kaitlyn_ni
My bike was recently stolen and I'm in need of a new bike. My previous bike was a cheap beach cruiser from Walmart, but this time I'd like to get a nicer bike, preferably a road bike. I've been browsing for road bikes on the internet and I think I've found one that I like, however I'm not sure about what size I need to get. I am a 21 yr old woman and I am around 5 ft 10 or 11 inches. The link for the bike I'm interested is listed below, please help!
Thank you :)
http://www.amazon.com/GMC-Denali-Road-Bike/dp/B000FDDWB6/ref=cm_cmu_pg__header
Also, I'm at student at UCSB who needs a bike just to ride to and from campus and the surrounding Goleta/Santa Barbara area, I'm not looking to spend a fortune on a bike, but I'm not doing a beach cruiser again.
Answer
That is not a road bike. It's a "bicycle shaped object". http://www.google.com/search?q=bicycle+shaped+object&oq=bicycle+shaped+object&sugexp=chrome,mod=0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 You simply won't find a road bike with good quality in that low of a price range - PERIOD!
Several weeks ago I was COASTING downhill on a 2012 Giant Escape City hybrid http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/escape.city/8910/48611/ and passed a kid PEDALING one of those GMC bikes. His response? "What the F---?!"
REAL road bikes are measured in 2 cm increments from REAL bicycle shops. Ones on Internet sites you have to assemble & tune-up yourself. Can you do this? Brakes need to be lined up & adjusted. Derailleurs have to be adjusted. Or worse - wheels need to be trued up. There's not a bicycle in this world that comes ready-to-ride out of the box.
Those GMC Denali bikes may last a year. You want to waste money or spend money on a bike that will last for YEARS? If it's the latter of the two - see links below...and your authorized, independent, knowledgeable, friendly, local bicycle shop.
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/endurance/capri-1-0-13/
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/avail.5/11526/55908/
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/sport/1_series/1_1_h2_compact/#
http://www.schwinnbikes.com/bikes/road/fastback-2-womens
These are but 4 examples of "good" road bikes. You could take anywhere from a 53.5 cm frame size up to a 56 cm frame size. It's NOT universal from one company to the next. TRY B4 you BUY! Take 'em out for a test ride before you buy one. If you can't extensively test ride it - DON'T buy it!
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/technology/compact.road.design/57/
That is not a road bike. It's a "bicycle shaped object". http://www.google.com/search?q=bicycle+shaped+object&oq=bicycle+shaped+object&sugexp=chrome,mod=0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 You simply won't find a road bike with good quality in that low of a price range - PERIOD!
Several weeks ago I was COASTING downhill on a 2012 Giant Escape City hybrid http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/escape.city/8910/48611/ and passed a kid PEDALING one of those GMC bikes. His response? "What the F---?!"
REAL road bikes are measured in 2 cm increments from REAL bicycle shops. Ones on Internet sites you have to assemble & tune-up yourself. Can you do this? Brakes need to be lined up & adjusted. Derailleurs have to be adjusted. Or worse - wheels need to be trued up. There's not a bicycle in this world that comes ready-to-ride out of the box.
Those GMC Denali bikes may last a year. You want to waste money or spend money on a bike that will last for YEARS? If it's the latter of the two - see links below...and your authorized, independent, knowledgeable, friendly, local bicycle shop.
http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/road/endurance/capri-1-0-13/
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/avail.5/11526/55908/
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/sport/1_series/1_1_h2_compact/#
http://www.schwinnbikes.com/bikes/road/fastback-2-womens
These are but 4 examples of "good" road bikes. You could take anywhere from a 53.5 cm frame size up to a 56 cm frame size. It's NOT universal from one company to the next. TRY B4 you BUY! Take 'em out for a test ride before you buy one. If you can't extensively test ride it - DON'T buy it!
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/technology/compact.road.design/57/
Buying a bike. Hybrid or MTB with slicks?
Gary C
Hey internet, I'm hoping someone can help solve a dilema for me.
So here's the situation. I want a bike for leisure at the weekends with the choice of riding into work maybe once a week (about 5 miles/8 km). I live in London so don't really have much use for off-road apart from riding on grass or properly laid out unpaved paths.
So you probably think, why not just get a road bike?
Well, I also visit my parents quite frequently and they live in the middle of the country, I grew up there and there lots of offroad paths - steep tracks, tree roots, hills, holes and gravel. So the kid in me doesn't want to sell out when I know that a good few times a year I'll be waiting to throw caution to the wind.
So, although most of my riding will be on roads, I don't want to give up the freedom that a mountain bike gives, but I feel that a hybrid bike may not cut it off road (I don't consider the off road to extreme but I'm more worried about tree roots and sudden, slight drops in the path), similarly if I am using a mountain bike with slicks when most of my riding will be on roads how uncomfortable/tired will I get from all this.
I'm willing to pay a decentish amount for a good quality bike, but I'm not really sure of teh ruggedness of hybrids.
Any help will be GREATLY appreciated! :)
Answer
I actually have one of each, I bought the hybrid first because I wanted a fast road bike, but didn't like the dropped bars.
After a while, I decided to fit narrow tyres and aero bars, but still needed a bike to use every day, so bought an Giant Escape M1 which is an MTB with rigid forks, slick tyres and road gearing. I read a test on this bike where they fitted off road tyres, and they were quite impressed with it's off road ability, saying that the hydraulic disk brakes give you loads of control.
Since 99% of my cycling is on roads I needed suitable tyres, and I've fitted Continental Travel Contacts, which are slick in the middle, but have some grip at the edges for when my occasional track use gets a bit too muddy.
If you want something with suspension, try to get a bike with suspension you can lock, as this will slow you down on the roads.
If your off road trips warrant it, you could get another set of wheels and have off road tyres, and a sprocket set with lower gears.
I find that I use the Escape for over 90% of my riding, which says a lot since I originally bought it just for commuting. Once I'm fit enough, plan to start doing club rides and time trials on my other bike.
I actually have one of each, I bought the hybrid first because I wanted a fast road bike, but didn't like the dropped bars.
After a while, I decided to fit narrow tyres and aero bars, but still needed a bike to use every day, so bought an Giant Escape M1 which is an MTB with rigid forks, slick tyres and road gearing. I read a test on this bike where they fitted off road tyres, and they were quite impressed with it's off road ability, saying that the hydraulic disk brakes give you loads of control.
Since 99% of my cycling is on roads I needed suitable tyres, and I've fitted Continental Travel Contacts, which are slick in the middle, but have some grip at the edges for when my occasional track use gets a bit too muddy.
If you want something with suspension, try to get a bike with suspension you can lock, as this will slow you down on the roads.
If your off road trips warrant it, you could get another set of wheels and have off road tyres, and a sprocket set with lower gears.
I find that I use the Escape for over 90% of my riding, which says a lot since I originally bought it just for commuting. Once I'm fit enough, plan to start doing club rides and time trials on my other bike.
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