Help Me Decide - Mountain Bike or Road Bike? (Read 376 times)

    get a yellow framed GT Freestyle with Skyways; you could become the flying banana of your neighbourhood.

    My leg won't stop mooing.

     

    i think i've got a calf injury.

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    rectumdamnnearkilledem

      Looking at their website, the brands they carry are Specialized (lots of Specialized), Felt, Bianchi, Kona, Niner, Yeti, Surly, and Scott.  I've seen Kona and Surly mentioned in this thread, any of those other brands have good offerings?

       

      Felt has some really nice CX bikes.  I was lusting over a F65X until our favorite LBS guy changed shops.  Pretty certain Bianchi doesn't do CX (at least not in the US -- they have some models that are only sold in Europe.  Boo…hiss...), unfortunately.  A celeste blue CX bike would be so hot with mud splatters all over it. *sigh*

       

      Specialized just irritates the hell out of me.  Trek, too.  They both are more than a little guilty of being too-big-for-their-britches.  That said, Specialized does have some pretty awesome CX bikes.  They tend to be pretty good about standing behind their product (cannot say the same for Trek, given several horror stories from friends), at least they are with their carbon road bikes.

      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

           ~ Sarah Kay

      montag


      Super Pro Lurker

        fwiw my first bike was a Felt F35X (from 2008) and I love it to death. I used it to race cyclocross and road for 3 seasons and also rode it across the country. Then I used it to commute to grad school (3 miles in the city) then I graduated and commuted on it (12 miles each way) for a little under a year. It's still rocking the same shimano 105 set (shifters + front derailleur) it came with, even though I've replaced almost everything else (I left it outside for a whole new england winter). It's pretty much the best bike ever <3. So I would definitely recommend a cross bike too. The only other specific recommendation I have is go for shimano (105) over SRAM. As previously mentioned my 105 has lasted for a long long time and still functions well. My SRAM force broke away in my hand after 6 months of use. Bleh.

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        rectumdamnnearkilledem

          The only other specific recommendation I have is go for shimano (105) over SRAM. As previously mentioned my 105 has lasted for a long long time and still functions well. My SRAM force broke away in my hand after 6 months of use. Bleh.

           

          Ha, and I HATED 105!!!  My first road bike was Shimano…it was never intuitive to me.  I've had far better luck with SRAM.  I have a mix of Rival and Force on my road bike and Apex on my CX bike.  My 105 bike was forever requiring adjustments to keep the chain from randomly dropping to the inside when I wasn't even shifting.  Granted, part of that was due to it being a triple (I'll never again ride a triple -- love my compact doubles), but it was ridiculous.  I think I've dropped the chain on my road bike maybe 3 times in nearly 9k miles of use.  Still on my original crank.  New cassette this past year when we upgraded my wheels from Aksiums to Velocity A23s (best upgrade ever!!).  If I ever went back to Shimano it would only be to go to Di2.

          Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

          remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

               ~ Sarah Kay

          montag


          Super Pro Lurker

            lol I guess no groupset it perfect. Smile

            At least we can definitely agree on this:

             my wheels from Aksiums to Velocity A23s (best upgrade ever!!).  

             

            I have the A23s on my road bike and they're definitely my favorite.

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            rectumdamnnearkilledem

              I have the A23s on my road bike and they're definitely my favorite.

               

              For real.  And the Aksiums were an upgrade to my CX bike…replacing the wretched Kore Gradient IIs that came on the bike.  The cheapo Kore brakes even work better on those rims.

              Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

              remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                   ~ Sarah Kay

              xhristopher


                get a yellow framed GT Freestyle with Skyways; you could become the flying banana of your neighbourhood.

                 

                  My leg won't stop mooing.

                   

                  i think i've got a calf injury.

                  zoom-zoom


                  rectumdamnnearkilledem

                     

                     

                    Pretty sure I just broke no less than 6 bones in my body by simply looking at this!!

                    Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                    remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                         ~ Sarah Kay

                    xhristopher


                        whatever you get, make sure it gives you the flexibility to do this.  Check the link

                        Life Goals:

                        #1: Do what I can do

                        #2: Enjoy life

                         

                         

                        mab411


                        Proboscis Colossus

                          whatever you get, make sure it gives you the flexibility to do this.  Check the link

                           

                          Well, I think that goes without saying.  Lots of loose cement culverts and wooden pallets around here...I don't think I could find a decent route that wouldn't require a front-flip or two.

                           

                          Went to the bike shop tonight...they had a couple of those Kona Jake The Snakes assembled.  Pretty!

                           

                          They also had this guy, slightly used (probably with different components):

                           

                           

                          Apparently being sold by one of their techs (who wasn't there at the time), they said it had been ridden about four times, raced twice.  $1500.

                           

                          Now, in thinking about the bike I'm going to get, I'd always felt like I'd be going with a black or grey, or something otherwise sleek and serious-looking.  But I am a child of the 80's, and wow, that is totally like, radical, dude!

                           

                          Thinking pretty seriously about it...going to call him back tomorrow, ask for some specifics about components and maybe get him to send me a pic...they were closing down when we were there, we needed to get on the road, and I didn't have time to get the specifics.  I think I saw a "105" on the shifters, but I'm not sure.  He also said it had some kind of seat upgrade, and of course the clips were included (didn't catch what kind).

                           

                          I expressed concern about buying a used bike in general, partly because I like that they give free service on bikes they sell, which in my current level of expertise about working on bikes, I plan to make good use of.  They said they'd support the bike because, since it was owned by one of their techs and had so few miles on it, they basically consider it a "shop bike."

                           

                          Any thoughts on that one?

                          "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people

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                          rectumdamnnearkilledem

                            And then try rollers!!

                             

                            (WAY harder than she makes it loo, BTW.  I have ZERO interest in even trying after seeing people with skillz crash hard)

                            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                                 ~ Sarah Kay

                            xhristopher


                               

                              Apparently being sold by one of their techs (who wasn't there at the time), they said it had been ridden about four times, raced twice.  $1500.

                               

                              Keep in mind that bikes oriented towards racing may not be the best bike for a new rider. They are set up for speed, not comfort. Look at the stack and reach on that bike. Do you want to be stretched out like that as you pick through loose cement culverts and wooden pallets?

                               

                              But if you do fall for that Specialized this could be you one day.

                               

                              mab411


                              Proboscis Colossus

                                 

                                Keep in mind that bikes oriented towards racing may not be the best bike for a new rider. They are set up for speed, not comfort. Look at the stack and reach on that bike. Do you want to be stretched out like that as you pick through loose cement culverts and wooden pallets?

                                 

                                 

                                That...is an excellent point.  I'll bring it up when I call them.

                                "God guides us on our journey, but careful with those feet." - David Lee Roth, of all people