Thread: Im coming out of the closet and I need road bike recomondations

Originally Posted by huckbucket

Slight diversion ...

Pickles, my back is not especially parallel with the ground when I'm in the drops. This isn't because of comfort, but because of the height of the bars and the size of the frame and the drops. At 5'8" with the leg length of 30in, I ride a 54"caad9 with a 10mm stem, no stackers under the stem. Seat height is right on (can't go higher without rocking hips). Fits great, super comfy, and allows me to get reasonably aggressive. I can potentially go to a 52 and use a longer stem and achieve very close to the same setup but with lower bars. Other than potential back problems (which I'm not too worried about), what else should I look out for? For example, will the bike get really twitchy with a shorter top tube, longer stem?

Its hard to say without actually seeing you on the bike.
As you get lower in the front, you also have to rotate your hips forward to maintain appropriate back alignment, however, the pressure of being lower causes people to rotate hips backward which eventually does cause pain. Saddle choice becomes more important the lower your front end gets.

Additionally, I'd rather have higher bars with bent elbows than lower bars with straight arms. The bent position is actually faster aerodynamically as it lowers the frontal area and drag.

Boonen could be in the drops here, but hands on top with bent elbows is more aero. Hands on drops are for being lazy or producing lots of power.


Steering will be slowed down with the longer stem, but you'll feel the bars "flop" a bit more at low speeds.... which isn't a big deal on a road bike. If you go too far, you could end up with too much weight on the front wheel which would make the bike twitchy, but you ought to be fine with a stem up to 120/130mm.

Originally Posted by PhiberAwptik

The notion that carbon gets soft over the years is a myth perpetuated by steel crusaders, and retrogrouches.

Clearly your experience and knowledge far outstrips mine to say nothing of your insightful explanation. I bow to your perceived internet greatness. BTW note I said for his size...... totally different story in set ups for smaller lighter riders.

Originally Posted by Tye 1on

same tire/inflation here. Love 'em, durable and not that spendy...

fucking tires kick ass. just did a 3 hour road ride where a half hour of it i ripped some sweet slimy rooty rocky hilly singletrack on those tires. left at 105psi and never lost a bit o traction. makes me laugh when folks get so caught up in what mtb tire worx best for this or not so much for that. fuck, skinny road tires slay offroad mtb trails if ya know how to properly weight the bike through the terrain. and it's more fun slaying the skinnies. totally freaks the folks on full squishy bikes when you rip by em on a climb on a road bike in the drops . or even worse, a descent

rog

I second the "getting fit" advise. Nothing will make you hate cycling more then being on the wrong bike. Personally I would not advise buying on CL untill you know a lot more about bikes, sizes and your preferences. You are better off test riding a few bikes of the correct size. Shop around the local shops, used bikes aren't that hard to find.

I am not a big fan of Al, I have seen too many crack, especially for big person. I have both steel and CF frames. My steel is a Colnago, so it is probably one of the best steel bikes ever made. It still out preforms anything on the downhill twisties, but is a dog to climb on compared the my CF frame.

As for components, Shimano is going to be cheapest, but you get what you pay for. I have Campy Record on two of my three bikes (the third one is an old steel frame with Ultegra). The best thing about Campy is it is repairable, not that it needs repair often. One set I have is probably 20 years old and still perfectly functional, just not a sexy as the new stuff.

Originally Posted by huckbucket

At 5'8" with the leg length of 30in, I ride a 54"caad9 with a 10mm stem, no stackers under the stem. Seat height is right on (can't go higher without rocking hips). Fits great, super comfy, and allows me to get reasonably aggressive. I can potentially go to a 52 and use a longer stem and achieve very close to the same setup but with lower bars.

At that same height & inseam I was fitted and put on a 52cm CAAD8 frame which feels good but when I started road biking I got a used & cheap 55 or 56 Vitus which never felt as good as the smaller frame with 105

Also consider that 2 bikes of the same size might measure & feel different

Originally Posted by XtrPickels

Hands on drops are for being lazy or producing lots of power.

Hands in the drops = lower center of gravity...thus better control

bbense - Thanks for the comments. 30" is pant inseam not actual leg length which will be something slightly longer? My stem is parallel with the ground as is. I can ride comfortably in the drops, however my torso is still catching a decent amount of wind. I also feel a little cramped in ribs when I do this. It's not terrible, but could be more open

Pickles - Thanks for the comments. Higher bars/bent elbows rather than the drops. I tired comparing these two positions into a headwind on my ride today. I'll have to take your word for it.

I appreciate that trying to diagnose/help fitment over the interwebs is pretty stupid. I also appreciate that I've high jacked this thread. Sorry Dhelihiker. Carry on.

Originally Posted by huckbucket

bbense - Thanks for the comments. 30" is pant inseam not actual leg length which will be something slightly longer? My stem is parallel with the ground as is.

No reason it can't be pointing downwards if that's what works for you.

I can ride comfortably in the drops, however my torso is still catching a decent amount of wind. I also feel a little cramped in ribs when I do this. It's not terrible, but could be more open

You could try a longer stem as well, sometimes you don't need to be lower but be reaching further. You'd also need to move the seat forward a bit, in effect you're rotating your position around the crank. For me, I'd want at least a 110mm stem on a 54cm effective top tube bike.

I'm pretty much your height and inseam and I'm happier on 55-56cm effective top tube bikes. But I'm not trying to get a flat back these days, I'm much more concerned with being comfortable on long rides ( 4-5 hrs or more...) My road racing days are long gone.

Originally Posted by huckbucket

bbense - Thanks for the comments. 30" is pant inseam not actual leg length which will be something slightly longer? My stem is parallel with the ground as is. I can ride comfortably in the drops, however my torso is still catching a decent amount of wind. I also feel a little cramped in ribs when I do this. It's not terrible, but could be more open

IME however you want to cut it a 30 " inseam means you got pretty short legs, my paddling bud is 5'8" and his legs are 2 " longer ... he can't get into play boats that I can fit in without removing some outfitting

maybe a Pro rider can have a flat back but I don't think we will so just go for something you feel comfortable on

On a 55-56 I used a shorter stem but I always felt behind the action

Originally Posted by hutash

I second the "getting fit" advise. Nothing will make you hate cycling more then being on the wrong bike. Personally I would not advise buying on CL untill you know a lot more about bikes, sizes and your preferences. You are better off test riding a few bikes of the correct size. Shop around the local shops, used bikes aren't that hard to find.

This ^^^^^ Go to some different LBSs in the area and try to get fit on a number of different bikes as it will make a world of difference. In particular, a 60 cm in a Cannondale will fit a lot differently than a 60 cm in a Trek. Once you narrow down what frame fits you and the component grouppo you want to put on it, either trying to find a closeout model from 2010 (harder) or 2011 (easier) will save you a lot of money for a new bike. Used, try CL. On CL, if you go a carbon frame, really inspect it and talk to the owner to ensure it didn't get crashed, dropped a ton, etc... Hairline fractures can really take away from strength of the frame.

I ride Shimano Ultegra, but it sounds like what you are looking for will be totally fine in the 105 range (or the comparable in Cammy or SRAM (Apex I think)).

For big selections of closeouts in the Bay Area, try (I) Pacific Bikes in SF (Look, Cervelo, Orbea, others...), (II) Go Ride in Redwood City (Specialized, Cannondale, others), (III) Chain Reaction in Redwood City (Trek), etc... I just name these three as I have had good experiences as each (and scored two bikes at great closeoute prices at Go Ride). There are a lot of others, as well. Lots of good LBSs in the Bay Area.

FWIW - I am 6'3" and primarily ride a Cannondale Super Six carbon frame - fits me very well (better than the Tarmac or Madone). Replaced the bars with a narrower 3T Ergosum Team bar that fits my shoulder width better. FSA SL-K Light cranks (but replacing with some Ultegra or DurAce cranks shortly as I find the FSA to shift to harshly because of the flexy nature of it), Speedplay Zero pedals, Ultregra grouppo, Mavic Kysrium SL wheels. Enjoy the setup for the hills in the Bay Area.

Originally Posted by icelanticskier

still running tubes here. no complaints. i run maxxis re-fuse 700x25c tires @ about 105 psi.

great tires! super durable, grippy, and not too pricey. i spend A LOT of time on dirt/gravel roads with em too.

rog

Totally agree, and I run mine about the same PSI too.

Can't speak to the OP's size question, but agree that if you're just getting in and want to do it on the cheap, an Al frame w/carbon fork (carbon seat stays are nice too), and the newer 105 stuff is GREAT. I have an Ultegra bike and a 105 bike, and in all honesty, if I could ride with a blindfold, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Very solid. Lotsa junk out there too, so try before you buy. Good wheels will probably be the easiest way to up performance on a lower priced bike. Mavic and Easton are good value choices there.