Old road bike vs New road bike (Walmart, Trek, speed)
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When I decided to get back into cycling, went with an inexpensive used bike of decent quality - an older Motobecane before they were made in China. Wasn't a perfect fit but rode it long enough to know I'd like biking again so sold it for what I paid for it less a $25 tune-up when I first bought it.
Then I bought a hybrid bike online for around $300. Aluminum frame, decent low end Shimano components and not particularly light. Thought I wanted/needed fenders, racks and then added pump, water bottle, computer, mirror, bell, etc. and suddenly had a 40lb bike. Rode that for about six months, knew I was really enjoying cycling so decided to shop for a dedicated road bike. Sold the hybrid for $200 but kept all my add-ons.
For my road bike, went to the LBS to get fitted properly, paid close to $1000 for it but it's a 21lb bike, upgraded Shimano components, brakes, etc.. Didn't mount nearly as much stuff on it or bought lighter components like an 02 inflator instead of pump, tiny little computer, and only a rear rack. Now it weighs in at 26lbs loaded and I can really feel the difference in weight but even more so, the difference in the quality of the components. I could have saved a couple hundred buying the same bike online but then would have had to pay the LBS to set everything up properly. Plus, the LBS spent hours with me fitting, recommending, letting me test ride various bikes and all of that is almost priceless.
Don't think I'll ever have any desire to go the whole CF route and spend $5K on a bike. But found my sweet spot for a reasonable amount of money and didn't waste a lot of money getting there. Had I not liked cycling again, would have found that out with the first used bike purchase and would have been nothing out of pocket. Like most sports, the better the quality and fit of the components, the more you enjoy the activity.
Maybe drop by your LBS and rent out some different road bikes for the day and have them map out some rides you can try. This will give you the opportunity to get a good feel for the bicycle with minimal expense.
Maybe drop by your LBS and rent out some different road bikes for the day and have them map out some rides you can try. This will give you the opportunity to get a good feel for the bicycle with minimal expense.
That is a good idea, I never thought of that. I will check up on that.
Out of those, I think I'd recommend the Centurion (the Bridgestone's been deleted). The Araya and Panasonic are both relatively low end bikes. Probably not bad bikes, mind you, just lower end. The Fuji looks quite nice but we can't see the drive side so we have no idea what components it has, and the guy doesn't list a price so it may be overpriced. The Centurion looks like it hasn't been taken care of particularly well, but it's also a halfway decent performance bike, which the Araya and Panasonic really aren't. Another thing to consider, the Centurion probably has indexed shifters, while the others almost certainly do not. Personally, I prefer friction shifters on an old road bike, but if you've never used them before there's a good chance you'll have an easier time with indexed shifting.
Edit: Also, how tall are you? What is your inseam?
Out of those, I think I'd recommend the Centurion (the Bridgestone's been deleted). The Araya and Panasonic are both relatively low end bikes. Probably not bad bikes, mind you, just lower end. The Fuji looks quite nice but we can't see the drive side so we have no idea what components it has, and the guy doesn't list a price so it may be overpriced. The Centurion looks like it hasn't been taken care of particularly well, but it's also a halfway decent performance bike, which the Araya and Panasonic really aren't. Another thing to consider, the Centurion probably has indexed shifters, while the others almost certainly do not. Personally, I prefer friction shifters on an old road bike, but if you've never used them before there's a good chance you'll have an easier time with indexed shifting.
Edit: Also, how tall are you? What is your inseam?
I am about 6'0. I haven't checked my inseam yet. The Centurion does look pretty nice. I would have thought the Araya was better than what you said it is based on the look of it, but of course I don't really know what I am looking for when I look at a picture anyway. I was having a hard time finding out any info on that bike on the web. It appears to be a rare brand.
I am not working with a lot of money nor am I 100% sure I am going to like it. I believe I will like it, but I don't want to drop serious cash on a bike then have it collecting dust.
First if the bike fits,
Rolls,
Stops,
and changes gears when you want them to change,
Then it is a good bike.
Any bike that gets you on the road and off the couch and let''s ride safely home is a good bike.
What you are paying for in a new road bike will be
more gears (questionable necessity)
lighter weight,
exotic materials, titanium, aliminium, carbon fiber. Yes I'm old. First competitive bike was a Peugeot PX10 with a Simplex groupo that was upgraded to a Campy Record (which didn't make it go any faster).
latest greatest geometry which can give the bike more comfort, responsiveness and better power transfer.
Any bike that gets you on the road and off the couch and let''s ride safely home is a good bike.
What you are paying for in a new road bike will be
more gears (questionable necessity)
lighter weight,
exotic materials, titanium, aliminium, carbon fiber. Yes I'm old. First competitive bike was a Peugeot PX10 with a Simplex groupo that was upgraded to a Campy Record (which didn't make it go any faster).
latest greatest geometry which can give the bike more comfort, responsiveness and better power transfer.
Its funny that you mention the number of gears because I have been trying to find the answer about the importance of more gears. Some of the newer bikes I have been looking at have 21-24 gears, but the older ones have either 10 or 12. I am not a small guy, so will more gears be a luxury or a necessity for me?
You probably don't need to worry about the number of gears when you're just starting out. Like ovcatto said, first worry about getting the right size, then make sure the bike works the way it should. In fact, and some may disagree with me on this, if you're going to be learning to use downtube shifters, you'll probably be better with off with fewer gears. At least at first.
As far as size, that could be tricky. Since you're 6' tall, you could probably ride a 58-60cm frame and be fine, but if you have unusual proportions all bets are off. And be aware that a bike shop will probably fit you to a much smaller frame, because for whatever reasons modern bikes seem to be sized smaller than old bikes. My old bike shop used to fit me for a 52-54cm modern bike (which I never bought), but with vintage bikes anything smaller than a 56cm feels really cramped.
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