Anyone knowledgable about road bikes?

[phungy]

I'm going to post this on a bike forum too but just wanted to get more opinions.

I'm looking for a road bike:
1) so I can get to research lab quicker instead of having to ride 3 buses to get there
2) get ready for a triathlon
3) love the exercise

I was planning on getting a new phone but this seems more important right now. My budget is about $400 currently. I've been searching on the local CL and found these:
Schwinn Paramount - $450
Cayne Uno - $475
Raleigh Competition - $450

on eBay: 2006 Fuji Track - what do you think?

I'm not interested in any other type of bikes (e.g. mountain bike, tricycle )

 

[PlaceofDis]

well the thing is these aren't Road bikes, these are Single Speed/Fixed gear/Track bikes from the looks of it. at least the Cayne and Raleigh are.

i've never heard of Cayne myself, but am looking to possibly get a fixed/single speed Raleigh next year as they are good entry level bikes.

schwinn quality is so/so from everything i've heard.

 

[phungy]

Oh ok, maybe I used the wrong terminology.

I should look for a single speed/fixed gear bike then?
I'll be checking out the cycling stores around town but I heard they are pricey $800+
So out of the 3, which one would you choose?

 

[PlaceofDis]

Oh ok, maybe I used the wrong terminology.

I should look for a single speed/fixed gear bike then?
I'll be checking out the cycling stores around town but I heard they are pricey $800+
So out of the 3, which one would you choose?

well there is a pretty big difference, imo, between a road bike and a single speed bike.

road bikes give you the flexibility of going distance without too much trouble due to the variety of gears. especially helpful helpful if you're just getting back to riding after a long time away (like me)

 

[hmmfe]

Yeah, have to ask why you are looking at single-speed? I realize it is quite fashionable right now and for certain things makes some sense. But, I am not sure it is the best bike to have for your stated needs (or as your sole ride). Might be better with a derailleur and some gears?

 

[phungy]

Ok, I can single out the Raleigh then cause I would like a bike with changeable gears. Thanks for your input so far!

 

[ms.gio]

Oh ok, maybe I used the wrong terminology.

I should look for a single speed/fixed gear bike then?
I'll be checking out the cycling stores around town but I heard they are pricey $800+
So out of the 3, which one would you choose?

Well, I'm an avid cyclist. It's kind of hard which one to recommend for you state that you'll use it as a commuter as well as a trainer for a triathlon. I personally ride a fixed gear (FG) and it's great. A FG is great for working on your leg strength and for working on your cadence rate.

So, if I had to pick of the three even though I ride a FG, I would go for the road bike. It looks like its in a good condition. If you can post the specs of the bike I would give you more input.

well the thing is these aren't Road bikes, these are Single Speed/Fixed gear/Track bikes from the looks of it. at least the Cayne and Raleigh are.

i've never heard of Cayne myself, but am looking to possibly get a fixed/single speed Raleigh next year as they are good entry level bikes.

schwinn quality is so/so from everything i've heard.

Placeofdis is pretty much right. Schwinn used to be great but since they moved to Taiwan from Chicago their quality kind of went down the hole. I've also never heard of Cayne and I'm pretty knowledgeable of SS/FG bicycles. If you want a good entry SS/FG I would recommend either a Fuji Track, Raleigh Rush Hour or One Way, KHS Flight 100, and some others. I wish I can list more but those were the first four that came to mind. I got my Fuji Track for about $600 and I <3 it.

 

[hmmfe]

Oh ok, maybe I used the wrong terminology.

I should look for a single speed/fixed gear bike then?
I'll be checking out the cycling stores around town but I heard they are pricey $800+
So out of the 3, which one would you choose?

My advice is check out the used section at your LBS (local bike shop). You need to ride a bike to see if it suits you. I would not buy a bike online unless you have some experience regarding frame size, components, etc. You should be able to find a fine ride for 400-500 bucks (seems to be your budget) in a used bike. Brand does not really matter. If you'll be spending time in the saddle (3 buses?), I'd tend toward a steel frame. You're in Florida so the extra few pounds would not matter much and you'll get a smoother ride in the bargain.

 

[phungy]

My friend who purchased his road bike at the LBS got it for a good deal because the '07s were coming in and he got a new '06 for about $640 with tax. It's amazingly light (22 lbs I think) and had some upgraded parts too. He also stated that the shop puts you on a bike(?) and adjusts some stuff to see what would be the best compatible bike (I like that).

I wouldn't mind a used but around campus, bikes get stolen left and right. I purchased a cheap $100 Mongoose from Wally World and that got stolen about 2 months later

Again, thanks for your input!

EDIT: 2006 Fuji Track on eBay, what do you think?

Steel frame, New, 56cm, FG

EDIT 2:
Too bad this is local pick up only.

 

[ms.gio]

My friend who purchased his road bike at the LBS got it for a good deal because the '07s were coming in and he got a new '06 for about $640 with tax. It's amazingly light (22 lbs I think) and had some upgraded parts too. He also stated that the shop puts you on a bike(?) and adjusts some stuff to see what would be the best compatible bike (I like that).

I wouldn't mind a used but around campus, bikes get stolen left and right. I purchased a cheap $100 Mongoose from Wally World and that got stolen about 2 months later

Again, thanks for your input!

EDIT: 2006 Fuji Track on eBay, what do you think?

Steel frame, New, 56cm, FG

Regarding the Fuji which you listed I would highly, highly recommend you going to your LBS (local bike shop) and have them figure out what size you are. By "putting you on a bike" it means that they're fitting you to the bike itself. A true LBS wouldn't sell you a bike which would be awkward for you to ride on instead they would take the time to see whether or not your body is being forced to fit on the bike. Your shoulders should be comfortable (without strain) with reaching the bars, your back shouldn't be arched too much, and the bike shouldn't be too tall or too short for you.

When you mount a bike you should check for the following things:

1) How do your shoulders feel? Do your shoulders feel as though they're too rounded in? Try imaging how a weight lifter stands with his shoulders curved in.
2) Are you stretching too far forward to reach the bars or the bars too close to you?
3) How does your back feel? Does it feel awkward? If so, are you bending your back too much or, once again, stretching?
4) When you stand over the bike does your... um... crotch hit the top tube or are you towering over the bike?

In regard to the top tube (aka the TT) I usually advise to keep maybe an inch to an inch and half of space for if you have to dismount quickly you don't want to hurt yourself. Let me tell you, it hurts.

BTW, how tall are you? I ask so I can have some sort of idea of what size you would be. I'm 5'2" and I ride on a 43 cm frame. Also, the Fuji you're looking at is the same one as mine but mine is the Fuji Track SE. If you've never ridden a fixed gear I would recommend putting brakes on it.

 

[phungy]

Wow thanks for all this knowledge!

I'm 69 inches.

I'll definitely keep those tips/advice in mind. Thanks so much!

BTW, how tall are you? I ask so I can have some sort of idea of what size you would be. I'm 5'2" and I ride on a 43 cm frame. Also, the Fuji you're looking at is the same one as mine but mine is the Fuji Track SE. If you've never ridden a fixed gear I would recommend putting brakes on it.

Haha, I thought I didn't see any brakes on the Fuji Track. I was wondering how it was suppose to slow down/stop.

 

[ms.gio]

Wow thanks for all this knowledge!

I'm 69 inches.

I'll definitely keep those tips/advice in mind. Thanks so much!

Haha, I thought I didn't see any brakes on the Fuji Track. I was wondering how it was suppose to slow down/stop.

It's a track bike. It's meant to be ridden without brakes. I ride with brakes for those "just-in-case" situations.

I'm going to try and figure out what size bike would fit you best but, like I said, I would go to your local bike shop and ask them to either fit you on a bike that you like there or see if they can figure out what size you are.

Wait a sec, you have a 69 inch inseam?!? Wow, you're tall... Really...how tall are you?

While we're talking about track bikes, here is mine:

 

[phungy]

I'm not sure what inseam means but I'm 5'9" (69").

EDIT:
I looked up inseam. I haven't measured it that way. I'd say smaller than 69 inches?

 

[shecky]

i do not know anything about bikes, but i just wanted to say that phungy's avatar is the shizznit. might be because when i first saw it i had something playing in itunes that exactly matched the movement of the avatar.

 

[ms.gio]

I'm not sure what inseam means but I'm 5'9" (69").

EDIT:
I looked up inseam. I haven't measured it that way. I'd say smaller than 69 inches?

Yeah, your "inseam" is the measurement from your...um...crotch to the ground. When I heard 69" I thought, "Wow, he's flippin' huge!"

 

[WildCowboy]

If you're planning on doing a tri, you're going to want some gears. Fixies are great for urban commuting, but you're going to want to be doing some focused rides in preparation for your tri and will want to be able to maintain a steady cadence under a variety of conditions. What about this one? The listing is kind of stale, but maybe it's still available.

 

[GavinTing]

Ah. A Road bike is something you actually only buy if you plan on going for a nice long 3 hour ride.. Not sure about the prices and culture over in the US, but in Singapore most people don't have a road bike for traveling.

I personally have a bike i love very much, was roughly 700 USD-ish.. Too bad it broke apart last month when I crashed. Ah well. My arm kinda broke too =D

I would suggest you go to a few (more than one!) local bike shops to take a look. If you are bargain hunting, most shops should be clearing their '07 stock, ask around. However, most shops only sell one "house brand" that they are loyal to, just like how some shops only sell Nike and some sell Adidas only, even though they aren't the manufacturer, just resellers. So be sure to go to more than one to compare prices.

If you want to know about brands, google Tour de France, and look at the manufacturers that sponsor bikes, like Giant, Trek, etc...

Low end bikes are usually aluminum (700 bucks or so), and carbon fibre ones (really really really light!) are a few thousand.

 

[ms.gio]

I was looking at the bicycles on CL in your area and besides the one road bike that you mentioned this could also be an option.

 

[phungy]

Well I went to 3 LBS, one was closed . The first had only Trek while the other had Giant and Specialized. The Trek 1000 was priced at $710 and the Giant OCR3 was priced at $660. I went with the Giant OCR3 because the LBS offered free tune-ups, seemed more knowledgeable and offered 20% off accessories for a month.

Originally, I had wanted my parents to help pay about 10% since yesterday was my birthday but I ended up paying for all of it. I love the feeling of not having to beg my parents for money

I rode it for a few mins but will be riding a bit later for maybe an hour to get a real feel. As for security, I bought a chain with a master lock since U-locks and cables can be easily cut through. The chain can be cut through too but don't thieves go for the path of least resistance?

I'll be getting a helmet soon as well as a bottle holder.

Any other tips/suggestions?

PS - Isn't a thread worthless without pics?

 

[GoCubsGo]

Well I went to 3 LBS, one was closed . The first had only Trek while the other had Giant and Specialized. The Trek 1000 was priced at $710 and the Giant OCR3 was priced at $660. I went with the Giant OCR3 because the LBS offered free tune-ups, seemed more knowledgeable and offered 20% off accessories for a month.

Originally, I had wanted my parents to help pay about 10% since yesterday was my birthday but I ended up paying for all of it. I love the feeling of not having to beg my parents for money

I rode it for a few mins but will be riding a bit later for maybe an hour to get a real feel. As for security, I bought a chain with a master lock since U-locks and cables can be easily cut through. The chain can be cut through too but don't thieves go for the path of least resistance?

I'll be getting a helmet soon as well as a bottle holder.

Any other tips/suggestions?

PS - Isn't a thread worthless without pics?

No gears? You're brave! I live in an area that is far from flat (but not like San Fran). I have a beach cruiser that I never ride because I prefer gears on my other bike.
Are the tires in the background the new ones you're going to put on?

 

[WildCowboy]

Nice choice for an entry-level...my fiancée has an '05 OCR3. She loves most things about the bike, although the drivetrain has given her a few troubles. Not unexpected though, when you budget really only lets you get Sora components.

 

[phungy]

No gears? You're brave! I live in an area that is far from flat (but not like San Fran). I have a beach cruiser that I never ride because I prefer gears on my other bike.
Are the tires in the background the new ones you're going to put on?

There are gears I'm pretty sure cause I can up/downshift. And it says "8-speed" on the right hand grip.

The spare tires in the back are from a 350Z and Scion tC. My roommate and I removed our spares to lighten the load though it most likely didn't make a noticeable difference in mpg.

Nice choice for an entry-level...my fiancée has an '05 OCR3. She loves most things about the bike, although the drivetrain has given her a few troubles. Not unexpected though, when you budget really only lets you get Sora components.

I did some research online and also noticed that a few had complained about the Sora shifters but "you get what you pay for" right?

Do you know if the shifters are upgradeable?

 

[WildCowboy]

There are gears I'm pretty sure cause I can up/downshift. And it says "8-speed" on the right hand grip.

Yep, it has gears...should be a triple up front and eight (as you say) in the back.

I did some research online and also noticed that a few had complained about the Sora shifters but "you get what you pay for" right?

Do you know if the shifters are upgradeable?

Yep, it's very much "you get what you pay for." I have primarily Sora components on my bike and they've been pretty good, but I haven't ridden nearly as much as she has.

Shifters (and everything) else are certainly upgradeable, but it's pretty expensive to do that, particularly if you're paying someone else to do the installation.

The OCR3 should serve you just fine. If you find yourself really getting into riding, you can always upgrade components or trade up to a whole new bike. But that's later.

 

[phungy]

Was looking through Craigslist and found the other bike I was considering. Link.

Seems like a good deal. What do you all think? Return the Giant for the Trek + extras or just stick with the Giant?

 

[WildCowboy]

The Trek 1000 is also a very solid bike. I'd want to ask why he's getting of it after only 10 miles of use...that's an expensive 10 miles for him at that price.

Some of those goodies are nice...the computer is a good one. I have that same Astrale one...cadence is nice to have. I'm not a huge fan of used bike shorts, but whatever...they can be cleaned.

Of course, the color would eliminate it from contention for me, but I'm picky about my colors.