searching for first road bike

Ben Willcox

Just looking for some advice.

I am a 24yo female, looking to purchase my first road bike. Price range up
to $2,000. What do you recommend? Where to search in Brisbane or Gold Coast?

Thanks
Jac

JH

> I am a 24yo female, looking to purchase my first road bike. Price range up
> to $2,000. What do you recommend? Where to search in Brisbane or Gold
Coast?

Try "Cycleogical" in Montague St. West End in Brisbane, I see they are
advertising a new shipment of "Women's Only" bikes made by Alchemy, i can't
vouch if they are good or bad, but could be worth checking out.

See http://www.cycleogical.com.au/asp/index.asp

Tamyka Bell

"JH" <jhfromsw@telstra.com> wrote in message
news:RrTwc.10061$rz4.247@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> > I am a 24yo female, looking to purchase my first road bike. Price range
up
> > to $2,000. What do you recommend? Where to search in Brisbane or Gold
> Coast?
>
> Try "Cycleogical" in Montague St. West End in Brisbane, I see they are
> advertising a new shipment of "Women's Only" bikes made by Alchemy, i
can't
> vouch if they are good or bad, but could be worth checking out.
>
> See http://www.cycleogical.com.au/asp/index.asp
>
>

And then once you've found a bike you like, call around and see who will
give you a good price. Cycleogical = mega expensive. They're good people
but they didn't want to drop below RRP last time I called. They might give
Triathlon Australia discount. Strathpine cycles decided to outdo my previous
best offer and offered an Avanti Giro for $1450. RRP is $1799 I think. When
my mate went to buy one he talked them into the bike, shoes, helmet and some
other accessories, along with a service plan, for $1620. They were very
upfront, I told them exactly what I wanted and told them to name a price and
they were more than happy to do that.

That being said, the chaps over at Triathlete's World Cyclery at Albion are
awesome. They always give me a deal, and they didn't even laugh at me when I
took my bike back the day after a service because I'd banged the gears out
again.

For the $2000, you'll be guaranteed to get an alu frame, carbon forks, and
shimano 105 components. If you do well, you'll get partial or full upgrade
to ultegra and more carbon - seat post and maybe seat stay. Get a friend who
has a bike to go in with you because I had a lot of trouble with places like
SuperCycles who were just preying on the fact I didn't know much. Turns out
I knew enough.

A very very important thing to check is the warranty on the bike, and ask
around if they honour it. Some bikes only give you a short warranty but it
covers everything, some bikes give you a long one but it doesn't cover much,
most of them don't transfer to later owners. My coach returned his busted
Trek frame a while ago and they sent him a brand new one - his had been
about 10 years old! But you'll pay an extra $100 for the same bike just
because it's got Trek written on it.

T

DaveB

>
> For the $2000, you'll be guaranteed to get an alu frame, carbon forks, and
> shimano 105 components. If you do well, you'll get partial or full upgrade

Do carbon forks on an alu frame make much of a difference? I've got an
alu frame/forks and on some rough bitumen roads I feel like I'm using a
jackhammer. If it was going to make a big difference I was thinking
about carbon forks, but if it's not much difference I'll just keep
saving for a new bike and put up with it.

DaveB

Etxy

Daveb wrote:
> > For the $2000, you'll be guaranteed to get an alu frame, carbon
> > forks, and shimano 105 components. If you do well, you'll get partial
> > or full upgrade
> Do carbon forks on an alu frame make much of a difference? I've got an
> alu frame/forks and on some rough bitumen roads I feel like I'm using a
> jackhammer. If it was going to make a big difference I was thinking
> about carbon forks, but if it's not much difference I'll just keep
> saving for a new bike and put up with it.
> DaveB



I used to have an alu frame/forks, and that felt very jackhammerish,
just as you mention. Admittedly it was a very stiff frame. I upgraded to
a completely new bike, different wheels, tyres, frame, etc. so it's very
hard to be completely objective. To be completely certain of the
difference in something, one would need to keep everything the same
except for the forks- whats that, and Independent Variable or something?
Knew I should have paid more attention in Psychology class...

In terms of ride quality, the bike *feels* a lot smoother, and absorbs
more of the bumps. I would say that carbon forks do make a big
difference, but I can't be completely 100% sure that that isn't
different tyres or whatever.

Sorry if that was completely useless.



--

Dominic Sansom

Try Blair Stockwell at lifecycle.net.au. Great Service! Great Prices!
I've bought my last two bikes from him.



--

DaveB

Etxy wrote:
> Daveb wrote:
> > > For the $2000, you'll be guaranteed to get an alu frame, carbon
> > > forks, and shimano 105 components. If you do well, you'll get partial
> > > or full upgrade
> > Do carbon forks on an alu frame make much of a difference? I've got an
> > alu frame/forks and on some rough bitumen roads I feel like I'm using a
> > jackhammer. If it was going to make a big difference I was thinking
> > about carbon forks, but if it's not much difference I'll just keep
> > saving for a new bike and put up with it.
> > DaveB
>
>
>
> I used to have an alu frame/forks, and that felt very jackhammerish,
> just as you mention. Admittedly it was a very stiff frame. I upgraded to
> a completely new bike, different wheels, tyres, frame, etc. so it's very
> hard to be completely objective. To be completely certain of the
> difference in something, one would need to keep everything the same
> except for the forks- whats that, and Independent Variable or something?
> Knew I should have paid more attention in Psychology class...
>
> In terms of ride quality, the bike *feels* a lot smoother, and absorbs
> more of the bumps. I would say that carbon forks do make a big
> difference, but I can't be completely 100% sure that that isn't
> different tyres or whatever.
>
> Sorry if that was completely useless.
>

No I kind of suspected there would be more to it than just changing the
forks. Given the cost of all the parts I'd need to replace inc forks I
think I'm better off waiting for a new bike.

DaveB

Tamyka Bell

Etxy wrote:
>
> Daveb wrote:
> > > For the $2000, you'll be guaranteed to get an alu frame, carbon
> > > forks, and shimano 105 components. If you do well, you'll get partial
> > > or full upgrade
> > Do carbon forks on an alu frame make much of a difference? I've got an
> > alu frame/forks and on some rough bitumen roads I feel like I'm using a
> > jackhammer. If it was going to make a big difference I was thinking
> > about carbon forks, but if it's not much difference I'll just keep
> > saving for a new bike and put up with it.
> > DaveB
>
> I used to have an alu frame/forks, and that felt very jackhammerish,
> just as you mention. Admittedly it was a very stiff frame. I upgraded to
> a completely new bike, different wheels, tyres, frame, etc. so it's very
> hard to be completely objective. To be completely certain of the
> difference in something, one would need to keep everything the same
> except for the forks- whats that, and Independent Variable or something?
> Knew I should have paid more attention in Psychology class...
>
> In terms of ride quality, the bike *feels* a lot smoother, and absorbs
> more of the bumps. I would say that carbon forks do make a big
> difference, but I can't be completely 100% sure that that isn't
> different tyres or whatever.
>
> Sorry if that was completely useless.


Yeah I was out on my bike one Sunday feeling very very sore after the 5
hrs on the bike the day before. The guy next to me, who races track,
grins and says "you look sore, you should get a bike like mine" and I
think to myself, sure if I could afford another bike... but instead I
ask "what's yours do?"

He's proud to inform me that it's steel. He's still got the carbon
forks, but his bike is more shock absorbing. Never thought of that. I
guess if I could afford more bikes I might have...

T

suzyj

Originally posted by Daveb:
> Do carbon forks on an alu frame make much of a difference?

Only by virtue of making your wallet lighter.

Much more difference would be felt by going to wider tyres, and not
pumping them up quite as hard.

Not that I'm against carbon forks (or other carbon bits), just that I
accept that the differences are almost entirely cosmetic.

Regards,

Suzy



--

flyingdutch

suzyj wrote:
> Originally posted by Daveb:
> > Do carbon forks on an alu frame make much of a difference?
> Only by virtue of making your wallet lighter.
> Much more difference would be felt by going to wider tyres, and not
> pumping them up quite as hard.
> Not that I'm against carbon forks (or other carbon bits), just that I
> accept that the differences are almost entirely cosmetic.
> Regards,
> Suzy



I'd have to disagree with that one. well, kinda

I recently upgraded my 853steel roady (which had 531 forks) to carbon
forks (Alu steerer) and the difference was HUGE!

comfort and bump absorption was noticeable, however (i suspect from
being lighter?) they were 'skittier' when you sit up

I can only presume that the change from Alu to Carbon would be even
greater due to Alu's stiffness (but not weight vs 531)

Having said all that, bang for buck, running 25s or 28s would be far
cheaper and running your tyres at 10-20psi lower even cheaper!



--

Shane Stanley

In article <E_7xc.36068$hu2.27175@fe33.usenetserver.com>,
flyingdutch <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:

> I recently upgraded my 853steel roady (which had 531 forks) to carbon
> forks (Alu steerer) and the difference was HUGE!

Did you change anything else at the same time? Wheels? Tyres?

--
Shane Stanley

Tamyka Bell

flyingdutch wrote:
>
> suzyj wrote:
> > Originally posted by Daveb:
> > > Do carbon forks on an alu frame make much of a difference?
> > Only by virtue of making your wallet lighter.
> > Much more difference would be felt by going to wider tyres, and not
> > pumping them up quite as hard.
> > Not that I'm against carbon forks (or other carbon bits), just that I
> > accept that the differences are almost entirely cosmetic.
> > Regards,
> > Suzy
>
> I'd have to disagree with that one. well, kinda
>
> I recently upgraded my 853steel roady (which had 531 forks) to carbon
> forks (Alu steerer) and the difference was HUGE!
>
> comfort and bump absorption was noticeable, however (i suspect from
> being lighter?) they were 'skittier' when you sit up
>
> I can only presume that the change from Alu to Carbon would be even
> greater due to Alu's stiffness (but not weight vs 531)
>
> Having said all that, bang for buck, running 25s or 28s would be far
> cheaper and running your tyres at 10-20psi lower even cheaper!
>
> --


Yeah it would really depend on your goals, I guess, e.g. I want to race
IMWA and IMOZ so I bought carbon straight up. I have a novice bike
compared to most people going in these events! But I don't think that
pushing tyres 10psi lower would make me happy over 180 km. No, I would
not be a happy marathoner.

That being said I often rode my commuter a little low so I didn't need
to buy a comfier saddle.

T
--

______________________________________

Tamyka Bell, PhD Student
School of Human Movement Studies
The University Of Queensland
w: +61-7-33656105
m: +61-4-00782972
e: t.bell@uq.edu.au
______________________________________

flyingdutch

Shane Stanley wrote:
> In article <E_7xc.36068$hu2.27175@fe33.usenetserver.com>,
> flyingdutch <usenet-forum@cyclingforums.com> wrote:
> > I recently upgraded my 853steel roady (which had 531 forks) to carbon
> > forks (Alu steerer) and the difference was HUGE!
> Did you change anything else at the same time? Wheels? Tyres?
> --
> Shane Stanley



Chorus04 grouppo (from 8spd veloce) Proton Wheels

I put the original Atlanta front wheel back on to make sure my memory of
the 531 fork hadnt been clouded, with the same tyres (Michelin Kevlars
red-stripe. dont make em anymore) The difference was not huge but my
'favourite'(!?!?!?) bit of bumpy road for comaprison was definetely
better on the carbon forks. The protons are way lighter and not a
liability in cross-winds like the Atlanta's (altho they are great at
40kph+) Soon after i went up to folding Michelin Carbons (yello stripe.
see Suzy's fixy in bullhorn thread) which are better again. accelerate
very nicely and so far good puncture-wise too



--

DaveB

flyingdutch wrote:

>
> Having said all that, bang for buck, running 25s or 28s would be far
> cheaper and running your tyres at 10-20psi lower even cheaper!
>
>

I'd be happy to go to 23's but anything bigger than 20 on my rear wheel
rubs against the frame, which I found after buying a set of 23's. So now
I have 20 on the rear and 23 on the front (and a spare 23). I guess I
could go up further on the front because that's really where all the
pain is. Means I'll never get to use that spare 23 but still a lot
cheaper than new forks.

DaveB