Another New Guy
 

Hey Everyone,

I'm Tom from Massachusetts, and I am dipping my toes into the wide world of cycling. Perhaps like many others I got on a stationary bike by way of Peloton because of the pandemic. I am now ready to venture out on the road but wanted some input on what I should be looking at for a bike. I am far from your typical cyclist build (at least I think) 5'9" 220lbs, and my peloton tells me my FTP is 327 with the work I have been putting in.

A friend who does a good bit of riding recommended Trek with disc brakes and Shimano Ultegra components....am I looking in the right place?

I am thinking my budget can afford around $2k.

I am new to outdoor riding, as green as they come.

Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.

T

I would not fixate on one particular brand of bike. Trek is probably the best known bike brand in the US, but it is far from being the only well known bike manufacturer around. At your price point there are dozens of equally good quality bikes. I would not count on the opinion of one person as a starting point for shopping. In your place I would visit several shops and ask what they have that might suit you. Ask questions keeping in mind that the person you ask will also be giving personal opinions. In the current market one of the biggest problems is availability given current supply chain issues. Last December I was in the market for a bike and I found a Giant gravel bike that was just what I wanted. The store I went to isn't a full range dealer, so the owner sent me to another store where I was told that they wouldn't be able to get one before August of this year. Needless to say I looked elsewhere, ending up buying a very similar Canyon online. I have years of experience assembling an building bikes, so it wasn't a problem to order the bike and build it up once it arrived in a box. As a newcomer to cycling you are probably better served buying a complete bike from a local shop

It’s quite sad to me that the classic entry level racing bike for many years with an Al frame, rim bakes, and entry level group set for ~$1K has gone the way of the dodo bird, later on this old man will go shoo the neighbor kid offs the lawn and yell at some clouds.

20022 SRAM rival and Shimano 105 are great mechanical group sets and cost a fraction of Ultegra or Red and are 2x11. But it probably pops you into the 2000~2500 range. The entry level groups, say one below 105 or rival, are fine group sets and function well if you want to stay under $2000 and are 2x10 so you might lose a small climbing gear. You have a lot of power, you might be able to stomp up at 400 W for all but longest climbs.

That said the Trek Emonda ALR 5 looks like a really nice bike, Scott Speedster 10 also seems like a good value, and Cannondale CAAD series also has one that would fit what you want.

If you buy a name brand bike from any of the local bike shops, you'll get a very decent bike. Trek, Cannondale and Specialized being the big three common brand names down in my area. There are many others though.

You need to pretty much decide off the bat if you can handle a race fit or only want a relaxed fit. A race fit bike, though sexy looking and very attractive to many will just look stupid if you have to raise the bars silly high with extender and weirdly angled stems.

First road bike? Maybe shoot for a relaxed fit bike. What many now call endurance fit, although I can last just as long on a race fit as many can last on a endurance fit. Also don't spend a wad on your first road bike. Get one that you can replace easily after you get some experience and know better what you may want. There are all kinds of ways to enjoy a road bike, and likely most of us responding to you here don't ride in the same manner or for the same reasons.

Regardless of anything, make sure it fits you well. And second to that, get a color that appeals to you and that says "ride me"!

your friend has no problem suggesting top of the line...when i returned to cycling i bought a Trek 1.2 back in '08. alloy frame with carbon fork and entry level 8 speed sora shifters. the bike was about $700, well within my budget at the time. It is the only bike i have that i can ride although i have recently replaced the entire drive train so it is a bit better. the bike fits me like a glove, make sure yours does too, probably the most important aspect of a bike. and before spending lots of $ just make sure you really want to be riding, don't let it hang from the garage ceiling, it wants to be ridden.

As has been said there are plenty of nice bikes in your price range. I will say however that for the same price you will get a bigger bang for your buck if you go with AL rather than CF frame. One of my road bikes is a Cannondale CAAD 12 w/105 and it is a fantastic bike. Three years ago I bought it (new) for $1450. I know they're more now but they may still be around $2K.

Welcome to BF and road riding. Trek is a well-known brand, that an Ultegra disc brake bike would certainly be much more than you would need as a beginner. But since the pandemic it would be quite hard to find a new (or even used but in great condition) Ultegra disc brake bike for $2,000. That is about an aluminum frame with 105 disc groupset budget, not that anything is wrong with having a 105 groupset.

Depends some on where you are in Massachusetts. Out West, local shops with stock may be few and far between. In Boston, you probably will be able to find more stores.

Trek, C'dale, and Specialized are US companies whose bikes are found all over. Almost every shop is a dealer of one or the other. There are other brands, though. Giant offers good value. Jamis offers very good value - Sora for the price the majors charge for Claris. Other less popular brands may also offer better value than the majors.

Some stores sell used bikes in good condition with warranties. They might provide good value propositions. I'd stay away from a used bike from Craigslist unless you can work on it yourself. If you an LBS to refurbish a bike, labor charges and high markups can eat up all your savings.

Good luck in your search.

FTP of 327? You should do some zwift racing and then come out to the drop ride on your first outdoor ride.

real talk though do you even know if you want a racy bike? You could get a couple cheap used bikes and see what style of riding and fit you like the most. You don’t need a 2000$ bike, you probably won’t even enjoy it more than a $200 bike since you’re new to riding outside. Your build might limit your ability to get aggressive on the bike but fat guys are naturally aero (think airplane curves)

Hi, Welcome to BF.
There are lots of great bikes out there, some aren;t even close to the $2K spend, so you shouldn;t have any issues finding something which will work well for you.
Given what You've already said, can we assume a 'stocky' build might not be super flexible?
If that's the case, I would recommend looking at bikes in the 'Endurance' category, as opposed to more 'race' fit specs. It's a not matter of 'better' or 'lesser' product, but one of suitable dimensions.
Visually the difference is not very marked, so both groups 'look' like real 'road' bicycles.
I'd also suggest 'shopping' bike shops as well as bikes. Buying from a shop is the best way to start in cycling. And finding a shop you have confidence in, like and feel you're being treated fairly is the best scenario, because you can then rely on them as you progress and your riding style and desires refine to what you like to do.
Learn as much as you can, as you become active in your search. Try to define the 'middle' sizing which would suit you. Tyr to stay away from 'Big' or 'small'. There's no up-side to either extreme in sizing. Don't let a shop steer you into a 'size', which just happens to be the only one they have in stock...
A bike with well balanced serviceable and quality components will assure the best, trouble-free use.
Learn the very basics of bike maintenance - changing a flat, simple chain cleaning and lubrication, how to's on saddle adjustment. carry all the basic tools and spare tubes, pump (or CO2) to do roadside repair.
Mass. is a humid (not the worst...) cycling climate, so get some 'kit' together (Kit=clothes and related) which makes you're cycling the most comfortable.
Most good shops will also provide a 6-8 month free adjustment period for taking care of the inevitable needed adjustments as the 'New' settles into being used. Cables will stretch and will need to be adjusted... Something to learn as you get further into riding.
The 'What do you think about this bike?" thread is frequent here on BF, so don;t be afraid to ask. You'll get a variety of opinion and other... so being discerning will be up to you - but you can get some good thoughts on things to consider.
Ride as many bikes as possible. Even a few short rounds in a parking lot will provide good info and a chance to 'feel' difference.
There still seems to be a 'supply' issue on new bikes these days, which will make things a but difficult - hopefully everything you need, in a proper size bike, will be available for you to get out and ride ASAP !
Ride On
Yuri
EDIT: My own personal prejudice and preference is that a 'Dropbar' bicycle provides the most versatile road biking use, as opposed to a 'FlatBar/Hybrid' type bike.
I'm certain there are those with differing opinion... Will be a choice you need to make. The idea of converting one to the other would involve so many changes in the components, that doing so is very unreasonable...

Welcome to the wonderful world of bikes! It’s awesome.
I know you posted in the road bike forum, and the majority of the bikes people have recommended are the big name brands, but let me suggest an all-road alternative that still falls within your budget: the Vaast A/1. The frame is magnesium alloy that is as light as carbon and as strong as titanium. Most people use them as a gravel bike but it truly is an all-road.
https://www.vaastbikes.com/bikemodels/a1/

Thats a good jump into the deep end, but we’ll worth it.
However, there are plenty of entry level aluminum road bikes out there that are a good jumping off point.
Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cannondale are all the big brands, but don’t discount brands like Jamis and Kona.

Good luck.

Agreed. After racing on Ultegra and Dura Ace for years as a teen, I am now content to ride recreationally on 105 and it works fine with a slight penalty of being a tad heavier. I even got a bike with Tiagra for my son and, aside from it being 10 speeds made in the era of 11, it shifts quite smoothly and reliably. There's no need to go high end unless you WANT it and have money to burn.

Now, a $2k budget could get you something like 105 on an aluminum frame or Tiagra on a carbon frame, and either can serve you well for at least your first few years cycling.

Are you sure you want a road bike? It would be good if you could rent or borrow one to give it a try. It might also help figure out what you do and don't like in the fit/geometry.
There is a school of thought that your first bike should be a cheap one so you can decide what to get for your second. Good luck!

Find a good local bike shop, buy whatever they have that fits you, and find out when the local clubs ride.

Go ride with the local club on their “ Friendly Friday” rides, you’ll meet some great people and see what they’re riding, and they’ll tell you what’s good and what’s not.

If your local bike shop guy is good he’ll let you test drive something on one of those group rides.

Find a bike you like, then ride the hell out of it!

Probably? He rode a Peloton, which has bull horns, and posted this in the Road Cycling sub-forum (unless he has also posted in multiple other sub-forums which I don't visit?)

how does riding a peloton with bull horns translate to riding a road bike?

Similar hand positions as holding the hoods on a drop handlebar, and similar pedaling cadence; plus, he did post in the Road Cycling sub-forum.

Absolutely this.

There are lots of great bike brands, but if you are new to road cycling what you need is advice. Size. Geometry, Fit.

And if you can, don't visit the shop on the first Saturday in May. Go on the next Tuesday when it is mostly empty and they have time to spend with you. Welcome to the club!

He only has 1 post, so no other sub forums. Peloton or not, you don't know if you are going to like riding a road bike until you ride one. Or maybe you will decide to ride off road only after riding with cars all around.
This is why I suggested renting or borrowing a bike and just give it a try. He might love it, but not everyone does.

I was looking as a Specialized Allez. My local Spesh dealer website tells me I can get one in only 65 days.:)

I would start with a basic economical bike at first. After ridding a few months you can get a good understanding of what style and type of bike you need. The types and cost of bikes new and used is a wide, wide range. Spend a few hundred on the basics and no matter where you end up you will still have that basic bike to come back to...

Example: 250 USD
https://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/bi...481071571.html