Tyler
I am in the market for a road bike but i don't know what to look for in a bike. Any suggestions would be appreciated
Answer
There are many variations of road bike based on a variety of factors, including (1) intended use and (2) material.
INTENDED USE
Ok, there a variety of different styles of road bikes and many people often call them different things. Here is my breakdown.
If you are planning on riding long rides but still want to have a fast race bike, the "Plush" category of bikes. Don't let the word "plush" fool you -- these are still high quality race bikes, they are just slightly altered to accomodate longer rides. These would include the Specialized Roubaix series (go to www.specialized.com) and the Cannondale Synnapse series (www.cannondale.com). These two bike series will range from about $1900 to about $6000 depending on the model. They are designed to be fast and compliant, but at the same time slightly more comfortable. Trust me, though, you won't be lacking in performance.
If you are going to be focusing on road racing, you might want to go with a Specialized Tarmac, a Trek Madone, a Cannondale SuperSix, or something similar. Again, a huge price range. (for a less expensive option, look at the Specialized Allez). These bikes generally will have a little more aggressive geometry (shorter head tubes, steeper angles, etc).
If you live in an area with flat ground and foresee yourself doing triathlons or bike time trials, then getting a time trial bike would be the way to go. These bikes focus on aeordynamics (although they are still really light) and pure straight speed (not as good on hills, curves, etc). Examples are the Trek TT, the Specialized Transition, the Cannondale Slice.
Many companies also make a variety of bikes in the "touring" category. These are not racing bikes, focus more on long haul comfort, but are still fast and fun to ride.
Cyclocross bikes may be a good choice if you want a limited ability to go off-road. They are generally not as light or fast as road bikes (although a really high end one will be), but still have a good sporty feel. They are generally geared a bit lower - in cyclocross you need the ability to accelarate over rough terrain and steep hills, not necessarily the ability to go 35 mph on a straightaway. I have a cx bike that I use for commuting, riding in bad conditions or going out with my kids -- situations in which I wouldn't want to take my carbon road bike.
As far as materials, the main ones are Carbon Fiber, Aluminum, Steel and Titanium. If you are going for a race bike, I personally believe that Carbon Fiber is the way to go. The material is stiff, light, and eats up road vibrations. I would guess that a vast majority of bikes on the pro tour are carbon. Aluminum can still be really light and is very stiff (and would be great for a time trial bike or criterium bike) but may not be as comfortable over a long ride. Steel is old school and is a popular material among bike messengers because it makes a statement (I don't need your fancy materials) and is very durable. It also is used on many cyclocross bikes. Titanium is a great material and generally the choice of middle age men (and older) who can drop some cash.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
There are many variations of road bike based on a variety of factors, including (1) intended use and (2) material.
INTENDED USE
Ok, there a variety of different styles of road bikes and many people often call them different things. Here is my breakdown.
If you are planning on riding long rides but still want to have a fast race bike, the "Plush" category of bikes. Don't let the word "plush" fool you -- these are still high quality race bikes, they are just slightly altered to accomodate longer rides. These would include the Specialized Roubaix series (go to www.specialized.com) and the Cannondale Synnapse series (www.cannondale.com). These two bike series will range from about $1900 to about $6000 depending on the model. They are designed to be fast and compliant, but at the same time slightly more comfortable. Trust me, though, you won't be lacking in performance.
If you are going to be focusing on road racing, you might want to go with a Specialized Tarmac, a Trek Madone, a Cannondale SuperSix, or something similar. Again, a huge price range. (for a less expensive option, look at the Specialized Allez). These bikes generally will have a little more aggressive geometry (shorter head tubes, steeper angles, etc).
If you live in an area with flat ground and foresee yourself doing triathlons or bike time trials, then getting a time trial bike would be the way to go. These bikes focus on aeordynamics (although they are still really light) and pure straight speed (not as good on hills, curves, etc). Examples are the Trek TT, the Specialized Transition, the Cannondale Slice.
Many companies also make a variety of bikes in the "touring" category. These are not racing bikes, focus more on long haul comfort, but are still fast and fun to ride.
Cyclocross bikes may be a good choice if you want a limited ability to go off-road. They are generally not as light or fast as road bikes (although a really high end one will be), but still have a good sporty feel. They are generally geared a bit lower - in cyclocross you need the ability to accelarate over rough terrain and steep hills, not necessarily the ability to go 35 mph on a straightaway. I have a cx bike that I use for commuting, riding in bad conditions or going out with my kids -- situations in which I wouldn't want to take my carbon road bike.
As far as materials, the main ones are Carbon Fiber, Aluminum, Steel and Titanium. If you are going for a race bike, I personally believe that Carbon Fiber is the way to go. The material is stiff, light, and eats up road vibrations. I would guess that a vast majority of bikes on the pro tour are carbon. Aluminum can still be really light and is very stiff (and would be great for a time trial bike or criterium bike) but may not be as comfortable over a long ride. Steel is old school and is a popular material among bike messengers because it makes a statement (I don't need your fancy materials) and is very durable. It also is used on many cyclocross bikes. Titanium is a great material and generally the choice of middle age men (and older) who can drop some cash.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Best Road Biking Gear ?
meeeee!
My dad is an avid biker.
However, he is sacrificial and never buys anything for himself, only for his family, so he has done without the legitimate biking gear for years.
This Christmas, I want to hook him up with some legitimate gear!
It's cooler where I live, so I know he definitely needs some biking pants, a jacket, and like, biking glasses (he always rides with sunglasses, but I want him to have the legitimate gear) (:
Any other suggestions, please suggest away!
I need help!
Thanks so much!
(if you provide links, it would be greatly appreciated!)
Answer
You sound like my kids. I'm congenitally cheap. I do get legitimate gear, but I lean towards the sale bins and closeouts, while my kids get me the good stuff that I would never buy for myself. Yes, its always appreciated.
Some thoughts: Shoes are good, but you can't buy them online, since sizes and fit are all over the place even among different models from the same brand.
Gloves are always good. If you're dad's putting in any kind of miles, he's wearing out gloves constantly. Tights, jerseys, underarmour (I like that better than bike specific base layers)
Here's my favorite place for a variety of jerseys. They have other stuff as well. If you get lucky and find what you need in their closeout section, you can be stylish AND frugal.
http://www.primalwear.com/
The other place I get most of my bike stuff:
http://www.performancebike.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategories_10052_10551_-1?
Then of course there's your friendly LBS (local bike shop).
You sound like my kids. I'm congenitally cheap. I do get legitimate gear, but I lean towards the sale bins and closeouts, while my kids get me the good stuff that I would never buy for myself. Yes, its always appreciated.
Some thoughts: Shoes are good, but you can't buy them online, since sizes and fit are all over the place even among different models from the same brand.
Gloves are always good. If you're dad's putting in any kind of miles, he's wearing out gloves constantly. Tights, jerseys, underarmour (I like that better than bike specific base layers)
Here's my favorite place for a variety of jerseys. They have other stuff as well. If you get lucky and find what you need in their closeout section, you can be stylish AND frugal.
http://www.primalwear.com/
The other place I get most of my bike stuff:
http://www.performancebike.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategories_10052_10551_-1?
Then of course there's your friendly LBS (local bike shop).
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