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Interested in getting into cycling - where to start?

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Oct 17, 2022
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Hello all. My friend has got me hooked on the Tour de France and now road racing in general with all the strategy behind it, now Im getting interested in getting out myself a bit. I run a lot by wouldn't mind incorporating at least one longish ride a week into my training schedule and seeing where this goes. I currently have a Giant hybrid bike which is about 20 years old. It has thin road tyres and is in decent condition. But Id be interested in upgrading to a road bike.

Just looking for advice on where to start with this - would it best to look for a brand new bike? Or a bike on facebook marketplace? What are some decent brands these days, and brands to avoid? Would I be able to get a half decent bike for under $1000?

Thanks in advance!
 
Marketplace is decent, but a relationship with your LBS (Local Bike Shop) is gold. They can help you as you start getting into it a bit more, upgrading components, comfort etc.

Many things that others will tell you are 'good' may be uncomfortable, and comfort really is the most important thing. Saddles especially are highly individual.
There are even lease/hire options for a short term test before you work out in which direction you want to go (geometry that is more race or endurance based).
 
Hello all. My friend has got me hooked on the Tour de France and now road racing in general with all the strategy behind it, now Im getting interested in getting out myself a bit. I run a lot by wouldn't mind incorporating at least one longish ride a week into my training schedule and seeing where this goes. I currently have a Giant hybrid bike which is about 20 years old. It has thin road tyres and is in decent condition. But Id be interested in upgrading to a road bike.

Just looking for advice on where to start with this - would it best to look for a brand new bike? Or a bike on facebook marketplace? What are some decent brands these days, and brands to avoid? Would I be able to get a half decent bike for under $1000?

Thanks in advance!

Buying a bike second hand is going to be a lot more value for money but you're also not necessarily going to know what the right size, in that brand, for you. So there's a bit of a learning curve if you don't already have that information or someone that can help you with it. Marketplace as always will be a journey of finding a seller who's actually looked after their bike, and if it's carbon you'll want to take a good look to make sure it hasn't been crashed as they're not simply repairable.

Some bike shops will help you out if you go in and say you're looking for a secondhand bike, they'll often have a customer buying a new one and be on the look-out to sell theirs, but not all bike shops will necessarily be as helpful with this (I worked at one that did, but that was many years ago and it's closed).

A decent pair of bike shorts will go a long way to making the experience more pleasant if you haven't already got a pair.
 
Buying a bike second hand is going to be a lot more value for money but you're also not necessarily going to know what the right size, in that brand, for you. So there's a bit of a learning curve if you don't already have that information or someone that can help you with it. Marketplace as always will be a journey of finding a seller who's actually looked after their bike, and if it's carbon you'll want to take a good look to make sure it hasn't been crashed as they're not simply repairable.

Some bike shops will help you out if you go in and say you're looking for a secondhand bike, they'll often have a customer buying a new one and be on the look-out to sell theirs, but not all bike shops will necessarily be as helpful with this (I worked at one that did, but that was many years ago and it's closed).

A decent pair of bike shorts will go a long way to making the experience more pleasant if you haven't already got a pair.
Marketplace is decent, but a relationship with your LBS (Local Bike Shop) is gold. They can help you as you start getting into it a bit more, upgrading components, comfort etc.

Many things that others will tell you are 'good' may be uncomfortable, and comfort really is the most important thing. Saddles especially are highly individual.
There are even lease/hire options for a short term test before you work out in which direction you want to go (geometry that is more race or endurance based).
Thanks heaps guys. I have a local bike shop very close. Its 99 Bikes. Not sure if they are too big a franchise to take seriously...I've bought some bike shorts and a jersey. The jersey is two sizes up from what I normally wear and still feels tight and uncomfortable. Is this normal? Frankly I think Id be happy to wear a running top and bike pants. Does a jersey make that much difference?

Im guessing Ill need a phone holder too. Its a pain trying to read my watch as I go.
 

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Thanks heaps guys. I have a local bike shop very close. Its 99 Bikes. Not sure if they are too big a franchise to take seriously...I've bought some bike shorts and a jersey. The jersey is two sizes up from what I normally wear and still feels tight and uncomfortable. Is this normal? Frankly I think Id be happy to wear a running top and bike pants. Does a jersey make that much difference?

Im guessing Ill need a phone holder too. Its a pain trying to read my watch as I go.

Ideally you want your riding gear to fit tightly, avoids it flapping about in the wind and stops the sweat running down from your armpits. But obviously wear what you're not going to be self conscious wearing. Comfort-wise there's a reason all cyclists end up in tight fitting lycra, it's practical.

Each brand will probably fit differently too, and it'll depend on your frame. Cyclists tend to be fairly small in the upper body, so most cycling gear (especially 'race fit' stuff) will be cut for that body shape. Might take a bit of trial and error to find a brand that works for you. Shorts can be the same journey.

99 Bikes should be fine, it'll come down to the staff, some franchises will have great staff, some will be shit, like anything.
 
With a budget of under $1,000, you can definitely find a solid entry-level road bike, whether new or used. For new bikes, look into brands like Trek, Specialized, Giant, or Cannondale.
 
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Thanks heaps guys. I have a local bike shop very close. Its 99 Bikes. Not sure if they are too big a franchise to take seriously...I've bought some bike shorts and a jersey. The jersey is two sizes up from what I normally wear and still feels tight and uncomfortable. Is this normal? Frankly I think Id be happy to wear a running top and bike pants. Does a jersey make that much difference?

Im guessing Ill need a phone holder too. Its a pain trying to read my watch as I go.
how did you go with youre bike choice?
 
Bit of an odd scenario - I’ve begun dabbling in shorter distance triathlons however I’ve got a gravel bike with 45mm tyres (more like 53mm inflated) so it’s a bit sluggish.
Currently weighing up buying components (aero bars, rear wheel disc cover and road wheels) vs looking for a second hand TT bike.
A deciding factor could be 22mm internal rim limiting my road wheels choice (28mm inflated should just about match the outside width of my rim for maximum aero-ness). If I needed to buy a new wheel set it’d almost be cheaper to go the second hand dedicated bike without the hassle of regularly changing components.
 
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22mm internal rims can generally run much bigger tires than just 28mm.
I used to run 38mm tires on a 21mm internal rim, and my current rims are 23mm and I run a 40mm tire.

Unless the rim has different specs to my "ok" alloy rims, which is possible. I'm not sure a couple of mm would change the aero too much considering the body on the bike creates far more drag.
 
22mm internal rims can generally run much bigger tires than just 28mm.
I used to run 38mm tires on a 21mm internal rim, and my current rims are 23mm and I run a 40mm tire.

Unless the rim has different specs to my "ok" alloy rims, which is possible. I'm not sure a couple of mm would change the aero too much considering the body on the bike creates far more drag.

I’m more worried 28mm would be too narrow to sit properly in the rims.
And yes - probably more aero considerations than tyre:rim ratio but every Watt counts 😂
Body position would imo make the most difference.
 

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Bit of an odd scenario - I’ve begun dabbling in shorter distance triathlons however I’ve got a gravel bike with 45mm tyres (more like 53mm inflated) so it’s a bit sluggish.
Currently weighing up buying components (aero bars, rear wheel disc cover and road wheels) vs looking for a second hand TT bike.
A deciding factor could be 22mm internal rim limiting my road wheels choice (28mm inflated should just about match the outside width of my rim for maximum aero-ness). If I needed to buy a new wheel set it’d almost be cheaper to go the second hand dedicated bike without the hassle of regularly changing components.

I'd just go the dedicated bike, a gravel bike has totally different geometry to a TT bike so will never be quite right.

Also if you're considering a disc, do some research about the average speeds you need to ride to get the benefits, plus being able to actually use it if you regularly end up on windy courses, or hilly ones, or ones with lots of slowing down for turns (e.g. many short course bike courses). I wouldn't think a disc cover is worthwhile, and for short course I'm not sure the use case for a disc is quite right, something 40mm - 60mm might be a better balance for weight / crosswind stability / speed.
 
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I'd just go the dedicated bike, a gravel bike has totally different geometry to a TT bike so will never be quite right.

Also if you're considering a disc, do some research about the average speeds you need to ride to get the benefits, plus being able to actually use it if you regularly end up on windy courses, or hilly ones, or ones with lots of slowing down for turns (e.g. many short course bike courses). I wouldn't think a disc cover is worthwhile, and for short course I'm not sure the use case for a disc is quite right, something 40mm - 60mm might be a better balance for weight / crosswind stability / speed.

The courses near me tend to have decent straights on them (eg the closest has a 2km and a 1km stretch that are both dead straight, and 6x 90deg turns per 5km lap). I’m also punching out 30km/h on gravel tires on the flat so speed is probably less of an issue.

And not that this means it’s the right choice - but the guys who have represented Vic and Aus are all using a rear disk and probs 60mm up front (although a couple found that a bit too gnarly at Eagle Point this year which is notorious for a strong cross wind through the little gully which is also the quickest part of the bike course).
That being said, I would only be getting a full disc if I went the cover route vs getting a new wheel set. If it was too windy on that day (which is a 50:50 bet up here) I’d just leave it off.
The cheap(er) second hand bikes appear to be dominated by classic rom and spoke wheels regardless.
 
The courses near me tend to have decent straights on them (eg the closest has a 2km and a 1km stretch that are both dead straight, and 6x 90deg turns per 5km lap). I’m also punching out 30km/h on gravel tires on the flat so speed is probably less of an issue.

And not that this means it’s the right choice - but the guys who have represented Vic and Aus are all using a rear disk and probs 60mm up front (although a couple found that a bit too gnarly at Eagle Point this year which is notorious for a strong cross wind through the little gully which is also the quickest part of the bike course).
That being said, I would only be getting a full disc if I went the cover route vs getting a new wheel set. If it was too windy on that day (which is a 50:50 bet up here) I’d just leave it off.
The cheap(er) second hand bikes appear to be dominated by classic rom and spoke wheels regardless.

I’d grab the TT bike and worry about the wheels later, from memory you’re a powerlifter so the actual handling issues with a deep wheelset might be less of a bother.
 
I’d grab the TT bike and worry about the wheels later, from memory you’re a powerlifter so the actual handling issues with a deep wheelset might be less of a bother.

Yeah powerlifting background. I also prefer running a really slow cadence and big gears but will have to play around if I go to TT geometry which, by my biomechanical eye, would involve the hip extensors a bit more than I’m used to.
 

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