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Taking the Plunge, A Few Questions...

Poops McDougal

moving to australia
May 30, 2007
1,179
1,241
Central California
I've been really interested in getting into road biking lately, and I've decided that I'm going to pull the trigger within the next couple days. My first inclination was to find a decent used bike, but knowing little about the fitment of road bikes, I was afraid I'd pick up something that was a bad match for me. I figured I'd be better off picking up a new bike at the LBS, and letting them handle the fitment.

So for my first question - Do I pick up an entry-level bike, ride it for awhile, and upgrade to something nicer when I'm sure I'll be doing plenty of riding? Or do I start off with something a little nicer? I've been looking at the Allez, though it seems like any bike around $800 bucks or so is going to be pretty much the same in the quality department. I'd like to keep it around $1200, but that also needs to include shoes... Thoughts?

And for my second - and most important question - I've never ridden clipped in, and I'm positive that I'm going to end up on the ground very soon... :biggrin: Any tips for a guy who's ridden nothing but flats his entire life?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
 

Wumpus

makes avatars better
Dec 25, 2003
8,161
153
Six Shooter Junction
And for my second - and most important question - I've never ridden clipped in, and I'm positive that I'm going to end up on the ground very soon... :biggrin: Any tips for a guy who's ridden nothing but flats his entire life?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Practice starting/stopping in a grassy area first. You're still going to fall over at a stop sign sooner or later just try not to do it in front of anyone.
 

Poops McDougal

moving to australia
May 30, 2007
1,179
1,241
Central California
Practice starting/stopping in a grassy area first. You're still going to fall over at a stop sign sooner or later just try not to do it in front of anyone.
That's what I was thinking... I can handle a skinned knee or a bruised elbow, but shame's another story. :biggrin:

Also, should I be concerned with riding position? Aggressive, more upright, etc. Or just what feels most comfortable? I'll be using the bike for long weekend rides and commuting - though my commute's only a mile.
 

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,647
1,116
NORCAL is the hizzle
The price range you're talking about is very competitive so don't worry too much about relative quality at a given price - the bikes from major brands are going to be pretty close. Definitely try to get out and test ride as many as you can and pick the brains of a few different sales people. Fit is critical because if you get the wrong frame no amount of fiddling with your stem, bar, or seat will make it right. Having said that, even with the right frame it can take some time to figure out details like bar and seat position, stem length and height, etc., so be patient.

If you've never ridden a road bike before, consider slapping some flats on there at first so you can focus on getting comfortable with the bike before you make the move to clipless. Or, get some clipless for your mtb and get comfortable with them that way. Don't know you or your skills but jumping on a new kind of bike AND clipless for the first time can be too much new stuff for some people to handle.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
That's what I was thinking... I can handle a skinned knee or a bruised elbow, but shame's another story. :biggrin:

Also, should I be concerned with riding position? Aggressive, more upright, etc. Or just what feels most comfortable? I'll be using the bike for long weekend rides and commuting - though my commute's only a mile.
When you are clipped in, remember it is all about twisting to exit....if you start to panic and try to pull your foot off instead of twist you will fail. As for fit, there are many factors that can play into it....some of those include your weight, core strength, and ailments (hurt wrists, elbows, etc.). I would go with comfortable over aggressive....if the position isn't comfortable you won't like riding the bike, and you will probably ride less consequently.
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
Good advice here. For clipless, I'd recommend starting in a doorway or somewhere you can't fall down. Hold yourself up and practice the motion so it becomes a bit more natural. You'll probably fall over at a few stoplights or something, but that's the way it goes.

I am more inclined to spend money up front than buy cheap and plan to probably upgrade. It's a gamble if you're not sure you'll even like it, but complete new bikes are the best deal when you just get what you want the first time around.

The shop I used to work at offered fitting with a road bike. They put you on the trainer, do the basic stuff (seat height/angle, stem length, etc) and exchanged parts that wouldn't work. Might want to ask about something like that. In any case, you probably won't know if your hands are going to go numb and your knees are going to hurt until you put some time on the bike. Just get something comfortable and adjust as necessary, asking a knowledgable shop person for advice.
 

jaydee

Monkey
Jul 5, 2001
794
0
Victoria BC
Riding a road bike with running shoes and flats would be much more shameful than falling over at a stoplight clipped in. The only thing more shameful would be riding your road bike with a t-shirt, baggies and a camelbak.
 

DRB

unemployed bum
Oct 24, 2002
15,242
0
Watchin' you. Writing it all down.
The thing about upgrading is that components are never going to be cheaper than when you buy the original bike. So as much as you can afford up front. That being said buy the best frame that you can afford as upgrades become necessary.

If you were doing the Allez, the upgrade to the allez elite is significant and definitely worth the money. You might go over a bit with shoes and pedals but not much. Ask if, they have any 08s in stock, shops are looking to get rid of them this time of year. Also don't be afraid to ask for a discount on the bike and if they can't move on the price of the bike, then ask about the pedals and shoes and whatever else accessories (bottle cages, computer, etc). If you go to multiple shops, go back to the same salesman (if you like them). They'll be more inclined to work with you if you've made the effort to reconnect with them.

Don't take the quicky test ride, try to go for an extended time. Bring your own helmet.

Can't agree more with the FIT theme. If the shop doesn't offer the fit with the bike run away. I'd also be worried about a shop that doesn't do a basic fit for you before your test ride. Ask if they'll check your fit in the future once you've had time to get used to the bike and know what's working and what's not.

Also like OG said sometimes the fit process takes a little time, so make sure you've got the time.
 

proglife

Monkey
Apr 18, 2002
339
0
Annapolis, MD
I was in your position a few months ago. Ended up with a '07 Jamis Quest and I've been loving it. I can keep up with my buddies on their TT bikes (not without a lot of grimacing, but that's more my fault than the bikes). I'm really happy with the way it rides. Soaks up bumps pretty well and seems to be more stable/less twitchy than my buddies' bikes. The 105 components have all been smooth and reliable so far. I'm putting less than 100 miles/week on it, but I've had no problems.

Maybe you can wait a little bit and get an '08 model for a good discount?

On the pedal topic: i've been way happy with the crank bros quattro/sidi genius carbon combo. The shoes couldn't fit better and the pedals are much smoother to get in and out of than the ritchey spd's i rode in college.
 

maddog17

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2008
2,815
105
Methuen, Mass. U.S.A.
like everyone said, fit is important and do go with comfortable over aggressive. it may be a tough choice to figure out what to buy. like you mentioned, upgrading in the future is a possiblility but that depends on whether you like it or not. but if i were you, i would go for something a bit on the higher end of your budget. that should get you some nice parts so that you won't have to upgrade anything significant. the pedal/shoe problem is pretty easy. i would suggest either the doorway and or the grass route. it is a weird feeling to have your feet locked in but it doesn't take much to get use to it. you can always find deals online thru Performance, Nashbar, PricePoint or Jensens. find something cheap to start with. i thought Nashbar usually did a shoe/pedal combo. you dont need to spend $300-500 for a shoe/pedal combo. get something basic and go from there. just make sure the pedals have adjustments for the springs and when you get them loosen them up all the way and start getting use to them. then as time goes on you can tighten them up. think of it as if you were skiing, easier tension for a beginner, more for more experienced.

good luck and let us know what you get, we want pics!
 

proglife

Monkey
Apr 18, 2002
339
0
Annapolis, MD
My girlfriend bought a Crank Bros Quattro/Adidas combo at the same time I got my Quattro/Sidis. She'd never ridden clipless before and did great (fell once on the first stop, but that's it). They're really easy to get out of and are two-sided so you don't have to flip the pedal around before you can snap in.
 

Poops McDougal

moving to australia
May 30, 2007
1,179
1,241
Central California
Thanks guys, I appreciate all the comments so far. So I went down to my LBS, and pulled the trigger on this guy -



I decided that I wanted to be damn sure I was going to stick with the roadie thing before I dropped the money for a nice bike, and with everything else I needed, I was able to stay well within my $1200 cap - including a pair of Specialized Elite shoes, Look Keo pedals, bib shorts, etc., etc...

I spent some time on it, and we made sure that the frame was the right size for me, but I didn't have the time to get the bike fully fit to me. I'm heading back to the shop to do that Saturday, and hopefully taking it out for 20 or 30 miles on Sunday.

Sooooo much different than anything I've ever ridden... The first ride was super-sketchy, as every movement I made translated to the wheels, and I was constantly anticipating having to twist my way out of the pedals for emergency stops. Another quick ride last night yielded much better results, and the clipless thing is much less of a concern then I thought it would be.

I'm digging it so far, and smuggling plums is not enough of a deterent to stop me yet. :happydance: