First road bike suggestions?

Roubaix. 'Nuff said.

 

I'm liking the wheelset there, nice!

 

As mentioned ride as many as you can because not only will the ride vary but so will what size you need.

A couple of others for you to look at but from the same manufacturer, '09 or '08 Bianchi 928/105 Compact. Yeah they are not the classic Celeste color but they are very nice rides. MSRP is 2199 so you should be able to get it within your budget.

The 2009 and 2008, they have the same color scheme


If you wanted to add another 800 or so to yer budget then you would get on to the Ultegra version

'09 928/Ultegra Compact

 

David, most poeple dont look at Giant for road bikes, but i think they have smooth riding, lightweight, and fast bikes.
this one is in your price range, and we may have one in stock.
you are welcome to bring your pedals by, and we will take your ID and you can ride it around the neighborhood for an hour if you want.
that should be plenty to get a feel for it, the roads are so choppy by the shop, especially the alley :lol:

http://giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/road/2261/32181/

 

I am 5'11" or 6' with shoes and I ride a 56cm. I picked up a Specialized Allez and love it. Cost me $1000. Comes with Shimano 105 everything and works great. The Allez has two versions, aluminum frame with carbon fork and aluminum frame with carbon fork and rear stays. I previously owned a Specialized Roubaix and it's an incredible bike but I didn't want to drop that much coin for a bike I ONLY use for training.

 

thanks everyone, it looks like I'll be on a 56 after getting my inseam (33") and looking around online. Going to hit up the path tomorrow to see what's available and whether the 09's are worth looking at in the Spec'd lineup. I found out they have a nice 08 58cm but even at a great deal I just won't be comfortable it seems. I'm more or less looking for a good frame and i'll upgrade the parts later if needed.

 

David, just another FYI, for the Tour of California, Giant has coupons out for 10% off any bike, and 20% off accesories that we can redeem at jones.
just another way to save a little bit o money :?:

 

Personally, I'd try to buy a bike with at least the frame made in the United States of America.
paz afuera

 

Do not be to set on a 56 just because others with the same measurements ride a 56. If you get an identical bike to theirs then yeah, you might get the same size but depending on the bike, is it a compact or standard frame, the geometry and the fact you may have a longer/shorter torso and/or arms or perhaps you prefer a more or less upright position, you may go up or down a size or two.

Give the 58 a try, once you get the saddle in the proper position check out the reach to the bars. It may be just right or you may just need a different stem, same with a 56.

From what I recall, does not the Path carry all of the bikes mentioned? Even the Bianchi? Have fun deciding and if you find a couple or few bikes work for you ...remember, this is a roadie thing so get the one that looks the best. :beer:

 

David, not going to repeat all the good advice here. If you want to test ride a Bianchi head to Open Road and see Steve.

Doing a weekend test ride is a very wise idea. If you are going the route of upgrading parts, spend a few minutes looking at what parts cost. Things like shifters are pretty spendy.

 

Spec. Tarmac is my first and only road bike. I'm 5'9 and 54 works great. Ride all the bikes you can pick the one that feels the best and then get a detailed fit after you put some miles on it. your MTB body doesn't know how to sit on a road bike until you loosen up after a few 100 miles.

Consider using a standard 2 ring setup as apposed to compact.

 

Thanks DBD! Definitely go to a store and get fitted.

I am 6'0" and I ride a 58 cm. However it is a SOMA Smoothie and they are built for comfort. So it is more like a 57 cm with 1/2" set back and 110 mm stem.

A 56 cm seems too small for me, however some roadies like really long stems (130 mm+) Remember, a road bike should be more stable than a mountain bike. You don't want to be correcting your steering for 50+ miles of road riding.

Every manufacturer varies. In mtn bikes, my 19" Gary Fisher is longer than my 20" Giant which is kinda long for a Large frame, already.

Carbon is great but Steel is Real. Y? Because it will be able to take some crashes and some tumbles and last for years and years. You can always bend it back into shape, smooth out the scratches with touch up paint, re-weld a crack, even replace entire tubes. Once you crack a carbon frame, its over. Your investment is lost.

That said, SOMA's are sold on Ebay with good kit for about a $1000. I can't vouch for those vendors though. Jamis and Salsa make good steel bikes. Used Lemonds are great if you can find one.

Perhaps your shop can build you a SOMA or a Salsa to your liking for your budget? They are made of good quality steel.

I had my eye on the Bianchi Via Nirone, which Bicycling Mag loved, before I bought a Felt F1X which was too stiff a ride. Hence, I switched to a SOMA frame and have not looked back. That Bianchi is a really nice looking frame in person.

 

Im 5'11 with shortish legs and a really long torso, and I had i 57cm jamis nova but i hated it felt huge even with the shortest stem i could find and the seat post all the way down so i sold that and picked up a Specialized Roubaix 56cm with a full sram force kit (i love those double tap shifters) and mavic ksyrium SL. It is such a blast just to get on and hammer away for 3+ hours, its so comfortable, and i have even ridden in some century rides. I never gotten to the point where i was over being on that bike but on the jamis 25 miles was the most i could ride before calling it quits.

1+ Specialized Roubaix

 

Wow! Years of crashes and tumbles on the road??:?:

Remind me not to draft too close! :lol:

 

I was able to ride a 56cm Roubaix early this morning for a while and loved it, just not the price but I wasn't looking to buy from this shop anyway. I got a few miles in and felt great, so I went to the path this afternoon and they didn't have any 08's in my size left over, so I'm here crunching numbers and wondering if I should spend the $ on the 09...while there, I threw my leg over a 56 Tarmac and came back with a big no, because it didn't ride as smoothly and I felt funny on it in terms of comfortability. Later found out the frame is Alu with a more aggressive geo. So carbon it is, like I've been advised. I had a Roubaix at the counter ready to buy it before I saw it was a 58, but if anyone fits that size it can be had for $1280 which was soooooooo tempting. :-k

so if anyone has any suggestions on a complete bike carbon frame in that price let me know!

 

check out giant I got mine, OCR 1, a year old with ultegra groupo and a dura-ace BB for $550, its alum frame with carbon fork. super light, fast and comphy. its worth checking out.

 

Instead of starting a new thread and since some info is here already, I have one question. How big or a ride difference is there between a all carbon frame and one with carbon stays? I am thinking that going with a bike with carbon stays to save some $.

 

The comparison is more like comparing a full aluminum to a full carbon bike.

I ride an aluminum bike with carbon stays, and I don't notice any difference between my bike and one that is all aluminum. For me, it's more of a gimmick. I notice more difference when I swap wheels.

 

What do you notice when you swap wheels????

 

If you'd consider used I'd check the San Diego Craigslist bikes list. I bought my full carbon, full ultegra roadie for $750. Bought it off a starving college kid. And it was only 2 years old with no signs of wear on the frame.