.

full article ....https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bik...-sport-review/

CAT7RDR

To the OP: Have you ever considered renting different types of bikes to narrow down what would best fit your needs?

A quick interweb search indicates you have several bike rental options in Portland.

meyers66

Exactly. The user level and riding environments should dictate the purchase - not the salesman. In a perfect world know your gear inch range by looking at Sheldon Brown site. When in doubt start with a low model, get into your bike groove, learn, then buy a better bike. That way ya have a beater bike ya don’t have to worry about getting ripped off and a good bike ya have to watch. I did this with a GT mtn bike then a Bianchi Volpe 07 after reading Lords book on Adventure Cycle Touring. If I hadn’t read the book I wouldn’t have known about this model because most shops in SF Bay Area don’t have it on the floor.

big john

What if you don't want 2 bikes? Or a beater bike? What if you just want a nice bike? What if you don't care about Sheldon or gear inches?

Sometimes people buy "expensive" bikes and ride them and love them.

eja_ bottecchia

I agree 100%. $2,300.00 on a bike is by no means extravagant.

I own some very nice bikes. I ride them all. I am old, I am slow, I have diabetes and I have seven coronary stents (from previously not taking care of my health and my diabetes). But now every year I ride five to six thousand miles. On an average ride I ride 100km and put over 750 meters of climbing, sometimes more, and sometimes less.

I will not let my spouse, or anyone else, dictate to me what I should be doing to stay healthy. You shouldn’t either.

Even if I didn’t enjoy all the health benefits of riding, just the pleasure of riding my very nice bikes is enough benefit for me.

Could I get the same enjoyment and benefits out of riding other bikes? Probably. But riding my bikes puts me at a whole other level of joy.

To the OP, if you listen to the people who answered your post, the majority of us want you to be happy and healthy riding the bike that you want.

Have fun and please don’t let your spouse bring you down...your health, your happiness and your life are at stake.

rubynewbie

Thank you very much, this is encouraging. I am still in the “terrified shock” stage of my diagnosis. Your words and sentiment are comforting.

It is actually not carbon fiber, although they do make one of those too. But it does have the 105 components. From what I could find it’s the only aluminum frame offering that does.

I right now am looking for 30-60 minutes a night after work at a truly moderate pace. If I catch the bug and feel the need to hunker down and feel the wind in my face then I will revisit my original Roubaix purchase. I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that a lot of enthusiasts here aren’t still riding their first bike.

So I ordered the 2018 Cannondale Quick 1 Disc Womens in small. Brand new but an older model offered significant savings. The flat bars are supposed to be lower on the Quick 1 than the other Quick line up, but of course not to the level of drop bars. I’m wondering how many men here (and even women frankly) have ridden a drop bar bike while being fully weighted down by a G cup bra completely filled. I’m just guessing, but this possibly could have had something to do with how in the end I was more comfortable on a flat bar bike. But I really didn’t want to give up the 105 components, I enjoyed that on many of the bikes I test rode. After my breast cancer surgery I will lose a rather massive amount of breast size, and once I recover and get back to hitting the road every day again I might eventually consider a different type of bike, but I think this is a really good fit for where I am today.

I SO appreciate the wide variety of opinions offered here, thank you so much!

jimincalif

Best wishes on the cancer treatments. I have a couple of good friends and a mother in law who have all beat it and are healthy 5 and 15 years on. The improvements in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes from breast cancer have been amazing. Congratulations on trying out cycling as an exercise to combat the side effects of your treatment. Have fun with your riding, do some exploring, ride with friends (or make friends with people who ride, worked for me).

meyers66

Sure your series of questions indicate you know better than I.

kingston 

That's a really nice bike. 105 is a solid choice that will last a lot of miles. Apologies for the mistake on frame material. I just did a quick search on Cannondale Quick and saw the carbon model at the top of the search results.

I know a lot of enthusiasts and can't think of a single one who is riding their first bike. Most of them have several bikes, and I'm sure many got started on flat bar bikes. I still have a few bikes that don't have drop bars for when I prefer to cruise at a moderate pace.

Congratulations on your new bike. Sounds like a very well informed, smart buy, and I'm sure your husband is delighted with the savings . Good luck with your cancer surgery and treatments.

big john

My point was not that I know anything, my point was that maybe you were being a bit dogmatic. There are many ways to get started in cycling.