smoaky

no way i would get a mountain bike. I ride 90% of the trip on a paved bike path, and I want to go on long bike trips. The bike I ride now is a road bike from 1970 with wider wheels than say, a trek1500, and it also weighs a ton. I have no problems with the wheels on that one.

Lamplight

Perhaps a touring bike then? More comfortable than an all-out road bike and with a little beefier wheels, but more efficient than a mountain bike. For the record, I used 1.5" slick tires on my mountain bike for a while and it did quite well. Weight was/is around 23.5 lbs and I could still maintain speed with no trouble, plus I didn't have to be leary of most street imperfections. In fact, I still rode off-road occasionally with the street tires.

Chef23

I would consider this https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...p06_sl_pre.htm for $1295 you are getting a heck of a lot more bike than the Trek 1500. You will need some help putting it together if you don't wrench at all but it could also be a good time to learn.

Chef23

Or you could get one of these for $1095.

https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...int_carb05.htm

Grasschopper

Well what I did for my commuter was to get a set of Salsa Delgado X rims with 32 holes laced 3x to a set of Shimano 105 hubs. This can be a pretty inexpensive route for sure as the hubs (the 5500 hubs anyway) are on closeout most places and the rims are only $36 or so a piece. Around here a wheel build is like $50 for spokes and labor so for like $250 you would have a nice solid bulletproof wheelset. Another route would be to buy something like a tiagra hub and a Mavic MA3 or the new Open Sport (same thing new name)...really you can mix and match hubs and rims to get to your desired price point. Another option if you get the 1200 is since it already comes with a 32 spoke setup is to call those your beater wheels and then get a nicer set.

I run the wheels above with a 700x28 tire and have been thinking of even going to a 700x32 tire. This will give a nice wide platform, plenty of traction, and take a ton of abuse. Then save the good wheels for the weekend.

Nubie

A touring bike is not a bad idea, but if you're set on a road bike than that's what I would get. Because if that's what you really want, you probably won't be satisfied with something else.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a combination of components. In fact, I think that's a smart way to go to save a little cash. If you're still looking for more for your dollar though, I really encourage you to consider the Fuji as well. With Trek, you're paying a lot for the name and the looks, but the other, smaller, brands have similar (or better) quality. Plus if you get an 05, you'll save even more.

https://www.fujibikes.com

ravenmore

If you could do the extra $200 the difference in wheels and tires alone on the Le Champion are worth it. The Grand Sprint is a good bike though and does have the carbon stays. FYI, the Le Champs are essentially Fuji frames. Pretty much the same bike as the Fuji Team SL which retails for over $2k I think.

Also, I don't know if its still out there but Cycle Spectrum was selling Fuji Team SL's for $1095 recently on Ebay. It was for pick up only but if you have a Cycle Spectrum near you, you should check into it. The Fuji Team SL is a great stiff, light, and sweet handling frame. I even read a review recently where they were using the Team SL as the benchmark for testing other frames by.

smoaky

good suggestions guys. at this moment im looking at the trek portland https://www2.trekbikes.com/bikes/bike...id=1037000&f=7

what exactly is the difference between a commuter and a touring bike? Are they basically both tougher road bikes? The portland is fairly steep though.


edit: Thanks for those links online, but I really am not comfortable buying a bike I havn't rode yet. I don't have a problem putting it together, but I really, really want to ride and pick up etc. my first real road bike.

Grasschopper

A commuter is a bike you choose to commute on...could be any sort of bike, but it should be reliable and durable. I will tell you right now I really like the look of that Portland...a little spendy for a commuter but a nice bike and clearly one that could be ridding for more than just commuting. The fenders and the disc brakes are a nice touch IMO.

Good call on the mail order thing...if you don't feel comfortable doing it then run the other way...for sure it is better to be able to ride a bike first but if you know what you want in a bike and one of those matches that then they are super deals. That said it is pretty clear you don't know EXACTLY what you want so you are doing the right thing.

cuda2k

Grasschopper's idea and suggestions on a second wheelset isn't a bad idea - or going with a bike that's 32spoke wheeled from the get go. I haven't had my Ultegra/Open Pro set long enough to speak from personal experience, but from what I've heard they are another bomb proof set of wheels.

smoaky

Update: I went to the bike shop today and got a raleigh supercourse 2005 57cm for 800$

EDIT: link for 2005 model: https://www.raleighusa.com/items.asp?deptid=5&itemid=234

I took a 55 for a spin and loved it but it was a bit too small. I had already read up a lot on it and it seemed very very similar to the trek 1500. All 105 components except the derailer which is ultegra. They don't have it in store but I put down deposit and ill go in saturday for fitting and to get a rack on the back, toe straps and maybe a water bottle holder. I really liked that the handlebars are adjustable, so you can have them drop down or you can sit up a little straighter. I'm sure this feature is commonplace these days, but nevertheless, I found it pretty cool. My only reservation is the 27 gears. I don't mind the weight (guy at the bike store says it adds maybe a quarter pound over a 9 or 10 speed), nor do I mind that I'm not really going to use any except the middle 9. I just feel like the gears are kind of big and bulky and out of place on such a sleek bike. All in all it weighed in at 18.5 pds (that was the 55cm, im getting a 57cm). I like the trek 1500 a little more but the supercourse was 200 less with exactly the same components. The only other bike in the running was the lemond reno, but the components on that were mostly tiagra and was the same price as the supercourse. So, I am very happy with the purchase and I'll have to let you know how it rides when i get it fitted on saturday. Thanks everyone for helping me, and I look forward to riding the hell out this bike.

Grasschopper

Nice looking bike and a pretty good price on a 105 bike. So are you still thinking about a second set of wheels?

Enjoy the ride.

smoaky

I talked to the guy at the store about the wheels. He rides a madono on the same path I do and he has no problems. In fact he rides on skinnier tires and he said he was fine. And this guy knows a ton about bikes. He has one of lance's yellow jersey in the store (edit: hehe a real one from the tour he wore ) Of course he could still be wrong, and I'll have to see how it goes. If i see anything funny going on with the wheels, the bike shops covers it most likely and then i can again look into getting a diff set of wheels..

But really my only question right now is about the gears. I dont understand why it has 27. They said they can take one of the 3 off in the front, so I would have a total of 18, but it would be 2x9, which seems a little weird. Every other road bike I saw had 9 or 10 gears. the more I think about it the more odd it seems. It looks alittle out of place because the gears go out so far relative to how small the bike is. Do you think I should ask the bike shop to make it an 18, or would 2x9 not be worth it?

cuda2k

Besides saving just a little bit of weight you don't really gain anything by losing the 3rd chain ring. All of the other shops you were looking at with "9 or 10" speed bikes were just counting the rear. Most probably had a double up front, with a good number also having the triple. Your 3x9 setup is a good one and would probably keep it as such until you have a good reason to change it.

mollusk

If I could only have one bike for commuting and road riding I'd get a cyclocross bike.

alanbikehouston

You can't assume two different bikes are equal in value because both have Shimano 105 parts. The most important part of a bike is the frame, followed by the hubs, the fork, and the quality of bearings used in moving parts. From a functional point of view, there is very little difference between a Sora, 105 or Ultegra brake caliper...they work equally well. But, the frame is the heart and soul of a bike.

However, as important as the bike, is the store itself. A good bike store takes the time to make sure you buy the correct size of bike for your body, and for your riding style. And, they take the time to carefully fit the bike, adjusting or replacing the stem, if necessary. They assemble the bike correctly for safe riding, and want to you to return in thirty days for adjustments. The store makes sure that you get all of the service you are entitled to under the bike's warranty, promptly and correctly.

The stores that only want to talk about price and "discounts" are not interested in customer satisfaction...just quick sales. If they offer a discount, they must cut something, and usually that something is service. And, the "mail order" and E-Bay stores are simply selling a box of Chinese bike parts. Lots of fun for the "build-it-yourself" crowd, but no fun for folks who simply want a reliable bike from the get-go.

So, visit four or five stores. Talk with the staff about how you will be using the bike. Then, figure out which store is going to give you the best service, before and after the sale. After you have selected the best store, you and the staff can easily figure out which bike best meets your needs.

smoaky

update.. I just got my bike and rode it home from the store. I havn't really riden a bike in 5-6 months and I was going 20mph most of the time. Thats about how fast I was going when I was in shape half a year ago on my old 30+ pd bike. I love this thing. Gears are insanely smooth (last bike was thumb shifters), it looks great as well. (red and black) I got the bike shop to add a water bottle holder, a cats eyes spedometer and some adjustable toe clips. I've never riden on wheels so thing, so I have to remember that I can't just coast to a stoplight at 5mph or when im drinking water. ( almost tipped over heh). Anyway, I love the bike and I can't wait to get in shape again. I'll be riding about 10 miles a day commuting, which isn't very far, so I may add some distance on the ride home to get in shape faster. So thanks everyone!

Ozrider

That's not true you won't be able to upgrade it - at least most of it. My first road bike was a Trek 1000 (granted it was 15 years or so ago) and I was able to upgrade almost everything with one major exception - the front derailler. For some reason, Trek designed it so a better one cannot be put on. I had everything else, I mean everything, from the handlebars to the rear derailler replaced over time. I had limited funds, so it was the way I had to do it. I ended up with a pretty good bike for the money I put into it.
I have now moved up to a Madone 5.2, which is a very sweet bike, but not a bike you want for a college campus.
The comment about good locks is very important, get a u-lock and a cable so you can lock everything up.

Lamplight

Looks like a great bike for your purposes, congratulations. I have a feeling just commuting 10 miles every day is going to get you back into shape rather quickly. If you ride everyday it doesn't take much.