Intro road bike help

In the early and mind 90's I was a roadie - loved it but my bike grew old and my bank account grew smaller while in college. Thinking of getting a road bike again - not sure if I can stomach spending $2K or the likes given that I climb and trail run in the summer(and I've been known to hit the links from time to time) so biking won't be my main activity. I miss it enough and want to switch things up fitness wise this summer - plus the move to the Kamas valley has me thinking that all these wide open roads are begging to be ridden.

That said, what brands do some of you recommend I look at? Buying a used one like like this Kestrel seems like a good move to me but I could be wrong. I realize you get what you pay for in all things gear related.

I saw a bike that marshalolsen had for sale last week but it is gone now.

6'4", 34" inseam, 205 lbs.

Thanks in advance for the love.

post pix, spread stoke, squeeze the cam triga ... and for God's sake stop asking jong questions "ruukie" :biggrin:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by powstash

34" inseam

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[cough]bullshit[/cough]

How much less than 2 grand?

Keep an eye out for marshalolsen's deals - he sez that he'll be getting some more bikes in. Good stuff at a nice price.

A used bike is a great plan. Look for a high end frame and groupo over fancy parts. Ultrega should be within reach, the stuff shifts great and is solid. I'd try to avoid 8 speed Ultrega as it's getting tough to find replacement parts. Buying from a local shop might also be a good plan if any in SLC sell used bikes. Too bad my Yeti won't fit you...

Thanks truth.

Yea, I saw a bike last week that marshololsen was selling but the thread is not to be found any more. I'm sure it's not the last of the good deals.

check out coloardo cyclist, and their Douglas bikes. You can get a brand new aluminum w/carbon rear frame, full Ultegra grouppo, etc for just under $2K I think. Also, as with MTB's, the larger companies (Specilaized, Giant, etc) usally offer mid-range bikes w/nicer grouppos and parts as they can build 'em and sell 'em cheaper than smaller companies. Not as "cool" as botique frames, but you get more bang for your buck.

Giant makes good bikes and are have good prices. They have thier 3kand4k bikes but also have some good stuff under 2. Also check out Trek as they have some good bikes under 2k. You can always upgrade components later as some of the lower priced bikes are the same frame as the more expensive ones. They just have cheaper components.

Get a 1200.00 bike to start with and if you ride more than you think then start upgrading.

If you have wide open roads Im guessing the terrain will be flat? If so, then stick to double rings. If you're riding the LCC BCC roads then you might even consider a triple.

Get used. There's nothing wrong with 105. You just want to get around right so who cares if you're not in with the carbon crowd (no offence truth - your Project One is sexy but its also $$$$)

Road bikes take a lot less beating then mtbs so used is not a bad choice. Just make sure the bike hasn't been crashed, ask if the seller has ridden in crits or raced it. Check for nicks on any carbon parts. Check the frame to see if its true - eg if you get a chance to ride it get some speed - and ride no hands for a bit to see if it wobbles. Check for nicks and dings on downtube, cf fork, side of chainstays - the usual places where crash damage will show up.

Being an old roadie you know fit is everything so make sure the frame is the right size.

Lots of used bikes over in www.roadbikereview.com. Lots of sellers and riders there from UT area so plenty of opportunities to shop. Post up some deals if you want people to look at them.

You can spend less then $ 2K and get a very nice ride then go out and spend the savings on titanium dynafits, a trip to the northern selkirks or something like that.

I was in same boat. I ended up with a clean Cannondale Caad 4 with full Ultegra 9spd for not very much $$$(way less than a grand). I think it is a solid ride. I was worried about the harsh ride, and it isn't the plushest out there but the Slice fork helps Carbon bars would help as well. I haven't had it on the scale but is very light, very stiff and could be very fast but......

check out my 62 i'm selling also, will post pics soon but for the frame price you could build a bike for cheap $$$$.

I was a roadie never-ever a few years back. Went with an aluminum Specialized with carbon fork and seatstays, 105 groupo. It was about $1250 I think. Has served me well, but if I had to do it all over again, I would probably try to get Ultegra, and maybe better wheels (although the wheels are easy enough to upgrade).

Any possibility of getting something reduced from last year at a local shop? At 6' 4", there might be some big frames left over...

A word of caution about buying a used bike: as is being discussed in another thread, it is VERY important to get the frame size within 1cm of the correct size for your body...and also to get the final bike fit (seatpost height, stem length, crank length, etc) perfect. This is all very difficult to do with a used bike, and requires a great deal of luck. Do a lot of sizing research before you start looking for a used bike (or a new bike, for that matter)...and be very critical about getting the size right.