Finding the right roadbike..thoughts?

[Hack On Wheels]

Hi,

I am interested in getting a roadbike. This is partially because a riding buddy of mine rides road in addition to XC and I didn't enjoy being left behind so easily on a road ride I did (on my AM bike) with him. Naturally, this got me thinking about what would make it easier for me to keep up... my first thought was tires. However, I would either want a custom wheelset for road.. (i.e. narrow rims and narrow slicks on disk hubs, with 20mm front) or just some fast and narrow slicks to swap in and out. The catch is that the first option would be pricey, and the second would be annoying. This led to me thinking about finding a cheap, dedicated roadbike (a shiny new road or CX bike would be nice, but not in the cards). Now I arrive at the question part, would it be silly to try and find a fairly old (sort of "classic" looking) but decent condition road bike for a good price? My thinking is that I could road ride and even commute on it, if it is old it might not be a target for theft, and it could just be a bunch of fun to have and ride. The downside that I could see is difficulty finding and replacing worn drivetrain parts.. and possibly bearing maintenance as well.

Basically: Does my thinking make sense? What kind of roadie makes the most sense for me to look at/for? Where should I look?
Lastly, if you have read/survived this far... thanks!

[sanrensho]

What is your budget, location, and what terrain do you intend to ride?

Also recommend reading through the stickied thread first. Plus there is a good thread about buying XC or road (with a lot of us recommending a cyclocross bike).

There are a lot of overpriced older road bikes out there (as a result of the popularity of fixed gear conversions), so you have to know what you are doing when buying a classic road bike.

[sanrensho]

Good read for you. A 'cross bike would be an excellent choice if you have no plans to race road.

http://bb.nsmb.com/showthread.php?t=97070

[Hack On Wheels]

To be honest, I am not sure about budget.. it depends on a few factors that keep changing but it sure isn't high as recently all my money has gone into a decently light AM bike. Location is Vancouver... and the terrain would be road road road... Granted, a cyclocross bike would be sweet, but a cheap road bike and then in a year or two a nice cyclocross bike is more realistic. I was drooling over this: http://www.bikes.com/bikes/2007/cx/solo-cxr.aspx# and this: http://www.brodiebikes.com/2007/2007_bikes/romax_b.php# and as much as I want one.. I just can't afford it.

I was afraid of the "classic" bikes being overpriced, too bad about that. But I guess in reality, I don't care too much about looks if it has decent geometry and is skinny.

Thanks for the help and that link, I have no plans to race road. (although I imagine a cross bike would be decent for a beginner road racer if it had some slicks thrown on?)

[sanrensho]

(although I imagine a cross bike would be decent for a beginner road racer if it had some slicks thrown on?)

Correct.

The reason I asked about terrain is because if you plan to hit Cypress/Seymour (long climbs) a lot, swapping out to lower gears could be a PITA on an older road bike. (Not relevant if you happen to be young and "strong like bull.")

The first thing you should do is figure out your approximate road bike sizing. Best DIY way is to use an online fit calculator (referred to in the stickied thread), but the easiest way is to tell us your height and others can tell you what size frame they ride.

At the very minimum, I recommend figuring out your seat height using an online fit calculator.

What is the max you want to pay?

[Hack On Wheels]

Correct.

The reason I asked about terrain is because if you plan to hit Cypress/Seymour (long climbs) a lot, swapping out to lower gears could be a PITA on an older road bike. (Not relevant if you happen to be young and "strong like bull.")

The first thing you should do is figure out your approximate road bike sizing. Best DIY way is to use an online fit calculator (referred to in the stickied thread), but the easiest way is to tell us your height and others can tell you what size frame they ride.

At the very minimum, I recommend figuring out your seat height using an online fit calculator.

What is the max you want to pay?

Long climbs like those would be fun, but I don't live on the shore so they might not a very regular thing. (I am young, but not sure if I am strong like bull or not..)

Awesome, I will check out the fit calculator, and I am approximately 6 feet tall.

Max I want to pay? I guess that is quite important to figure out... I will have to get back to you about that though.

Thanks for the help!

[sanrensho]

Max I want to pay? I guess that is quite important to figure out... I will have to get back to you about that though.


Whatever you do, post on here (or ask someone knowledgeable) before picking up something on Craigslist. Lots of sharks on Craigslist, some fair prices, and even the odd deal.

[Hack On Wheels]

Whatever you do, post on here (or ask someone knowledgeable) before picking up something on Craigslist. Lots of sharks on Craigslist, some fair prices, and even the odd deal.

Yeah, I was definitely hoping to get a second opinion on anything I look at. Would Craigslist be the best place to look?

[sanrensho]

Yeah, I was definitely hoping to get a second opinion on anything I look at. Would Craigslist be the best place to look?

Online, yes. Usually I recommend the Cycling BC classifieds for trustworthiness, but they haven't updated their listings in ages. There is also the MEC Gear Swap.

Sports Junkies for actual stores, there are others for second-hand road bikes, but I haven't actually been to them (Our Community Bikes, etc.).

[the flying moose]

call up vino or rasmussen. im sure they have some road bikes they wont need for a VERY long time.

[Wayne P]

Don't over educate yourself before you actually buy a bike. You're 6' tall, then that tells me that you'll be on a large frame or about 56-57cm. Don't get sucked into over-analizing bike fit. With that in mind, go out and do some shopping at bike shops and look at second hand bikes too. You can swap stem lengths, rises, bar drop, seat position, zero set- or offset post within your frame size and the bike will fit you like a glove. Any bike shop that has a road bike in their window can do this for you. If a bike is too small/big by a cm, then that's ok with most people.

Some bikes fit differently, and some brands change their sizing from one year to the next. Just ask.

I wouldn't buy a CX bike unless you plan on racing CX, but that's just me. They are usually quite a bit heavier than a similarly equipped/priced road bike and you'll suffer for it when you need to keep up with your friends. The trade-off is that if you need to do some light duty trail riding through the park, then no biggie. Once you see how fast a light set of road wheels roll, the CX bike will feel like an anchor.

You can pick up, for example, a Devinci Chicane for $1000 and it has a hand made frame, radially-laced wheels, and comes in at about 19-20lbs. Giant has some really nice price point bikes too. Pretend you are shopping for a cross country mountain bike, except road bikes are soooo much easier to shop for.

[brian]

Online, yes. Usually I recommend the Cycling BC classifieds for trustworthiness, but they haven't updated their listings in ages.

for some reason they but the latest ads at the bottom with the oldest ones first.

[sanrensho]

for some reason they but the latest ads at the bottom with the oldest ones first.

^^^Whoah, thanks.

Here's the link for Hack on Wheels:

http://www.cyclingbc.net/itoolkit.asp?pg=ROAD_CLASSIFIEDS

[sanrensho]

Don't get sucked into over-analizing bike fit. With that in mind, go out and do some shopping at bike shops and look at second hand bikes too. You can swap stem lengths, rises, bar drop, seat position, zero set- or offset post within your frame size and the bike will fit you like a glove. Any bike shop that has a road bike in their window can do this for you. If a bike is too small/big by a cm, then that's ok with most people.

You call that simple? But you're right, you don't have to do a complete fit analysis to buy a $200 older Bianchi road bike off Craigslist.

Here's the "quick and dirty" method for determining if a road bike fits you (bearing in mind that _eventually_ you should take the time to punch your measurements into a fit calculator). It's also my acid test for buying any bike.

Quick and Dirty Bike Sizing Test

1. Measure your inseam with your feet flat against the floor, back against a wall, ruler pulled right up to your junk. Multiply (in cm.) by .883 and tattoo this number on your palm (j/k).

Source: http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-1-2-15708-1,00.html

(Long explanation: There are various formulas for arriving at your seat height, but they all generally arrive at the same height within a cm of each other. The above is a rough guideline for your seat height.)

2. The number you derive from the above calculation is your saddle height, measured from center of BB to top of saddle, measuring along the seat tube.

With this figure and a tape measure, you can now set your (approximate) seat height on any bike you are considering buying.

3. When you try any bike, set it to the above saddle height. By riding the bike, you should immediately be able to tell if you are in the right neighborhood.

Signs that a frame is too large: No/insufficient standover clearance (doesn't apply to small riders like me); seat slammed all the way down; too stretched out when in the drops.

Signs that a frame is too small: Can't get saddle high enough; too cramped when in the drops; knees hit bars when accelerating out of the saddle.

That's it. There are a whole bunch of other details and niceties, but the bottom line is you must be able to get sufficient saddle height on the bike. Or you will be miserable. Sufficient saddle height is the bare minimum fit requirement.

I'm sure some of the other guys here are your height, listen them to get a rough idea of your frame size. But there is actually a lot more leeway than just +/-1 cm in frame sizing, depending on style of riding, personal preference and physical characteristics or limitations.

You can probably save most of the other details for when you're ready to buy a "good" bike. The above should be sufficient for sizing a cheap, older, first-time road bike (Craigslist special).

[sanrensho]

(Edited to remove some goofs.)

Here's a good example of how much frame size can vary, if you go by height alone and without factoring in the inseam length.

Iban Mayo and Rasmussen are listed at the exact same height (5'9"). But Rasmussen's saddle height is 4.4 cm higher, which suggests that his inseam is longer.

Mayo rides a much smaller frame than usual ("XS/49" compact frame), for his height:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/tech/probikes/tour_mayo_saunier_scott/Iban_Mayos_Saunier_Duval-Prodir_Scott_Addict_Limited_side_view.jpg

Rasmussen rides a more typical frame size (53.8 cm seat tube c-c) for his height:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2007/tech/probikes/tour_rasmussen_rabobank_colnago/Michael_Rasmussens_Rabobank_Colnago_Extreme-C_full_side_view.jpg

I can't compare the effective seat tube length, because one is a compact frame (Scott doesn't indicate effective seat tube length) and the other is a traditional horizontal top tube frame. However, I bet the difference is over/around 2 cm if measured. (The difference in effective top tube length is 3.6 mm, but that's a whole 'nother story...)

Mayo rides the same size frame that I ride, and I'm only 5'5". He rides an "XS" frame, the smallest size available for his frame. And someone who is Rasmussen's height/inseam could conceivably go up a frame size (+1 cm) or two (+2 cm) under certain circumstances, say a non-racer who wants a comfy touring bike or upright/stretched out position. (But not usually, and definitely not for a racer.)

This is just to say that there can be significant frame size differences if you go by height alone. So inseam length/saddle height is important (as are other variables like reach). It also illustrates how misleading the XS/S/M/L sizing can sometimes be, as used by manufacturers of compact frames.

[Wayne P]

Bottom line = if it feels good go for it!

Regarding discrepancy in sizing:
Devinci used to have rather large sizing for their bikes. A small would feel like a medium, for example, until they changed it a few years ago. I am riding my wife's small Devinci which albeit is on the small side, feels very comfortable and efficient for long rides (slightly too big for her). I had a later model medium size Devinci that felt almost exactly the same in size. Be aware of this in some compact frame manufacturers.

[Wayne P]

Don't over educate yourself before you actually buy a bike. You're 6' tall, then that tells me that you'll be on a large frame or about 56-57cm. Don't get sucked into over-analizing bike fit. With that in mind, go out and do some shopping at bike shops and look at second hand bikes too. You can swap stem lengths, rises, bar drop, seat position, zero set- or offset post within your frame size and the bike will fit you like a glove. Any bike shop that has a road bike in their window can do this for you. If a bike is too small/big by a cm, then that's ok with most people.


I trust a cyclist can figure these basic fitment issues out, about the same as figuring out how to tie a shoe lace. This is not complicated.

[sanrensho]

Hi,

I am interested in getting a roadbike.


Did you ever end up getting a bike?