Help picking new road bike - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

08-23-2003, 12:11 PM

Hello,

I am in the market for a new road bike to replace my Panasonic DX-3000
from 1988. I am getting into biking more and more as I find that I
can't run as much as I'd like to. I like to get a good workout in and
I plan on riding some centuries next season, maybe even some basic
citizen races as well. I haven't been in the market for a bike in a
long while so I am out of touch with where the industry is currently.
My budget is $700-1200 and I want a bike that is more "sport" than
not. Right now I am riding 60-100 miles a week and plan on upping
that next year to 100-150 at least. I generally ride on the flat
roads here in the Chicago area but I'd like to ride in the mountains
when I visit friends in Colorado. I'm 6'1" and 170-175lbs.

What suggestions does everybody have? Can I get a decent bike for my
budget and what would a good shortlist be? Thanks in advance for the
feedback.

Mark

08-23-2003, 12:57 PM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Mark Sinderson) wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I am in the market for a new road bike to replace my Panasonic DX-3000
> from 1988. I am getting into biking more and more as I find that I
> can't run as much as I'd like to. I like to get a good workout in and
> I plan on riding some centuries next season, maybe even some basic
> citizen races as well. I haven't been in the market for a bike in a
> long while so I am out of touch with where the industry is currently.
> My budget is $700-1200 and I want a bike that is more "sport" than
> not. Right now I am riding 60-100 miles a week and plan on upping
> that next year to 100-150 at least. I generally ride on the flat
> roads here in the Chicago area but I'd like to ride in the mountains
> when I visit friends in Colorado. I'm 6'1" and 170-175lbs.
>
> What suggestions does everybody have? Can I get a decent bike for my
> budget and what would a good shortlist be? Thanks in advance for the
> feedback.

Bewarned that you already have a good bike for the riding you are doing.
Besides the obvious new-toy lust (not that there's anything wrong with
that!), do you have a particular desire in mind that isn't fulfilled by
the Panasonic?

Beyond that, for racing I'd say get a brifteur-equipped bike, simply
because shifting is so much faster and easier than with DT shifters.

In your budget you're probably looking at bikes equipped with Tiagra or
105 components. Both are fine, though some consider 105 the minimum for
reasonable racing gear. Not me: I run a mostly old-105 bike with a
single Sora right-hand brifteur.

On the Campy side, I guess it's Xenon or Mirage, maybe Chorus, at that
price.

Get the bike that fits you the best. That's all the advice I have about
frames.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

08-23-2003, 02:00 PM

"Mark Sinderson" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] ...
> Hello,
>
> I am in the market for a new road bike to replace my Panasonic DX-3000
> from 1988. I am getting into biking more and more as I find that I
> can't run as much as I'd like to. I like to get a good workout in and
> I plan on riding some centuries next season, maybe even some basic
> citizen races as well. I haven't been in the market for a bike in a
> long while so I am out of touch with where the industry is currently.
> My budget is $700-1200 and I want a bike that is more "sport" than
> not. Right now I am riding 60-100 miles a week and plan on upping
> that next year to 100-150 at least. I generally ride on the flat
> roads here in the Chicago area but I'd like to ride in the mountains
> when I visit friends in Colorado. I'm 6'1" and 170-175lbs.
>
> What suggestions does everybody have? Can I get a decent bike for my
> budget and what would a good shortlist be? Thanks in advance for the
> feedback.

You might check out the Trek 1000 and 1200. Those are really well
made bikes for a good price, especially if you buy an end-of-the-year
model.

The problem with buying end-of-the-year, though, is that you might not get
the color you want, which may be important to you, and you may
have a difficult time finding the right sized frame, which is essential.

At 6' 1", it sounds like you might need a slightly above average
frame. Good luck in your search.

M.

08-23-2003, 05:02 PM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, markman_
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] says...

....

> What suggestions does everybody have? Can I get a decent bike for my
> budget and what would a good shortlist be? Thanks in advance for the
> feedback.

You can get some very good bikes in that range. Take a look at a
Specialized Sequoiah Expert or a Bianchi San Remo, to name two which I
was looking at.

--
Dave Kerber
Fight spam: remove the ns_ from the return address before replying!

REAL programmers write self-modifying code.

08-23-2003, 07:36 PM

Ryan Cousineau wrote in message ...
>
>On the Campy side, I guess it's Xenon or Mirage, maybe Chorus, at that
>price.
>
>Get the bike that fits you the best. That's all the advice I have about
>frames.
>
Ryan, what happened to your Campy Record and
52cm frame advice?

08-23-2003, 10:29 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] (Mark Sinderson) wrote:
>Hello,
>
>I am in the market for a new road bike to replace my Panasonic DX-3000
>from 1988.

Why, what's wrong with the Panasonic? A new bike might give you more "speeds", but most of those are duplicated "in between" gearings that you'll probably never use, and the thinner chain and sprockets will wear out quicker. Perhaps just a triple crank
conversion will suit your needs...

08-23-2003, 10:53 PM

Ryan Cousineau <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>> My budget is $700-1200 and I want a bike that is more "sport" than
>> not.

> In your budget you're probably looking at bikes equipped with Tiagra or
> 105 components. Both are fine, though some consider 105 the minimum for
> reasonable racing gear. Not me: I run a mostly old-105 bike with a
> single Sora right-hand brifteur.

> On the Campy side, I guess it's Xenon or Mirage, maybe Chorus, at that
> price.

I think you meant to say Veloce, not Chorus, as Chorus isn't available
in that price range. Veloce (or Mirage) is no doubt a good group even
for active use. Veloce has a mediocre front hub made in Taiwan and a
cheap bottom bracket, but neither of those are really a disaster waiting
to happen. I think both components are redesigned in the 2004 Veloce
group, though. All of this applies to Mirage as well, as it's pretty
much the same stuff.

-as

08-23-2003, 11:45 PM

> I am in the market for a new road bike to replace my Panasonic DX-3000
> from 1988. I am getting into biking more and more as I find that I
> can't run as much as I'd like to. I like to get a good workout in and
> I plan on riding some centuries next season, maybe even some basic
> citizen races as well. I haven't been in the market for a bike in a
> long while so I am out of touch with where the industry is currently.
> My budget is $700-1200 and I want a bike that is more "sport" than
> not. Right now I am riding 60-100 miles a week and plan on upping
> that next year to 100-150 at least. I generally ride on the flat
> roads here in the Chicago area but I'd like to ride in the mountains
> when I visit friends in Colorado. I'm 6'1" and 170-175lbs.
>
> What suggestions does everybody have? Can I get a decent bike for my
> budget and what would a good shortlist be? Thanks in advance for the
> feedback.

Mark: Lots of nice bikes in that price range; your first priority should be
to find a shop that understands your dreams (how you'd like to use a bike,
as opposed to how the salesperson rides) and has a clue about fitting you
properly.

In the lines we sell, the '04 TREK 1500 is what we call a "category killer"
with a combination components (including '105 and Ultegra) with a very nice
domestically-produced aluminum frame & carbon-fiber fork. At about $1000,
it's considerably less than similar bikes last year, and comes in a range of
sizes at 2cm increments... none of this small, medium or large stuff.
That's just one example, there are many others that would serve your needs
very nicely.

As to what you can expect from a new bike (improvements over your DX-3000),
you'll find huge gains in brakes (dual-pivot now), shifting (STI, integrated
into the brake levers, so you have all your controls in one place), lighter
weight and better damping at the front end with a carbon fork. You'll also
have the opportunity to consider a high-quality triple crankset with really
low gears for those mountain rides you've dreamed about.

One other thing- don't over-analyze the decision to death. Cycling should
be fun, and a good shop will do what they can to make sure all aspects, even
the purchase, are a positive experience. That means zeroing in on your
needs as quickly as possible and not turning it into an exercise of how many
different bikes you can try in your lifetime.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

08-24-2003, 06:51 AM

Mark:

I was in your shoes 3 years ago and tried to limit my "ceiling" to
$1,000. What I found back then was what someone had already mentioned,
you will get a decent bike with Sora or Tiagra, but you will have to
look hard for 105.

Bianchi has some nice bikes but when I rode them, I couldnt get used to
the Campy shifters.

Fuji does have a great line, although the Newest (steel when I bought
it) is now aluminum.

I still lust for a Lemond which was a bit out of my price range.

Mark Sinderson wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I am in the market for a new road bike to replace my Panasonic DX-3000
> from 1988. I am getting into biking more and more as I find that I
> can't run as much as I'd like to. I like to get a good workout in and
> I plan on riding some centuries next season, maybe even some basic
> citizen races as well. I haven't been in the market for a bike in a
> long while so I am out of touch with where the industry is currently.
> My budget is $700-1200 and I want a bike that is more "sport" than
> not. Right now I am riding 60-100 miles a week and plan on upping
> that next year to 100-150 at least. I generally ride on the flat
> roads here in the Chicago area but I'd like to ride in the mountains
> when I visit friends in Colorado. I'm 6'1" and 170-175lbs.
>
> What suggestions does everybody have? Can I get a decent bike for my
> budget and what would a good shortlist be? Thanks in advance for the
> feedback.
>
> Mark

08-24-2003, 12:18 PM

In article <PoW1b.824257$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].ca >,
"Fabrizio Mazzoleni" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Ryan Cousineau wrote in message ...
> >
> >On the Campy side, I guess it's Xenon or Mirage, maybe Chorus, at that
> >price.
> >
> >Get the bike that fits you the best. That's all the advice I have about
> >frames.
> >
> Ryan, what happened to your Campy Record and
> 52cm frame advice?

Sorry, Fabrizio. Guess I'm letting the side down.

I recommend an aluminum frame, Campy Record Carbon gruppo, and it must
be a 52cm frame. If you are taller, you should just get a hybrid bike,
because you will only take up room on the road for us serious cyclists.

If you insist on a bike made on this continent, only Cannondale and
Cervélo are acceptable. Because your limited budget surely precludes
purchasing a proper TT bike at this point, I recommend a Cerv

Hey, I'm the president

--
Ryan Cousineau, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club