Buying my first road bike

Budget, goals, proper fit, feel

As already stated, there could be a huge discussion on this.

 

 

Best of Luck

 

Edited by reconbyfire 2008-08-20 12:50 PM

First; welcome to BT! Lots of good advice, commiserating, support and opinion here.

You raise a complicated subject, but, I'll try and break it down by importance in a quick fashion.

1.) Fit: Your bike MUST be your size. Any compromise here and you have wasted all of the money you spent regardless of budget.

2.) Bike Shop: Buy from a reputable dealer. If you're a rank beginner (and I know someone will post contrary opinion), buy a bike ONLY from a local bike shop. Pick a shop with good technicians, good hours, one where you don't feel pressured about a sale, one which listens to your needs. Ask local cyclists where a good shop might be.

3.) Bike frame: Pick a well made (good welds, good paint, solid feel) frame. The frame is the bicycle; everything else hangs off that. This is where "brand" like Fuji, Trek, Specialized, Giant, etc. differentate from either higher end bikes like Colnago, Cervelo, Orbea etc. or lower end like you find in toy and big box department stores (Do NOT buy these bikes).

4.) Budget: Yep, money is fourth in importance. You don't buy a bike every month, make sure you spend enough so that this purchas pays off for a long time frame.

5.) Components: You'll hear about Sora, Tiagra, 105, etc. Wheels are probably the most important. If your a heavier rider, they're downright critical to get good quality wheels.

Looking at the bike you ask about, the Finest 1.0 looks like a terrific value. I assume you mean this:

http://fujibikes.com/2008/bikes.asp?id=426

Fuji is great at putting together quality parts at a reasonable price. Assuming conditions 1 through 3 are met and 4 satisfies you, I'd say it's a good choice. There is quality competition out there in the market, but if this works for you, I doubt you'll regret it.

Dave

Thank you Dave and all others who have responded!  It always helps to get professional non biased opinions.  I am buying from a local shop, and here in Asheville NC is bike heaven, so easy to find a nice laid back place to ponder and look and try.  I am moving forward with the Fuji.  Thanks again. R

I would suggest letting fit be your first concern. If you are comfortable on the bike the other factors are still important, but they are secondary. Fit is the single most important determining factor in the quality of your ownership expereince.

Here is a brief summary of price points as I've written for another website:

The Price Points.

Bike brands differentiate their models by component specifications, frame materials and design. These variables result in the different price points. Let’s look at the most prominent price points:

Below $1000 MSRP.

Road bikes below $1000 MSRP represent a fair value in a first time road bike but are short on features and benefits. Expect a low quality aluminum frame with low end components and inexpensive wheels. This is serviceable equipment but it will be heavy and the costs of fitting it precisely may add substantially to the overall cost of the bike. Bikes below $1000 MSRP are entry level bikes that will usually lead a customer to an upgrade if they continue in road riding or triathlons.

There are almost no triathlon bicycles below $1000 MSRP. It costs more than $1000 MSRP for a company to make a quality triathlon bike that can be precisely fit and have dependable components, reasonably light weight, good comfort and durability.

Because the costs associated with fitting and upgrading a below $1000 MSRP bike tend to quickly accumulate this price point represents a low price but not much value since it will likely lead to another bike purchase within two years for enthusiast cyclists and triathletes. You can get greater value by “upgrading up front” if you know you will be involved in cycling or triathlons for a number of years. If you think you’ll stay in the sport spend more on your first bike.

$1000 to $1800 MSRP.

Road bikes in this price category are solid and can be fitted precisely to the rider due to their modular stems, handlebars, seatposts, saddles and cranks. Aluminum is the frame material of choice in this category combined with mid range components that offer dependable performance but only moderate durability and heavy weight.

Triathlon bikes in this price category also use aluminum frames with carbon fiber forks and similar components to road bikes in this price category. Rather than being modular the aerobars on bikes in this category are uaually adjustable making fitting easy but adding weight and compromising aerodynamics. The designs are functional but lack lightweight, aerodynamic performance.

These bikes represent reasonable value and are worthy of upgrades such as aerodynamic wheels as long as those upgrades can be transferred to your next bike. While triathlon bikes in this price range have won major competitions most enthusiast/hobbyist athletes and competitive age groupers still view these bikes as low end and a stepping stone to a lighter, more aerodynamic bike with better ride quality, mechanical durability and overall performance. If you know you will be in the sports of cycling or triathlons for a few years this is another price category to pass on.

$1800 to $2500 MSRP.

This is the entry level to real performance road and triathlon bikes. This is also the first price point you may never need to upgrade from. You can expect a bike in this price category that has dependable mid-range components that are reasonably light weight. Frame materials in this price category may include some basic, low end carbon fiber frames. It also includes some very high quality, top end aluminum frames.

In general it is better to own a high end aluminum frame than a low end carbon fiber frame. It takes a certain amount of money to build a high quality carbon fiber frame and this price category barely achieves that. If you do select a carbon fiber frame in this price category make sure it has basic components such as Shimano 105 or SRAM Rival. Better components on a carbon fiber frame in this price range mean compromises were made somewhere. If you intend to keep this bike those are compromises you may not want: either spend more or stick with high end aluminum as a frame material. With triathlon bikes in this category all you need are aerodynamic wheels, an aerodynamic helmet and snug fitting aerodynamic race clothing and you have very fast equipment. The top of this price category approaches the highest point on the P2 (or, "Price/Value) Curve combining minimum cost with maximum performance for optimal value.


Edited by Thomas Demerly 2008-08-21 9:57 AM