Cycling (Road Bike) Thread

hey if anyone can help, I want to get into road biking. My thinking is i can't afford to fork over 1000+ right now. I got a buddy with a scatante? He's upgrading and says he'll sell it to me for 200. Its an entry level road bike nothing fancy but my feeling is if I do like this sport I can upgrade components and eventually the frame and fork whatever from there down the road? if i don't like it I'm only out 200$ Do i have the right thinking here? Is it worth it buying something more expensive right off the bat? I have had a lot of hobbies over the years and I always learned i might as well have bought things individually and made it beast then buying something ready to go off the shelf. Any advice please!

 

Its a double edged sword with your first bike. You can buy something that will probably not last a long as you think or you can buy used and tough it out till you know you like it....

Scantante is performance bikes brand? I don't think you can go wrong with 200...unless it has like 120k miles on it. how old is it and what condition?

If the wheels and components need replacing might as well pass for a different use bike or save up for a new one.

 

As long as it's sound and doesn't weigh a ton there isn't a reason not to give it a try. Now buying components separately is a good way to upgrade at your own pace but you also have to weigh in the overall cost. The manufacturers get components allot cheaper than the average consumer can get them so even though you can buy parts when you can afford to in the long run it may end up costing quite a bit more unless you buy used.

 

It's tricky getting into the sport, because you are getting into something that will take you miles away from home, and you don't want to me left stranded. So you want to ensure whatever you buy is in good condition.

I didn't know any buddies into road biking, so no used bikes from trustworthy friends were available. If your buddy says it's good, then why not go for it.

That being said, you are going to love road biking, guaranteed, so maybe getting a bit better bike in the beginning is worth it.

I bought a mid-level entry bike, Scott Speedster S20 with a carbon fork. It has been awesome and put some 2000k on it my first season. No regrets.

One thing to note, the bike is only part of your costs. Gear costs a lot too, but the payoff is awesome.

Enjoy the sport!

 

Thanks for the replies, all good points and I appreciate it. Taco trooper I think you're right I am pretty sure this is something I will love, right now my main exercise is surfing. I hate running or lifting weights, I need something with cardio and a challenge and this is also something i can do long term like surfing. Just want to do my homework thanks again guys!

 

Go for a ride with your buddy and try it before you buy it to make sure it is sound and right size..........

 

I hear ya man... Not a gym fan myself, but went a lot before buying the bike. Contemplated for a long time and when I finally took the plunge I had no regrets. It's such a fun way to exercise, meet new people, and really challenge yourself. People who see you out riding are jealous, and your friends will totally comment on how fit you get.

I lost 20lbs in 4 months, and never saw results like that by going to the gym.

Good luck, let us know what you decide to get.

 

For some reason...this popped into my head today. The thought was "shit...my fitness is showing" as I held up traffic huffing and puffing up a hill

 

I really like my Kurt Kinetic Road Machine and I added the "Pro Flywheel". It cost a pretty penny, but it has a pretty decent "road" feel and when I stop pedalling, my wheel continues to spin for at least 30 seconds.

 

I dunno, they're both pretty boring after a couple of hours. If you're a cyclist I'd recommend going rollers. If you're not a cyclist I'd recommend a trainer.

If you choose rollers, I'd recommend setting up in a hallway or doorway at first so that when you get that "oh crap" moment you can grab a wall to stay upright. Don't spend lots of time looking at the drums, ride them like you're on the road. Pick a spot a few bike lengths ahead of you and keep your eyes on that. And relax. Try not to look around too much while you're getting the hang of them, just watch up the "road" like if you were riding in the real world.

 

Just curious, can you do workouts (i.e. intervals) on rollers? Do they have enough resistance to allow you to do say 300w or 500w or whatever efforts?

I don't have a set so I don't know.

 

That fat bike is badass! I would sooooo have to have one of those if it snowed where I live. I'm trying to not add another bike and have 15 just to have one of those for mud and sand. Dammit, now I'm planning a spot to squeeze another one in the garage. See what you've done, lol..........

 

^ Walmart haz dem now

 

same goes for guns, fishing poles, ect...

 

Run down and gitcha one....

I am well aware of this formula and that there is no escape from the +1 part........now building #14

 

I agree with riding outside if possible. Most of my time on rollers was while racing collegiate road. At the time I was often required to stay on campus. If I was on the watch schedule I had to be within a certain time frame of being able to get back to the training ship. On these days I'd just set up the rollers down by the waterfront or in the gym and do my ride. I'd usually set up a laptop on a chair and ride for the duration of a movie or two, sometimes three. It's boring as all getout. The majority of my roller sessions were short after class stuff in the winter time. The only way to get off campus without a car was to ride through a serious ghetto. It was super sketchy... a good ride was where you only got harassed once or twice.

I've got the Minoura rollers with a magnetic resistance deal that is belt driven off of one of the rear drums. You can adjust the resistance by unclipping your right foot and tapping the lever forward or backwards while riding. You could also leave the mag unit off and ride without resistance, just make sure the belt was out of the way. Most of the time when doing intervals we would adjust resistance by shifting. Non-aero wheels make a ton of resistance once you get them moving fast. I think that overall trainers are better for intervals just because you don't have to worry about staying on the drums.

 

Salsa Vaya in monstercross mode for a 4hr endurance cx race. (less top bag and bottle cages)

 

Nice......

 

Nice! good luck

 

Thanks fellas