hurla

f4rrest

What is your budget, and can you touch your toes?

CliffordK

I haven't done that on my bike since I stopped using toeclips.

There are thousands of options out there. But, a good place to start would be to go to some bike shops and stores and see what they have to offer.

Bikes under $500 have a lot of compromises. But, there are some good bikes for around $1000 to $1200 new.

If you can (or are willing to) do some work on your bikes, then there are often some great deals on used bikes. Let what is available steer your decision.

I believe size is somewhat flexible, but you should try to get something that is close. How tall are you?

Boerd

It's also useful to look for "last year's model" as they are discounted and frankly the improvements (IF any) are marginal. You might be able to get last year's 1800$ bike with 1200$ now (new bike).

Iride01 

Any brand is fine. Names just get you into tier levels with a certain amount of quality, experience and varying amounts of engineering behind them. So I don't think you can go wrong with any sold in a local bike shop as long you address the following:

• It fits you.
• Has gearing appropriate for your fitness level and the riding conditions you'll use if for. Don't look for a one bike fits all if you will be doing all flats for several rides and all mountain roads for another.
• And most important, make sure it fits you.... I know I said that already. But it needs to be repeated. And don't get too picky on a frame size or two difference from what a chart based on height or leg length say. There is more to properly fitting a bike than those two specs.

If you don't want to go with the local bike shop, then others are fine too, but quality will vary more some good some bad.

Bang0Bang00

Fit and then budget.

That will narrow things down pretty quick for you. Keep in mind, you may always have to change stem length, crank arm length, and saddle to be really well fitted and comfy. It's totally doable though! Likely, you will have to wrap your head around a bicycle with drop-bars. I hated them to begin with, but they offer so many positions (tops/drops/imaginary areo bars) that they allow for a lot more options on comfort for longer rides/commutes.

Knowing little about you, your area or your purpose, the local bike shop is always a good first stop! However, if I was talking to my former self, these would be a few models I'd look at as starting points:

$1,000 - Felt TK3 - Track/Fixie - Light, simple maintenance (less tools to carry), super fun to ride, but use a front brake at the very least! Plus you can totally take this bike to the local track and kick some butt, if that floats your boat.

$2,000- Cannondale CAAD 12 Disc 105 - Constantly toted as a phenomenal all-rounder (I love aluminum and disc brakes)

$3,000+ - I feel like there needs to be a third option... hmm... Anything by Rob English. Dude is a genius in our midst. Project Right and his
englishcycles.com/pricelist/
englishcycles.com/custombikes/time-trial-mk2/

kbarch

The trick isn't to pick the right bike, it's to pick the right shop. Just about any full-line bike shop will have a suitable bike; the only noticeable difference at any price point will be the colors and branding. Find a shop that's convenient and that you want to go back to. You can get a perfectly reasonable road bike for under $1,000 (US) (e.g. Giant Contend), though many folks like to spend a little more for 11-speed and such, or a lot more for things like extra-light weight, electronic shifting, and hydraulic brakes. How enthusiastic are you?

kbarch

Not necessarily - you might not want a race bike, but any all-rounder or endurance type setup should be fine. Even if you want fenders, you can get the type that mount with straps. You won't get belt drive or internal gearing, which might be nice for a foul-weather commuter, so you'll have pretty much the same maintenance issues on any road bike.

motosonic

Here's my 2 cents.
Endurance Geometry or a CycloCross bike is probably your best bet. You said it rains a lot where you live? So that means slippery conditions, possibly mud. General road hazards. Common road bikes with 23/25mm tires tend to be a little squirrely in rainy conditions. I and several other skilled riders have gone down crossing wet train tracks. So, if you get something, try to find something that'll fit a 28mm tire and get a good all-weather tire like a Maxxis Re-fuse or a Conti 4-Seasons. If you go with a cross bike, it's the best of both worlds. Endurance geometry, wide, all-around tires. Great for all riding conditions..I ride with folks all the time that ride Cross bikes on long road rides. Something like this would be perfect. https://ktmbikes.com/CANIC-CXA

f4rrest

Yes.
Marginally up hills.
No.

With lots of rain, I'd want a bike with disc brakes and a way to mount fenders, unless you like soggy shoes and shorts.

Most gravel bikes come standard with discs now, and of course they give you the option to mount fast road tires if you like.

You have average flexibility, so that shouldn't limit your choices concerning drop bar bikes.

​​​​I tried a number if bikes in my size, and they all felt "fine", but when I found the right one, it was obvious. I'd advise trying a bunch in person.

motosonic

Generally Cross bikes are similar to road bikes. There's more tolerance in the frame for wider tires.. but weight wise they'll be slightly heavier than a road bike, but it depends on the Cross bike or Road bike you're looking at. I've seen several Cross bikes that are lighter than similarly priced road bikes. It's all about how it's specced out. As for maintenance.. they use the same drivetrains typically as road bikes, so that should be a wash. If you want fenders, that's up to you, not my thing. I'd rather my ass get wet, lol. And They'l all have disc brakes, which I agree should be a preference for bad weather riding.

Iride01 

I'm 5' 11" too.

Inseam, floor to snug in crotch >34 1/2". I currently am riding a 59cm 1978 Raleigh Competition G.S. and 60cm 1991 Schwinn Paramount. I rode a much larger Schwinn Varsity for most of my life. However it will be wrong to assume the sizes of those older frames equates to the same size today.

I don't know what specific frames you are talking about. The geometry of the bike and length of tubes makes a difference. As well the individual length of lower legs, upper legs, body length, upper arm, lower arm, size of hand and other stuff can sometimes add up to put you outside what the salespersons eyeballs say.

Everytime I walk into a shop they want to put me on 56cm or 58cm road frames. But I'm never seriously looking for a new bike, so I never even do a test ride. I just sit on them, and personally they feel tiny to me. But with out riding one for a while I can't say for certain.

I do know that I will try several sizes over and under the suggested size if I ever do decide to go new and will test ride it for a handful of miles. I want to see what that frame feels like that they say is way too big or way too small. It probably is way to big or small. But I'll know what to look for as I size back down or up and can decide better if I want to chance a 56 as opposed to the 58 or 54cm frame. Don't take their word for what is comfortable. Try and see.

However there is also some consideration for how well your body is ready for the correct road bike posture. If you are going to tell them you want a more upright posture, then stay with the hybrid. If you really want upright comfort, then go for a cruiser.

IMHO, trying to ride a road bike upright is going to be a chore to make it comfortable. The dynamic balance of you body bent over while pedaling with the seat in the proper position to support your butt lightly is what makes a road bike comfortable. When you try to go upright more, you destroy that balance a good road bike fit demands.

Bang0Bang00

GCN's channel on YouTube is pretty useful.
youtu.be/1VYhyppWTDc

Or if you want it from "The Man" Sheldon Brown
sheldonbrown.com/frame-sizing.html
There is a tonne of useful tools and info on this late and great man's website. Just scroll past all the ads.

timtak

I recommend that you get something generic online in carbon (or steel or titanium if you can afford it, but not aluminium, preferably, since it is unbending and harsh) with Shimano 105 (SRAM rival?) or above parts. Err slightly on the small side since you can make a bike bigger but not smaller. Bike shops and branded parts are very likely to add at least 50-100% to the price. At a shop €850 ($1000) will only get you aluminium but online you may be able to find a bike with a carbon framer (or at least forks).

timtak

I was thinking more of an online bike seller like
Canyon
https://www.canyon.com/en-jp/road/endurace/cf/
PlanetX
https://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/bikes/...kes/pro-carbon
Merlin
https://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-...tml?source=PHG
Jensonusa
Carbon Road Bikes | Jenson USA

But the Carbon 105 ones are about 1400 generally, which is about what I paid for mine. I bought a 900 USD aluminium bike first but I did not ride it much. It was the gliding feeling of the carbon that seemed to make my road bike riding take off. Not sure though. Carbon forks might work.

Iride01 

Have you pushed you LBS people to let you ride a few bikes for a significant amount of time? Find the color, and aesthetics you like in a bike, then insist you get to try out several sizes of that frame that are in a wide enough range from the other so you can tell what it is doing for your riding comfort. Not seated and stationary while getting fitted comfort. They won't be the same.

Other than that, it's a Ford, GM, Mercedes, Nissan question. They all make good stuff.

Make certain you get the gearing you need to comfortably handle your riding conditions.

raria

All major brands have good entry level bikes for close to $650 with Claris groupo

Giant defy 5
Specialized allez
Trek 1.1
Cannondale synapse

Try them all

goenrdoug

To simplify things: Yes, the Giant Contend 1 would be an excellent place to start. Note that the current model comes with the Shimano SORA groupset. There's a hierarchy of quality levels in where Sora is basically toward the bottom of mid-range, so-to-speak. It's certainly fully functional and budget friendly. I wouldn't look too much below it in the hierarchy as you then get into the lower quality equipment with a limited potential for upgrade and/or resale value. Budget offerings will frequently include lower quality equipment leaving you with potential maintenance headaches, broken plastic/cheaper quality stuff to deal with later.

The M/L or M size would probably both be usable -- size up or down based on the length of your limbs, basically.

For reference: I'm also 5'11" and I ride a 56 cm Cannondale, a 58cm Trek, and a M/L Giant...

Remember to account for accessories in your budget: padded BIB shorts (skip the wasting-money-on-basic-shorts phase and just buy a pair of bibs), helmet, under-saddle repair bag, jersey, padded gloves, chamois cream... It could all easily hit $300+ for fair-to-middling quality items. Later, you'll want to investigate clip-in pedals and shoes to go with. To begin with, however, stick with flat pedals and typical athletic shoes (with the strings tucked in to avoid tangling with the drivetrain!)

Buying used can definitely help if your budget is limited. Of course, it'll also require more research/knowledge and/or a cycling friend willing to help with the search...

Bang0Bang00

There are some great recommendations here!

I think the major message here is it's time to start trying stuff.

It sounds like you're leaning towards buying local, so consider which shop your most likely to buy from. Then start with a bike fit and test ride a bunch of bikes from them.

Stuff is always cheaper online, but supporting your LBS means they're there when you need them. Of course there's mark up, that's how they afford to exist.

A quick bit about frame material; there are pros and cons to each of the major three (aluminum, steel, carbon).

carbon : strong, light, expensive, scratches/dings/wear can be fatal to the structural integrity depending. It's basically a super strong plastic. So this material needs to be respected and treated nicely (no jamming into bike racks!).

Steel: quality runs the gamut and you get what you pay for, has a higher tolerance to bend back into shape (if you crash), generally has more give so leads to a softer ride (less efficient), comes with extra cool points ("steel is real"), will stand up to dings and scrapes but will rust in a rainy environment if not closely looked after.

Aluminium: a couple different qualities (6061, 7075), you pay for manufacturing quality of the frame build, generality pretty affordable, generally pretty stiff (more efficient), stands up to scratches and dings similar to steel, doesn't rust, if it getsbent totally out of shape it's a write off, many people's favorite whipping boy, debatable pronunciation.

If you're similar to myself at that stage of bicycle purchasing, you're not in the habit of maintaining your bike on the weekends and taking care to not scratch it at the bike racks. These are some of the reasons I LOVE aluminum! It's responsive to rider input and is no worries in rainy weather department.

As far as the anti-aluminum arguments, if the ride is too stiff and efficient for one's taste, lowering tire pressure is an option, along with adding all sorts of silly accessories.

People love to poo poo aluminum, but if rain is your name and low maintenance (and budget) is your game, it's pretty hard to beat.

Oh, and forget clipless and get these. They work with normal shoes and are perfect for city stop and go:
youtube.com/watch?v=rE9GungwI3o#