JetBadger

I have been perusing the Internet and this forum for advice, but I am starting to get overwhelmed. I apologize if you get a lot of threads like this.

My wife and I are interested in getting road bikes. We would like bikes because it will be a nice activity we can do together where we can increase our fitness levels. We intend to do longer weekend rides (3-4 hours or so). I also intend to ride to work on nice days. We do not intend to do anything competitive at this time, but open to it in the future. We are both in our late twenties, I am a little out of shape and my wife is in great shape.

I really do not know where to start in regards to finding the right bike. The sad thing is I worked for a Trek dealer that sold mostly road bikes for a summer in high school, but that feels like ages ago and I have lost a lot of what I learned there. Any advice you have for me as to how to go about this process would be great.

Our budget is maximum $1,500 per person (for everything not just the bike), but we would like to spend as little as possible while getting good value. We can always upgrade in 5 years if we really like riding. I also understand that the bike is only a part of the expense. Right now, I believe we will need the following items: Bike, pedals, shoes, shorts, helmet, computer, water bottle, cage, pack with spare tube/pump/etc. Am I forgetting anything here?

Should we be looking at endurance or racing bikes?

Should we buy online or in a store?

What brands should we be considering and what brands should we avoid?

Obviously, my wife would get a women's bike, but are there any other things we should consider for differences in needs between men and women?

How many gears should we be looking for?

Any other advice you have for me would be greatly appreciated! We visited a shop the other day and left more overwhelmed than when we started. This is quite a big expense so I would really like to be informed before making such a purchase. Thank you in advance!

TrojanHorse

I highly highly highly recommend that you AND your wife head into a decent bike store in your area and pose all these questions to them. You want something that fits, is in your budget and looks cool to you both. Trek, specialized, cannondale, Giant, Fuji... there are loads of shops that carry those bikes and they're all pretty good so don't get bent out of shape about what brand derailleur it has or whatever.

Do a couple test rides and get the one that makes you smile the most.

If your sales droid tells you something that you don't quite understand (or believe) feel free to drop back in here and ask what he means.

Then post pics of your new bikes.

Oh, and welcome to BF.

bonz50

all of this.

tekhna

I'd recommend you think of your purchase as 1200 for a bike, 300 for accessories. You're going to want pedals, shoes, helmet, etc and they aren't super-cheap. Most importantly though, get something that fits.

Doge

Craigslist/eBay and go with the cheapest you think you will ride. Then do a few group rides and see all the bikes you wish you had. Then get one of those.
I just think it is very hard to get it right the 1st time, even with lots of shopping. Plan on buying another in 6 months.

RoderWrench

+1 on TrojanHorse response. The Craigslist way is risky if you don't know what you're doing. And if you feel your local bike shop isn't very welcoming and knowledgeable, try another one. There's some really good ones out there.

bonz50

also look for leftover 2014 models, really good deals to be had there

greenlight149

Accessories can be bought online for cheap, ribble, wiggle, chainreaction etc. If you buy enough there is free shipping.

bruce19

Good advice and it probably goes without saying that you should get a decent fit.

kcollier5

I'm going to second the Craigslist ad thing. Most important is to get close in the size department and you can buy a LOT of bike for $1,200 on CL.

I was in your shoes exactly almost 3 years ago. I rode my son's 128 lb Schwinn boys bike a time or three to know that I wanted a 'real' bike. So I read some fit articles online to get a sense of what size bike I needed. (For me it was a 60cm (I'm 6'3")) So I bought a Trek 1.5 in my size, watched a few youtube videos on adjusting the fit and went riding. Rode that for several months (I don't recommend doing a group ride right away actually) and kept perusing the CL ads. Found my current Felt all carbon bike (sold new for $4,500) online and the guy was asking $2,400... then the price dropped to $2,000... then down to $1,800... then down to $1,500... so I went and rode it. And it rode like a dream compared to my Trek. Seriously, drop your jaw difference, even though I now know the much smoother DuraAce shifting was probably most of the difference. Ended up buying it shoes included for $1,300. And have been happily riding it for the last 3 years. Now I'm a casual rider and only rode a little over 1,000 miles last year but have also trained and rode two centuries and love, love it!

Now the beautiful part about buying on CL is that if you can get a decent deal (and if you look at enough ads, you'll get a sense of what is worth what), then when I bought my current bike, I turned around and sold my Trek on CL for basically the same thing I had paid for it. So it was a free rental essentially. Read and study online and if you aren't comfortable doing all of that, then run up to your bike store and drop more cash for less bike. Problem with that is that if you and your wife don't use them, then you'll be the guy selling it on CL several years from now for 1/2 of what you paid for it... (Also bicyclebluebook.com is a handy source for checking some gauge of what a bike is worth - not the absolute, but should give you a decent ballpark)

datlas 

Nothing wrong with CL but my advice is to get an entry level road bike for each of you.

You are probably looking at aluminum frame, carbon fork, Tiagra/105 components, and $1000ish price. Lean towards "comfort" road geometry rather than "aggressive" which is more oriented towards racing. Save a few hundred bucks each for pedals/shoes/helmet etc.

I would go to the LBS' near you to check out what they have. Leftover 2014 stock is an option. Fit is MOST important. For your wife, she does not necessarily need a "women's" bike although some manufacturers have WSD (woman specific design) this is 90% marketing.

snow_echo_NY

+1 @TrojanHorse 's response
+1 RoderWrench
+1 bonz50

if the shop you visited left you more overwhelmed than informed, go to another store that will give you the services you are looking for $3000 is a good chunk of money and any well-outfitted store would be over the moon to help you seriously with your questions.

-----

I believe we will need the following items: Bike, pedals, shoes, shorts, helmet, computer, water bottle, cage, pack with spare tube/pump/etc. Am I forgetting anything here?

i think you just need:
bike, helmet, lock, patch kit, extra tube, small pump to carry with you. learn how to change a flat and how to use your small pump.
lights, reflective gear, can come later. pedals and bike wear like shoes (clipless?), bike clothes can come later too. but really you can wear whatever u wear to the gym and be fine. once you get into the rhythm of things you can determine what you want/like for riding. (my personal opinion)

Should we be looking at endurance or racing bikes? shop can answer this dependent on what kind of riding you want to do. if you're not looking to compete now but are open to the future, my take is you want the bike that's going to fit your needs now and upgrade later if and when that comes.

Should we buy online or in a store? in store hands down.

What brands should we be considering and what brands should we avoid? this all depends on fit and what type of riding you're looking to do.

Obviously, my wife would get a women's bike, but are there any other things we should consider for differences in needs between men and women?

not really. only difference between me and my husband is he has a hybrid commuter with drop bars (surly) and i have a road bike (specialized). they're pretty similar for what we're using them for - commuting.

How many gears should we be looking for? i don't think u need to look at this personally, the bikes will be dialed in for whatever needs you might have.

cafzali

You should easily be able to do what you want within your budget. Personally, I think lots of folks overestimate the amount you'll need for accessories/clothing because you can start out with relatively little and build from there. I started out with 2 pair of cycling shorts and some non-cycling-specific moisture wicking shorts -- all of which was obtained for less than $100. You can also get cycling shoes for relatively little, especially if you go mountain rather than road and get them from a place like REI, EMS, etc.

You can get a Trek 1.5 for about $1,300, which would give you some room in your budget to add things like shirts, shorts, shoes, etc. That was my first road bike after getting back in cycling in '08. It served me well and I still ride it occasionally, even though it's now been relegated to Bike #2 .

happyscientist

^^^This. Especially the part about the WSD. I am a woman with 1 women's bike and two men's bikes, and the men's bikes fit me better, and men's bikes often have better components at a given price point, although your wife may need a new saddle.
You may also find that if you buy two bikes from the same shop, you get a discount.

Also, and I may get flamed for this, if neither of you has experience clipping in, just ride flat pedals to start with, especially on your commutes. That way, you can spread the cost out by buying the clip in pedals and shoes a few months down the road.

As you know, the process is overwhelming for the first bike. You can get analysis paralysis. Eventually, just pick a bike you like and buy it. Years from now, after you figure out what you like and don't like, you can get a snazzier bike.

bbbean 

The best advice I ever got when I got back into biking a few years ago was that I wasn't so much buying a bike as I was buying a relationship with a shop. Fact of the matter is there are a lot of good to great bikes out there, and within your price range, there are lots of bikes you'd be happy with for a long time. So spend your time getting a better handle on what your actual needs are (they may well be different from what you thought they were before you rode a few bikes), and gettin a feel for the local shops.

RocTurk

The more your budget goes up, the more you should stay away from Craigslist. Yes you can find amazing deals. Great bikes in good conditions but what if there's an issue with your 1500$ bike frame?

Buy it from a shop not internet. You want to test ride first. You may find a good deal online but bike may not fit at all. The difference between the recreational 10-20 mile cycling vs +30 mile cycling is bike fit become more important. You may not realize the effects of a badly fitted bike for an hour, but once you ride over 2-3 hours you may regret your purchase. So test riding and well fitting is important. Some shops will do free bike fitting for you and some may charge, so ask what kind of perks they offer with new bike purchase.

Look around for close-outs/deals. March is still not too bad to find deals on last year's model. 1500$ is not a low-budget. Do your homework. Watch youtube reviews, read magazines, follow the forum. 1500$ may actually go you a 2000-2200$ last year's model. Bike technology do not evolve dramatically from year to year so chances are this year's models are just a cosmetic upgrade from last year's.

Other than the saddle, internet is much better to buy accessories and clothing. Saddle is important because local shops typically give you two week period to test new saddles. If you don't like it, exchange or return with receipt. But otherwise, pedals are pedals, headlight, tail light, helmets, clothing, I found internet deals much cheaper than local shops. I sometimes feel bad for it but if I don't know about my sizing in a particular brand, I go to the local shop just to find out about my size and then order online.

Good luck in your hunt!!

RollCNY

Buy the least expensive Trek, Cannondale, or Specialized road bike that you can. Shoot for spending $8-900 ish max, and realize that buying two from the same dealer may get you a deal. Don't pay more for better components, Sora & Tiagra and no name brakes and crank are fine.

Your goal on a first bike is to waste the least amount of money, and any penny you spend will be wasted for the following reasons:

1. If you hate cycling, the bikes won't get ridden, you'll hold onto them for five years, and then sell them for a pittance. The three brands I mentioned have the best name recognition, and will get the largest pittance.

2. If you like cycling at the enthusiast level, you have a nice ridable bike, and will enjoy it fine.

3. If you like cycling at the enthralled level, you will think you can buy speed, and will first buy a new group set (regardless of what you started with), then new wheels, and then a whole new bike. Your first bike will end up in some form as a rain bike at best, or a box of spares at worst. Waste the least up front. You will detest the three branded mentioned, demand as Colnagarello, sell your kids to trolls to get carbon shoes, have replicas made of your ass to fgit saddles, and ultimately end up with far too many posts on BF.

There is no logical reason to ever depend a lot on a first bike.

Stucky

Don't even think about going into a bike store at this point!

Paying retail for an entry-level bike which you likely tire of within a few months, is hazardous to your finances!

Get a couple of decent quality older used bikes for a few hundred bucks each, and just ride!

A few months or a year down the road, you'll then know what you want in a bike; what style of riding you enjoy; if you can acclimate to an aggressive position or if you need a more relaxed fit; etc. etc. THEN you can look for a long-term steed- and buy a shiny new bike if you care to.

But it's almost guaranteed, that as a noob, yous will not be riding the same bike this time next year that you would buy today- and new entry level bikes depreciate faster than dog-doody on a 100* day....

And if you don't know about bikes, many bike shops, instead of setting you up with something that is appropriate and fits well, will just try and sell you whatever they have on-hand or are having trouble moving. Bike salesmen are often no better than car salesmen or any other kind of salesman.

Consider your first bike an experiment. Learn from it; and when it's time to move on, you can likely sell it for what you paid for it, or keep it as a back-up if you still like it.....

JetBadger

Thank you all very much for taking the time to respond! You have given me a lot of good advice and a lot to think about.

coldehammer

While I would also advocate going the CL route, I wouldn't completely knock out local bike stores in your situation. You and your wife will need two of everything, so you might get a better incentive of buying your bikes in a store versus craigslist. Helmets, jerseys, bib shorts, gloves, shoes, locks? all add up substantially. See if you can get a better deal on this (store managers should be very accomodating to you since they are trying to move old 2014 inventory out).

Just buy a bike you know you will want to ride. As a stat, I think bikes are close second to gym memberships in good intentions for fitness but unused after the first outing.

pdedes

don't do it. it will wreck your bank account and your marriage. try bowling.

gazelle5333

Bike store is the way to go IMO. Craigslist you dont know what you are getting, and most(if not all) bike stores will do a free basic fit to prevent injury with a purchase. If you buy a lot, in my experience they tend to give you a small discount as well(I averaged between 5 and 10% on my purchases for being a loyal customer and getting to know the people that worked there). As people have said, many stores, especially if they are larger, have the leftovers from last year that werent bought discounted, AND some even have USED BIKES. They may not be brand new but most people that are going to a bike store to trade in their bike usually know how to take care of it, so you can find some good deals there as well. It's like craigslist but the people actually know what they're talking about. Issue with Craigslist is there are a lot of overpriced bikes as well as good deals. I see 5 and 6 year old bikes every now and then posted for about 500 less than what they went for new, saying it was hardly ridden.

RoadGuy

You don't need to buy new bikes to get something that you and your wife can enjoy riding. In many cases, your first bike will not be your last bike if you decide that you enjoy riding, and get into it. Riding your first bike will allow you to learn what you need to learn to make a good shopping list for your next bike.

But looking at CraigsList ads without knowing what to look for can be confusing. In the case that you decide that riding is not for you, if you spent $500 for two used bikes on CraigsList, you won't lose much (or anything) when you resell them.

If you state you location, people can look on on your local CraigsList and make recommendations, taking some of the guess work out of the process.

Stucky

All those things are substantially cheaper online, as opposed to the LBS, even if they give a discount. (And usually, if one gets a good discount on the bike, there's not much room left for a discount on the accessories, because the shop has to make money somewhere....)

It wouldn't be so bad if we were talking about bikes that the OP was planning on keeping forever; but TWO entry-level bikes purchased brand new will represent a substantial loss of money, whether the OP stays with riding or not (Because even if they stick with it, they will likely consider those entry-level bikes beneath them, before long; or discover that they are not suited for the kind of riding that they end up doing- which may be different from what they originally had intended)

LOL... yeah- "basic fit"= adjust seat height, and maybe fore/aft position. I could do that when I was 9- and I'll give the OP the benefit of the doubt and assume that he can too. (And unless he's going to be riding 100+ miles at a time, even a poorly fitted bike will not injure him....)

txags92

Getting your wife into cycling with you is a genius move, but could be dangerous to your finances. The normal equation for the proper number of bikes (b) is b=n+1, with n representing how many bikes you currently have. The equation can also be written as b=s-1, with s being the number of bikes it would take before your wife separated from you. However, with a wife in the sport, your equation becomes b=y+h+2, with y being your bikes and h being hers. With no s-1 limiting factor involved, as long as you keep getting her a new bike each time you get one, there is no practical limit at which you would have "too many" bikes. As long as you have unlimited finances, you will be ok...otherwise, as was said above, take up bowling...or make sure she only goes with you when the weather sucks for the first few rides.