Few questions on starting

[pawdregry4g]

Hey everyone, I'm going to start road cycling in preparation for next years ride to conquer cancer. I have a few questions though, before I start dropping paycheques.

I've read the sticky'd thread and I'm definitely going to test ride a ton of bikes before making a purchase.
Some of the shops have told me that for long rides,investing in a carbon frame will be worth the extra money. Is this true? After the event, road racing doesn't seem likely for me and the bike will probably be used just for fitness.

I was originally looking at bikes such as the giant defy, rm oxygen, and norco crd 1. If I opt for carbon though, the bikes in the running are the trek madone 3.1 or 4.5, cannondale supersix 105, and giant defy advanced.

My other question is on pedals and if it's worth going with a clipless setup. I ride xc/all mountain often and I've always kept to flats for quick bails. I don't see that being too much of an issue on roads, so I can see clipless being worth learning for its more consistent power transfer.

Thanks for the help

[enduramil]

Where you live? Are the roads you will be training on good or they look like a paved logging road?

[puntorpass]

If you are only going to do the one event just buy in the mid range,clips are good for road riding it will give you the power on the up stroke. just practice on a grassy field till you get clipping out down pat(you may fall a few times) I would go with the Giant myself. Good luck!

[pawdregry4g]

I live in burnaby near production at the bottom of SFU. So the training routes will definitely be paved roads.

[morgman]

Buy a mountain spd system so you'll at least be able to use the shoes and pedals on the trails.

For the bike, go with something you can actually see yourself spending time on after the cancer ride. This might be a cyclocross bike with enough clearance for knobby tires and backroad exploration.

The cancer ride is a supported tour, so you don't have to worry about getting there fastest or your bike being light (or even new). Unless you see yourself using a road race bike after the ride, I think it's a bad call.

[RossputiN]

^ this. Go with any (CX, road, hybrid, commuter) low-mid level bike with 700cc wheels. Lots of people do the R2CC on mt.bikes, one guy last year did it on a unicycle!
Posted via Mobile Device

[enduramil]

Originally Posted by pawdregry4g

After the event, road racing doesn't seem likely for me and the bike will probably be used just for fitness.

Since you are not going to race after this event. Forget the road bike.

Get a Cross bike. It is a much more versatile option especially for fitness. You can take it off the road onto gravel paths and such. Also on offerings from Norco, KHS and even the MEC version have disc brake mounts as well as canti's.

And you can get them for $800 if you call around... shops will be looking to off load old stock.

Fuck I miss my Cross Bike.

[Ninja]

Originally Posted by enduramil

Since you are not going to race after this event. Forget the road bike.

Get a Cross bike. It is a much more versatile option especially for fitness. You can take it off the road onto gravel paths and such. Also on offerings from Norco, KHS and even the MEC version have disc brake mounts as well as canti's.

This is good advice cross bikes make for a more usable bike in the long run.

You can even race on it if you change your mind in the future.

[enduramil]

Originally Posted by Ninja

You can even race on it if you change your mind in the future.

Yep. It's fun beating roadies to a pulp while on a cross bike.

[Tom]

Just get a road bike. You might find you actually like riding on the road.

[pawdregry4g]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll keep the cyclocross bike in mind, though i'm still pretty set on a roadie. I'm pretty sure if I go off the road it'll be on my fluid. Ripping roadies looks like a ton of fun!

[sanrensho]

Originally Posted by pawdregry4g

Some of the shops have told me that for long rides,investing in a carbon frame will be worth the extra money. Is this true? After the event, road racing doesn't seem likely for me and the bike will probably be used just for fitness.

Do you have a budget? If it's within your budget, sure, go for a carbon frame. Most big-name road bikes are carbon anyway at the higher price points.

OTOH, if most of your rides are going to be short rides (not multi-hour), then a carbon frame might not be necessary or a priority. And all frames of the same material do not ride the same, so buy based on an actual test ride. (Don't forget that tire width and pressure have a huge impact on comfort.)

If you're on a budget, that extra money might be better spent on a professional fitting session. For that matter, I'd also budget for a heart rate monitor (Polar) and nice bibs and shoes. These will make a big difference in comfort and quality of training.

Originally Posted by pawdregry4g

My other question is on pedals and if it's worth going with a clipless setup.

100% yes. At the very least, go SPD if you care about a walkable shoe. Road shoes tend to be stiffer while road pedals offer a wide platform to reduce hot spots and improve power transfer.

Lastly, getting a frame that fits should be your highest priority, over brand/frame material/groupset.

[enduramil]

Don't worry about HRM's. Keep it simple and ride. Only really worry about it if you are planning on winning stuff.

Budget for,

Bike
Helmet- if you only have a pisspot or full face
shorts
jersey
gloves
bottle cage
frame pump
couple of tubes


Go check Sports Junkies. Should have SPD's and shoes people are selling off. Sometimes they have road bikes in as well. Also they usually have all the extra stock Sugoi cleans out.

[FullMonty]

Originally Posted by RossputiN

^ this. Go with any (CX, road, hybrid, commuter) low-mid level bike with 700cc wheels. Lots of people do the R2CC on mt.bikes, one guy last year did it on a unicycle!
Posted via Mobile Device

yeah, as an athletic feat, the R2CC isn't all that crazy. I saw a dude last year on a walmart dual suspension with the seat down so low I could almost hear his meniscus grinding off.

I would definitely recommend looking into a professional fitting and budget for a couple pairs of nice bibs/shorts. being comfy on the 6-8 hours in the saddle is probably the most important.

not sure if they'll be doing the exact same route this go around, but some of the farm roads at the end of the first day are pretty rough. my arms and hands were pretty much numb for the last hour.

I wouldn't sweat the training too hard, it's mainly about time in the saddle. The hardest part for me was sitting down on the saddle on the second morning.

[pawdregry4g]

Good help from all! The training aspect is more of an active hobby for me so I'll probably still work hard on it. I was training this year for the cardiac classic up at burnaby mountain and got myself to 2 laps of the route, though certainly not at a competitive pace yet.

My bigger fear on road biking is getting smoked by a car, i'm going to try and find some riding groups when I start heading out.