Can anybody talk me down from buying a bicycle?

[mjmacky]

I'm an impulse buyer, and thankfully for my bank account my pulse frequency has a rather long average bandwidth. I almost impulse bought a bicycle today while I worked myself over a frenzy.

I was shopping by price point, expecting to spend $500-$1000 on a light weight bike. I'm trying to go as light as I can without breaking the bank or sacrificing comfort/durability (I'll be hanging it inside the apartment from a ceiling hook since our last two bikes were stolen from the bike room). It will only be for recreational use, short 1-3 mile runs as well as weekend 20-40 mile runs. I love going fast as well, and I'd like to commission my powerful thighs to keeping Idol or skiz off my backside if the need arises.

I'm no amateur enthusiast, let alone an expert, but this aluminum one caught my eyes:
http://www.bicyclebananasstore.com/2...enturaComp.htm

Can anyone talk me down from this purchase? My car insurance premiums are due in a week, and I'd hate to waste the wiggle room on a bad purchase. I visited one of my local bike stores once, their prices and overzealous natures ran me out the doors so I'm pretty adamant for buying online.

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Update: 2010 Jamis Ventura Comp purchased.

[ckrit]

Looks decent for the price, except for the sora brifters, which may or may not be a bit dodgy.

TBH, if I was buying a Jamis, I'd go with a bosanova, though.

There's something about the cx-meets-tourer geometry that makes it really cool-looking.



So, to sum up, I've got no arguments against it, really.


Oh, and have a look here (radon bikes especially), here and here (check out their Vitus road bikes, among others).

Since you're ordering online anyway, it might be worth looking at those. I've used all three, and their pricing beats anything local where I'm at.


edit: There's one argument in favour of waiting, and that is that there may be better deals in the fall, in my experience. That Jamis has a hefty discount on it as it is, though.

[mjmacky]

First off, I have no idea what a sora brifter is, so I'm off to google that. Oh OK, the shifters. I have no idea what I'd prefer there so I'm not yet wise enough to be too picky about it. I checked out this Bosa Nova, and its added weight and price aren't seducing me.

German site: $1000 is 780€ so it's looking out of reach with all the international shipping and duties. Hehe, duties.

I am off to check out some reviews of the BeOne Storms that I spotted @ Chain Rxn.

[Barbarossa]

Bloke I know cycles to the station, leaves it locked up in the cycle locks, and gets the train to work.

A couple of months ago he had his bike stolen, "fair enough" he thought, shit happens, so he claimed it on the insurance and bought a better bike.

A few weeks later that got stolen too, (even though locked in a CCTV area blah blah blah), so he claimed that on the insurance too and bought an even better bike...


Last week the bike thief got sent to jail. Result! It was in the local paper and everything.


Anyway, yesterday when cycling home he appears to have gone round a bend too fast and fell off this super duper bike, ripping a hole in his suit and all kinds of shit.

So there you are.

This has really nothing to do with what you're asking, by the way, except that it too involves bikes.

And an imbecile.

[Barbarossa]

First off, I have no idea what a sora brifter is

I think that's what you get if your saddle is too hard.

[mjmacky]

Bloke I know cycles to the station, leaves it locked up in the cycle locks, and gets the train to work.

A couple of months ago he had his bike stolen, "fair enough" he thought, shit happens, so he claimed it on the insurance and bought a better bike.

A few weeks later that got stolen too, (even though locked in a CCTV area blah blah blah), so he claimed that on the insurance too and bought an even better bike...


Last week the bike thief got sent to jail. Result! It was in the local paper and everything.


Anyway, yesterday when cycling home he appears to have gone round a bend too fast and fell off this super duper bike, ripping a hole in his suit and all kinds of shit.

So there you are.

This has really nothing to do with what you're asking, by the way, except that it too involves bikes.

And an imbecile.

I'm surprised he isn't being investigated for insurance fraud (selling them off), but I guess there are already enough holes in the suit.

[Barbarossa]

Well it was captured on CCTV like, and they caught the "perp"... but they didn't recover either bike

[mjmacky]

Well it was captured on CCTV like, and they caught the "perp"... but they didn't recover either bike

If I was a filthy capitalist insurance lawyer, I'd be trying to link the perp with the client. They both seem like idiots, and that's just the starting thread without even considering motive.

[IdolEyes787]

$1000 is a tricky price point for a "road" bike.The best you can hope for at that price is a decent frame with semi-shite components.Personally if I was you I'd use a bike shop as they will assemble and properly fit the bike for you.Sure you'll be paying a couple of hundred dollars more but in the long run it's money well spent especially when you blow a tire or something breaks and you've already developed a bit of a rapport with the people there.
Anyway I'm probably the wrong person to be giving advice but you really need to be honest in assessing what you are going to do both short and long term with the bike.Except for pride of ownership you won't be getting much more from a $10000 bike than a $600 bike for 2 mile hops to the corner store.
Also if you are going to get anything semi-decent be aware that most come san pedals so factor in plus at least $200 more for clipless pedals ( a can't live without thing for "serious" riding )and shoes to match.Plus a helmet.Plus gloves,shorts,jersey,at least a couple spare tubes and tire levers,possibly a bike computer,water bottle .

Anyway this.All decent bikes and value for the money. Love me a good Trek or Felt or Cannondale or Specialized.
Think aluminum frame ,carbon fork, name brand components ,groups if possible since they are designed to work together, even if they are low end.

[ckrit]

First off, I have no idea what a sora brifter is, so I'm off to google that. Oh OK, the shifters. I have no idea what I'd prefer there so I'm not yet wise enough to be too picky about it.

I've heard they're not very responsive, due to the levers for shifting being a bit understated. Also, they won't have the sort of distinctive click you get with campagnolo shifters and gears, I don't think. Not tried anything sora myself, though. Closest I've come is a brief look at tiagra-levers.

I checked out this Bosa Nova, and its added weight and price aren't seducing me.

It's more of a multi-purpose all-rounder than a pure road bike. The steel frame, mudguards and disc brakes add weight, but in return it'll be tough as nails and better when the weather is shit. In all fairness, though, I'd not get rid of any of my other bikes if I bought it.

My main bike is a cyclocross, although I currently mostly ride it on the road and have kitted it out for touring. Without any added extras it weighs just below 9kgs, iirc, and the comparatively low weight makes it really nice to ride, so I'm not saying weight is irrelevant.

Also, if you're really short on space, a folding bike would be worth looking into, except that I don't see you getting anything lightweight and/or race-oriented (fex Dahon Vector x10 or x27, Tern Verge x30) sub $1000. Not this time of the year, anyway. Only mentioning folders cos I just got one I'm using back and forth to work, and it's been a lot of fun thus far, in a bmx sort of way, so I think I might be looking into something more srs along those lines next year.