Ok, I want to preface this thread by letting everyone know that I'm a total cycling newbie, and know basically nothing. Go easy on me.
I am however, quite enthusiastic about buying a good road bike somewhere around the $2000 mark. I was looking at an Avanti Giro which, to someone like me, seems good.
But then when I mentioned this to a cyclist friend of mine, she strongly warned me off Avanti's, citing a story she knew about a guy who had a fairly minor crash on one and the frame snapped in two.
Is this something to be concerned about? What is Avanti's reputation? Is the Giro a good starting bike for someone who is physically very fit but hasn't done much cycling? If I progress quite quickly with my riding, will it still be a good enough bike?
And any general pointers about what to look for in a bike (weight? materials etc. etc.) would be helpful.
thanks
Help out a noob
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europa
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Oh gawd. A TOTAL new chum 
Mate, you have come to the right place. If you haven't already achieved the requisite level of insanity to cycle effectively, we will drive you there very quickly
Welcome to the asylum mate. The mountain bike riders think they're outside the asylum but that's just because they occupy a secret place within the nut house
Now, your questions.
Avanti are a good brand. Don't be scared of them. I'm sure someone somewhere has had a bad experience but they are a good brand and you need have no fear of buying an Avanti.
Second, at this point, you have no idea what you need in cycling, nor of what you will be doing in cycling. Once we get on these here bikes, we start to use them in ways we never envisioned. More, as we develop cycling fitness (it uses a different set of muscles to swimming or running), the bike that suits us changes. There's not a lot you can do about this, but I think you need to accept that the right bike now will not be the right bike in a year's time. Yes, I too have suffered this - fortunately, in my case, it only came down to frame size but I too go caught.
Don't go out and buy the first bike. Go look at lots and lots of bikes. At the price range you are looking at, you will NOT buy a bad bike. All bikes in that price range are good bikes. Some will be better value than others, some will be better machines than others. However, they will all be good bikes.
So, do a lot of looking and consider a variety of types of bike.
Look at a lot of shops and listen to a lot of differing opinions.
Somewhere down the track, and this often happens very quickly, you will start to recognise when the salesman is selling you a load of bulldust. That is part of the point of doing all the looking - fine tuning your bulldust meter.
At some point, you will find yourself heading to the same section of whatever shop you walk into - this is when you are starting to understand what it is your heart really wants.
The bike you buy should be the bike you fall in love with, from the shop that treats you best, not in monetary terms, but in terms of listening to you and giving you what you want. You'll know when this happens. If you have any doubts, keep looking.
But at some point, you will walk into a shop, see the machine your heart tells you to buy from a salesman you 'click' with.
THAT is the time to hand over the money.
Richard
Mate, you have come to the right place. If you haven't already achieved the requisite level of insanity to cycle effectively, we will drive you there very quickly
Welcome to the asylum mate. The mountain bike riders think they're outside the asylum but that's just because they occupy a secret place within the nut house
Now, your questions.
Avanti are a good brand. Don't be scared of them. I'm sure someone somewhere has had a bad experience but they are a good brand and you need have no fear of buying an Avanti.
Second, at this point, you have no idea what you need in cycling, nor of what you will be doing in cycling. Once we get on these here bikes, we start to use them in ways we never envisioned. More, as we develop cycling fitness (it uses a different set of muscles to swimming or running), the bike that suits us changes. There's not a lot you can do about this, but I think you need to accept that the right bike now will not be the right bike in a year's time. Yes, I too have suffered this - fortunately, in my case, it only came down to frame size but I too go caught.
Don't go out and buy the first bike. Go look at lots and lots of bikes. At the price range you are looking at, you will NOT buy a bad bike. All bikes in that price range are good bikes. Some will be better value than others, some will be better machines than others. However, they will all be good bikes.
So, do a lot of looking and consider a variety of types of bike.
Look at a lot of shops and listen to a lot of differing opinions.
Somewhere down the track, and this often happens very quickly, you will start to recognise when the salesman is selling you a load of bulldust. That is part of the point of doing all the looking - fine tuning your bulldust meter.
At some point, you will find yourself heading to the same section of whatever shop you walk into - this is when you are starting to understand what it is your heart really wants.
The bike you buy should be the bike you fall in love with, from the shop that treats you best, not in monetary terms, but in terms of listening to you and giving you what you want. You'll know when this happens. If you have any doubts, keep looking.
But at some point, you will walk into a shop, see the machine your heart tells you to buy from a salesman you 'click' with.
THAT is the time to hand over the money.
Richard
I had a good bike ... so I fixed it
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Mulger bill
- Super Mod
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Re: Help out a noob
G'Day CB, welcome to the outside etc...
All I can do ATM is agree with Richard, the right bike for you is the one that whispers at you from the rack in the right shop, the one that haunts your dreams. I'm a Giant rider, MTB and Road and love them both like my kids but if they or any other bike doesn't work for you, keep looking.
The right bike will make you want to ride more, ride further, just ride for the sake of riding 'cos it just feels so damn right under your bum.
Good luck with the hunt mate, don't forget to roll past once in a while, the kettles always on.
Shaun
Not a problem mate, this place is the nicest bike forum I could find after weeks of looking, I've only seen a few flames launched in my time and the site admins are damn good with a firehoseCB wrote:Ok, I want to preface this thread by letting everyone know that I'm a total cycling newbie, and know basically nothing. Go easy on me.
Some people haven't been riding MTBs long enough yet to realise that everything outside of the ride is crazyEuropa wrote:The mountain bike riders think they're outside the asylum but that's just because they occupy a secret place within the nut house
All I can do ATM is agree with Richard, the right bike for you is the one that whispers at you from the rack in the right shop, the one that haunts your dreams. I'm a Giant rider, MTB and Road and love them both like my kids but if they or any other bike doesn't work for you, keep looking.
The right bike will make you want to ride more, ride further, just ride for the sake of riding 'cos it just feels so damn right under your bum.
Good luck with the hunt mate, don't forget to roll past once in a while, the kettles always on.
Shaun
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011
London Boy 29/12/2011
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daj
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hey,
currently looking for a my first road bike myself around the same sort of price range. One of the differences I've noticed is the slightly more expensive bikes have a smaller compact font chainring. Pretty sure the giro has this too off the top of my head. I'll definatly be looking for this on the bike I buy as coming off an MTB and riding in the hills it will make a big difference to the enjoyment I go out of my rides. Might be worth a thought if your new to cycling when your looking round the shops.
currently looking for a my first road bike myself around the same sort of price range. One of the differences I've noticed is the slightly more expensive bikes have a smaller compact font chainring. Pretty sure the giro has this too off the top of my head. I'll definatly be looking for this on the bike I buy as coming off an MTB and riding in the hills it will make a big difference to the enjoyment I go out of my rides. Might be worth a thought if your new to cycling when your looking round the shops.
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thomas_cho
- Posts: 1191
- Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2007 12:45 pm
- Location: Canberra ACT
Welcome to the forum.
I am not the sort that is in tune with my inner voice.
At the $2000 mark, I dont think you will get anything that will collapse under you in normal circumstances.
Compact chainrings are not a sign of "upgraded features". Rather its a sign of something that suits the masses more.
But it raises a good point in that it is wise to think about the kind of riding you would want to do on your new bike, just casual riding with the weekend bunch? Racing?
There will be some bikes which are designed for comfort like Giant OCR range. Generally the OCR gives the rider a more upright riding position, and has wider chainstays to allow wider tyres (more comfort, I got 28C tyres on mine). The Giant TCR has a more race position, and I think you can only fit 700X23C tyres on them.
Most major bike brands will have models that generally fit into the above moulds.
The danger about visiting bike shops and listening to your inner voice, is that very soon, your budget becomes meaningless. Take care. Dont forget to budget for things like shoes, and maybe an upgrade to the stock saddle, and maybe even wheels. Good luck.
I am not the sort that is in tune with my inner voice.
At the $2000 mark, I dont think you will get anything that will collapse under you in normal circumstances.
Compact chainrings are not a sign of "upgraded features". Rather its a sign of something that suits the masses more.
But it raises a good point in that it is wise to think about the kind of riding you would want to do on your new bike, just casual riding with the weekend bunch? Racing?
There will be some bikes which are designed for comfort like Giant OCR range. Generally the OCR gives the rider a more upright riding position, and has wider chainstays to allow wider tyres (more comfort, I got 28C tyres on mine). The Giant TCR has a more race position, and I think you can only fit 700X23C tyres on them.
Most major bike brands will have models that generally fit into the above moulds.
The danger about visiting bike shops and listening to your inner voice, is that very soon, your budget becomes meaningless. Take care. Dont forget to budget for things like shoes, and maybe an upgrade to the stock saddle, and maybe even wheels. Good luck.
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nimm
- Posts: 611
- Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2007 12:24 am
- Location: Perth
These "i'm a noob, what should I buy" threads have been coming up quite a bit, take a look at the past couple weeks for a lot of similar responses.
make sure to budget in extras over the bike, you're going to be looking at ~$500+ if you want a bike computer, shoes, lights, clothes, pump, tubes, repair kit, etc...
I have a Giant OCR 1.0 (2006) and it's absolutely fantastic. The only negative for me is there are no rear-pannier mounting holes. On hindsight I may have gone with something like Richard's Trek520 touring bike as I'm interested in more than just fitness riding.
make sure to budget in extras over the bike, you're going to be looking at ~$500+ if you want a bike computer, shoes, lights, clothes, pump, tubes, repair kit, etc...
I have a Giant OCR 1.0 (2006) and it's absolutely fantastic. The only negative for me is there are no rear-pannier mounting holes. On hindsight I may have gone with something like Richard's Trek520 touring bike as I'm interested in more than just fitness riding.
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Kalgrm
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Hey, we mountain bikers don't think we are outside the asylum, we just think outside the box more often! 
I agree with Richard - the budget you have is good enough that you will not be buying a bad bike from any maker. (Unless you want to buy my 20 year old tourer - I'll sell it to you For $1990. )
You should read between the lines of Richard wrote and define what you are planning to do with you bike before buying. The requirements of a bike are determined by the uses you envisage. Are you planning to compete? Are you mainly buying a commuting bike? Does mountain biking appeal? If you have these answers at the ready before walking into the shop, you'll be in a better position to assess the level of BS the LBS is peddling.
Cheers,
Graeme
I agree with Richard - the budget you have is good enough that you will not be buying a bad bike from any maker. (Unless you want to buy my 20 year old tourer - I'll sell it to you For $1990.
)You should read between the lines of Richard wrote and define what you are planning to do with you bike before buying. The requirements of a bike are determined by the uses you envisage. Are you planning to compete? Are you mainly buying a commuting bike? Does mountain biking appeal? If you have these answers at the ready before walking into the shop, you'll be in a better position to assess the level of BS the LBS is peddling.
Cheers,
Graeme
Think outside the double triangle.
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Music was better when ugly people were allowed to make it ....
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Music was better when ugly people were allowed to make it ....
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Bluerider
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As nimm mentioned lots of Noobs ! Yep I'm one
Mate there's plenty on offer at the $2k....
Depends what you want if its racing as others have said, test and look heaps and importantly you come across a sales guy you like.
OCR's are great as is the TCR Alliance 2, on special in Syd $1850.00
Many brands are on sale due to new models out shortly so it's a great time to buy.
Good luck and as others have said test a few and you will come off one and know "she's the one"....
Mate there's plenty on offer at the $2k....
Depends what you want if its racing as others have said, test and look heaps and importantly you come across a sales guy you like.
OCR's are great as is the TCR Alliance 2, on special in Syd $1850.00
Many brands are on sale due to new models out shortly so it's a great time to buy.
Good luck and as others have said test a few and you will come off one and know "she's the one"....
His Felt Carbon F5C ' 07.....
Giant MTB
Hers Cell MTB
Kids Mongoose x 2 Tricycle x 1
Giant MTB
Hers Cell MTB
Kids Mongoose x 2 Tricycle x 1
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CB
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Ah thanks everyone.
As far as what I'm planning to do with the bike, mostly just riding around for the sake of it, perhaps a bit of commuting, and knowing how competitive I am I will probably have to try some racing when I get my cycling legs.
Mulger Bill (from eagle hawk?) I know what you mean about having a bike that you just want! I've been looking at bike p0rn on the freedommachine website all arvo haha.
anyway I'll let you all know how the search goes.
CB
As far as what I'm planning to do with the bike, mostly just riding around for the sake of it, perhaps a bit of commuting, and knowing how competitive I am I will probably have to try some racing when I get my cycling legs.
Mulger Bill (from eagle hawk?) I know what you mean about having a bike that you just want! I've been looking at bike p0rn on the freedommachine website all arvo haha.
anyway I'll let you all know how the search goes.
CB
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postiechic
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CB
- Posts: 283
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mmm im looking at the carbonio 1.0 at the moment.
I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it
I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it
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europa
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mikesbytes
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Can you afford it ?CB wrote:mmm im looking at the carbonio 1.0 at the moment.
I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?
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sogood
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Do you want to see a CF Cervelo or Cannondale or Bianchi or Specialized...CB wrote:mmm im looking at the carbonio 1.0 at the moment.
I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it
Unless you have real deep pockets and unlimited budget, you need to learn to control your urges in cycling.
Bianchi, Ridley, Tern, Montague and All things Apple
RK wrote:And that is Wikipedia - I can write my own definition.
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europa
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Don't change the subject Mikemikesbytes wrote:Can you afford it ?CB wrote:mmm im looking at the carbonio 1.0 at the moment.
I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it
Richard
I had a good bike ... so I fixed it
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Mulger bill
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mikesbytes
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Just remember its the nut behind the handle bars that countssogood wrote:Do you want to see a CF Cervelo or Cannondale or Bianchi or Specialized...CB wrote:mmm im looking at the carbonio 1.0 at the moment.
I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it
Unless you have real deep pockets and unlimited budget, you need to learn to control your urges in cycling.
If the R-1 rule is broken, what happens to N+1?
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europa
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Mulger bill
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Sorry Richard, the cat is only letting you think you are in charge and I bet it doesn't have an income you can raid for indispensables. Cats are mean like that.
Shaun
Shaun
...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.
London Boy 29/12/2011
London Boy 29/12/2011
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europa
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Mulger bill wrote:Sorry Richard, the cat is only letting you think you are in charge and I bet it doesn't have an income you can raid for indispensables. Cats are mean like that.
Shaun
Oh I know who the servant in this house is. We've debated this issue many times and, being a generous animal, he understands that we humans have an inability to grasp the screamingly obvious.
It's rather a masculine household at the moment. I'm a bloke. The lad's a bloke. The dog's a bloke. The cat's a bloke. The budgie's a bloke. My daughter is here just under half the time, and being a typical female, waltzes in and takes over
The scary part is, we all let her 
Richard
I had a good bike ... so I fixed it
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Mulger bill
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CB
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yeah i can, but im saving for travel at the moment so will probably wait till I get back and see how much money I have left. will have to pay full rather than sale price then which will cost me and extra $500 but at least i'll have the 08 model.mikesbytes wrote:Can you afford it ?CB wrote:mmm im looking at the carbonio 1.0 at the moment.
I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it I want it
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