Any Avid Cyclists on This Forum?

[OllyW]

Right now, I'm looking at two models:

1.) Trek 1.1 series
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/1_series/11/

and

2.) Giant Defy 3
http://www.bikesale.com/giant-defy-3-road-bike-2011.aspx

Both cost nearly the same and (from what I can tell) have comparable specs. I plan on going to my two local bike shops to test drive both models but was hoping you guys might be able to offer some insight.

Does anyone have experience with both brands/models? If so, which do you prefer and why? I'm kind of new at this but I guess my primary goal is to get a fast, reliable, good-looking bike for under $1,000. I don't know if it matters, but I'm 5' 7" and weigh around 125 lbs.

Thanks!

You won't go wrong with either of those, Trek and Giant seem to offer great value for money at that price point.

Spec wise, the main two differences between the bikes are the Giant has a triple chainset and the Trek has a compact twin ring set up and the Giant has a composite (carbon fibre) fork with the Trek's made from aluminium.

This gives the Giant a slightly wider range of gears and aluminium forks are usually a little bit more harsh than their carbon counterparts. The differences are small though so test them both and pick the one that feels 'right'.

 

[Ugg]

You won't go wrong with either of those, Trek and Giant seem to offer great value for money at that price point.

Spec wise, the main two differences between the bikes are the Giant has a triple chainset and the Trek has a compact twin ring set up and the Giant has a composite (carbon fibre) fork with the Trek's made from aluminium.

This gives the Giant a slightly wider range of gears and aluminium forks are usually a little bit more harsh than their carbon counterparts. The differences are small though so test them both and pick the one that feels 'right'.

I agree, both bikes seem comparable. However, the biggest difference may not be the bike itself, but the dealer you buy it from.

My dealer offers free tune ups for the first year and the sales people and mechanics are generous with advice and extras.

Choosing the right dealer may mean you'll spend less over time.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I agree about the service. I went with my previous Trek mountain bike largely because the small shop I bought it from was staffed by two friendly, experienced bike mechanics. The prices at the shop were a little high, but they would do minor tune-ups (like derailleur/brake adjustments) for free. I once bent my largest chainring on a log, and the mechanic had similar one laying in the shop from an upgrade on another bike. I got it for free!

If you buy your bike from a chain store like Eddie's, Dick's sporting goods or some such, the bike mechanics are often half-assed.

 

[OllyW]

I've known the owner of my local bike shop since he was 8 years old because he was (and still is) my brother's best friend. Needless to say, I get very good service from them and only ever have to pay for any parts that get used and even they come with a healthy discount.

It's also probably why I've ended up owning at least 25 different bikes over the last decade and a half. He's a very good salesman.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

^ Lucky man. Befriending a good mechanic, whether it be for cars, bikes, or anything else is a stroke of good fortune.

 

[Sydde]

Sydney drivers are recognised as being one the most aggressive in the world towards cyclists. We also have a roads department that constantly misunderstands that their in creating a pretend cycling environment on the road, they actually making it more dangerous for people who actually cycle. If you ride where the cycling signs are, unless it is a dedicated cycleway and their aren't too many of them that actually go anywhere useful, you will soon be dead. To survive in Sydney means to ride your bike like a car. You have to ride in the middle of the lane if it is narrow otherwise somebody will try to squeeze past, without any regard for your safety. Opening car doors are a constant danger if you try to be too considerate by riding to the left. Cyclists are a regular topic for vilification on the talk back radio shows that cater for the local brain dead population.

It has pretty well been established that this is the correct and safest riding strategy. The lion's share of motorists are not psychopaths intent upon seeing you vanish under their wheels but will behave as trained, avoiding collisions with things in their paths. Ride at the verges or in the striped bike lanes and you are asking to be not seen, to be right-hooked, left-hooked or doored.

For years, I rode at night without lights, paying attention to other traffic, figuring that if I was lit up light like some mysterious christmas tree, it would only give the drivers more time to aim. In reality, you are traffic just as much as the MV and have no less right to use the road. Stop acting like a 2nd class citizen.

 

[pcb]

So I am very new to cycling and recently purchased my first road bike. I have done plenty of looking at road bikes all over the internet and see some pop up with wheels like this...

I personally think this looks awesome, but would love to learn about what they are called, benefits they may provide, who makes a good set, and really anything you else that you can tell me?

By the way I have a Trek 1.5 which probably means these wheels would equal the cost of my bike for a set, but I am still curious. I will probably upgrade my wheels a little way down the road as I am told that wheels are a great upgrade for any road bike. So any suggestions for Trek 1.5 wheel upgrades would also be appreciated.

Thanks all

 

[Sydde]

So I am very new to cycling and recently purchased my first road bike. I have done plenty of looking at road bikes all over the internet and see some pop up with wheels like this...

I personally think this looks awesome, but would love to learn about what they are called, benefits they may provide, who makes a good set, and really anything you else that you can tell me?

By the way I have a Trek 1.5 which probably means these wheels would equal the cost of my bike for a set, but I am still curious. I will probably upgrade my wheels a little way down the road as I am told that wheels are a great upgrade for any road bike. So any suggestions for Trek 1.5 wheel upgrades would also be appreciated.

Thanks all

You can take the name off the wheel [URL="http://www..com]Aerospoke[/URL]) to look up their website. Wheels range in price from $325.us to $511 (tandem) and weigh about the same as a tension spoked wheel. The rim is a Velocity model and the hub choice is very limited (no IGHs, if you are into that sort of thing), and you also have neon color options. I have heard some reports that at moderately high speeds, they are rather noisy (chopping).

If you like how they look, chances are you will forgive their shortcomings. Just beware the squirrels.

 

[Ugg]

You can take the name off the wheel [URL="http://www..com]Aerospoke[/URL]) to look up their website. Wheels range in price from $325.us to $511 (tandem) and weigh about the same as a tension spoked wheel. The rim is a Velocity model and the hub choice is very limited (no IGHs, if you are into that sort of thing), and you also have neon color options. I have heard some reports that at moderately high speeds, they are rather noisy (chopping).

If you like how they look, chances are you will forgive their shortcomings. Just beware the squirrels.

Wow! that's crazy!

I had a squirrel run into my front tire once, but I wasn't going very fast and he sat there for a second, shook his head and took off again.

Is that a carbon fibre fork?

 

[Sydde]

Wow! that's crazy!

I had a squirrel run into my front tire once, but I wasn't going very fast and he sat there for a second, shook his head and took off again.

Is that a carbon fibre fork?

I think it is aluminium or maybe chro-mo. CF would probably not produce a nice clean break like that. Note the racing-style spoke pattern: regular wheels with narrower spacing would be less likely to admit a rodent at speed.

 

[AlphaDogg]

I think it is aluminium or maybe chro-mo.

What is chro-mo?

 

[Sydde]

What is chro-mo?

Sorry, chrome molybdenum steel alloy?

 

[AlphaDogg]

I was riding my local Cherry Creek trail in Denver, today. I rode it for 14.6 miles roundtrip. Here's something you don't see everyday; there was a police car, firetruck and ambulance on the trail. I asked a policeman what happened and he told me there was a bad bike accident.

Anyway, I took the advice of someone on here and I have replaced the tubes on my bike with puncture-resistant tubes (they have some sort of fluid in them that plugs holes). I did it myself this time, instead of paying my local bike shop to do it! I also patched one of the old tubes to keep as a spare. I now carry a set of two Pedro's tire levers, a rubber cement patch kit and a handhelp pump that mounts on the waterbottle holder mount of my frame.

 

[R94N]

Come to think of it, I haven't been out on my bike for a few days. It's a nice afternoon, so I might go later! Those puncture-resistant inner tubes sound great, I recently went down a trail and picked up about eight punctures all on the rear tyre, and then the next weekend I got a flat front. I need to be more careful as to what I'm going over. It's quite easy to avoid glass, but thorns, not so much, especially if they've just been cutting the hedgerows.

 

[AlphaDogg]

Come to think of it, I haven't been out on my bike for a few days. It's a nice afternoon, so I might go later! Those puncture-resistant inner tubes sound great, I recently went down a trail and picked up about eight punctures all on the rear tyre, and then the next weekend I got a flat front. I need to be more careful as to what I'm going over. It's quite easy to avoid glass, but thorns, not so much, especially if they've just been cutting the hedgerows.

That's true. You can't really see thorns very well. I was riding a mixture of two trails in Denver (Cherry Creek Trail and Highline Canal) for 25 miles roundtrip. I stopped at my school because it is about 500ft from the trail and I saw people on the baseball field. The road from the trail to the baseball field is unpaved. I went on it and picked up about 25 thorns in both tires combined. I pulled out the thorns (because I knew the gel inside would fill the puncture and because I had some patches on me if it came to that) and I saw some of the gel come out of a couple punctures. On one puncture, I heard air coming out, so I spun the wheel a bit (effectively forcing the gel to the outside part of the inside of the tube), and the hole was filled with gel. I couldn't hear air escaping any longer.

Edit: forgot to mention my school's baseball team lost 14-3. They are usually very good.

 

[Abstract]

You can take the name off the wheel [URL="http://www..com]Aerospoke[/URL]) to look up their website. Wheels range in price from $325.us to $511 (tandem) and weigh about the same as a tension spoked wheel. The rim is a Velocity model and the hub choice is very limited (no IGHs, if you are into that sort of thing), and you also have neon color options. I have heard some reports that at moderately high speeds, they are rather noisy (chopping).

I thought they were supposed to be heavier than spoked wheels.

I think they're supposed to be heavier, but stronger, so if you're going to be doing any crazy tricks with your bike, it may be better to have this sort of wheel. This is why Aerospokes seem to go hand-in-hand with hipster fixie culture. Most hipsters are just boring fashion followers, even the ones who ride fixies. However, there are real fixie riders who can do some awesome spins, slides, and other tricks due to their ability to prevent their wheels from spinning while still riding it.

Also, I believe the Aerospokes are supposed to be a bit more aerodynamic if used on either the rear wheel, or the front wheel (I forget which one). They'll make a weird sound due to the "buffeting" of the air that goes past it, like a fan (except Dyson's really expensive "Air Multiplier" bladeless fan!).

 

[JoeG4]

I'm moving to a college town that is very biker-friendly, problem is....

I refuse to buy a bike where the seat is higher than the handlebars. OTOH, I'm 6'1. What do I do now? Mountain bike with road tires? Or perhaps a .. ree.......cumbant haha

 

[Sydde]

I think they're supposed to be heavier, but stronger, so if you're going to be doing any crazy tricks with your bike, it may be better to have this sort of wheel.

No, Aerospokes are carbon, so they are not heavier than a traditional spoked wheel. The point is to be more aero, though I think the difference is negligible. If you want aero, go with the covers. And I would never say they are sturdier, an understandable mistake one might make by looking at them. Do not buy these for "tricks", carbon does not stand up to abuse.

I'm moving to a college town that is very biker-friendly, problem is....

I refuse to buy a bike where the seat is higher than the handlebars. OTOH, I'm 6'1. What do I do now? Mountain bike with road tires? Or perhaps a .. ree.......cumbant haha

You could consider a "Crank Forward", like this:



These are designed to be almost as comfortable as a recumbent without being as weird looking. I have heard you can get pretty good hill-climbing power from them. Rans bikes are made in the US. They are also quite expensive (this one runs about $1400).

 

[g.fabian]

Yeah I ride.

I do a 7 mile to commute to and from work every day but sunday and then another 10 miles to and from my college.

I have a Giant OCR 2 that I picked up about 3 months ago from CL.

Good to see other Apple Lovers out there like to ride Anyone else use it as their primary form of transportation?

 

[Ugg]

That's true. You can't really see thorns very well. I was riding a mixture of two trails in Denver (Cherry Creek Trail and Highline Canal) for 25 miles roundtrip. I stopped at my school because it is about 500ft from the trail and I saw people on the baseball field. The road from the trail to the baseball field is unpaved. I went on it and picked up about 25 thorns in both tires combined. I pulled out the thorns (because I knew the gel inside would fill the puncture and because I had some patches on me if it came to that) and I saw some of the gel come out of a couple punctures. On one puncture, I heard air coming out, so I spun the wheel a bit (effectively forcing the gel to the outside part of the inside of the tube), and the hole was filled with gel. I couldn't hear air escaping any longer.

Edit: forgot to mention my school's baseball team lost 14-3. They are usually very good.

The Goat's Head thorns here are really bad. Typically I would go through 3 or 4 tubes a year and at least one pair of tires. Last year I bit the bullet and bought a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus and put a pair of Slime tubes in them.

I haven't had a single flat! And the tires still have plenty of tread on them. They'll probably last another year. I've also been more careful to ensure the tires are always properly inflated. Underinflating them leads to more flats.

I had read about Schwalbe for years but always thought they were overpriced but I will never buy a different brand of tire. I've actually saved money by having them.

 

[Ugg]

I'm moving to a college town that is very biker-friendly, problem is....

I refuse to buy a bike where the seat is higher than the handlebars. OTOH, I'm 6'1. What do I do now? Mountain bike with road tires? Or perhaps a .. ree.......cumbant haha

There are lots of options available.

I have a Trek Allant Specialized, Giant and virtually every other manf. has some sort of urban bike available.

 

[AlphaDogg]

I just finished a 27 mile bike ride on the Cherry Creek trail. I recorded a video of part of the trail that goes through Downtown Denver with my iPhone. I will upload it to youtube in a minute. Link to the video here. I also stopped at a Sports Authority store to look at their bicycles. The bike that I found was a K2 Astral 2.0. I really like it. I think I am going to get it. Good deal for $399?

Pictures of the bike:

I finally picked up this bike yesterday. I love it. I rode it from the store to Elitches (used to be six flags, here in Denver), where I got my season pass processed. That was8 miles. It was another 13 miles to get home. It was a great ride. My average speed on this bike is about 1.5mph faster than on my old bike.

Edit: Oh and it was on sale for $299 down from $399. I used the extra $100 that I would have spent on the bike, on gel in the tubes and a 3 year service plan.

 

[Ugg]

I finally picked up this bike yesterday. I love it. I rode it from the store to Elitches (used to be six flags, here in Denver), where I got my season pass processed. That was8 miles. It was another 13 miles to get home. It was a great ride. My average speed on this bike is about 1.5mph faster than on my old bike.

Edit: Oh and it was on sale for $299 down from $399. I used the extra $100 that I would have spent on the bike, on gel in the tubes and a 3 year service plan.

Looks like a great bike!

 

[iJohnHenry]

I used the extra $100 that I would have spent on the bike, on gel in the tubes and a 3 year service plan.

This is something new to me.

How much weight would the gel add to the bike?

 

[AlphaDogg]

This is something new to me.

How much weight would the gel add to the bike?

The gel is to add puncture resistance to the tubes. It adds maybe 0.5-1 pound.