Recommendations for a road bike newbie - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

03-07-2005, 10:48 AM

I'm looking to buy a road bike. I've been checking out the bikes of
some friends, and I have a general idea of what I want, but I'd like
some more input. Here are my particulars. Presently I have a hybrid
that I've been riding for a while. I ride approximately 15 miles per
day about 5 days per week weather permitting. I'd like to go a bit
faster in order to keep up with some of my friends who have road bikes.
I'd also like to participate in some of the advanced club rides in my
area. I don't mind paying what it costs for a quality bike, but I'm 38
years old and I know I'm not going to be setting any records. I'm
basically looking for something that favors comfort over all out
performance. My #1 candidate right now is a Lemond Sarthe, but I'm
open to other suggestions. I'm 5'7" and have a long torso. From what
I've read, some of the Lemond models seem to favor people with longer
torsos, but this may not be true from what little I know about the
subject.