first road bike, some help and suggestions :)

[lobstermash]

Honestly, you should go to the shop and sit on one of each. You won't regret either purchase.

[Calvin27]

Just buy the Osprey. You will want to upgrade soon after you enjoy it regardless of what you think. There are lots more features and goodies that you will want after buying the bike. After that you will want to upgrade and then you will do the numbers and realize a new bike is cheaper. Then bike hunting. Cycle repeats. Don't worry, it happens to all of us. It's half the reason this forum exists.

Like others have said, save some for the accessories - pump, tubes, helmet, clothing etc.

[roadbikes]

upgrading will mean a whole new bike. if i buy the osprey elite will it last as long as the falco given i look after each bike exactly the same? will the cheaper parts on the elite prevail?

[rodneycc]

Can't see either bike lasting 6 or 7 years. If you get 3 or 4 years then I think you picked a winner. I think the want of upgrading will be more likely than failure but in the case of the Falco possibly keeping the upgraditis at bay for longer. Buying the best bike you can afford at the time to me is always your best option to avoid the regret.

Having said that you really need to do some test riding to get a feel for each bike. There is usually one that stands out and says buy me. You have the perfect chance/platform to do that at Reid riding boths bikes on the same day in the same conditions. It will give you a great idea what is best for you. True you won't be able to fully tell how it will go on a long ride but you will be able to tell lots of little things like geo, brakes, shifting, if one climbs better than the other etc. The testing is really worth the effort.

[roadbikes]

alright, ill give that a shot however i guess i will biased to one of them on the day. If you were buying the bike which one would you go for and why?

[roadbikes]

i know you mentioned falco, but exactly why?

[rodneycc]

For me, I don't really like triple cranks that for one would put me off. Second I like a racier geo of the falco and third the smoother components and shifting ( I like a quiet smooth shifting bike). I haven't seen much of the new Sora with Sti shifting but Tiagra shifting is really nice some even say nicer than 105. I also like the look of the falcos better.
(Prob easier to keep clean too!)

[tron07]

The ospery elite with the sora group is good enough and is pretty solid. To me, the other parts, frame, handle, seat, etc all look the same, if you look at the spec sheet on their website, its all the same parts except the groupset. I have tested the tiagra and sora and couldnt find any difference that time, i spend quite some time riding both bikes around the block and back and forth.

I didnt like the gear change level on the ospery as its is still the last year model with the thumb level instead of the integrated type, thats why i only focus at ospery elite and falco.

It was the 3 crank on the bike that sway me over and it was cheaper then the falco but after like 50km or so riding the bike, i notice that i dont use all the 3 crank so 2 would had been sufficient.

If you are loaded, why not... Just go for it.

I can afford bikes double the price but i want to keep the price down as I want to be able to lock the bike down in the city for few hours. If i really love cycling, then in a few years i can sell it off and get a much better one, less depreciation compare to a more expensive bike, or just keep it as a rough use bike.

Or you can help your parents save some of their hard earn money and buy the elite, then the rest on oil for the chain, helmet, riding gear, better tires, and other accessories. Go for a ride, have a look at all the bikes, then go home and think about it again for another week. Then go and ride the one you have our mind set on buying, have another ride to confirm before you put the money down.

[roadbikes]

Thanks for the feedback both! Well with both bikes i get a free helmet anyways, i have bike lube from my mountain bike wet lube, which type should you be using on road bikes? and also got a free accessories such as lights, tirepump and stuff already, however i usually go to the petrol station to pump the tires. Sale ends Sunday therefore the tad rushed decision.

[rodneycc]

You're first upgrades will prob be tyres and saddle also possibly pedals so still keep some cash up your sleeve. Maybe not immediate but a few months down the track possibly.

[wgc138]

Get something to your liking will always be a great choice especially for first bike. Don't worry about those road racers our there The reid's are probably one of the most underated bikes out there, its just because they're not one of the boutique brands it doesn't mean its less functional. I got the falco elite for commuting and with the sale price, who could argue. Its probably made in the same factory as the bigger brands.

[vosadrian]

Hi All,

Might be hijacking this thread, so apologies, but seems that I have similar questions.

My son is almost 12 and in the 150-155cm height range. He wants a road bike, and I would like it to last (fit) him as long as possible so was looking at XS adults roadbike. I want a decent aluminium frame (prefer carbon forks) with a higher end groupset (like 105 or at least Tiagra) with double front ring and 10 speed rear. This is for compatibility with wheels between several bikes and wheel-sets as well as I have spare parts from my own bikes (ultegra 10 speed). Basically if my own bikes and wife's and sone are similar, we swap bits if needed if one should develop an issue.

Anyway, the XS frame size seems to be a bit of an issue. The Reid's here seem well priced, but no XS frame. Also Cell Lapa does not come in XS. I have found a Malvern Star Oppy A3 in XS at around the $800 mark (Tiagra). Also, Polygon Helios C4 which is $800 in Tiagra or $900 in 105. I can't really find any more that suit my requirements. Is there any others I should be considering? Also, how does the Malvern star compare to the Polygon in terms of quality?

Thanks!

Cheers,

Adrian

[roadbikes]

can anyone give me thoughts on this http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/east-mel ... 1055709486" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; vs the falco sport which is ($560). Judging from quick searches the former retailed around $1899.

thanks

[TonyMax]

Three chainrings may see you spending lots more time changing gears than if you only had two. The Tiagra of the Falco Sport is a good groupset, I quite like my Falco Sport.

The one thing to keep in mind is that the Falco doesn't come with "compact" chainrings (they're geared quite high for top speed over climbing).

If you will be doing a lot of hills you may benefit from the shorter gearing available with the Osprey.

Cheers,


Tony

[lobstermash]

Also, how does the Malvern star compare to the Polygon in terms of quality?

Thanks!

Cheers,

Adrian

The Polygon is a slightly better frame/fork than the Malvern Star. Both reasonably good bikes though. Malvern Star has a bit more 'flair' in the styling, which might appeal...

[roadbikes]

can anyone give me thoughts on this http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/east-mel" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 1055709486 vs the falco sport which is ($560). Judging from quick searches the former retailed around $1899.

thanks

[rodneycc]

The Avanti is probably a very nice bike but don't know a lot about them. A bit too much risk for me a 2010 model. With the Reid you get a fitting and also a warranty which is peace of mind. Personally can't see that one retailing for $1899?? They got ripped off if they bought it for that as it doesn't look that special for an alloy.

[wgc138]

The fitting at Reid's is not worth your time, for first timers should be ok but they wouldnt suffice in the long term. When I picked up mine and saw the a bike fit for someone else, I said don't bother. Its really no frills, but for the price I can't complain. It's like buying online and getting it delivered to your door. Get a mate with some experience to fit it and go from there.

[tron07]

New code available.
Any purchase over $100, use the code SAVE20 to get $20 off.

Go to their website, put in every code in and take a screen shot of the final discounted price. Show that and ask the sales staff to match it when you buy the bike. Do that on the day itself so they cant claim that promotion ended yesterday.

[roadbikes]

thanks! when does this expire? and how did you find it

[roadbikes]

says not valid

[tron07]

Sorry, just notice that is does not include the bike, but the VIP code still works.

http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=f78 ... b271c86486" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[roadbikes]

can someone give me their quick thought on this bike
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/131284016255 ... 1438.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

im willing to spend $240 max on bidding, but its a reasonable price, has sora but im not riding very frequently

looks like the one in the column on the left is for this bike in terms of specs

http://www.cyclingdeal.com.au/buy/hasa- ... sora/R3RED" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers

[koshari]

Those hasas are pretty well specced for the pricec they retail for.

I would put them slightly in front of both cells and reids for entry level value.

Realistically the brifters and wheelset alone would be worth 250.

[roadbikes]

reckon i should go for it then?