theAmazingKickstand
New member
Lemme get back to you after work today.
K, first thing is you want to ride 100 miles a week. To cover that distance and have fun you're really gonna want a proper road bike. The hybrid that you posted would be something I'd use for a 2 mile commute/gym/safeway. Road bikes are meant to be efficiant and every little thing about tem helps a ton. You gotta remember that you're less than 1hp so every little bit that you get robbed of goes a long way. (But asshole!!! I commute to work in a truck, not a Porsche and it's fine) Well thats true. But the truck does all the work for you. You jsut sit there and dont have to physically pay the penalty of how inneficiant that truck is.
Regarding your budget. All but one frame in your budget are gonna be exactly the same. Nothing special. All but one are made the same way at the same place. You should only pick one over the other depending on whats on sale/what comes in your size/which name brand youve been convinced is worlds better than everything else. Frames start feeling different at the $2k-$5k range. (just the frame price, not the complete bike)
The huge exception is gonna be the canondale Caad8, Caad9 (discontinued), Caad10. The first two are a bit heavy but extremely fast (efficiant, easy to pedal) responsive and fun.....and crashable. Dudes racing on a budget will be on one of these bikes cuz shere performance/$ cannot even come close to anything else. I've put a Barfer and Barfers smokin hot girlfriend on a Caad10 and I think theyve been very satisfied. They also werent too expirienced so they don't really comprehend how much more awesome their bikes are then other stuff in there price range. I also bought a Caad10 with my own money when I can have pretty mch whatever I want, so that should tell you something about how much I like it. The aluminum frames do ride a bit more rough over broken pavement but at your weight youre not gonna feel shit. I put a hot little number on a small one and she has no complaints about ride comfort....but mainly cuz she hasn't been spoiled by high grade carbon fiber.
Components. Do not go lower than "105" bike. Dont get tiagra/sora. Dont get 9 or 8 speed. 9 and 8 speeds shift like crap at this price. Unfortiantly bikes this cheap that do come with 105 are mixed. You'll get 105 shifters/ FD/RD/ and cassete. The brakes and crank will be some FSA crap. Youll like them jsut fine till you try you friends bike with better stuff. Since your spending this much you should be getting something thats worth upgrading and fun to ride. If you get a shitty frame itll still be shitty to ride even with Campy Super Record and MadFiber wheels.
Sizing is very important. I hate giving sizing info without seeing you on the bike/trainer. The Effective Top Tube legnth and head legnth are most important. Dont worry about the "size" number or seat tube legnth. All that is infanetly adjustible. The top tube isn't. The 2 inches to the croth test is complete nonsense cuz it has nothing to do with you sitting and riding a bike. You can get acompact Giant in your size and becasue of theire stupid sloping tubes youll have 10 feet between you and the top tube. Most newbs get a bike thats one or two sizes too bieg cuz they dont know (or the shop employee) how to sit on a bike and be comfy and efficiant after 8 miles.
Many people of the the same height can ride a few different frame. Ill tell you im well proportioned and ride a 59 effective Top tube and a 130 stem with a 19 Head TUbe. Those are really the only important numbers. I can also ride a 60 frame witha 120 stem. Or a 61 frame with a 110 stem...see where this is going. Its important to get the smallest frame that you can properly fit on because a smaller frame is lighter and stiffer by definition. Ive put 6 ft guys on 54's 56's and one on a 58 cuz he was stupid long up top. You wanna ride something with a 110 to a 130 stem. Taht way the bike handles how it was designed to handle. The longer the stem the slower the steering. the shorter the stem the sharper. If you go to short the sterring is twitchy. Too long and the steering is dead and you will flex everything from leverage. AS you get more expirience sitting correctly, your body will want to naturally lean down and stretch forward. It will actually be less combfortable sitting upright. Much more combfortable leaning down and not having to use your back and arms to support you. When you see a bike with bars that are level with the bars or higher thats plain wrong. Watch them ride and their elbows will be locked. Theyll also be slow and tired. Ive put super expirience Lance's on the exact frame they need with a 120 or 130 stem depending on what they prefer in a corner. Ill put complete newbs on a bike thats a little hair too big because after a few months they will want to go longer and lower.....naturally. Not cuz they want to look cooler.
Based on your height and weight (and me not seeing you on a bike.....and I would never tell anyone what size they need without seeing them on the bike) youd need anything from a 58 top tube to a 60 top tube. The reason I mention Effective top tube is cuz everyone use different size. A cannondale size 60 has a 59 top. Someone else size 60 could have have a 58 or 60 or whatever. I also have a size 61 Felt that has a 60 TT taht I run with a 110 stem and long reach bars.
When fitting its important that the fitter knows how someone should sit on a bike. Not jsut read a chart.
If you want a bike like you pictured dont spend more than $400 cuz itll be jsut as good as the one for $900. The bikes I mentioned you could get for $1200 to $1500 or less if you let me know a few months ago. If it helps Ive fit a million people and refit even more. Not once has anyone complained. Not once. I also got a bunch of Starbuck gift cards as thank you's. Youll talk to people who will say the complete opposite of what I've said. It's up to you to figure out who you want to belive. If you want, Im more than happy to go to a shop with you and put you on a bike. This way you can compare to different fittings back to back. If you look carefully on the pro races on tv youll see that their bikes (except for TT bikes) are set up very similarly. This isn't because they want to suffer and get a .056% aero advantage. Its becuase this is the best way a person can do a 10 day, 90 mile per day event without being in pain. If you decide to get a bike like you pictured dont get disk brakes or suspension. Itll only make it suck more.
Gluck. No matter how big a boss you are $1k is a lot of money to throw away.
K, first thing is you want to ride 100 miles a week. To cover that distance and have fun you're really gonna want a proper road bike. The hybrid that you posted would be something I'd use for a 2 mile commute/gym/safeway. Road bikes are meant to be efficiant and every little thing about tem helps a ton. You gotta remember that you're less than 1hp so every little bit that you get robbed of goes a long way. (But asshole!!! I commute to work in a truck, not a Porsche and it's fine) Well thats true. But the truck does all the work for you. You jsut sit there and dont have to physically pay the penalty of how inneficiant that truck is.
Regarding your budget. All but one frame in your budget are gonna be exactly the same. Nothing special. All but one are made the same way at the same place. You should only pick one over the other depending on whats on sale/what comes in your size/which name brand youve been convinced is worlds better than everything else. Frames start feeling different at the $2k-$5k range. (just the frame price, not the complete bike)
The huge exception is gonna be the canondale Caad8, Caad9 (discontinued), Caad10. The first two are a bit heavy but extremely fast (efficiant, easy to pedal) responsive and fun.....and crashable. Dudes racing on a budget will be on one of these bikes cuz shere performance/$ cannot even come close to anything else. I've put a Barfer and Barfers smokin hot girlfriend on a Caad10 and I think theyve been very satisfied. They also werent too expirienced so they don't really comprehend how much more awesome their bikes are then other stuff in there price range. I also bought a Caad10 with my own money when I can have pretty mch whatever I want, so that should tell you something about how much I like it. The aluminum frames do ride a bit more rough over broken pavement but at your weight youre not gonna feel shit. I put a hot little number on a small one and she has no complaints about ride comfort....but mainly cuz she hasn't been spoiled by high grade carbon fiber.
Components. Do not go lower than "105" bike. Dont get tiagra/sora. Dont get 9 or 8 speed. 9 and 8 speeds shift like crap at this price. Unfortiantly bikes this cheap that do come with 105 are mixed. You'll get 105 shifters/ FD/RD/ and cassete. The brakes and crank will be some FSA crap. Youll like them jsut fine till you try you friends bike with better stuff. Since your spending this much you should be getting something thats worth upgrading and fun to ride. If you get a shitty frame itll still be shitty to ride even with Campy Super Record and MadFiber wheels.
Sizing is very important. I hate giving sizing info without seeing you on the bike/trainer. The Effective Top Tube legnth and head legnth are most important. Dont worry about the "size" number or seat tube legnth. All that is infanetly adjustible. The top tube isn't. The 2 inches to the croth test is complete nonsense cuz it has nothing to do with you sitting and riding a bike. You can get acompact Giant in your size and becasue of theire stupid sloping tubes youll have 10 feet between you and the top tube. Most newbs get a bike thats one or two sizes too bieg cuz they dont know (or the shop employee) how to sit on a bike and be comfy and efficiant after 8 miles.
Many people of the the same height can ride a few different frame. Ill tell you im well proportioned and ride a 59 effective Top tube and a 130 stem with a 19 Head TUbe. Those are really the only important numbers. I can also ride a 60 frame witha 120 stem. Or a 61 frame with a 110 stem...see where this is going. Its important to get the smallest frame that you can properly fit on because a smaller frame is lighter and stiffer by definition. Ive put 6 ft guys on 54's 56's and one on a 58 cuz he was stupid long up top. You wanna ride something with a 110 to a 130 stem. Taht way the bike handles how it was designed to handle. The longer the stem the slower the steering. the shorter the stem the sharper. If you go to short the sterring is twitchy. Too long and the steering is dead and you will flex everything from leverage. AS you get more expirience sitting correctly, your body will want to naturally lean down and stretch forward. It will actually be less combfortable sitting upright. Much more combfortable leaning down and not having to use your back and arms to support you. When you see a bike with bars that are level with the bars or higher thats plain wrong. Watch them ride and their elbows will be locked. Theyll also be slow and tired. Ive put super expirience Lance's on the exact frame they need with a 120 or 130 stem depending on what they prefer in a corner. Ill put complete newbs on a bike thats a little hair too big because after a few months they will want to go longer and lower.....naturally. Not cuz they want to look cooler.
Based on your height and weight (and me not seeing you on a bike.....and I would never tell anyone what size they need without seeing them on the bike) youd need anything from a 58 top tube to a 60 top tube. The reason I mention Effective top tube is cuz everyone use different size. A cannondale size 60 has a 59 top. Someone else size 60 could have have a 58 or 60 or whatever. I also have a size 61 Felt that has a 60 TT taht I run with a 110 stem and long reach bars.
When fitting its important that the fitter knows how someone should sit on a bike. Not jsut read a chart.
If you want a bike like you pictured dont spend more than $400 cuz itll be jsut as good as the one for $900. The bikes I mentioned you could get for $1200 to $1500 or less if you let me know a few months ago. If it helps Ive fit a million people and refit even more. Not once has anyone complained. Not once. I also got a bunch of Starbuck gift cards as thank you's. Youll talk to people who will say the complete opposite of what I've said. It's up to you to figure out who you want to belive. If you want, Im more than happy to go to a shop with you and put you on a bike. This way you can compare to different fittings back to back. If you look carefully on the pro races on tv youll see that their bikes (except for TT bikes) are set up very similarly. This isn't because they want to suffer and get a .056% aero advantage. Its becuase this is the best way a person can do a 10 day, 90 mile per day event without being in pain. If you decide to get a bike like you pictured dont get disk brakes or suspension. Itll only make it suck more.
Gluck. No matter how big a boss you are $1k is a lot of money to throw away.
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