What is a good first-time road bike?
The only bicycle I own is a 36 lb. mountain bike. It's a very hardy bike, but also very heavy. Considering that I use it almost exclusively for 4-10 mile commutes I would love a 20 lb. road bike. I'm willing to spend up to $800 and I'm considering both new and used bicycles.
I'm only 19 and I've never bought a bicycle before, so I'm appealing to you more experienced cyclists for advice. Any suggestions?
First and foremost, get it fitted correctly, and buy as good a frame (number 1) and component set (number 2) as you can afford. The shifting and braking, which is what you'll be doing most often, will be faster, more powerful, more responsive, and so on, and better components are generally lighter, as well as frames. Felt makes very good bikes, good value for the money, and Specialized and Trek have names that speak for themselves. Trek will typically offer lesser spec on the components, but their frames can arguably be called better. Specialized is a step above on the spec end and Felt probably offers a more competitive combination of good frame construction and componentry. Don't be afraid to look at GT and Fuji at that price range, either. The big problem with that price range, and up into the low $1000s, is that the frames are typically built in China, so who knows what steps the manufacturers are using to ensure quality. I'd argue that the single most important aspect of the bike you're going to buy is that it fits you correctly, with the second most important thing being you like how it looks, no matter what the brand is. The next most important thing is the shop you get it from, that they take the time and explain things, fit you correctly, and generally care. With those things in mind, if you go with the big 4 names (Trek, Giant, Specialized, Cannondale), I can't see you going wrong, but as I said, don't be afraid of some of the smaller names like Felt, GT, Diamondback, Fuji, etc., because odds are the frames all came from the same 2 or 3 Chinese factories anyway.
Hong Kong Cycling sports mountain bike downhill 36
 |
No items matching your keywords were found.