New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max.

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nuttzo32
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New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max.

Postby nuttzo32 » Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:54 pm

I am new to road cycling and i have done some research and have narrowed my search down(haven't test ridden anything yet) to a trek 1.2 or specialized allez but my max budget is $850 and i would also need fitting,shoes and pedals. I would like to get some idea from other members here whether they think $850 is a realistic expectation before i go to the lbs and haggle. I have also noticed that wa seems to be more expensive than other states on bikeexchange, any help would be appreciated.

I have another $200 aside which i have used to order from cell a joe blow sport pump,glasses,shorts,jersey,saddle bag,butt cream and co2 inflator/cartridges. I already have helmet, puncture kit,lights, bike stand and toolbox have i missed anything urgent apart from spare tube which i will have to get later?

Sydguy
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby Sydguy » Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:11 pm

Buy 10 tubes, you can get them for $30 online plus delivery.

I've never used but cream, max I've done in one hit is 150kms and never needed it.

$800 is a tight budget for a roadie, but you can get a Giant Defy 2 or Oppy A3 or something in that range. Sora/Alloy bikes.

Specialized & Trek tend to be more pricey than a Malvernstar, Fuji or Giant.

Happy hunting.

JM

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Mrfenejeans
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby Mrfenejeans » Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:16 pm

Is your $850 supposed to cover bike, pedals, and shoes?
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brett.hooker
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby brett.hooker » Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:22 pm

Merida Ride Lite 91 (2011 model) might be on special over there too... It is here in Brisbane for just over $700 and I have found it to be an awesome road bike. Add pedals for around $40 and Shimano shoes for around $90 and you are very close to your budget.

You get a Sora, 18 speed bike, allow frame with carbon forks and seat post. I am loving the bike and am pleased I made the upgrade.

Only change I have made on the bike is to swap the rear cassette from an 11-25 to a 12-27 for $50. For me, it made a noticeable difference for climbing hills..
Loving my Merida's and working towards adding a Pinarello to the stable... Go go go...

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nuttzo32
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby nuttzo32 » Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:29 pm

Mrfenejeans wrote:Is your $850 supposed to cover bike, pedals, and shoes?
hopefully yes

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nuttzo32
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby nuttzo32 » Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:37 pm

brett.hooker wrote:Merida Ride Lite 91 (2011 model) might be on special over there too... It is here in Brisbane for just over $700 and I have found it to be an awesome road bike. Add pedals for around $40 and Shimano shoes for around $90 and you are very close to your budget.

You get a Sora, 18 speed bike, allow frame with carbon forks and seat post. I am loving the bike and am pleased I made the upgrade.

Only change I have made on the bike is to swap the rear cassette from an 11-25 to a 12-27 for $50. For me, it made a noticeable difference for climbing hills..
There's the meria ride lite 91 for $750 over here in perth with free nicks and jersey might be worth a look i will add it to the list.

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nuttzo32
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby nuttzo32 » Sat Nov 17, 2012 2:23 pm

Just put a deposit on a 2011 merida ride 91 which was $750 and i should be able to get some shoes and pedals online for about $100 so i am close to my budget. I am going to bus it in on monday and ride the bike home but i am a little concerned about the frame size which is 54cm and i am about 6 foot 1 but they are putting me on a wind trainer thingy and giving me a fit so hopefully there's no problem.
Last edited by nuttzo32 on Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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ozdavo
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby ozdavo » Sat Nov 17, 2012 3:14 pm

Look at second hand for cheap shoes. Maybe try a WTB thread, many users on here have old shoes sitting doing nothing.


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Always looking for new rides & ride partners in SE QLD area

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nuttzo32
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby nuttzo32 » Mon Nov 19, 2012 2:39 pm

Ended up getting the apollo peleton 2011 for $849 instead of the merida ride, i just rode it home from the shop and it's amazing, so much better than my old giant boulder(think bike not indiana jones) and i really like the saddle as well.

Still need to get some clipless pedals and shoes to go with it but for a first road bike it's great, hopefully upgradeitis won't set in for at least a year.A little over my budget of $850 but i did like the feel of the peleton more than the merida.

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brett.hooker
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby brett.hooker » Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:49 pm

Awesome!!! Enjoy the ride mate!!!
I am still thrilled with how much better my Merida is as a road bike than my old touring bike... Money well spent...

Upgtaditis will happen; but for me it will be after I put 4000 km on the Merida and I lose another 10 kg... :-)
Loving my Merida's and working towards adding a Pinarello to the stable... Go go go...

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brett.hooker
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby brett.hooker » Mon Nov 19, 2012 6:55 pm

Just read the specs on the Apollo; very nice. Tiagra group set; better than the sora on the Merida ride 91. Nice one!!!

I see it has the 12-25 hg50 9 speed cassette; if you live in a hilly area or do hill climbs, do not hesitate to put a 12-27 hg50 on there. Direct swap and the 8% difference was really noticeable for me on the climbs. Mine cost $54 at my LBS and they installed it for free.

Enjoy the ride!!!!
Loving my Merida's and working towards adding a Pinarello to the stable... Go go go...

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nuttzo32
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby nuttzo32 » Mon Nov 19, 2012 8:05 pm

brett.hooker wrote:Awesome!!! Enjoy the ride mate!!!
I am still thrilled with how much better my Merida is as a road bike than my old touring bike... Money well spent...

Upgtaditis will happen; but for me it will be after I put 4000 km on the Merida and I lose another 10 kg... :-)
I definitely won't be upgrading for a while as there is no point until i get stronger on the bike. I am 33 years old and about 100kg and i need to get back down to 82-85kg which is what i was when i was 23 and fit. I have noticed it doesn't seem to have as many granny gears as my old giant boulder but i only have one reasonably steep hill to get up on my commute. Would a 12-27 cassette give you more easy pedalling and less top speed pedalling if you know what i mean i'm not good on the terminology?

LM324
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby LM324 » Mon Nov 19, 2012 8:11 pm

that's a bargain for a bike with tiagra. Good find!

Enjoy your new bike

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brett.hooker
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby brett.hooker » Mon Nov 19, 2012 8:31 pm

12-27 will give you easier peddling up that hill, and the same speed on the flats and downhill.

The 12 is the small gear at the back, and is for high speed. The 25 and the 27 are the big gears at the back, and the 27 will be 8% easier to pedal up the hill than the 25.

Your Apollo comes with a "compact" crank set (front cogs) which has a 50 tooth big cog (for going fast) and a 34 tooth small cog. The 50/34 is great for us "intermediate" riders as it is easier to pedal up hills without losing any top speed (that we would be capable of generating). A "standard" crank set is 53/39 which allows greater speeds for the same pedal rotation, but you need to be stronger to turn it. You can get crank sets of different combinations; but I will leave that for an expert to explain. A triple front cog is usually 53/39/30, with the 30 colloquially nicknamed the "granny" gear. As you can tell, a "compact" crank set of 50/34 is pretty close to the 30, so again, great for intermediate riders.

Sounds like you are on the same plan as me; I am currently 100kg as well, and that 12-27 was the best and only upgrade I made on my Merida Ride 91. Each to their own of course, but for where I am in my fitness and weight journey, every tooth makes a difference... :-)

You will love that Tiagra setup... Great deal you got there!!!
Loving my Merida's and working towards adding a Pinarello to the stable... Go go go...

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nuttzo32
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby nuttzo32 » Mon Nov 19, 2012 10:05 pm

brett.hooker wrote:12-27 will give you easier peddling up that hill, and the same speed on the flats and downhill.

The 12 is the small gear at the back, and is for high speed. The 25 and the 27 are the big gears at the back, and the 27 will be 8% easier to pedal up the hill than the 25.

Your Apollo comes with a "compact" crank set (front cogs) which has a 50 tooth big cog (for going fast) and a 34 tooth small cog. The 50/34 is great for us "intermediate" riders as it is easier to pedal up hills without losing any top speed (that we would be capable of generating). A "standard" crank set is 53/39 which allows greater speeds for the same pedal rotation, but you need to be stronger to turn it. You can get crank sets of different combinations; but I will leave that for an expert to explain. A triple front cog is usually 53/39/30, with the 30 colloquially nicknamed the "granny" gear. As you can tell, a "compact" crank set of 50/34 is pretty close to the 30, so again, great for intermediate riders.

Sounds like you are on the same plan as me; I am currently 100kg as well, and that 12-27 was the best and only upgrade I made on my Merida Ride 91. Each to their own of course, but for where I am in my fitness and weight journey, every tooth makes a difference... :-)

You will love that Tiagra setup... Great deal you got there!!!
Ok thanks for explaining it to me brett, i will look on youtube for some more info as i am slowly learning more about bicycles and i have got a basic toolbox this one http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... t-11-45086 and a bike stand and i want to learn to do my own maintenance on most things except probably wheel truing.

Rex Chan
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby Rex Chan » Mon Nov 19, 2012 11:19 pm

Learn how to fix a puncture, as you will get them.

Wheel truing doesn;t seem that hard - you can do an ok job by eye using the brake pads as guides. I just bought a Park Tool TM-1 spoke tension meter, as I plan to use that to help me true wheels. It should get me by without the need for a stand.

I've got a compact crank with 12-25, and find the small front-big rear fine for even very steep bike path hills.

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brett.hooker
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Re: New road bike with shoes,pedals and fitting for $850 max

Postby brett.hooker » Tue Nov 20, 2012 12:01 am

Rex - good point about hills! I am talking about climbs, not just hills. My 11-25 was perfectly fine for bike path hills and the rolling hills you get around the place. In my area of Brisbane, I am referring to Mt Cootha, Mt Nebo and some little gems like Dutton Park Cemetery on River Loop or Ivory Lane in the city. And of course, in my case, I am hauling 100kg of unfit lard up those climbs... :-)
Loving my Merida's and working towards adding a Pinarello to the stable... Go go go...

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