Endurance Road Bike and Other Questions

[bigpappa6]

Hi Everyone,

I’m new here. I’ve been riding consistently for a couple of years, but then this year have taken it up a notch. I bought a used road bike and started getting into 30+ miles per ride. Now I’m doing over 50 per ride on weekends I don’t have the kids, and I’m noticing the shortcomings of my steed. It’s a 2010 Felt Z100 that I paid $250 for, and it’s been a solid bike. That said, the clunky shifting is getting annoying (it’s been serviced), there’s no down-shifting on the levers, I’d like disc brakes, I’d like seat compliance, and it only has room for 25mm tires. I’m going to start saving to upgrade next year.

I’d like to stay as close to $2k as reasonably possible. I like to go fast, but only in bursts. I average between 17-20mph for the most part, if it’s flat and no headwind. Comfort and fun for longer rides is what’s important to me. I don’t want a racer, but I don’t want a boring boat either. I don’t care about carbon, but I THINK I would like the 105 groupset, which seems to mostly reside on Carbon. Here’s a bigger concern…

As I ride more, I want to develop a good relationship with my local bike shop. The thing is, they sell Salsa, Specialized, Giant, and Pinarello. When I look at the 105 groupset packages these brands offer, they are all $3k and up. If I go to Canyon or Obed, I can do the 105 - even in carbon, for close to $2k. I have reservations taking a bike in for service I didn’t buy there, particularly if it’s bought brand new. Also, I get concerned about proper fit from a direct to consumer arrangement. I have a longer torso so I’m not certain how to adjust for that, nor do I know what I may be currently missing in my ride position and gear to make the ride better. Also, if I can spend a bit less on the bike, I can maybe add things like Redshift compliance, a Wahoo, or other things I’d really like to have. It’s a conundrum for me, even though I don’t need to know right now.

Any thoughts?

 

[si_c]

I'm presuming you are in the US?

If so, speak to your local bike shop - they stock a range of bikes already so it appears that they aren't limited to just stock availability from one brand but they maybe able to get in others.

I'd suggest it's probably worth taking a look at the Trek Domane the Aluminium version which I have is great and around the $2k mark. Also consider the Felt VR range - similar to the Domane it's the endurance series so disc brakes, wider tyres and a more comfortable position.

 

[bigpappa6]

Hi there, thank you for the reply! Yes, I’m in the US. I have seen the Trek, and we have a dealer in town at a different bike shop. One of the things I’m most concerned about is proper fit which it seems I’m really only going to get from a bike shop. The direct to consumer brands seem to offer great value, but that component also seems to be missing…

 

[kingrollo]

Hmmm - I have 2 supposed endurance bikes

Merida scultura endurance 4000

Dolan Tuono disc

Despite both badged as endurance bikes the Dolan is a very fast bike and a total joy to ride - I would recommend it to anyone - reasonably priced as well.

The Merida is more what id expect of endurance bikes. Very stable and great over the uk cobbled roads. And I'm more confident descending on it. But no where near as much fun as the Dolan. I use it mainly as a winter bike and it's ideal for that.

I think you need to learn about geometry as many bike manufacturers will describe a bike as endurance when the geometry suggests anything but.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

I think I'd suggest getting a bike fit with a recommended local bike fitter.
If you discuss the type of riding you want to do with them, they can make recommendations based on price and geometry.

It is much better to choose your bike based on the fit, rather than the brand and price.

They do say comfortable is fast and it seems to bear out in my limited experience.

 

[fossyant]

Learn to fix bikes yourself, then buy what you like. They aren't difficult to build up from parts.

 

[november4]

Hi, and well done on the mileage. Good to to read group tests of endurance bikes to get a feel for them, some have handlebars higher than others. I have few suggestions based on bikes we bought last few years.

Don't feel beholden to anyone, you can bring bike for service and shop will be happy to have your custom. Its your cash and can save shopping around online, but sitting on bikes in shop good to try before you buy

Your going to get 30mm to 32mm tyres with most disc brake endurance models and that's a big influence on comfort compared to 25mm from less tyre air pressure.

The saddle though...don't expect much, if the stock one works for you then great, but sometimes the manufacturer can sell bike with light and firm ones. Saddles are so subjective eg I just changed to a cheap specialized bridge sport after enjoying one which was on a hire bike on vacation.

Hydraulic brakes better than mechanical

Second hand market is worth keeping eye out for a model or models which you fancy

 

[november4]

And bike maintenance is pretty straightforward once you get into it, youtube is great

 

[Grant Fondo]

i've been in 3 or 4 LBS's this week and they all have great deals on bikes .... like 30-40% off ones. Thats in the UK though.

 

[PaulSB]

@bigpappa6 I would share your reservations about buying online and then using the LBS for maintenance etc. It just doesn't sit right with me. Add to this it's almost impossible to put a value on a good relationship with your chosen LBS.

I've used the same LBS for 25+ years. Yes, I pay more than online for everything but I'm also buying the one thing an online retailer cannot offer - help, advice and personal service. You can swap all of that out and save a few $$$ but is it a real long-term saving? I don't believe so.

It seems you have a lot of questions around bike fit and equipment. If your LBS has a bike fitting service, great, use it. Mine doesn't and I've taken this approach. First a bike fit with a professional fitter and then take these dimensions to my LBS. We then discuss the bike, componentry etc. and do the build. I tell the LBS what I want to achieve and they provide the choices and recommendations

The bike fit is a one-off, which then gets tweaked as the years go by. My fitter would tell you the bike fit should always come before the bike purchase.

Yes, it's a more expensive approach. If, like me, you lack the knowledge and experience to be confident in working alone on the choice it's a very good solution.

A question for you. What is Redshift compliance? I've googled this and it doesn't appear to be cycling related?

 

[sevenfourate]

@bigpappa6 I would share your reservations about buying online and then using the LBS for maintenance etc. It just doesn't sit right with me. Add to this it's almost impossible to put a value on a good relationship with your chosen LBS.

I've used the same LBS for 25+ years. Yes, I pay more than online for everything but I'm also buying the one thing an online retailer cannot offer - help, advice and personal service. You can swap all of that out and save a few $$$ but is it a real long-term saving? I don't believe so.

It seems you have a lot of questions around bike fit and equipment. If your LBS has a bike fitting service, great, use it. Mine doesn't and I've taken this approach. First a bike fit with a professional fitter and then take these dimensions to my LBS. We then discuss the bike, componentry etc. and do the build. I tell the LBS what I want to achieve and they provide the choices and recommendations

The bike fit is a one-off, which then gets tweaked as the years go by. My fitter would tell you the bike fit should always come before the bike purchase.

Yes, it's a more expensive approach. If, like me, you lack the knowledge and experience to be confident in working alone on the choice it's a very good solution.

A question for you. What is Redshift compliance? I've googled this and it doesn't appear to be cycling related?

I've gone full circle regarding 'supporting' a LBS perhaps. When money was tighter and for no other reason than on paper making a 'saving'; i bought the cheapest i could / fitted myself etc.

In recent years i've tried to buy as much as i can from my LBS. And very recently - as the fleet grows and i'm using them more and more - i've made time to speak / learn about the 3 employees when i've been in there. Trying to build relationships. Yesterday i even had a conversation about understanding work being done to a standard or a price. And told them i'm very happy paying more than the average punter (Do bare in mind i live in the 'deprived' Town of Lowestoft.....) to achieve the very best job possible - and wasn't looking to skimp anywhere.

This was most definitely not about muscle-flexing or being blase - just inferring that care, attention to detail, fault finding, lubrication, optimal set-up etc all takes time. And i was fully willing to pay for that. Not expecting or wanting a slap it together as cheap as possible job - as some in this Town may require. I bet that conversation hadn't been had too many times before......

 

[bigpappa6]

Hi Everyone. Thank you so much for the responses, I REALLY appreciate your advice and perspectives. I’m actually in a funny spot; I’m thinking that I’m torn betweeen an Obed bike and a Canyon. I can’t get past the value that I can get with those options. The OBED also lets you select crank length, handlebar width, and upgrade the wheels at a reasonable cost. I’m thinking of asking my bike shop if they’d take a 20% cut of the action to order it and set it up for me. My intention would be to get a professional fitting before I ordered it so I can make sure I get the proper size. @PaulSB asked what a Redshift is: RS makes a seat and stem with compliance that you can get aftermarket. All the reviews I hear on them are that they are excellent. I like the idea because many of the paved trials I ride on have bumps and stuff from roots that have grown under them, so it can get to be a bit much. I probably won’t buy anything until next year, but I’ll let you know what I end up with!

 

[Grant Fondo]

I probably won’t buy anything until next year,

Buy something now, ride it like its stolen then worry about tweeks next year. Suns out

 

[gbb]

As a former very amateur cyclist who ride 100 - 125 miles a week on a pretty standard Ribble CF Sportive Racing a couple things always seemed quite important to me...
Saddle. I never got mine right and on rides of 50 miles I felt it.
Handlebar width. At the time I think the wisdom was to select bars the same width as your shoulders.
Stem length. I opted for a really quite short stem, a bad back us murder when you're stretched out.
Most of this and much more would be covered in a bike fit anyway.

Hydraulic brakes...I'm not a believer personally.

I covered 6k miles a year on a bike with standard calipers and only had to replace pads maybe once or twice over several years. If you think about it...if you're mile munching not commuting in a city you're really not using the brakes that much anyway. The rims on my wheels do show some wear to be fair but given the mileage I'd done its nothing if concern.

I have hydraulics on my hybrid, supposedly good ones but the performance has already dropped off at 5k miles and they're probably more expensive to buy , more expensive to maintain and in my experience , don't last as long.
Just my opinion pro and cons of course. Better braking but at a cost.

 

[Jameshow]

Yea a better saddle is the first upgrade imho.
Have a look at a charge spoon or similar.