Road Bicycle: Buy or Build?

[GWestphal]

So, I would like to get a road bike, but I know nothing of bikes.

I'd definitely like to spend less than $750. I'd like comfy seat.

I saw this Schwinn CF-1000 which looked cool, but not sure if it's any good compared to others or if I could build something better for cheaper.

 

[_Rick_]

Where to start?

It can be cheaper to buy components and assemble, but it will take hours, and if it is your first time, you will break things. Snapping together a chain or laying pulleys is really finicky work. You also need the odd bit of special equipment, to mount a cassette to a rear wheel, to put pedals on, etc.

Generally, I would recommend to get a well balanced bike, and then try to do some of the work on it yourself. For a lot of work I still head to the shop though, as they just have some equipment which it's not worth for me to buy.

Now, as for your budget...
Do you already have:

Bike shoes
cleats and pedals (oftentimes not included with the bike)
bib cycling shorts and a cycling top with bags for the replacement tube, pump, and tire hooks
a helmet
cycling glasses
stationary pump
hand pump
replacement tubes
cycling gloves

As you claim to know nothing of bikes, I surmise that this is not the case. This kit alone will set you back some 400 dollar. And most of it really isn't optional.

A comfortable saddle is all about how well it fits you. And how well the chamois in the shorts spreads the load. Generally it should only hurt for the first four months or so. After that, if you work on your stature, you usually don't feel the saddle anymore. At least not in the same way as in the beginning.

I would stay away from cheap carbon bikes. Why?
Usually the use extremely cheap components (7x Sora cassette? seriously?) and the carbon doesn't save weight, it actually increases it, due to the heavy gear they put on to balance the added cost.

With your budget, I'd check the local riders forum for a used bike, two year old aluminium frame with a 105 set and some mavic aksium or ksyrium wheels may have deprecated to that price point.
Be sure to measure yourself properly to determine the frame size you fit best on.

Similarly, if you want to build yourself, used equipment is the only way you can reasonably match the prices of the more aggressive vendors.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

At that price point it will always be more expensive to build than buy (unless you are using used components).

 

[JulesMaximus]

At that price point it will always be more expensive to build than buy (unless you are using used components).

Agreed. And someone who knows nothing about bikes will most likely not be able to put one together themselves. I sure wouldn't ride a bike that a complete novice built up.

Find a good second hand bike store or check craigslist. You can usually find very nice bikes with little to no use for half what they would sell for new. Just be wary of stolen bikes. Kind of hard to determine but if you show up and the guy doesn't really seem to know much about bikes or the bike you're looking at in particular then don't buy it. It is probably stolen. Also, ask for receipts. Most people keep copies of receipts for bikes they've purchased new.

If all else fails, support your local bike shop. Buying bikes online is great for saving a few bucks but you really want to support your local shops otherwise they won't be around when you really need them.

 

[Vetterin]

If you know nothing about bikes...building one would be the last thing you would want to do.
Just go here and buy yourself a good one. http://www.bikesdirect.com/

 

[thomsbrain]

If you know nothing about bikes...building one would be the last thing you would want to do.
Just go here and buy yourself a good one. http://www.bikesdirect.com/

Funny that you linked to a site that sells partially disassembled bikes.

Anyone care to comment on this site and these brands? Never heard of it, and people seem to be suspicious of the reviews that are out there... but those are pretty attractive prices.

 

[GWestphal]

I don't have anything bike related. I would need a helmet, but the rest is perhaps beyond my need. I'm not trying to do time trials or anything. Fitness and commuting during the summer.

 

[Baked]

If you're looking for long rides, comfy seat is the worse thing you can put on a road bike. I learned this from the LBS guy.

 

[GWestphal]

I don't follow...comfy seat is uncomfy?

 

[arrfep]

I don't follow...comfy seat is uncomfy?

"Comfy" as in "extra padding/gel" = uncomfortable for long periods of time. Usually causes chafing and makes Mr. Happy go nappy.

Usually a firm saddle with a slight amount of padding and/or a taint-channel are the best for road bikes.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Funny that you linked to a site that sells partially disassembled bikes.

Anyone care to comment on this site and these brands? Never heard of it, and people seem to be suspicious of the reviews that are out there... but those are pretty attractive prices.

They are fine. The people that don't like them are bike snobs . Ignore their BS compare to and MSRP prices though.

If your butt sinks into the seat it just ends up putting pressure on your taint where you don't want it. You want the pressure on your sit bones. Buy a pair of bicycle shorts with the pads in them. You don't have to buy the tight look at my junk kind if that bother you. They make ones that look normal but have a liner built in with the pads.

 

[Throckmorton]

Discussion of that bike http://www.cyclingforums.com/t/487625/schwinn-cf-1000

 

[_Rick_]

I don't have anything bike related. I would need a helmet, but the rest is perhaps beyond my need. I'm not trying to do time trials or anything. Fitness and commuting during the summer.

Shoes really make a huuuuge difference. And for fitness and especially commuting, you will need to carry that tube and pump on you. Pants pockets also really don't work on the bike.

Putting on spandex is a leap of faith, but once you've done it, it'll become normal. And it will become hard to mount a bike without.

Also, for fitness rides, the comfort is really great. No flapping clothes, no sweat, you stay cool, and often they even have little details to improve your visibility on the road.

Final assembly of a bike is usually trivial, as long as you have a torque wrench.

 

[Doppel]

Funny that you linked to a site that sells partially disassembled bikes.

Anyone care to comment on this site and these brands? Never heard of it, and people seem to be suspicious of the reviews that are out there... but those are pretty attractive prices.

Partially, but the hard stuff like the crank and cassette are already installed for you. I didn't know how to build a bike until I got one from bikesdirect. The instructions are decent and I bet online there is a how-to or youtube or something. What I liked most about this process is that it forced me to learn how all the parts worked and otherwise I may not quite have bothered. I think BD is a great source for a bike.

 

[JulesMaximus]

If you know nothing about bikes...building one would be the last thing you would want to do.
Just go here and buy yourself a good one. http://www.bikesdirect.com/

A friend of mine bought a Motobecane LeChampion from BikesDirect a few years ago. It came with Shimano Ultegra and a steel frame (Reynolds 831). He rode it for a while but really it was a bit too big for him so he sold the frame and bought a full carbon frame from Performance Bike and built it up with the Ultegra components from the BD bike.

I think he paid about $1200 for the bike and he sold the frame for around $200. The Ultegra groupset alone is worth at least $800. The wheels and pedals are nothing special but he's still using them on his bike and he hasn't had any problems with them.

Assembly was pretty easy. I helped him with it and it only took the most basic of tools. Put the wheels on, mount the handlebar, put the seat on and the pedals. Some minor adjustment and it was good to go.

 

[Vetterin]

Funny that you linked to a site that sells partially disassembled bikes.

Anyone care to comment on this site and these brands? Never heard of it, and people seem to be suspicious of the reviews that are out there... but those are pretty attractive prices.

Please show me anyplace that ships a completely assembled bike. Never having heard of Kestrel or Fuji also says a lot.
Anyway......the OP can get a bike with the components that he wants at over half the cost he would pay at his LBS. Ultegra components are the same on a $1499 Motobecane Century Pro as they are on the $3800 Cervelo R3. He can take the bike to his LBS to have it assembled and tuned. Buying the correct size frame without being fitted by a cycle shop will be the hardest part.
FWIW, I have bought my last two bikes (road and cyclocross) from bikesdirect and have had no problems with either.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Please show me anyplace that ships a completely assembled bike. Never having heard of Kestrel or Fuji also says a lot.
Anyway......the OP can get a bike with the components that he wants at over half the cost he would pay at his LBS. Ultegra components are the same on a $1499 Motobecane Century Pro as they are on the $3800 Cervelo R3. He can take the bike to his LBS to have it assembled and tuned. Buying the correct size frame without being fitted by a cycle shop will be the hardest part.

FWIW, I have bought my last two bikes (road and cyclocross) from bikesdirect and have had no problems with either.

:thumbsup: Truth. Only difference is your paying for the name, the overhead of the bike shop (which I think isn't necessarily a bad thing), and you will probably get a better wheelset with the Cervelo R3. You will most certainly get a bike that is setup for you by going with your LBS and that's something you won't get from Bikes Direct.

My friend who bought his bike from BD got a frame size that was slightly too big for him but that also got him a longer stem and wider handlebars too which he swapped over onto the bike he's riding now. So his bike still doesn't fit him very well. He really needs to change the handlebar and get a shorter stem. I told him that I would help him change those out. I've taped enough bars over the years that I'm actually quite good at it now. ^_^

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

This is a great value at near that price point: http://www.jensonusa.com/!4B!aWG51P...email&utm_source=em082812&utm_content=details

 

[Meghan54]

This is a great value at near that price point: http://www.jensonusa.com/!4B!aWG51POUJk!-!urnDgw!/Diamondback-Podium-Sport-Road-Bike-12?utm_medium=email&utm_source=em082812&utm_content=details

Darned nice bike for the price....Jenson does have some really good prices on occasion, esp. on the odd part.

Just wonder which fork it really comes with, it lists two.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Darned nice bike for the price....Jenson does have some really good prices on occasion, esp. on the odd part.

Just wonder which fork it really comes with, it lists two.

That is strange. That being said, I would expect either fork to be fairly overbuilt, and with a 1 1/8" steerer I wouldn't expect a noticeable difference in stiffness, regardless of whether the steerer is CF or aluminum.