Newbie Questions About Bikes

1. OK. Nothing wrong with that.
2. That will do to start. No one needs "something better," except maybe a getter engine.
3. Consider all brands because brand is one of the least important aspects of buying a bike, especially an entry level bike.
4. Probably not.
5. Inseam is only one important measurement in determining your bike size. I suggest you go to a bike shop that will take the time to give you the complete bike fit.
6. Trifind.com for races, can't help you with the LBSs.

Of course the Bear has given you great advice, and I would like to add that if you plan on doing century and/or criterium races then you'll need a road bike because these races do not allow the use of aerobars. If you are just doing time trials, then perhaps a tri-bike would do, but would greatly limit the number of races you can do. Until you get more experience, your Trek 820 will do fine. Use that bike to get used to riding in a packed group and to learn the finer points of bike racing, like drafting, paceline techniques, cornering, and finish-line sprinting. Give yourself some time with a new bike and really get good at handling skills before you decide to race a new bike. Brand is not as important as fit. There are several brands for sell of Ebay. Though I would not recommend buying a bike off Ebay sight unseen, you can look there and maybe narrow your searches down. But before you buy your bike, please take it out for a test ride to make sure it is what you want. Your LBS should be able to help you with the fit and would be the best source for information about local races.p.s.- If you were wondering about wearing underwear with bike shorts, the answer is no.

Edited by crazylegs 2005-06-10 6:13 AM

In my experience, most centuries don't give a damn if you have aerobars or not. El Tour de Tucson is the one exception that I can recall right off.

It just so happens that El Tour de Tucson is my only "A" bike race of the year. I guess I should have said to check with the RD before the race. The local crits around here do not allow aerobars but I think that's because all the roadies around here don't use them.

Hi,

I don't have any info about road bikes asd I am also still riding my 13 year old Trek 850 covered in rust! I do think I know a good bike shop near you though. Landry's in Framingham is a nice big store. I know it moved, I think it is on Rt. 9 down by closer to Natick now, it might even be in Natick. I am pretty sure it has a web site so you could check it out. Other than that the only bike shop I can think of around there is in Newton and I can't think of the name right now. That is pretty far for you anyway though.

Good luck! I would love to get a new bike since mine makes me work SO hard to get anywhere, but I want to make sure I like this sport before I put too much money into equipment! So, I continue to ride slower than the old ladies on my old Trek Antelope

Amy

Thanks for the advice, especially the underwear tip. I played lacrosse for years, so I can only imagine how much worse it would be after a bike race.

Anyway, the 820 needs some work and a good tune up, but should be good for the first year or so.

Brian