Any road bike experts?

[astrodudepsu]

Locally we have an excellent bike trail that runs from Arlington to Leesburg, VA. Wife and I walked about 10 miles of it this weekend and are looking to grab a pair of road bikes to bike it.

Now I understand in this realm the sky is the limit as far as bike pricing. What I'm interested in, is the best dollar/quality ratio out there for beginners. I'm not planning to be the next Tour winner here, but I'd spend ~$500/bike for the both of us to get around on.

We have a ton of stores around here that sell nice road bikes, but I'd consider an amazon/internet purchase too.

So what does $500/bike get me here? Is it even worth it if that's all I can put into it?

Thanks in advance folks.

 

[Torch10th]

Really it depends on what type of bike you're looking at. Road bike can encompass a lot of different types of bikes just in it's own sub-set.

Do you want a bike built for speed? Do you want a bike primarily built for comfort? Do you want a 20+ speed drivetrain, or would you prefer single speed?

I have a Trek FX and it's a pretty great all-purpose bike. It's considered a Hybrid. Designed to be primarily used on the road, but it's geometry and riding position is closer to that of a mountain bike. For a commuter, or casual rider, hybrid's are a decent choice as they allow some flexibility in going off-road if you want or need to. They are also a bit more comfortable.

A big trend right now is single speed road bikes. I've ridden several and the words I'd use to describe them are fast and efficient. With a chromoly steel frame and sans 20 lb drivetrain, they become pretty light to haul around. You get more bang out of each pedal. They can become a bit tiresome if they're geared more for speed and you're taking trips with lots of hills though.

The one thing I'll say about my FX is that the frame is incredibly stiff. Because of how soft aluminum is, the frame has to be designed that way. As a result, it transfers pretty much every rock and bump through the frame. While it's not outwardly uncomfortable, it can get annoying.

I would check out bikesdirect.com and see what interests you there. Ultimately though I do recommend buying from a shop. If you're serious about riding, you'll need to be doing annual tune-ups. These can get expensive depending on what's being done. So many shops will offer you free, or heavily discounted tune-ups if you purchase the bike there. The bike may be a bit more expensive initially, but the savings on the tune-ups and repairs will make it cheaper in the long run.

I just purchased my finacee one of these.

https://www.bigshotbikes.com/index.html

It's not in yet, so I can't speak to it as a quality piece or not. It is on the cheaper end, so I'm sure the tires will need to be upgraded and maybe a few other things. But for the $300.00 I paid, she's getting a chromoly steel frame a cool color combination, front/rear breaks etc.

Most bike elitists tend to knock on the custom fixie thing that's popped up, but from what I've seen, although they may not be high dollar, you're still getting a bike that will last you for many many years.

A couple friends of mine Have Sole bikes which are about as cheap as they come. High tensil steel, low end crank sets and bearings etc. Both of those bikes have been solid and have taken a beating. Just replace the tires with something better that won't pinch flat and forget it. The Hi-ten framed bikes are going to be decently heavy though, so keep that in mind.

 

[03Steve]

I would look into the Kona Dew. My girlfriend just test rode one and loved it. Personally, I'm a crossbike (CX) rider. I have a 2013 Kona Jake The Snake. The CX bikes are nice for road biking, and light off road use.

 

[astrodudepsu]

Thanks for the input guys.

From the reading I've done, I want to target the Hybrid type of bikes. I'm not thrilled with the seating position of a traditional road bike, but I also don't want to pedal a steel-framed mountain bike on a relatively nice paved surface. And so the Hybrid type bikes seem like the best compromise.

We will be riding primarily for exercise but that will double as leisure. The trail is over 45 miles long from end to end, and maybe one day we'd ride the 90 miles but I suspect that 10-20 mile rides will be far more common. I don't plan to be on this thing all day, and certainly don't plan on doing any sort of competitive racing. I would prefer more than 1 gear, although the trail is pretty flat so I don't need a ton of gearing options. 10-18 would be sufficient, but if my choices are 21+ or 1, I'd choose 21+.

I'll check that link out. There are a TON of bike stores in NoVA (I was surprised given how few people bike to work) so I would certainly try to find a deal locally first.

 

[Torch10th]

Thanks for the input guys.

From the reading I've done, I want to target the Hybrid type of bikes. I'm not thrilled with the seating position of a traditional road bike, but I also don't want to pedal a steel-framed mountain bike on a relatively nice paved surface. And so the Hybrid type bikes seem like the best compromise.

We will be riding primarily for exercise but that will double as leisure. The trail is over 45 miles long from end to end, and maybe one day we'd ride the 90 miles but I suspect that 10-20 mile rides will be far more common. I don't plan to be on this thing all day, and certainly don't plan on doing any sort of competitive racing. I would prefer more than 1 gear, although the trail is pretty flat so I don't need a ton of gearing options. 10-18 would be sufficient, but if my choices are 21+ or 1, I'd choose 21+.

I'll check that link out. There are a TON of bike stores in NoVA (I was surprised given how few people bike to work) so I would certainly try to find a deal locally first.

I think you'd be surprised how quickly that 45 miles will melt away. Last summer I commuted to work via bike. With traffic, the 4.5 mile one way ride took approximately 25 minutes. On a dedicated bike path where you're not waiting on traffic, lights and riding through neighborhoods, 30 minutes of biking will probably take you around 6 miles at a leisurely pace.

The hybrid bikes are a really good compromise. There's a ton you can do with them. If you know you're going to be pavement only, you can put a more road oriented tire on it that requires a bit less effort and will reward you with a bit more speed. Conversely, if you know there is a slight off-road trail on your way, you can put a bit more of an off-road oriented tire on it as well.

I don't know much about the Kona bikes, but I do enjoy my Trek. It is a bit over the $500.00 price range you were looking at however. If I recall correctly, I paid about $680 after taxes for mine.

FX - Trek Bicycle

 

[starnsey]

I would agree with the above - a good compromise for the price is the FX series bicycle. It's great for commuting and perfect for paved path riding. And if you find yourself in a situation which you have to ride on some dirt or gravel, you won't have any problem remaining stable and keeping upright with the geometry of the bike. But with the geometry of the commuter type bikes, headwinds can be a pain in the ass.

Just keep in mind, if you fall in love with cycling, you'll want to upgrade pretty quickly. And once you get to that point, it's really not worth it to look at anything under $1k. I personally ride a Surly Long Haul Trucker which is a steel framed road bike more set up for touring than speed - larger tires, more upright geometry, lots of options for accessorizing.

Don't throw out the idea of buying used. Although steel framed bikes are probably considered by cycling elitists as antiquated, the flex of a steel frame allows for a lot more comfortable ride quality as opposed to the harshness of aluminum. If you can find a nice 80s Peugeot, that's always a good option.

To sum it up, if you're not totally concerned with being as fast as possible, there are a lot of options. But if you decide you want to go as fast as possible or do a multi-day tour, you've gotta start looking in the higher price ranges.

 

[Torch10th]

I'll +1 the Surly, they are excellent bikes. My friend and co-worker has a Steamroller with a few custom goodies on it. On his worst day, that bike is miles faster than my FX on a good day and that's even considering single speed/fixed vs a bike with a drivetrain.

My next bike will be a custom built Steamroller frame with some fixie culture styled goodness.

 

[snaked]

I love my fixed. Ride it 12 miles/day. Wayyy better than the pig of a mountain bike I was making the ride on.

Some people don't like the way fixed rides but once you get used to it it's the best!

 

[Razzles]

I have a Trek hybrid mountain bike for trail riding - the seat was extremely uncomfortable for more than 10 mile ride, so I bought a nice, squishy gel saddle and fixed that issue.

 

[TripleBlack]

Road bike can encompass a lot of different types of bikes just in it's own sub-set.

:??: who-what? No it can't. A road bike is a road bike and nothing else. A hybrid is something completely different. They ride different, feel different and aside from having two wheels they really don't share much in common.



OP if you are looking to do some serious exercising I'd say go with a road bike. There really is no substitute to a road bike. Also road bikes are a hell of a lot more fun than a clunky hybrid or comfort bike. A good analogy would like comparing a corvette to a scion xb or something lol. Road bikes are fast, agile, and a blast to ride, while hybrids/comfort bikes are what old people ride around at the beach wearing mountain bike helmets.

Also you should never need more than 20 gears on a bike. If you do then that means you have a triple (three gears on the front crank) and that will just cause more problems than they are worth. Get a bike with a compact double (50 tooth big gear, 34 tooth small gear) with an 11-26 gearing combo out back and seeing as you won't do a lot of climbing that should suit you nicely. Hell you could even get a standard 53-39 upfront and you should be good to go as well.

I see you aren't too thrilled with the seating position on a road bike, but trust me that's something you get used to rather quickly. Once you are properly fitted to the bike and everything is dialed in you'll notice how much more comfortable you are riding in a more 'aero' position than you are in an upright position. There is much more to it than simply moving the seat up or down.

However a deciding factor could be what you've budgeted out for your new hobby. If you are buying new I would suggest not to get anything under $1k because after a while you are going to want to upgrade VERY quickly. HOWEVER there are always deals to be had on last years models which often do fall under the $1k price tag.

In the end riding any kind of bike is fun, so you are sure to have a good time with your lady no matter what... But once you see a road bike blast by you with seemingly little effort going 20+ miles an hour and you are puttering along with a clunky triple crank, and heavy frame you are going to wish you had that road bike. :beer: