First Bike-Complete Noob-Help/Advice

[Arbaaz11]

Hello,

I'm a complete noob when it comes to cycling. However, i really wanna ride a road bike. And i've been thinking about buying one.

1. My first question is: Which of those two bikes is the best one??

http://archive.fujibikes.com/archivebikes.php?prodid=2792&prodname=Sportif 2.3 C

or

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-in/bikes/model/scr.0/18183/74944/

2. My second question: As i said, i am a complete noob and i do not have really much time to ride because of work and i'm quite taken up during weekends. I'm thinking about buying one of these two bikes mentioned abouve, solely for fun/because i really want to try a road bike. Can anybody of you advise me whether it is worth the while spending this kind of money for a bike in this situation? (Because it's costing me quite a lot, a quarter of my assets to be exact)

3. My third and last question: Is it really fun to ride a road bike in quite rough surfaces?? Can these two bikes handle rough surfaces well??

I look forward to your responses/advice and help

Thank you

 

[tfg71]

hi, Im new to this forum and am getting back in to cycling myself after a long absence.
I have an old mountain bike non suspension set up but looking at a road bike myself and am in a similar position to your post - not wanting to spend a huge amount of cash if its not going to be for me.
I have looked a lot at the cx bikes as I have been told that these might be better for my situation = road, cycle paths and some forest tracks.
not much help to be fair but will be following this thread to see what advise is given.
oh and both those bikes look nice

 

[russ.will]

In reverse:

3. Define rough surfaces? If it's a brief section of rough track to get to somewhere smooth, it will be tolerable with care. But if you're going to spend your entire time on an un-metalled river tow path, then no, there are much more fun bikes to ride.

2. That's a subjective judgement. In my research prior to asking questions on here, I decided that £500 brand new, was the bottom end of serious bikes. Indeed, you get much the same frame as bikes up to £1000, but the bits hanging off it will tend to be compromised to hit the price - Cheaper wheels, groupset, etc - But they're still faster than a n00b like me, so they'll do until they wear out!

1. Neither, to my inexperienced eye. The Fuji trims a few components for what according to the published specs looks a better frame and fork, whilst the Giant has the headline Tiagra groupset and looks like a tarts handbag, but otherwise, they look like decent sportive (rather than race) bikes that will suit a beginner.

However, you may be better off stating your budget, exactly where you plan to ride, physical attributes (or lack of!) and let the more experienced point you in interesting directions. I posted as much and ended up (albeit, with a bit of luck thrown in) buying a bike I hadn't considered and was shown a few I hadn't even seen along the way.

Russell

 

[howard2107]

Why not go for something secondhand? If you buy at the right price and you don't take to it, you will probably get your money back, or at worst make a light loss. It will give you a feel for cycling and then if you decide you want better because you enjoy it, then make the big investment.

Make sure that whatever you buy is comfortable, what suits me will not suit you no matter what make or model you fancy, so go and try a few, don't just jump in and get the first thing you see/like the look of. If you get something that doesn't suit you, you will not ride it. I once tried a Cannondale, but it didnt feel right, but a Claude butler did.

Cheers.............Howard

 

[vickster]

How much are these bikes?

As above if You're concerned about the outlay for a toy, spend under £500. If the bug bites, you can sell on to some thing more expensive, if not, you can sell on and lose less

Second hand or look at decathlon, Merlin, wiggle, all have decent bikes for under £500. On rough surfaces, to reduce road buzz, I'd choose a carbon fork

+1 on checking the bike is right. Another poster said today she lost £400 as the bike she bought wasn't right for her and she had to change

 

[biggs682]

How much are these bikes?

As above if You're concerned about the outlay for a toy, spend under £500. If the bug bites, you can sell on to done thing more expensive, if not, you can sell on and lose less

+1 on checking the bike is right. Another poster said today she lost £400 as the bike she bought wasn't right for her and she had to change

@Arbaaz11 what @vickster says is good , where are you based ?

if local to me in Northampton you and any other cc'er is always welcome to come and try a retro road bike to see what you think of road bikes before you buy a machine and then decide against it and loose out financially

 

[vickster]

I have a feeling he might be overseas, the giant is linked from the international site

Also, are these bikes new or used as they arent current models

 

[Arbaaz11]

http://media.graytvinc.com/images/rough+roads2.jpg

@russ.will This kind of rough surfaces but there are places where it is smoother ... however i can expect these surfaces anytime.

@howard2107 and @biggs682 Also i am in Mauritius and the second hand bikes available are more expensive than the new ones i'm choosing. And i wish i had these facilities over here it would be amazing to try a bike and see how it is.

@vickster The Fuji is USD 660 and the Giant is USD 590. And these are pretty much the only options available to me and they are new. There are the 2015 models but higher priced so...

The thing is i'm only interested in riding a road bike. Could explain me the concept of having a bike which comfortable for me etc. The local shop said he was gonna give a size which would fit me... i thought that in itself would be enough to define comfort.

It is good to note that, the bike i've been riding two years ago, was a cheap USD 50 bike with no dampers. And i'm sure the frame would be nowhere near as good as the one on the fuji or giant and it wasn't even from a particular brand, it was called rodeo bike. The only thing is that it had bigger rubber ... which i think contributed in tolerating those surfaces i portrayed above. So which would be more comfortable? A road bike with better specs, frame but with skinny rubber or a heavier cheap bike with bigger rubber??

Also another thing which is making me have a craze for a road bike is the shifters, see i'm a fan of Formula One, and it seems i have a passion for switching gears and i'm itching to try and master the art of switching gears on these bikes... they switch like F1 ... and yeah the fuji has carbon fork... carbon is a material so attractive to me i can't resist it. hahah

Thank you again for the help.

 

[Arbaaz11]

It's good to note that i'll be riding alone all the time.

Kindly advise.

@russ.will @howard2107 @biggs682 @vickster

 

[kalniel]

http://media.graytvinc.com/images/rough+roads2.jpg
<snip>
It is good to note that, the bike i've been riding two years ago, was a cheap USD 50 bike with no dampers. And i'm sure the frame would be nowhere near as good as the one on the fuji or giant and it wasn't even from a particular brand, it was called rodeo bike. The only thing is that it had bigger rubber ... which i think contributed in tolerating those surfaces i portrayed above. So which would be more comfortable? A road bike with better specs, frame but with skinny rubber or a heavier cheap bike with bigger rubber??

Also another thing which is making me have a craze for a road bike is the shifters, see i'm a fan of Formula One, and it seems i have a passion for switching gears and i'm itching to try and master the art of switching gears on these bikes... they switch like F1 ... and yeah the fuji has carbon fork... carbon is a material so attractive to me i can't resist it. hahah

You can get nice shifters on almost any type of bike, you don't need a road bike just for that. As far as that surface goes, you're correct that fatter tyres are going to be the best way of dampening them. There still looks to be good grip so you don't have to go for off road tyres, just a bike that takes larger tyres and lower pressures. I'd suggest either a hybrid or an adventure or sportive road bike. The difference comes down to what riding position you find more comfortable - hybrid if flat bars are best, adventure or sportive if drops are more comfy. Adventure bikes will come with wider tyres as standard, sportive you'll have to check.

 

[Arbaaz11]

@kalniel the thing is i like the shifters like the Giant and Fuji i showed above have... i think it's called click shifters? sti shifters?

and where i am, only these two bikes have these kind of shifters and are the cheapes... hybrid etc is not available...

else i would prefer to have a normal all terrain bike but with drop handlebars, the click/sti shifters and the brake levers arranged in that way... but it's not available

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/product-images-large/specialized-tricross-sport-disc-hybrid-road-bike-72573.jpg

i would go with something like that.... but it's not available here

 

[kalniel]

@kalniel the thing is i like the shifters like the Giant and Fuji i showed above have... i think it's called click shifters? sti shifters?

and where i am, only these two bikes have these kind of shifters and are the cheapes... hybrid etc is not available...

else i would prefer to have a normal all terrain bike but with drop handlebars, the click/sti shifters and the brake levers arranged in that way... but it's not available

http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/product-images-large/specialized-tricross-sport-disc-hybrid-road-bike-72573.jpg

i would go with something like that.... but it's not available here

Do you mean with the levers coming vertically down? If so, then yes, that's only for drop handlebars. If you mean having several levels to click up or down a range of gears then bikes of all sorts have had them for decades.

It sounds like you're limited by the choice available locally. Some shops deliver worldwide though, so do have a look. Otherwise it's also possible to get a cheap bike and then upgrade the shifters/brakes separately.

 

[FastFlyer]

I bought a cheaper bike when I started and whilst I loved being out the bike was really ruining the experience for me. Don't go mad, but if you buy a big brand like Cannondale I think you could sell it on and get a decent proportion of your money back. I've now binned it and got a good deal on a nicely specced 2nd hand bike.

Buy cheap, buy twice!