Be careful what you ask for

[alp1950]

It is self-evident that if you're looking for good advice in the LBS it helps to give a clear idea of your needs. Interestingly using slightly different parameters elicits very different responses:

LBS #1:
"Looking to upgrade my 1980s dropped handle-bar tourer to another drop handle bar road bike mainly for cycling 28 miles round-trip to work on back-country roads"
Advice: entry-level road-bike ~£300 or ~£600 with carbon forks.

LBS #2:
As #1 but add "looking for performance, hoping to work on reducing my PB to work, no major budget limitations and might think of joining club at some point over next year".
Advice: Specialized Allez, Roubaix or Trek Madone.

LBS #3
As #1 & #2 but use the word "commute" and "bike has to be sufficiently robust to withstand the occasional knock, the odd pothole, and stuck on the rack on the back of the car".
Advice: Specialized Tricross.

I'm still working on my needs list although the only additional parameter I can think of including might to be specify smooth ride.

The "commute" word seems to elicit bikes with panniers, mudguards, and thick tyres. None of these are essential- yes I'm going to work, but basically I want a fun, fast ride & it doesn't really matter that the destination is work as I will be travelling light & changing there.

However as I read more & think more carefully about my needs it becomes clear that ultimately there may not be a perfect bike & a compromise will necessary to achieve a acceptable combination of performance yet robustness- unless anyone knows better?

 

[MessenJah]

Just choose a bike that you think is best for you instead of trying to get someone else to choose it for you.

 

[zimzum42]

LBS will likely try to shift you something that makes them a good margin or something that's been clogging up the back of their shop.....

 

[Mortiroloboy]

Just choose a bike that you think is best for you instead of trying to get someone else to choose it for you.

LBS will likely try to shift you something that makes them a good margin or something that's been clogging up the back of their shop.....

Yeah, get a grip, just go to your LBS of choice, i.e. the one who has the bike that you like the most, that is the corect size for you, and buy the blinking thing and enjoy riding it . Pfhhtt.

 

[Scoosh]

My impression is that the bike market has become much more specific. A few years ago, there was a choice of a mountain bike or a road/racer bike. Then the hybrid came into the middle, with lots of gears and flat bars. Now we have everything from full-on racers, tricross, fast commuter, ornery commuters, city bikes, courier bikes, fixies, trail bikes, audax bikes, light tourers, heavy tourers, sportives etc etc. Each time you ammend your criteria, so another style of bike comes into the frame - and, as each manufacturer makes their own, the choice can easily become overwhelming !

What we need is a nice flow chart, which leads through all the various options, asks your budget and ends up with BUY X or Y. Now that would be easy ... or would it take all the fun out of cycle purchasing ?

(and it might reduce the number of threads here too )

 

[fossyant]

Just get a road bike ! Simple !

 

[Scoosh]

Just get a road bike ! Simple !

a) racer, sportive, c) audax, d) light tourer, e) heavy tourer







f) all of the above