Here we go folks!



I need to ride more.

 

subd

 

subd as well.

Seeing as this is the biking forum, any members want to give a guide to getting into road biking?

 

When I'm done with my weight gain in a little bit you'll have some NW rides from me fo sho!

 

Mine for the time being:

EDIT: I'll post mine when I get home. Phone is being weird

 

Anyone try these?
----> The Renovo Bicycle - Renovo Hardwood Bicycles

 

1. Get fitted. Seriously. Small details make the difference between being uncomfy after 30 minutes, and being chipper after 4 hours.

2. Budget?

3. What kind of riding do you plan on doing? Short rides? Long rides? Lots of climbs? People here will be able to give you recommendations based on that.

4. Clif bars are your friends. Or at least, they're my friends.

 

Noted.
I;m thinking under $1k all said and done for a intro set. Feasible? Later on upgrade to the good stuff after I'm employed and sure that I really like it. I guess I was thinking what are the brands that are good and what should be avoided., different setups compared, things you need to get going that might not be thought of on first go, online resources, etc.
Not sure. Can count climbs out as MI is basically flat. My first ride was about 30 miles and that was fun but I can see myself going much further.
Noted.

 

Look into used or older season deals. My cousin picked up a Felt F5 with Shimano Ultegra, a great mid-to-high-level bike, for $1100 on Craigslist. Awesome carbon bike, great components, just 1 year old. As far as brands are concerned, I'm a big fan of BMC, Cervelo, and Cannondale. But brand isn't ESPECIALLY important. At your price range, you'll probably be looking at an entry-to-mid level carbon bike with Shimano 105/Sram Rival, maybe Shimano Ultegra/Sram Force if you're lucky (though it's certainly doable), or a high end aluminum with 105/Rival/Ultegra/Force.

Now the question then is what kind of riding you're going to want to be doing...since you want to go further, maybe you'd like to look at carbon because it's more comfortable. That being said, 70 miles on my aluminum bike isn't hard at all, but aluminum will kick your ass as it is stiff. They're definitely made with criteriums (shorter races, sub 30mi) in mind.

If you're in it for the long haul, avoid anything lower than 105/Rival groupsets (Sora, Tiagra, etc). What's nice is that Shimano and Sram both trickle down their technology as the years go along so newer 105/Rival will have features of older Ultegra/Force and so on. From there, it's whether or not you like how each one of them feels. Generally, Sram seems to be lighter but with less durability, whereas Shimano will go further but you deal with the added weight. At your budget though, that's not a big deal and you really won't have to worry about either - the 105/Rival groupsets are pretty bombproof and so long as you take care of them they'll be fine. (Bonus: Rival has carbon brake levers, if that's your thing. They're pretty cool.)

How tall are you? What's your inseam? How are the roads over there (great, nice, smooth?)

I'm pretty sure this post was all over the place, but it should start giving you an idea of what to look for at that limit. You can definitely pick up a nice bike for your price (or a little bit more), and it'll take you for a few years until you decide to upgrade to something a little more awesome.

 

Not mine, but exactly like mine:



Will be getting an all carbon fiber road bike in the next year or so.