Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
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Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby TZ2102 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 10:10 pm
This is my first post - as I am in desperate need of some sort of guidance or opinion.
I am looking at buying my 1st road bike, I have done a bit of research in understanding gearing and some of the different components.
Will be used for fitness (I want to stop running - too much impact), although hopefully I can get really good/fast. I am about 5"8, 66kg & quite fit.
My budget is around $1000.
I am closely looking at
- Specialized Allez Sport
- Cannondale CAAD 8 6 Tiagra (if I can get a discounted price, I hope)
Others I have researched
- Trek 1.2
- Giant Defy Range (slightly expensive except for the Defy 3 which is all sora parts I think)
- Specialized Secteur Sport Compact
- Cannondale CAAD 8 Sora
- 2nd Hand Bikes
Interesting Reviews:
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/b ... 000-32772/
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... t-12-46357
Let Me Know Your Thoughts & Experiences
Thanks!!
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby jasonc » Sat Oct 06, 2012 6:00 am
look at runout models (look at bikeexchange.com.au)
i'm sure you know it's not the cost of the bike, but all the accessories that go with it!
good luck
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby open roader » Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:46 am
+ 1 to this advice.jasonc wrote:the specs in that price range are all very similar. test ride a few and decide that way.
look at runout models (look at <a href="http://bikeexchange.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link added by VigLink" class="vglnk"><span>bikeexchange</span><span>.</span><span>com</span></a>.au)
i'm sure you know it's not the cost of the bike, but all the accessories that go with it!
good luck
Looks like Sora / Tiagra spec'ed new bikes are where your budget is at, nothing wrong with them at all, they will perform well and last a decent time if maintained.
2nd hand 105 bikes will also fall into your budget range but unless you feel compitent to suss out used machinery or you know the specific history of a bike (ie. a mate's bike) then I'd stick to a new purchase as a first roadie purchase.......
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby Ozkaban » Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:50 am
+1 to the accessories. They can get expensive very quickly...
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby usernameforme » Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:22 am
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby JustJames » Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:24 am
There is a marked difference between Sora and Tiagra (although this may have changed since Sora updated the Sora change mechanism).
If you can, try and aim for 105. The quality jump from Tiagra to 105 is not as big as from Sora to Tiagra, but is still worthwhile. I rate 105 (and equivalents in other brands) as the sweet spot in terms of value. If there is any likelihood that road riding will "stick" with you, rather spend more and spend once.
Don't be fooled by bikes that have a one-level-better rear derailleur than the rest of the gruppo. The RD does nothing but go where the shifter tells it it to go...but RD's have more bling value than shifters.
http://pedallingcharm.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby jasonc » Sat Oct 06, 2012 12:48 pm
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby LM324 » Sat Oct 06, 2012 3:06 pm
Or you can go with polygon, cell bikes on cycling express etc. but I still think you will be better of buying a "well known" brand. Remember the frame is the most important part of the bike, it is the thing that mostly affects how the bike feels to you. I think the well known brands at this price range will have better frames. All the bikes you linked are quite good. If you are after something cheaper you could look at getting 2012 models as they are discounted now. For $1000 you could get a well known branded 2012 bike with tiagra/105.jasonc wrote:another option is reid cyles - $1k gets you a full 105 roadie
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby TZ2102 » Sat Oct 06, 2012 4:33 pm
2013 Giant Defy 2 (Tiagra) - $1200
2013 Giant Defy 1 (105) - $1400
2012 Cannondale Caad 8 Tiagra - $1080
2012 Cannondale Caad 8 105 - $1300
2013 Cannondale Caad 8 105 - $1500
I heard that the 105's have not changed at all, have the tiagra's? (I know the sora has in 2013)
But there are some avanti giro 4's for $1100 brand new (2012 model) are those any good compared to the above?
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby usernameforme » Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:32 pm
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby 15wilsonwu » Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:53 pm
- Ultegra 6800
- Shimano RS31
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby LM324 » Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:25 pm
Hi, Avanti giro 4 seems like a pretty good bike (I'm saving up for the giro 1 haha). I'm not sure if you have seen it but avanti giro 4 got a pretty good review on bike radar http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... 4-12-45802" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;TZ2102 wrote:Looking at Cannondale & Giant now.
2013 Giant Defy 2 (Tiagra) - $1200
2013 Giant Defy 1 (105) - $1400
2012 Cannondale Caad 8 Tiagra - $1080
2012 Cannondale Caad 8 105 - $1300
2013 Cannondale Caad 8 105 - $1500
I heard that the 105's have not changed at all, have the tiagra's? (I know the sora has in 2013)
But there are some avanti giro 4's for $1100 brand new (2012 model) are those any good compared to the above?
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Re: Buying My 1st Road Bike - Help!! (please)
Postby LM324 » Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:35 pm
If you want a bike with good specs and is cheap a better option than the Reid would be the KHS flite 720 from torpedo7. It is $919 but goes on sale very frequently to eight hundred something dollars. It has 105/ultegra gearing and carbon fork downtube chain stays and seat post.15wilsonwu wrote:You might want to consider buying a Reid Falco. It has a alu frame, carbon fork, a full Shimano 105 groupset and for all that, all you gotta pay is 850bucks...
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