Buying Advice - $1500, Road Bike

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Permalink Reply by Jaeger on March 29, 2009 at 3:40pm

You'll struggle to do better than this in your price range: http://www.cellbikes.com.au/p_58_CELL__2009_TEAM_ROAD_BIKE_Full_Shi.... Requires assembly but this is straight-forward - only an allen key required I believe.

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Permalink Reply by ChrisS on March 29, 2009 at 4:20pm

Allegro have their road bike for $895 and comes with a carbon fork, base level ST shifters & Sora gruppo, although I'd check that price with them or with a local dealer. It's a decent frame for the price & can be specced up later. Although someone should contact Richard to update the frame geo specs.

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Permalink Reply by Cory on March 29, 2009 at 8:16pm

Lots of Women's Specific models out there now. Try them, coz... as the name says, they're built for average women's proportions. However, she may not be 'average woman', and so, many men's models may suit (and be a tad cheaper - and sometimes sellers will swap things out to suit better, such as saddles and handlebars).

Fitzroy Cycles stock SUB, which my partner rides (OK, an early Avanti WS model that became SUB 2 yrs later).

At the end of the day, the most important thing is what feels, or I should really say, fits best.

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Permalink Reply by RobE on March 30, 2009 at 8:21am

As Cory says "However, she may not be 'average woman', and so, many men's models may suit (and be a tad cheaper - and sometimes sellers will swap things out to suit better, such as saddles and handlebars)."

I would first go spend some of her budget money on finding what dimensions her bike should be... before she buys she needs to know how she feels on the bike under mild pressure to determine the correct seat height, seat set back, handle bar height, handle bar depth and width, stem length, top tube length, seat tube length, seat tube angle and crank length. She cannot do this by walking in to a store and getting a salesperson to tell her, it won't happen. they will tell her to hop it first...or pressure her to buy a bike that is ill suited to her.

She is still spending a decent amount of money buying her bike, so why waste it with the wrong information. $1500 isnt huge these days on a new road bike, but there are still ways of getting what suits her without shelling out mega$s.. although I feel she may need to look at closer to $2500 to be close to perfect for a new bike that is almost custom. Done properly she will be armed with the correct information to walk into any bike shop any where in the world and get what she needs need and not what the retailer wants to sell. A measurment only will cost around $125.Its well set out here at Steve Hoggs site, Ivanhoe Cycles use Fit Kit System ( which may or may not allow for her physiology overt the math formula), Kennedy in Black Rock does a personal assessment and trained Steve Hogg in Cyclefit and has fitted over 15000 riders.

There is a stack of info with a list of Melbourne and Vic Fit Experts at BV;s site on Women's Cycling here

And Yay to her call on a flat top bat...way to go!

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Permalink Reply by Simon Jackson on March 30, 2009 at 9:15am

thanks for all the feedback, ill send her the info!

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Permalink Reply by TimM on March 30, 2009 at 10:22am

Hello,
My x-house mate has been searching for a womens specific bike for some time and finnaly found one she liked, so i got the run down every second day on what she had found!
Although her budget was a thousand dollars above yours, she settled on a Pinerello FP2, cost her $2400 with campy Veloce, and campy wheels.
She also found a Giant bike running (i think) Shimano 105.
Depending on how committed she is to cycling and too what level she would like to take it, sought off dictates what she should be looking for in a new bike.
For commuting/weekend group riding, i would aim for a giant, cannondale, avanti and specialised etc, since these bikes offer the best bang for your buck, they are a decent frame with pretty good groupsets.
If she wants to ultimately take the riding further then i would aim for buying a good frame, from which you can up the components on later!
The further she can push the budget up the better off she will be, i agree with RobE in that $2500 will land you a great bike with decent componenets.
Has she considered secondhand bikes? although it can be pretty hit and miss with frame sizing, some fantastic deals can be found!
As for bike shops, i couldnt really help you (im new to melb) but i have dealt with all three BSC Bikes shops (QV, Elizabeth St and Brunswick) and have found them to be pretty helpfull, although they deal largely with mountain bikes.

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Permalink Reply by RobE on March 30, 2009 at 11:24am

There are some good buys & Tim offers a few good value " name" packages, which could suit, however I will caution on any mass produced bike as being suitable for everyone, as they can't be...manufacturers, make a formula that fits their inhouse guru's ego and doesnt fit anything but a bean counter's idea of a profitable production run and make bikes based on some 57 kilo weed pro rider or a 85 kilo grunt sprinter who would win on a tricycle and they claim their bikes are leading edge... its all BS,
if the bike doesnt fit the rider in us we will never be comfortable, pain free and safe... and I think safety comes first, pain has an impact on safety, tired-ness, numb hands, sore neck, sore knees aches all impact safety... so fit comes first, then go find a bike that meets your needs for fit...
bling and names and mass marketing have to be ignored till you know what suits your body, and riding style and expectations and capability...

and these change over time as we get fitter, less fitter, slimmer fatter, whatever, it is dynamic so a bike that can be adapted is important, if it is too small to start with then you have issues on getting it bigger and safer without buying a larger frame... and many LBS try and sell smaller bikes ( oh its lighter you will climb well, rubbish...if its too small its too small)... if it is too short in the wheel base it may be too unstable for you , if it is too steep in the head angle it may not handle right for you, if it is too steep in the seat angle and too low on the bars, it may be unsafe and you will not see where you are going and chances are you will hit a parked car...

Fit first, then go look for a bike.... and ride happy, safe and long

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