late

How does the Sport compare to your Seven? I've always wanted to try a Seven, but they are seriously spendy.

big john

I got the Seven used, I couldn't spend the amount for a new one. They are very different bikes, The Gunnar is a more compliant ride, certainly more comfortable on a rough road but it also has a longer wheelbase and more shallow head angle than the Seven.
The Seven climbs better but part of that may be the difference in weight, I think about 3 pounds the way they are built up. People are surprised when I tell them the Seven is a very stiff frame, they expect ti frames to be smooth riding and some are (Moots Vamoots) but not this one. This bike feels a lot like a CAAD5 I had.
I always think I would like a bike that is a cross between these two.

downtube42

When you press the pedals on a lightweight bike, after riding a heavyweight, it will feel like it just launches. That feeling may just motivate you to push a little harder, which will make you a litter faster in itself, and over time that greater effort will make you stronger. A new lightweight bike can make you faster, even in the flats.

Alternatively, if you show up at the club ride on your Miyata, you might feel compelled to compete with the big boys and their shiny toys. Doing such will make you faster, both on that day and in the long run. Eventually you might discover the thrill of beating the boys and their shiny toys, and you might just be willing to achieve new levels of suffering attempting to crush them.

Pick a path and go all in. It'll work.

stevel610 

I am a big fan of getting your current bike tuned up and replacing the tires. If it has 700c wheels scrounge around for some GP5000s which will transform the ride.

Once you decide if you are going to stick with it a newer road bike will be much "better" than your current bike. With the inflated prices it would be a shame to invest a couple thousand dollars and decide its not for you.

Good luck.

bikeflo

Thanks to everyone for all your wisdom-it's been extremely helpful. I'm in no hurry right now. I've had the Miyata since a teen when I did longer distances, and have gotten back into riding over the past 3 years now, steadily increasing my mileage and striving for small increases in speed. I've never been a racer though. It's my only bike. I've also modified my 1980's something Miyata-sorry I don't remember the exact year my parents got it for me. But as I've gotten older, I put larger tires on it (after a spill on gravel off the pavement), changed the seat, and put in an adjustable stem to improve comfort.
I plan to research the leads you've all provided and hopefully start some test drives at the start of the new year. I'm curious how people order a used bike though and negotiate the test drive stage of evaluation? Not sure I'm up for buying a bike without some test drive experience--

bikeflo

Like "what do you think this is, a practice life?"-agreed.

big john

Some people on the forum swear by used bikes and only buy used bikes. I am not one of them, even though I bought a used road bike last time. I test rode it and it felt awful but I knew I could make it work. I changed the stem, handle bar, seat post, saddle, crankset and cassette to make it work for me. I usually buy frames and assemble them the way I want them. Some of us never test-ride a bike before purchase.

It's tough to buy a used bike if you don't know what you want. Further, if you don't know how to check condition you may get fleeced. And you get no warranty.
Places like The Pro's Closet have used bikes which seem safer than buying from a private party. They are not cheap but people seem to be pretty happy with them, from what I've read.

Ask around your area about a shop with a good reputation for taking care of customers. If you have any friends who ride a lot they may be able to help.

Cougrrcj

I've said this before, and it bears repeating from time-to-time...

WHEELSET! Pay attention to your old wheelset. Many who think their bike is 'old and sluggish' would be astounded at what happens when you bring an old, neglected wheel up to proper spoke tension. Give it a try! Loose spoke tensions wastes energy -- It almost feels like riding on a flat tire!!


Speaking of tires --- Another factor is tire choice.

When I bought the Miyata 710 while out in Phoenix to keep out there when I was to visit family, it had a 23mm tire on the front, and a flat 25mm on the back. I replaced the rear tire with the only thing I could find at the PHX LBS for under $70 (Yikes!) was a 28mm Vittoria Randonneur II. The ride was unremarkable and sluggish.

Fast-forward a year, and on my next visit out there I brought along new tires and tubes - actually two sets of tires - one 25mm (235g) and another 28mm (265g) of the same tire (Vittoria Rubino Pro Tech III) - and one set of new tubes (95g ea). I chose to run the 28s.
When I was replacing the old with the new, I was amazed at the weight difference. The front had been a wire-bead Vittoria Zaffiro (340g). The front tube was a very heavy puncture resistant tube (230g), and it was made even heavier with a lot of Slime (at least another ~250g). The Randonneur II that I put on the rear the year before was also a heavy tire at 490g. That old front tire/tube combo was so heavy that it actually weighed more (~820g) than both new front/rear tire/tubes put together (720g) ! Replacing the rear was another 3/4 pound of rotating weight eliminated. The old tires themselves were very stiff 33tpi, while the new Rubino Pros were 150tpi (threads per Inch) which allows for a more flexible/supple casing.

The ride afterward was amazing!! It felt like an entirely different bike!

Carbonfiberboy 

I usually don't buy a used bike I haven't seen or ridden. Simple. So it has to be a bike within easy driving distance. That said, I did exactly that with out used tandem. I had it checked out, packed and shipped by the owner's local bike shop and knew exactly what I was getting. I had to change out both stems and of course saddles and tires. Later, I built new wheels for it. But basically it saved me $3,000. I had to watch want ads for 2 years before it turned up.

Single bikes are much easier, by a couple orders of magnitude, but the principle is the same. Decide what sort of bike you want, know the sizes that your candidate bikes come in, watch and wait.

Post 33 brings up good points. The same as in the automobile world, tires have seen the greatest technological improvement in recent decades. They had dual overhead cam racing engines in the 20's and our bikes look almost identical to a 1920s bike, but our tires are amazingly different. You probably can't put a modern tire on your bike because they're all made for hooked rims on 700c wheels and your tires are probably 27 X 1-1/4..

scott967

The beauty of being on this forum, is you might well have the disposable to keep your current bike and get something new. There's lots of neat bikes out there. My criteria are: I don't want to ride what every other guy out there is on, and I want colors I like. I can always fiddle with the components. Been doing that all my life (from back when you could get Nashbar and Performance catalogs with the order forms in the middle so they were easy to remove and mail-in). I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the bikes out there. Mainly, is the geometry difference (for me, the headtube and stack/reach numbers).

scott s.
.

Inusuit

All of my bikes were purchased used, all locally. Test rode them except the 1987 Diamondback that I bought from a thrift store for $7.50. Figured I could afford the risk on that one.

As others have mentioned, bike fit is probably the most important consideration. Colors or how many other people are riding a similar bike don't matter to me but do to some. If you are spending a substantial sum, it should be exactly what you want. I agree with those who have recommended updating your current ride first.

downtube42

​​​​​Fit matters as people have said, but fit is not an end to itself. A bike that's uncomfortable because it doesn't suit your body will not be enjoyable. A bike that doesn't function well will also not be enjoyable. If your body feels good and the bike functions, speed will come with saddle time. The next thing after fit and basic function, whether tires or weight or geometry, is a distant third.

If you get one and two correct, you'll ride. If you ride, you'll eventually come to know what you want in your next bike. On that bike, you can pick all the things. Rinse, repeat.

downtube42

My 70 y/o friend and mentor asked that of me, when i was waffling about attempting my first 1200k - Paris Brest Paris - in 2011. I went, succeeded, and that opened up my mind to doing audacious things.

Garfield Cat

The "light bike" is the one with the light frameset. That kind of frameset is designed to be fast on descents and ascents. The next thing is the wheelset. Some shops carry certain brands of "already made" wheels and also "custom" wheels that are "pick and choose" components. The hubs, the spokes, the rims.

A rider can ride, side by side with another rider at the same speed. Then at a point, they simultaneously stop the pedaling and allow the bike to coast. The faster bike will seem to surge slightly ahead of the other rider. The difference will be the weight of each rider and the aerodynamic posture of each rider.

There are other factors like the weight of the other components on that frameset. But all things being equal, its the frameset and the wheelset. You want to go fast? Spend the money on those two things.

wvridgerider

I have a Gunnar Crosshairs. Wonderful bike. I plan on getting a Hyper X soon because I want to be able to run wider tires.

Tomm Willians

The wife and I own a number of bikes but tend to gravitate towards 2-3 of them. What is likely my most useful all-around bike is an Orbea Terra Cyclocross bike. We have a plethora of trails to ride in my area with some being on gravel roads, but I obtained a second wheelset with 32c GP5000’s so the bike doubles as a road bike.
I’ve found that on paved roads that are not exactly ideal, this setup works beautifully. I use 38c Gravel Kings in the dirt pumped up fairly hard and with a Selle Anatomica and a shock stem, it’s been my go to bike for two centuries and dozens of shorter rides.
The wife and I are in agreement that if we had to part with all our other bikes (gasp &#128563 we could get by quite well with our gravel bikes and extra wheelsets.

mattswabb

I was a cat 1 racer back in the mid 90’s and stopped racing in 97 and hung up the bike for good in maybe’02. The bike was a GT edge titanium with Ultegra. A nice late 90’s racing bike.

I dusted it off and got back to it this year. Right before thanksgiving I bought a lightly used 2017 Scott foil, Ultegra and Reynolds rsix wheels.

At this time in November I wasn’t riding as much due to weather and earlier sunset. Plus a bunch of added clothing. I was matching my best times on Strava and even set a few personal bests.

So my opinion is a modern aero bike will improve your speed and a ride times.