Road Bikes
 

Hey guys,

Thinking about getting into biking for cardio and decided to specificlly get a road bike. Anyone here knowledgeable in this area?

Any certain bike shops to hit up in town? One brand of bike compared to another? Top of the line vs. entry level models? Anything else to keep in mind?

Thanks,
Anything opinions or comments would be great!

Honestly, I have not been into the cycling world for a few years now. But if your just looking at getting into cycling I would not hesitate to walk into any real bike shop and talk to a salesmen. From what i've seen, all the bikes out there these days are of pretty good quality and include all the bells and whistles. If you want to save some money, I would look in the used department, but you will definitely have to have some knowledge in the area to know what you are getting. Road bike don't loose there value nearly as quickly as mountain bikes, so you might not save a ton of money.

Road cycling is a huge huge passion of mine.

I've logged 1000's of k on a few bikes of mine and it's the best way to get a low impact work out to keep yourself in good shape.

Ask yourself how much you want to ride, because you have to figure out if you even like the speed and quick behavior of a road bike.

If you know that you want to ride lots, there are really good bikes with really decent components that will work with you.

I could go into intense details about frames, components, misc equipment but it's best to read this site.

http://trektoronto.ca/buyers-guides/...-know-pg62.htm

that will help you without having to worry too much on other peoples opinions on brands and components

Thanks, that site was quite informative of what I need and don't need. I feel a bit more confident walking into a shop now with a little knowledge of what i'm looking for.

Any particular store you would recommend? Any shops that offer demo bikes for rent?

I wouldn't buy a bike unless they let you ride it... They might not let you take it for the day but you can take it around the parking lot/block.

Depends on where you are located. I used to work at a store in Langley called Sports Replay. They sell Kona's, and Fuji's (great bang for your buck bikes) and have used/consignment bikes too. But most bike shops I've been to have some sort of used bikes. I'm a big fan of Kona's cyclocross bikes as you can still confidently hit gravel paths etc if you want to/need to.

I'm located in burnaby.
Sports replay? Do they have a location in Richmond?
I know of a consignment shop by that name in Richmond.
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No, they only have their Langley location. If you decide to make the treck out here, ask for Ryan, and tell him that Kreig sent you in. See if that could sway their pricing a little bit :P

Looks like i will be subscribing to this thread....i want to get into cycling; i have a 1 year plan to do complete a triathlon in the near future.


Hey Vangruver....if u got information on bikes they use for that, i'm all ears (or eyes in this case, but that just sounds silly).

Doing a mini-triathalon is kinda my goal as well. Friend mentioned a starter triathalon happening sometime within a year and I was fairly interested.

what are the distances of a mini??

Swim 400 meters, bike 20 km’s, Run 5 km

Actually just looked at the distances for the first time and it's seems pretty short. But it's designed to be someones first triathlon so it's a start.

Thats cool...i think thats the distances my friend told me for the one thats happening in Delta in April.

Beginner or not, i guess i want to challenge myself. If i am running the Van Marathon in May, i'll probably want to challenge myself along the same level....

I just did 960m swim in the pool today...boy that was awesome. Yet, i can humbly say that i actually don't know how to cycle. I am sure it aint the same when i was biking as a kid, nor is it the same as doing a spin bike in the gym.....so this is one category i am a complete stranger to.

Hence why i am taking major interest in this thread.

I think i'll be fine with the running and the biking, it's the water that's got me worried!...haha
I was never, and still not a strong swimmer. I have a buddy that's a lifeguard so he's gotta give me some swimming lessons this year!
But I'm pretty much in this to do something diffrent and challenging. And how many people can say they've done a triathlon (even if it's a mini one).

Looks like we got the same goal.....i guess i am gonna be holding you to it.

Haha, one step at a time. (I'm saving swimming for last!) But I think i'll enjoy cycling the most.

first time posting.. strange i was attracted to this section haha

if you're looking into a bike there are a number of things to take into consideration
how long you're riding..what kind of riding you plan on doing..how often you're going to be riding..

duration of riding- I ask this because there are a number of different styles of even road bikes, I recently made the move from racing downhill mountain bikes to doing triathlons this past season. started with a basic road bike which was perfect for in the city and short distances and ended up modifying it (aero bars) to make it more efficient on the longer rides. the materials the bike is made up also makes riding more enjoyable (example carbon and steel/cromoly absorb vibrations and create less fatigue on longer rides. Carbon is light, and much more expensive. For shorter rides, aluminum.. or even aluminum/carbon bikes are fine!)

type of riding- this is similar to length.. if you're only riding in a city.. you want to be able to get on the binders quickly in case some one pulls out in front of you. so aero bars may not be the best choice for that area. also there are hybrid road bikes, some with the geometry of a mountain bike (upright) and help with lower back pain. and others with road gearing/geometry but with knobbier tires and disc brakes... sorry lost my train of thought i'll finish the next section haha

amount of use- this is where you'll really notice the quality of a bike! quality components is where the price normal comes from. sealed bearings, cranks with replaceable chain rings, and for the most part just each component in general is of higher quality... then again there is the saying.. cheap light strong... pick one....

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y14...g?t=1264480257
my new bike for the year! rocky mountain solo 90... time trial bike is going to take some getting used to

*edit.. about brands of bikes... who cares every bike for the price has one nearly identical in quality in another brand.. what you want to do is try it, and adjust/fit it thats #1!!

just got into cycling as well

wondering if anyone can recommend some local shops for parts/service
and also a bike forum or something ?

Just visited a few local shops the last couple days and it's pretty awsome talking to some of the shop guys about getting into road biking. (note: some shops are snobs!)

One shop that by far stands out for me in customer service is "Ride On Again" (2255 West Broadway). Clive/Clint/Kent (??, totally bad with names, but it's an asian guy there) was SUPER informative and patient with my noob questions. Spent a good 30-45min there with him showing me the difference between a low-end entry level bike to a higher-end entry bike, all the diffrent components of a road bike, diffrent riding positions on a road bike, etc...

Super excited to start riding now!!

The Bike Doctor (Kingsway location) is having a liquidation sale..

Thanks, I'll check them out this weekend.

^^ So will i

Looking at bikes and parts have consumed me for the last few nights!

So, I think my price point will be around $1500 and I will be looking for the following:
-Aluminum frame w/ carbon forks and seat post
-Shimano 105 shifters or whole groupset (if possible in this pricepoint)

What are peoples opinions on buying a used bike from say craigslist or sports junkies? I surfed craigslist a bit and there are some bikes with very good components (from what I have read) for in and around my price range.

^ i've bought 2 bikes off CL last year...but i had no idea what i was looking for

the first one was a commuter...but it needed major maintenace...i ended up selling it b/c i wanted something more..
then i bought a road bike...it rides good but it's not a perfect fit...

i would have been better off buying a new bike and having a shop help me with the fitting...but if you know what you're looking for and how to inspect a bike properly, then you'll be able to find a gem on CL..

There is actually a guy selling a giant OCR 1 on this site, http://www.revscene.net/forums/fs-gi...ight=road+bike (hope that works)