Posted: 7/28/2012 6:16:58 PM EDT
|
Going to the LBS tomorrow and picking up a new bike or 3. Met some local guys through the gun club that ride dirt and road. Have some cash around and I'd like to get back into it. Used to ride my Trek Alpha 4300 everyday, but I totaled it in a crash in college and haven't ridden in 3 years.
Looking at Specialized since that is what the LBS carries a large selection of. Looking for something for mild east coast single track and some cross country trails at the nearby ski resorts. Road wise I don't plan on ever competing, just doing some group rides and touring, Suggestions and advice welcome. Will also have to buy a helmet and shoes. Wallet is about to be empty. |
|
Inflation has hit the bike market hard the last few years. Plan to spend at least $800 to get even the equivalent durability and quality wise of your old 4300. Don't be tricked by pretty derailleurs or a little bling. stuff like true double walled rims (not semi or faux), decent hubs, reliable forks and quality brakes cost money.
Lots of companies are cheating in fairly invisible spots to keep costs down. Don't be a sucker. |
| Just get one that fits. You'll be happy if you get one that fits. That's it. Any of the brand name bike company bikes will be fine. All the crap with crappy components is long since gone. Hard to say what is better than the rest, since bikes fit people in different ways. |
|
Quoted:
Look into a 29er 29ers seem to be the wave of the future. For AZ desert riding, they are awesome. For some of the NorCal single track I do, 29ers can be a bit too much to wide from time to time. I have my 27" in CA as my trail bike. How tight are the trails there? |
|
Quoted:
Inflation has hit the bike market hard the last few years. Supply chain tightened. There was a bunch of slack in the past allowing liquidators like Supergo or Jenson to blowout last years stuff. Not so anymore. Through corporate mergers and less product, prices and supply have tightened. Still easy to find good deals, you just have to pounce on stuff, even if you don't need it. |
|
Quoted: Quoted: Look into a 29er 29ers seem to be the wave of the future. For AZ desert riding, they are awesome. For some of the NorCal single track I do, 29ers can be a bit too much to wide from time to time. I have my 27" in CA as my trail bike. How tight are the trails there? Down here they can be pretty tight. |
|
Just got a couple for the wife and I to re-enter riding with, we're both past 50.....Felt Verza Path 2 ($560) for me, Specialized Ariel for her ($530). Decided to get front suspension due to our local riding mix of hard surface, rough blacktop roads, and varying degrees of roughness on riding paths. Didn't know jack about equipment since I last rode an old Raleigh steel-frame 10 speed back in the early '90's, our LBS suggested the bikes and fit them to us. We just wanted to do some fitness and group riding, and are just starting to get some seat time on 'em.
SS |
|
Quoted:
Road - Cannondale CAAD10. Best aluminum bike you can buy. They're like $1300. Performance had a specially OEM spec Fuji w/ SRAM Rival for $1100 and you could get an additional discount for in-store purchase for joining their buyers club. My buddy put his kid on the bike w/ pedals, shoes and a helmet for $1100, tax included. That said, the CAAD10 is a great bike for the bucks. |
