No problem - I am happy to spend other people's money. Plus your mention of Kozy's piqued my interest, I used to live in Logan Square near one of their stores.
3 bikes but only one can take my money! Need advice...
- Thread starter emuncy
- Start date
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monkers
Veteran
Good to hear you get enthusiastic about cycling again.
You can change the ride quality and comfort of your new bike a little by being prepared a to swap around couple of components in your preparation.
Different frames can have different qualities, but wheels and tyres make at least as big a difference. It's difficult to find a 'do it all' saddle since most modern saddle designs are optimised for the type of riding they are intended for.
If you set your budget accordingly, you could manage to buy a bike, an extra set of wheels and tyres - one set for your racing - one keep the original set for both winter, and longer rides, and one extra saddle. Switching need take just minutes and then you have the best of both worlds.
On that basis, I'll suggest another idea, you consider something like a good used Trek Emonda SL5 which gets you a really sweet lightweight frame, stiff where it matters with a pretty compliant ride quality, modern 105, then maybe a pair of new Campagnolo Zonda wheels with tyres most appropriate to the type of racing that you intend to compete in.
For me part of the fun is ongoing fettling, swapping components, and just seeing what works and what doesn't.
My suggestion doesn't necessarily get you a bike that you can easily add mudguards to for winter riding if that's important - that can be a real consideration, and one that's too easy to dismiss. Rim brake bikes are easier than disc if trying to add mudguards and the frame lacks eyelets.
I hope you'll come back and show us what you buy - with pictures natch.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
I can't comment on the vagaries of the USA market, but pre-virus, in the UK market there were plenty of bargains to be had especially, if like me, you are looking for vintage steel bikes. I'm not very enthused by the features of modern carbon or aluminium bikes, so I don't look to buy them, but as an example, in the couple of years before the virus kicked off I picked up two vintage Reynolds 531 steel road bikes, one quite sporty the other a tourer, for a total of £70 for the pair. In today's money those bikes would have cost over £1,000 each new, so I paid less than 4% of their original price. Now I am a hardcore bargain hunter, and there was still plenty of overpriced stuff on the UK market, but some were absolute steals if you had the patience to wait for the right bike at the right price. Those real bargains have all but disappeared now and used prices on the whole are approximately double what they were just a year ago.
Thank you! I'll definitely let you know what I decide and post some photos
Thanks for the insight on that! I'd assume it was same here in the US.
If I may, why is it that you don't like the newer carbon bikes? I've seen the carbon vs steel threads but haven't looked into it just yet. Also what kind of riding do you usually do? Racing? Leisure rides? And one last question, do you think there's that big of advantage with newer bikes versus the older bikes? Especially for somebody that's not really into competition biking
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
There's multiple reasons why I don't like carbon bikes. Firstly I regard all the modern variety, with 1-piece moulded frames, as pig ugly. Early carbons, that were made from separate round tubes glued into aluminium lugs, I don't have any gripe with the look of, but they still have other issues.
Carbon fibre is especially susceptible to crushing and impact damage from hard-edged objects, and it can often conceal damage below the surface so is more prone to sudden failure. With steel frames, any damage is usually obvious and visible.
They usually have press-fit bottom brackets, which I regard as crap engineering and won't entertain having on any of my bikes.
Another reason is carbon frames can make sound, because they have a large air volume like an acoustic guitar body. Cables are usually internally routed through the frame and they can rattle. You could damp this by injecting expanding foam into the voids, but that then negates their weight advantage!.
I ride mostly just for leisure, with the bonus of it having a fitness benefit. I also use bikes for short distance utility transport, visiting someone locally, posting a letter, popping to a shop, or the bank, or going down the pub. I've got no interest whatsoever in racing.
I don't see any advantage to modern bikes over old ones, apart from the gear changing being a bit more user-friendly if you compare brifters with downtube shifters. But then I grew up using downtube shifters, so I'm used to them and it's not an issue.
There's a lot of poor and expensive to maintain engineering on most modern bikes, such as inferior non cup & cone bearings in the BB, headset, wheels, there are crankset axles that shear because they are under-engineered to reduce weight, cassettes & chains that are costly to replace. Lots of retrograde design changes that I don't like and don't want.
