I want to start cycling, but not sure wich brand of a road bike to get?

Question

Im 13 years old and 5'5" if thats rellevant at all.

Answer 1

A good bike fit is most important, especially for long distance trips, to avoid fatigue/injuries/accidents. B asically a road bike is the best choice for the distance and speed (I assume you would be cycling about 100 miles each day)



Where I live, that budget may get buy a good road bike. However, you must be a resonablely good cyclist, too. You need to fetch your essentials along on your bike if there is no way to replenish isotonic drinks (can be 100 ml for every 5-10 miles), food/dry ration (a bite every 3 hours), spare tubes, tyre crowbars, bicycle pump, basic toolset, spare clothings

Answer 2

I'm kind of new at biking, so I'm not an expert. I have, however, researched quite a bit before buying my bike.



I recommend that you try out several brands. You'll know the one when you ride it. Ask the bike shop questions like what makes a good bike, and what to look for in a fit and stuff.



Some bikes lean over more than others. A slightly more upright position is more comfortable for long rides. A more angled ride is better for going faster since you are out of the wind a bit. See which one you like better.



Pay attention to brakes and shifters. I found that the entry level brakes are a lot harder to stop than the next level up. That made me nervous.



Pay attention to materials. There is steel, aluminum and carbon. Each rides a bit different. Steel is slightly heavier, but has been used a long time and works well. Aluminum is slightly stiffer, but slightly lighter. Carbon absorbs shock well, but from what I read is a bit more brittle. Many entry level road bikes seem to be using aluminum, but add carbon forks and some carbon in the back.



There are a lot of good bike brands. My favorite was the Cannondale Synapse, but I was trying to go dirt cheap, so I didn't get it. Everyone will have their own favorites though, so it's just my opinion. What I liked about it was the ride was slightly springy when I hit bumps, the one I rode had the next higher components (not the bottom level), and it rode slightly upright. It had spacers that I could remove (lowers the handlebars) to ride more angled if I wanted though. It seemed to fit me well.

Answer 3

I agree with sno f as far as going to a local bike shop and asking for some advice. Your age and height are of importance only as far as it relates to the correct bike size. Sizes do vary slightly by manufacturers. For a ride of 400 miles you'll need to do some training beforehand in order to build up to those longer distances is where the fit of a bike becomes more important.



Many will tell you that one brand of bike is better than another but in reality an entry level bike from one of the major brands will be comparable to any of the others. Under $1000 gives you a lot of choice as adequate entry level road bikes start around $700-800. If your budget is higher then you can shop for a bike that has better components. The components are what makes the bike go as well as stop so look for a bike that has the better grade. Examples would be Shimano Sora versus Tiagra or 105. Each of these component sets are built by Shimano but each one is a step up in quality and performance so choose the bike that has the better set in your price range. Frame material is also a consideration but in your price range virtually every bike will be either aluminum or steel and both have been proven over time.



Don't get taken in by anyone's suggestion that a certain brand of bike is better than the others, that's a personal opinion only. Find the bike you like with the components you like, as long as its a major brand at that price' you'll end up with the bike that suits you... not someone else.



I did want to add... Yes, Treks are good bikes.

Answer 4

It has been pretty much summed up about the brands above. Go to a bike shop and talk to the reps. They should steer you in the right direction. A good bike shop will find a bike to fit your needs and not meet their revenue goals.



Some bike shops have a device for fitting you to a bike. Sounds odd, but having a bike that fits your body makes all the difference. A good bike shop will encourage you to test ride the bike. If it doesn't feel comfortable or doesn't handle right, then it is not for you. Remember, it may be better to spend the extra couple hundred bikes and get the bike that works for you. If not, you may end up just getting a decoration for you garage because you don't enjoy riding it.

Answer 5

Here's mine, its been a month, and I love it:

http://glenstanley.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/giant_defy3.jpg



The Giant Defy 3.

It was $850 at the local bike shop. Its the same frame as the defy 2 and 1, which cost much more due to slightly lighter, better components.



It has a woman version (I'm assuming you're a girl with that name... no offense if not) the avail 3:

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/women/2285/32115/



You're 13 so I'd get a slightly bigger bike cause you're still growing, and it'd be a huge waste to outgrow a nice bike in a year or two.



You'll need lights and a helmet. Those are available at the bike shop, for proper fitting/installation you should buy from them.



You'll want a bike computer, found a cheap one on amazon, $10:

http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-SW654-17-Function-Bike-Computer/dp/B000DZD3FQ

Mine actually fell off, having a new one shipped, it was dirt cheap anyway, tape it on I guess.



You should also get a softer seat for such a long ride. This looks comfy:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Cloud-9-Bicycle-Suspension-Tri-color/dp/B000AO7NRY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1251428585&sr=1-7



Trek bikes are alright, just have slightly different frame geometry. Its a matter of personal preference, size, and cost. (I've test ridden them all...)

Answer 6

Consider the equipment you will bring on the 800 mile ride, and how that will fit on your bike. If you are carrying camping gear, a frame with eyelets for a rack helps. You also may use front panniers, and some bikes have eyelets for those racks. They make touring bikes, which have longer chain stays to lessen the chance of hitting the rear panniers with your heel. Or, get a regular bike with a Bob trailer (but that weighs 30 or so additional pounds so harder going uphill). Considering all the possibilities, consider a used bike and train with it loaded to see the additional features you want in a new bike.

Answer 7

It really doesn't matter much which brand you buy, as long as the bike has the right components. A Trek bike, say, has a frame and maybe a fork made by Trek, but the shifters, gears, brakes, cranks, etc. are standard parts made by some other company like Shimano. What you really want to know is, which features matter and which don't, and why.



Some good touring bikes at or near $1,000:

+ Bianchi "Volpe" ($1,100)

+ Cannondale "Touring 2" ($1,440)

+ Fuji "Touring" ($1,100)

+ Raleigh "Sojourn" ($1,200)

+ Surly "Long Haul Trucker" ($1,100)

+ Trek "520" ($1,100)



A touring bike looks very much like a racing bike with a luggage rack. The difference is in which components are selected, and why.



What you want on the bike (encoded in bicycle nerd-speak):

1. Wheels with 36 spokes laced in a "cross 3" pattern

2. Triple crankset

3. 8- or 9-speed cassette with a 32- or 34-tooth cog



What you'll (probably) replace on your new bike (yikes!):

4. Tires (700x28 or 32 on a road bike, 700x35 or 32 on a hybrid)

5. Seat (like buying a pair of dress shoes that don't pinch your feet)



What doesn't matter:

6. Frame material

7. Component group ("Sora", "Tiagra", "105", etc.)



Here's why (short answers):

1. Strong wheels won't break on the road

2. Hills are hard, particularly when you're carrying cargo

3. Strong wheels won't break on the road (hah! not what you thought)

4. A sore butt spoils the fun.

5. A sore butt spoils the fun.

6. Carbon's too expensive, and steel is rare (exc. on touring bikes).

7. Saving four ounces of weight or 0.1 second faster shifting just doesn't matter unless you're racing (or stylish).



The distance you're gonna ride each day is much more relevant than the total distance you're gonna ride. If this is a guided/group trip of less than 50 miles a day, pretty much any modern hybrid or road bike will do. Speed isn't a factor; you're not likely to average more than 16 mph. Hills *are* a factor, and the lower gearing of a hybrid could make it a better choice than a road bike, particularly if you're carrying cargo.



You can tune any road bike for touring by switching to fatter tires and to a rear cassette with the largest rear cog that the derailleur can handle. You could even buy new wheels with more spokes to replace the 24-spoke radially laced wheels on your fancy racer, but better to start with a bike that's closer to what you really need.



Things to ask at the bike shop:

1. How many spokes on the rear wheel? front wheel?

2. What's the largest cog (rear gear) that this bike can shift? (This may be larger than the largest cog that's on the cassette that comes with the bike. Make sure that Mr. Bike understands that you want to know how big it could be, not how big it is now.)

3. What's the largest tire that can be mounted on these rims?

4. Do you have any new/old stock (NOS) bikes like this one? (a new bike, but last year's model)

4. Can I take this bike for a test ride?



Hybrid vs road bike.

Hybrids are geared lower than road bikes, which makes it easier to ride up a hill. The disadvantage of a hybrid is that there are fewer ways to grip straight hybrid handlebars than to grip the curly handlebars of a road bike, so your hands tend to fall asleep on longer rides. As you ride more, your legs become stronger and you put less of your weight on your hands, but it's always an issue, even on a road bike.



Hybrids are also heavier than road bikes, but mostly because road bikes eliminate things like spokes, which make the bike more likely to break down while you're on the road. The Fuji Touring, which is designed for, well, touring, is only 3 pounds lighter than my Bianchi hybrid. That's three 16-oz water bottles full of, well, water.



Hybrid wheels are wider than road bike wheels, and almost all ship with 36-spoke wheels, which means lots of strength for carrying you and your luggage over potholes and scarified road. (No, the road isn't afraid of you. Look it up.)



Personally, I think a hybrid is fine for daily rides of less than 80 miles. Unless, that is, you expect a lot of wind. There's just no way to hunker down out of the wind on a hybrid.



What you want on the bike (long answers):

1. Wheels with 32 or 36 spokes laced in a "cross 3" pattern. A broken spoke is the most likely failure out on the road (except for a punctured tire), so no 24-spoke wheels or radial spoke patterns. (Ask in your LBS to see examples of these.) Buy a couple of extra spokes and a spoke wrench for the trip (unless someone else in your group will have tools & know-how).



2. A triple crankset (that is, three front gears), unless you're touring Kansas. Don't be talked into a "compact crankset", which is a double crankset (two front gears) with an extra-small small gear. The smallest "granny gear" is a great help getting up hills, particularly if you're carrying cargo. At 13 you're muscles aren't as big or strong as they will be at 20, which makes that third gear all the more important

Answer 8

i'm sort of modern-day at cycling, so i'm not an authority. I actual have, in spite of the undeniable fact that, researched lots till finally now figuring out to purchase my bike. i %. to indicate which you attempt out multiple manufacturers. you will understand the only as quickly as you experience it. Ask the bike shop questions like what makes a good bike, and what to look for in a in good shape and stuff. some motorcycles lean over greater advantageous constructive than others. a quite greater advantageous upright place is larger soft for long rides. a greater robust angled experience is larger constructive for going faster pondering the undeniable fact which you're out of the wind quite. See which one you like greater advantageous constructive. pay activity to brakes and shifters. i've got been given here upon that the get right of entry to indicate brakes are lots harder to end than the subsequent factor up. That made me stressful. pay activity to ingredients. there is metallic, aluminum and carbon. each and every and each rides quite distinctive. metallic is quite heavier, yet has been used an prolonged time and works good. Aluminum is quite stiffer, yet quite lighter. Carbon absorbs marvel good, yet from what I learn is a splash greater advantageous brittle. Many get right of entry to indicate highway motorcycles seem employing aluminum, yet upload carbon forks and a few carbon indoors the lower back. there are quite some sturdy bike manufacturers. My properly-prevalent grew to become the Cannondale Synapse, yet i grew to become attempting to bypass airborne dirt and dirt much lower priced, so i did not get it. each and every physique would have their very own favorites in spite of the undeniable fact that, so it quite is in simple terms my opinion. What I enjoyed approximately it grew to become the experience grew to become quite springy as immediately as I hit bumps, the only I rode had the subsequent greater advantageous aspects (not the backside factor), and it rode quite upright. It had spacers that i could do away with (lowers the handlebars) to experience greater advantageous angled if i necessary in spite of the undeniable fact that. It recognized to slot me good.

Answer 9

Trek Giant Cannondale Specialized. Make sure it fits YOU.

Answer 10

your step-dad rides, ask him to take you in to the shop that he deals with. ask him for advise on features and talk to the sales/service people. Specialized makes good bikes. also Felt, guru, pinerallo, marinoni. maybe he can help find a used one with good componants for first bike under a thousand.

Answer 11

get a Bianchi

Answer 12

trek,cannondale,giant