road bike sizing and models?
i've been an avid mountain bike cyclist for years. i know what's what in terms of brand names and components for mountain bikes, but not so much in the road bike category. i'm looking for an entry to mid level road bike to replace my mtb on the pavement this summer. my budget is $1000. secondly i am not familiar with the sizing of these bikes. i ride comfortably on my 17in Norco so if anyone knows what that translates into roadie sizing that would be great. i'm not looking for people to just say "get a trek or specialized." i know these are good brands. i'm looking for more specific models and any experience people have with these bikes. thanks.
yes it's true i'm not looking for an exceptional road bike. an aluminum frame in entirely fine with me. i know i'm not going to get the best rims or hottest derailleur. i don't want that. just want a bike that is halfway light with good base level quality components. sora or tiarga are fine with me. looks to be about the same as the deore baseline of mountain bikes. just need some specific models to check out
Tags: bike, Models, road, sizing
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December 15th, 2009 at 8:56 am
If you’ve been riding that many years, you maybe disappointed in what $1000 buys in a road bike. I don’t think you will get a full carbon fiber frame at that price, it will either be full alum or alum + carbon. Also, you probably won’t get the best components or wheels in that price range. You know, you probably wouldn’t go out and buy a car with out a test ride, so you should test ride some bikes too. I think in that price range you are looking for value, and a good discount, you might look at Felt, they make some nice road bikes. Pick up a copy of “Road Bike Action” or visit their web site, they should have some good recommendations. You should not base your frame size on your MTB size, get a fit at the dealer.
December 15th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Are you going to buy at a local bike shop (LBS) or online?
If at a LBS – buy what they sell and let them fit you to the bike. Any reputable bike comany will have great bike at that price level. Get steel if you can – Bianchi and Jamis still make steel I think.
If online – I have experience with only Windsor bikes from
www. bikesdirect. com (actually we got it from cyclespectrum but they are owned by same people)
Got one for my wife with Sora components for really cheap. ANd we notice a differenc in the Sora stuff. I would say stick to Tiagra at a minimum.
But I would reccomend you check out Mercier – they are steel frames sold at bikesdirect. com. See link below for $695 steel frame . . . . with carbon blade fork – Tiagra /105 mix – and you could throw some $ into upgrades – like a seat – aero bars -cyclo computer – new stem etc. . . .
http://www. bikesdirect. com/products/mercier/aquila_al8. htm
I don’t have this one. . . . but it looks nice on paper. . . and you can see the geometry too to figure out your fit.
Steel it’s pratcially indestructable (Unlike carbon) and smoother than aluminum.
I got a used steel roadbike for myself – a Bianchi and love it. I also got it with all Campy drivetrain and love that too. Check out campy stuff if you can – maybe not in that price range unless you consider used. It just feels different and looks nice and is rebuildable where shimano is replaceable.
As far as sizing – Fit is really important on a road bike – more time hunched over in same position unlike a MTN bike where we move around allot.
You are probably somewhere in between a 54, 56 or 58 CM depending on the bike company.
There’s a geometry chart on BIkes direct link above.
compare it to your MTN bike. . . . and factor in stem lenghts too.
Road bike fit usually a tiny bit longer in the top tube than Mtn Bikes.
December 15th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Thsi is jsut a rough guess but youi may be riding no more than a 54 cm road frame.
December 15th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Fit is critical on a road bike. Go to your LBS and let them fit you. Shop around. For $1K you should get a bike that is really fun to ride and performs very well. I don’t care for Sora components. The heirarchy, working upward, is Sora -> Tiagra -> 105 -> Ultegra -> DuraAce. You are unlikely to get above 105 in your price range.
You spend lots of time on a road bike, so test rides are very important. Most local shops will give you free adjustments for at least a year, if not for life, but the bike size has to be in the right ballpark for adjustments to be effective
When starting out, I use Giant as a baseline. The TCR http://www. giant-bicycles. com/en-US/bikes/road/1238/29256/ is right in your price range. The OCR 1 http://www. giant-bicycles. com/en-US/bikes/road/1243/29268/ is a more relaxed geometry and should also work well.
HTH
December 15th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Fuji Roubaix
Giant TCR
Specialized S-Works
Trek 1500
GT – GTR Series
These are just a few. Go to your local bike shop and give them your price range, they will get you the correct size and help you with the selection. If they don’t it’s not a good bike shop and go to another. Plus just check out a few shops for different selection and prices. Road bike fit is a little more extencive then a mountain bike fit different brands have different geometry and one may fit better than another and they may be the same frame size. Bottom line head to a few local shops and try them out.
December 15th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Like everyone else said, fit is critical on a road bike. However, sizing is also determined by frame design. Compact frames (sloped top tube) are sized from XS to XXL generally. That’s because one size can fit a variety of body types. Conventional frames (horizontal top tubes) are mor specific and are generally sized from 44cm to 69 cm. There are also, semi-compact frames that follow the same sizing measurements as a conventional frame. Also, consider seat height and positioning, and stem length (as well handlebar width, and crank length to some degree) all play a role in comfort.
Most people will tell you Trek or Specialized because that’s all they know. Value is the key in your price range. If you do buy online, Bikes Direct has a good selection in your price range with full 105 component groups. They sometimes even have Ultegra geared bikes for around $1,000 (sometimes less on ebay)on sale. If fit is a concern, go to a Bike shop and get sized on a Fuji road bike. Bikes Direct sells Motobecane, and Windsors. These are essentially rebadged Fujis so the fit should be the same. Strangely enough, those bikes are lower cost alternatives to Fujis- which are already good value. Usually they have the same components as the Fuji models (just goes to show you how inflated bicycle prices really are)
When it comes to bike shop purchasing,you’ll be hard pressed to beat Felt in value. A Felt F85 can be had for $999 MSRP with 105 gearing and an aluminum frame with carbon fork and seatpost. I have two Felt road bikes ( an ’07 F85 and an ’05 F55)- both of which I purchased new and are terrific bikes. Jamis and KHS offer some interesting models that are good values as well. I can personally say that Felt has excellent customer service though.
My suggestion is try to get a bike with Shimano 105. It might be mid-level and not be as light as Ultegra or Dura Ace, but 105 is the “workhorse” of the Shimano family. It’s been around for a few decades and has an envious reliability record. Some years, it has proven to be more reliable than the Ultegra or DuraAce. Heck, if you decide later that you want even smoother shifts like Ultegra and Dura Ace, just swap the shifters. 105 is the lowest cost 10 speed group and the only component that really changes your quality of shifting are the shifters. Trust me. Most bike shops will preach otherwise because they’re in the market to make money. No shame in that, but those who really know components will confirm this.