Road Bike Advice - What bike?

[peachy]

Hey roadies and xc rider, and people that have a certain degree of knowledge on road bikes.
I have a budget of $1000 to buy on a road bike and shoes. What sort of bike would you suggest?
I'll be paying with cash, so I'd assume my lbs would be able to take a bit of mulla off, so my budget is around $900 - $1300.
Whats out there for this much? If possible, could you provide a link to the bike which you recommend.
Thanks a bunch
Take Care
-Peachy

 

[hippy]

Giant are generally accepted as good bang for buck.. but they only
come in 5 sizes so you either fit it or you don't:
http://www.lygoncycles.com.au/road/ (OCR3 can probably be had cheaper elsewhere, this is just an example)
2004 models are still around and should be SUPER CHEAP..
http://www.freedommachine.com.au/shop_body.asp?Category=38
http://www.freedommachine.com.au/shop_body.asp?Category=140

Low end Trek is an option:
http://www.bicyclestore.com.au/catalogue/group/37/1/Trek_Road_Bikes

I'd probably scrape another $500 together and try to get 105 groupset. I'd also prefer to ditch the funky-spoked Shimano R540 wheels and get standard 32 spoke wheels - but I am 100kg and ride road a lot.
The SPD-SL pedals on the 2005 OCR-2 are liked by quite a few folks - I'm buying some myself soon.

Norco are another cheaper option:
http://www.borsaricycles.com.au/data/bikes/norco/

There's also a large second-hand market (ebay, tradingpost, etc) but you need to know what you are buying and you need to make sure it fits you BEFORE you hand over any dosh..

hth
hippy

 

[LTR]

You won't want to spend less than about $1200 on a brand new roadie, make sure you have Tiagra or up (105 if you can). Sora is cheapo and has 21 gears. (3 on the front, 7 on the back.)

So look at the big mass produced market for band-for-the-buck type of stuff.

 

[THRILLHOUSE]

yer mate u wana look at a bike that has a decent group-set on it. you'd probly want at least shimano 105 gear on there. also look for one with decent wheels and ur set 8)

 

[tyno]

One thing that the others haven't mentioned. Make sure you get something with a carbon fork. It makes a massive difference if you're gonna be riding for more than a couple of hours.

The '04 version of this is what I have and it seems to work pretty well http://www.feltracing.com/2005_bikes/2005_f80.html

I had a cruise on a Scot CR1 on the weekend. Full carbon fibre. Ksyrium SL wheels and Durace everything else. Soooo nice. If you can add a 0 to the end of your budget you may want ot consider one of them :lol:

 

[sidathensgold]

If your going for the cheap stuff, Felt make some ripper bikes aswell as giant. I built up a cheap Felt which was about 1250 and it had some really trick parts like a 105 rear derailler and double front chainring. I cant remember what it was called but if a local shop stocks Felt their certainly worth looking into.

 

[supros88]

does anyone know where to look for 2nd hand road bikes, & is there a Australian road bike forum like farkin?


thanks
Ari

 

[Gonzo]

Try bicycling australia, it has a fair few bikes on it. http://bicyclingaustralia.com/classifieds/XcClassified.asp

 

[hippy]

does anyone know where to look for 2nd hand road bikes, & is there a Australian road bike forum like farkin?

Bicycle Recycle (South Rd, Moorabbin) has many.

www.cyclingforums.com and go to "Bike Cafe", then the aus.bicycle
section.

Here's a useful list:
http://www.openwindows.com.au/hippy/web/Cycling/used_bike_dealers.asp

hippy

 

[sam__kent]

Sora is cheapo and has 21 gears. (3 on the front, 7 on the back.)

Sora gear isn't bad at all. Well-maintained and well set-up, it will shift just fine. Also, Sora is actually 8 speed. This means that if you get some more cash later on, you can upgrade your shifters cassette and derailler to 9sp without changing your hubs.

Go for the giant - they have the best spec for the price and fit almost everyone. If you're tall and want something flash, why not check mine out....

 

[Gutty]

So you're after a road bike Peachy me old mate ??

Might be a wee bit on the heavy side for ya, and only got 5 gears.......





:lol: :lol:

 

[dilemma]

Sometimes it's better to go for a 2nd hand bike with decent quality components (ie 105 or up) than a newer bike with low end parts.

I'd agree with hippy and say that a Giant would be a good place to start.

And definitely check out www.bicyclingaustralia.com :wink: [/url]

 

[Bodin]

If you do find a decent second hand bike with good spec, then save your pennies up and get a custom steel frame from someone like Hillman Cycles. For $1000, I got a custom Reynolds 853 (really good, light steel) that I absolutley love - there's nothing quike like riding a bike that's been designed specifically for you (and painted with the design of your choice).

And paying $1000 for a frame that you'll never have to "write off" (steel frames don't fatigue like aluminium and carbon and can be repaired more easily and reliably) makes good financial sense in the long run.

If that all sounds too hard, just do what everyone else does and get a cheap Giant from one of the millionos of stores that sell them. Another "high-value" brand you could look at is Learsport. Your mates might laugh at a Learsport bike, but if you want good spec for the least dollars...

 

[sam__kent]

For $1000, I got a custom Reynolds 853

That seems like a great deal - what kind of fork did that come with?

 

[FuTAnT]

So you're after a road bike Peachy me old mate ??

Might be a wee bit on the heavy side for ya, and only got 5 gears.......





:lol: :lol:

6 gears you tool!

 

[Bodin]

For $1000, I got a custom Reynolds 853

That seems like a great deal - what kind of fork did that come with?

Apologies - I was a bit ambiguous - the Reynolds 853 deal was frame only.

A few years ago, I got an Avanti bike with a carbon fork and Shimano 600 group (the 8-speed predecessor to Ultegra) second hand for about $1000. The frame cracked shortly afterwards and I was left with a carbon fork and groupset that was in good working order. Instead of buying a frame off the shelf, I decided to get one custom from Hillman and was surprised to find how cheap it was when stacked against similar quality, mass-produced sh!tters that crack...

So what I was suggesting was to find a good value second hand bike with gear that you like and replacing the frame with a custom job that you'll love forever. Total cost will be less than 2 grand. Not quite within the stated budget of this post, but who HASN'T blown their budget from time to time for a good cause?

 

[luckyphil]

the only problem there is that if its your first roady, he may not be sure what position he's most comfortable with, and its a hell of a lot cheaper to play with stem length, bar widths and the measurements on a seatpost than to buy a custom bike that may not be exactly what he's after. i reckon get a cheap frame for the mo, and find out where your comfy, then get a custom job a little later. Also, i dunno how old peachy is, but he might still be growing (upwards or outwards ) and spending heaps of money on something you'll grow out of is stupid (ask ya mum).

on the other hand, these frames are sweet and you should definetly get one.

 

[Bodin]

Also, i dunno how old peachy is, but he might still be growing (upwards or outwards ) and spending heaps of money on something you'll grow out of is stupid (ask ya mum).

Yep, way good point - didn't think of that. My growing finished many moons ago, so size is a kinda forgone conclusion for me these days. Maybe custom is NOT the way to go if you're still on the up and up...

 

[bikemat]

Some of the Diamondback's this year are brilliant value! You could get the Interval for $980 which comes with a carbon fork! Mainly sora gear on it. Doubt you'll be able to find anything else out there with a carbon fork at that price.

 

[Velophile]

I'll add to the good advice above, Re growing & it being your first road bike etc.

You will spend a bit of time getting everything adjusted right & don't necessarily follow a shop or 'fitting expert' that tells you what's right if it feels like crap. Most of the road 'fitting systems' are based on pro road racers & their needs. IE speed & aero position etc. It will take some time to get comfortable with your fitting on a road bike.
Also I'd choose a better group set over a carbon fork any day. As someone said, you can upgrade the frame later as budget permits. If you cheap out on the running gear you could be disappointed later.