What are the most important points to consider when buying a decent road bike or comfort bike?
Friday, May 14th, 2010 at
2:21 am
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US $21.50
Frame size
Seat height
Seat construction
Cost
Fit! A comfy bike is one that you are more likely to ride more often.
Go to your local bike store, have them help fit you on a bike, and test ride several brands and models to see which one works best for you. All of the different brands have slight differences in geometry, and chances are one bike will just feel more comfortable to you.
Frame material also affects the feel of the ride. Steel is a very supple ride, but has more flex to it; aluminum is very stiff and light, but can sometimes feel more harsh and unforgiving; and carbon fiber is stiff while still absorbing road vibrations well. All of which is fairly subjective, so again, test ride different bikes to see which one you find most comfortable.
Think honestly about the kind of riding you will be doing. If you are an avid cyclist (or aim to be an avid cyclist), you will want to pay a little more to get higher quality components and wheels. If you are only planning to ride one or two times a week for pleasure, then you probably won’t need/won’t even perceive the need for such upgrades.
Bikes are similar to cars in that while a Porsche Boxster is ostensibly “better” than a Toyota Camry, if you are only driving to the grocery store and home, you probably don’t need the engineering of a Porsche to get you there in comfort (plus where do you put the groceries in a Porsche)?
Better to get the bike that best fits your needs.
Fit is always more important than anything. More than component spec, weight, price, and even color!
Next is getting the right balance of parts for a complete bike. If you have a good frame, but will be spending another $800 to replace/upgrade parts in the next year, then the bike isn’t for you.
Look for at least Shimano 105 parts all around, and know that most companies skimp on the brakes and wheels when the cut costs. Brakes are cheap, wheels are not.