Cyclists help me out

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Mr.Bryan

Mr.Bryan

Joined
Mar 28, 2003
Threads
82
Messages
1,224
Location
Over here
Ok guys, I've got a duathlon that I'm training for right now and I'm biking on a 1970 something steel frame Niko. It sucks. My friend has a trek something or other fancy thing and I can't keep up with him at all. The race is in a month and i'm trying to find something used for a decent price on either ebay or craigslist. The only bikes that's i'm partially familiar with is trek, cannondale and giant. Do you guys have any other brands/models that I should check out? I've been trying to find a trek 1000, giant ocr2 and maybe a cannodale r300. I'm thinking for $500 I can find something pretty decent, I just don't want to drop $900 or 1k on a new bike.

Thanks in advance.
 
Others: Specialized, Bianchi, Dean, Klien, Lightspeed, Felt, etc.. There's ton's of good bikes out there. $500 doesn't by much of a competition bike (if that's what you want). The big thing is to make sure you get something that fits you well and is comfortable. And steel frames are fine, they can be made as light as aluminum or close to it, and generally have a nicer ride (less jarring).
 
Yep, $500 isn't that much to spend for a race-ready bike but I would try to the flee markets or craigslist for a nice used road bike, with used bike you will need to fit and tune it up yourself save some more dough. For new bike you may have to spend couple hundred more for entry level road bikes...Check out Performance Bikes to see if they have a store near you (www.performanacebikes.com), I saw an old ad for new road bike on sale for around $650 (regular price was almost $1K), also look or call around local bike shop who may have some NOS road bikes they're waiting to unload. For the 1st bike, it's nicer to buy it from a shop or in person so you can try it out or have the shop to fit it for you.

Personally, with a limited budget like that you would most likely to get an entry level or beginner bike that you may grow out of if you're into competion because it would be a heavy bike with parts which would not shift smootly or last as long.

And lastly make sure the bike fit you well so can you can comfortably bike for a long distance and fast pace. Have fun in the race.
 
go to mtbr.com and then click on "road bike review" for the road bike classifides section. I have seen good deal on the Giants. I would also look at Fuji. They make a good bike but their lack of name recognition means their resale is not as strong as say, specialized or trek.
 
i'm in the same boat you are. i have a late 70's POS but i love it when i ride with my friends because i have to kick it up a notch to keep up. i'd say any newer bike with quick shift brake lever style would be a huge improvement for you. i rode my buddy's litespeed the other day, that was a mistake.
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Try a rental place. Our local university has a realy good set of outdoor equipment to rent, including bikes.
 
cary said:
First question is still, does it fit you? Do you know what size frame you need, what length toptube is comfortable for you, how much drop you like from the saddle to the bars? If you don't know, you are wasting your time.
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x 57

If you are deadset on not going to a dealer, then go here:

https://www.wrenchscience.com/Login.aspx?ReturnUrl=/Secure/Fit/Height.aspx?stylecode=R&stylecode=R

Register and then do the fit analysis (you may need someone to help you take measurements). It will be better than pulling the bike size out of thin air.

Honestly, my advice would be to just race the bike you have. If you are going to do a series of long races, your gear will have an impact on your time. You really dont know if you like bike racing? Any investment could just sit in your garage for the rest of your natural life. In a short race, the bike really makes less of a difference than your training (unless you are going to full aero timetrial bike).

Either way.... good luck and have fun!
 
Have you traded rides and then ridden faster than him? I'm trying to understand how the problem is with the bike. He may have a 53 tooth chainring to your 52 tooth, giving him (slightly) more distance per crank revolution, all else being equal (cluster set, strength, endurance, etc.). He may have less rolling resistance if he's running 700c-23 at 120 psi and your tires are the old 28 x 1.25 or whatever they were. You might start by comparing what you have with what you want/need and go from there. If you have a good frame, the components can be upgraded, to a degree. As far as lightness, you're trying to maximize the body's efficiency by reducing the weight of the machinery, but if his cycle is 100 - 200 grams lighter than yours but you're five pounds heavier than he is, then efficiency doesn't factor in as much. Best of luck in the competition.
 
I sat on a few bikes and 54-56 cm seems to be right what I need. 54 is on the small end and 58 is on the tall end, so I think 56 is a safe bet. Looking at the specs here: http://www.epinions.com/bicycles_2003_Fuji_Roubaix_Pro# It is almost identical to a few other bikes that I have ridden.

This is just a tough line to walk. I'm trying to save money, but in doing that I can't test ride the bike... depending on the ending price of this auction, I may pull the trigger on it. It seems to be a good price and looking at the specs it seems to be very close to the right size for me.
 
igotta40 said:
Have you traded rides and then ridden faster than him?
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Yes.


I'm also not dead set on not going to a dealer, I'm just a cheap bastard which apparently not working to my advantage as usual.
 
Mr.Bryan said:
I sat on a few bikes and 54-56 cm seems to be right what I need. 54 is on the small end and 58 is on the tall end, so I think 56 is a safe bet.
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You need to be careful because one manufactures 54 = anothers 56 or 58 even. You need to establish what toptube length you feel most comfortable on (many 56cm bikes will run between 55-56cm) and make sure whatever you buy is within 1cm of that. It doesn't sound like a lot but makes a big difference.

Depending on how active it is in your area, craigslist is much better for buying bikes. You get to go look at the bike, ride it, and make sure it is what you want.
 
Thanks Cary. I've been all over craigslist in the last few weeks, but I really haven't been able to find something that fits my needs yet. I'm going to keep looking though. Maybe I'll get lucky.
 
I fit a normal 56 and the Fuji Roubaix in 56 fits me fine. At least as far as inseam. You can swap the thingies that connect the headset to the handlebars to suite you as needed. it's a $30-40 part if memory serves.

That particular bike on ebay is showing a lot of rust for not being that old. It's a little bit of a concern, but maybe it was sitting down by the ocean for a while. Either way you want to take it apart and maybe replace some bearings and other moving parts (like the chain) if need be. The chian looks like it needs it.

Go crazy. I'm not seeing any screaming good deals on Craigslist up here.FWIW
 
Mr.Bryan said:
My friend has a trek something or other fancy thing and I can't keep up with him at all.
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I suggest you switch bikes with him for a day. He'll probably still kick your ass.

"It's not about the bike."
- Lance Armstrong

Check the weight of your wheelset with tires vs his. An entry-level, modern wheelset should help immensly. You could probably find something used for $100 or so. There's nothing wrong with your frame. Upgrade the brake levers if the cables coming out the top is too dorky looking.
 
Urrrk said:
I fit a normal 56 and the Fuji Roubaix in 56 fits me fine. At least as far as inseam. You can swap the thingies that connect the headset to the handlebars to suite you as needed. it's a $30-40 part if memory serves.
Click to expand...

You don't fit a bike by standover height, you fit it by toptube length. If the toptube isn't the right length to start with, swaping stems is a bandaid at best. You have about 30mm of range in stem swaps before you start to really affect the handling because of changing weight distribution.
 
What size bike do you need? How do I measure it? My neighbor tried to sell me an old school high end race bike that had a ton of high dollar components on it. He wants $300.00 for it since that is what he has in it.

PM me if you want pics and measurments. I don't have a metric tape measure so you better give me the lengths in inches.
 
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