Swede1

I caught the virus early this year, and after hundreds and hundreds of miles on the hybrid, my partner has finally agreed to let me purchase the first road bike. Although many of my trails end at a brewery she is obviously appreciating that I am finally enjoying a type of exercise that lets me keep my joints (and front teeth) intact, and she has thus given me a budget of ~$3K.

So the skinny. I weigh 220 pounds, but fairly fit (i.e. old muscle, but is that relevant?), 6ft, apparently normal length torso, do 20-40 mile rides on the hybrids, 3-4 times/week, but would not mind pushing harder and longer. Would like to keep the purchase local. I also tend to overshoot large purchases in order not to get buyers remorse right off the bat, thus not ending up spending more money correcting the initial purchase.

I have been to a bunch of stores in town and the consensus has been an endurance bike, I have been recommended the Specialized Roubaix Elite, Trek Domane, Fuji gran Fondo; sales people all agreed on carbon. However, today I went to a store in town with a great reputation of customer service. The guy essentially settled me down, told me to buy an aluminum frame Cannondale Synapse, and that anything higher than a Tiagra set would be too much at this time, and that carbon at this price point is probably not worth it. All this would be way below the budget I had planned (you have to respect that from a small store).

So I guess the question to you folks is, if I have the money to burn, will I be better off with some of the "higher end" bikes, or should I stick with a simpler option (i.e. Cannondale). Is carbon, ultegra, etc. something that will pay dividends, etc. etc. (Minor note, Roubaix store has a sale this weekend). Should I spend money on wheels, something else.

Final question, I have not bought a big ticket item in a local store for a long time. Do you negotiate or do you pay what they ask?

Thanks folks....any input appreciated....can't wait to get on the trail

Mountain Mitch

Kinda peering into the looking glass. The Cannondale would be 'fine' as a starter bike. You could have a lot of enjoyment out of it and sell it for a fair percentage of what you bought it for. Aluminum bikes tend to let you feel every imperfection of the road and can be tiring as a result.

Of the three 'mainstream' carbon bikes, the pick of the litter would be the Roubaix. But if you look at my signature line you'll see I'm a bit prejudiced. A carbon bike will eat up some of the road noise (jitters) and be something to grow into. But they are a bit higher performance than the Cannondale and not as forgiving if you make a twitchy error. They may not be any faster but they accelerate more quickly and climb a bit easier in my experience.

Best is for you to throw a leg over each and see which fits you and makes you feel you and the bike are one.

In terms of negotiation, you have to read it. May be appropriate but depends on stock, season etc. I generally ask for their lowest price and then see if they'll throw in a few accessories. But don't play hardball with your LBS - you want to keep a good relationship and a strong local store.

tnburban

When you say "trails" are you talking about riding on bike paths? Or just using the term "trails" as in your travels? I ask because a $3K road bike is useless on a bike path, at least around here. By useless I mean little to no difference in a $300 or $3,000 bike as you can't really unleash the $3K bike's potential on a bike path that is narrow with other people on it and two way traffic. If that's the case, stick with your hybrid. I used a bike path for about 6 months when I was assigned to a client's office where I could ride the bike path and thought it would be awesome. I ended up buying a used mountain bike because the bike path was narrow, crowded and poor quality. My road bike was like driving a Ferrari in LA rush hour traffic.

But if you are referring to your travels on the roads, then I would go to a local bike shop, get a $2Kish bike. Look for at least 105 and carbon. Definitely doable for $2K. And then, use the remaining $1K to get shoes for $150 or so, pedals for $100 (I'd go with Ultegra pedals), cages, and a decent Garmin bundle for a few hundred (once you use a Garmin and track your rides you will be hooked), etc and then maybe a nice set of $400-$500 wheels, depending on what the stock bike comes with.

$3K for a road bike should put you in a great position to really tap into your inner rider. Have fun!

brianmcg123

Being your first road bike, its not going to be your last.

I would probably go ahead with the Cannondale. Get it fit properly and ride it.

After 5 years or so of reading magazines, books, riding friends bikes, you will have a better idea of what you will want out of a bike.

mcmoose

Well, based on my experience...
After getting back to riding on a Fitness Hybrid, I (like you) wanted to move to a road bike. So I bought an aluminum bike with a carbon fork and a Sora group set. Within 18 months, I wanted a better bike (albeit on a budget); so I bought a high-end aluminum bike (better aluminum, 105 group set).
Fast forward another year, and I wanted a carbon frame because the vibration transmitted by an aluminum frame was beating up my back (I hate chip seal pavement!). Anyway, it was back to the bike store to buy a full carbon frame (105 group set again, albeit a compact 11-speed instead of 10-speed triple).
Each time I bought a bike, it was (truly) the best bike I had ever owned. But I kept contracting upgrade-itis until I bought the full carbon.

If I were you, I would heed the advice from Mountain Mitch and tnburban. Check out the endurance bikes from as many brands as you can (Trek, Cannondale, Specialized, etc.) I find the 105 group set a "sweet spot" in terms of price/performance. This time of year, you should be able to get a good deal on a 2017 model.

As tnburban points out, you're going to be able to get the bike you'll love for under $2K, but will need a fair chunk of change for pedals, shoes, etc. I would add a nice set of rechargeable lights and likely a saddle (unless you're one of the lucky few who is happy with what comes stock).

While I applaud your LBS trying to save you some $$$, I think he's putting you on a path that will make you a return customer sooner rather than later. On the other hand, you may be a noble soul who's able to ignore the siren call of upgrade-itis.

Good hunting!

MikeOK

I rode a Trek aluminum bike for years and thousands of miles and it beat me to death on every one of them. I'm on carbon now and it's a MUCH better ride. And most shops will haggle on price, especially small shops.

deapee

I kind of agree with the guy. Carbon at that price point is best by aluminum. That said, I wouldn't get anything less than 105. And personally, I went the endurance route. Then I ended up with a race bike and a cross bike instead. Couldn't be happier.

Swede1

Good point. I am fortunate to be living in Grand Rapids,MI; so we have a wealth of bike paths that are designed for road biking (the longest is 93 miles one way which is used by a lot of the local "pros"), but my intent is to actually make some friends and start riding the road as well.

memebag

My first road bike was a $300 used aluminum with ragged out Tiagra. I rode it for 3 years and it was pretty horrible. I upgraded to a new $1,500 aluminum with 105. I've been riding it a year now and it's fantastic. It's comfortable on long rides (even though it isn't an endurance bike) and rough roads. Frame material matters, but so does frame design.

one4smoke

Great post!

jefnvk

My only advice is to remember sales people exist to sell you something, generally as much as they think they can get you out the door with.

While many hold the advice that you should by more than you think you need on your first bike to grow into, I believe that you should temper your expectations, buy something that is adequate, and save the money for when you can tell yourself what you need. Dropping $3k on a new bike when you don't have much of a clue as to why you are buying what you buy does not help you. I'm certainly not going to advocate going my ultra low budget used route, but I can say every time I upgrade a bike, I know exactly WHY I don't like the old one and know what I am looking to accomplish in the new one.

So, first off, what about your bike now do you not like that is an absolute MUST upgrade to you? Secondly, if you regularly ride with your significant other, what will they and you think if you get a better ride and they don't, and suddenly you are faster than them? Thirdly, I can't say what a shop will offer on any product, but I can say you will never get a discount if you don't ask, and you're more likely to get one if it is old stock that needs moved. Finally, when I lived in GR, the shop I liked the best was the Freewheeler Bike Shop, have you looked there?

ironwood

Get a used bike for a couple of hundred dollars. There are great old road or sport touring bikes that might be a few pounds heavier than the latest models in CF ; but you could also lose thirty pounds or more, so maybe wait until you're lighter.

If you scroll down the list of forums, you'll come to the Classic and Vintage Forum, and there is a thread that has the latest offers on E-Bay or CL.

Retro Grouch 

Before shopping for a bike, shop for a bike shop. The people are much more important than the hardware.

When you find one what has people you can identify with buy a brand and genre they carry at a price that you're comfortable with and you'll never go wrong.

JGM411

I agree with finding a good LBS first. Carbon frame and Shimano 105 or better. Last November, a small local chain bike shop closed one of their stores. I bought a Giant Defy Advanced SL for $1875. I think it is a 2013 model, but it is brand new. Original price was probably around $3300-$3500. That is a guess on my part.

I really like the bike, even though I haven't ridden it much. My daily ride is a Trek Domane 5.3.

My point is, keep an eye out for old new stock bikes also. Good Luck with the purchase.

p.s. when I was buying my Domane in 2014, I also looked at the Cannondale Synapse but a carbon frame. I would have been very happy with the Cannondale had I chose it.

SquidPuppet

What is the name of that trail, please?

Nimbuslove

a $2000 dollar aluminum bike will have 105s or better. a carbon frame of the same price will have sora at best this is to compensate for the higher end frame to put on lower end parts, you will shovel out an extra grand to get the 105s or better back on the carbon frame, ending up to about a three or four thousand dollar bike. the carbon frame has a minor improvement in performance, as in force transfer, minor reduces road shock and lightness of frame weight as well as the clout you will now carry. I don't find this minor performance increase worth a couple of extra grand to get my 105s back and my clout comes in the form of light turquoise color that says "boo Yah I got style nd performance".just ride the bikes and research bike components more.

Maelochs

Frame material is irrelevant. A good AL frame with a CF fork can provide a ton of comfort, and if it has clearance for 28-mm tires, it will be like riding a sofa.

When looking at two bikes of similar spec and different frame materials, look at weight.

Weight isn't as big a deal as we make it out to be, but a lighter bike will take a little less energy to move and be little quicker to respond. Frames being about equal, look at wheels--wheels make a big difference.

If people have never ridden, I suggest buying cheap because likely they will learn what they want after a while. For someone like yourself who is already riding frequently ... I suggest looking for good deals which meet your needs, within your budget.

I also suggest looking at a Lot of brands. The Big Four (Trek, Spec, Giant, C'dale) generally charge more for the same quality of frames and components, built in the same factories and assembled by the same workers ....

I'd say the higher you go up the scale (and I could be wrong) the more difference it makes, as the big brands are really going to make the effort with their really expensive offerings, to woo the people who bought last year's really expensive bikes ("You need to upgrade---the new model has industrial diamonds sprayed inside the crank arms.") Get down into the $1500-$2500 range and you are getting stuff just like every other bike in that range and paying for the marketing of the more expensive bikes.

That said ... buying Tiagra because it is "good enough" is garbage. Claris and Sora are also "good enough." Why not recommend them?

I have Claris, I had Sora, I have 9- and 10-speed Tiagra, 105, and Ultegra. Honestly, the new 9-speed Sora is "good enough," and in fact is supposed to be really good. But if you are going to buy a new bike and drop a bunch of cash (I paid under $900 for a 105-equipped bike, but to me that is a "bunch of cash") then get 11-speed simply because if you don't it limits your upgradability.

A 9- or 10-speed bike will quite possibly come with 10-speed wheels, that is, wheels which cannot be upgraded to 11-speed. (They have to do something with all those old, obsolete, but still brand-new rims.)

That means in the future if you want to upgrade, you have to buy wheels as well as a groupset and suddenly you are looking at $1000.

Since you already know what you are going and you have the cash, buy 105. it really is the perfect compromise between having all the quality, functionality, and performance for a reasonable price. I have never been riding my 105 bike and thought "The Ultegra drivetrain would have handled that better." 105 is just awesome, and a good deal.

That said ... I am partial to the Cannondale Synapse, and if I had your budget, UI would get one in CF with 105 and mount 28-mm tires.

Instead, for less than $900 I got a Fuji Sportif, Al with a CF fork and Spyre mech discs with a 105 group.

If I had been willing to spend more I would have gotten the CF version with hydro discs .... and frankly, now that I have a disc bike, I would opt instead for a rim-brake version (I already have a bike to ride in heavy rain.) Rim breaks save a couple pounds and unless you ride in the rain a few times a week ... not worth it.

I second the "endurance geometry" idea, simply because you have the option of slamming a down-angled stem and getting a super-aero riding position if you want one ... but unless you really are racing, you probably don't need the "sneeze and crash" handling of a steep-angled, short-wheelbase racing bike.

For me the benefit of endurance geometry was that I could set it up for comfort more easily than I could a racing-geometry frame. With enough spacers and steep-angled stems you can really change the fit of a bike a lot, but it is best to decide where you want to start and adjust a little rather than starting where you don't want to be and trying to make huge adjustments.

However, ride a bunch of bikes and see.

CrankyOne

Questions:

- How old are you? Our bodies do begin to decline a bit with age.

- How fit are you and have you been? Have you generally been fairly fit and active or is it kind of new with your hybrid? What is your confidence level that you'll continue riding a lot?

- What is your financial situation? Is $3k easily affordable or hurts a bit? What is your family's future earning potential? Is your income likely to increase faster than inflation in the coming years? A lot faster? Slower? If you go slightly budget now ($1800 for instance) then how difficult will it be in a year or two to sell that bike and spend another bit for a better one?

MRT2

Good advise. I frequently advise newbies to spend a bit more than they think they need when they are looking at lower end bikes. IMO, the difference between a $400 bike and a $700 bike is substantial. That said, $3,000 is seriously overkill when a $1,OOO to $1,500 bike will be very good indeed. And frankly, even a well chosen $800 bike might better suit what OP is looking to do than will a $3,000 carbon fiber bike.

MRT2

Here in Wisconsin, most paths are more oriented towards slower speeds of 15 mph or less. The fast roadies occasionally ride paths but mostly stick to roads.

MRT2

You might also want to consider a good steel frame. There are some really nice steel bikes built more for comfort than for speed that go for less than $2,000. I ride roads and local trails, 3 to 4 times a week in season on a steel bike I paid $1,200 a little over 5 years ago. It has clearance for wide tires, and braze on to mount racks and fenders, should I want to do some light touring.

That said, I am 52 years old and well over 200 lbs.

Swede1

42 and have always been very active. Played a lot of sports my entire life, but had foot surgery earlier in the year, and to ease some of the pain I jumped on the bike for to stay active...surprise...turns out I liked it for more than a mode of transportation. Finances are fine (received my tenure this year--yay), it is mainly about what my partner allows

Swede1

Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park

https://www.traillink.com/trail/fred...il-state-park/

Been there on early mornings, and there are some serious looking dudes hauling a$$. I also talked to some guys I met at a race (again serious looking dudes)...and they preferred this trail over the road.

SquidPuppet

Thanks

MRT2

I would bet these roadies aren't riding the gravel portions of that trail.