Members grunge782 Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Father's Day is coming up and I'm looking to buy him a decent present. He isn't a hardcore roadbiker, just a guy who rides his bike once a week or something around there. He definitely doesn't want a mountainbike, he's looking for something light and pedals smooth that will last him a long time. I honestly don't know much about bikes so any and all advice would be appreciated EDIT!: Just came back from the bike shop and found out he isn't actually looking for what I thought (road bike/urban bike) . He's basically looking for a comfort bike with thin tires . He was really into this bike, but I'm not sure on the quality- http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/bikes/model/suede/9020/48872/ So basically I need to find something of decent quality that won't hurt his back (has shocks and preferably an adjustable handlebar), but is still somewhat light with thin tires that rides smooth. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cougar Hunter Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Does he want a full-fledged "road bike" or something upright, but light with fast skinny tires? Is he going to use cleats? If he doesn't want to be bent over riding drop bars, check out the Trek 7.3 Commuter. If he wants a true road bike, go to the bike shop and check out stuff from Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Kona, etc. See what you want to spend and test ride it yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yourguitarhero Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Check out a Trek District, the 2011 model. Maybe called The Fifth?Light, single speed, belt drive. Will need almost no maintenance.Should be in price range Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grunge782 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Does he want a full-fledged "road bike" or something upright, but light with fast skinny tires? Is he going to use cleats? If he doesn't want to be bent over riding drop bars, check out the Trek 7.3 Commuter. If he wants a true road bike, go to the bike shop and check out stuff from Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Kona, etc. See what you want to spend and test ride it yourself. My guess is he doesn't want a full-fledged road bike and won't want to use cleats. He probably just something he can use on the road/sidewalks that is easier to pedal, but I'll have to double check. Right now he's using an old mountainbike with skinnier tires . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madryan Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 No such thing as a road bike for under a grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grunge782 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Check out a Trek District, the 2011 model. Maybe called The Fifth? Light, single speed, belt drive. Will need almost no maintenance. Should be in price range Looks good. Low maintenance is a big plus here . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members grunge782 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 No such thing as a road bike for under a grand. "Commuters" bike then . He's not doing races or something, he just doesn't want a mountain bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madryan Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 "Commuters" bike then . He's not doing races or something, he just doesn't want a mountain bike. Any of the "29'er" mountain bikes with a set of road wheels will do it. If he's got a mountain bike now with disc brakes you can get him a set of wheels with the same hubs but a set of road hoops so he can run real road tires. There's a few things that are legitimately different about real road bikes. Ergo's and gearing are most of it. The wheels and tires you can get on a mountain bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wwhhaatt Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 bikesdirect.com I have tons of friends that ride and the few that have bought even the 300$ ones were impressed. They use them for shorter rides and any time they don't want to take a pricey bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RupertB Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 I commute about 100 days out of the year (road, multi-purpose trails & dirt/rock paths) on a Giant Sedona LX, which IIRC was a little over $500. More upright posture, hybrid tires (2" w/knobby sides & flat faces), disc brakes. Served me well for over 5 years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yourguitarhero Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Any of the "29'er" mountain bikes with a set of road wheels will do it. If he's got a mountain bike now with disc brakes you can get him a set of wheels with the same hubs but a set of road hoops so he can run real road tires. There's a few things that are legitimately different about real road bikes. Ergo's and gearing are most of it. The wheels and tires you can get on a mountain bike. Buying a 29'er (more expensive than a regualr MTB for same spec) then adding new road wheels etc is kind of overkill, especially for that budget and what he says his dad will want to do with it. Hybrid/commuter is what you want to be checking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madryan Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Buying a 29'er (more expensive than a regualr MTB for same spec) then adding new road wheels etc is kind of overkill, especially for that budget and what he says his dad will want to do with it.Hybrid/commuter is what you want to be checking out. Granted... I was tossing that out a more of an FYI sort of thing. The 29'er bikes are basically just 700c size rims. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OverDriven Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 No such thing as a road bike for under a grand. I was waiting for the bike snobs to show up. This is like someone telling you that there are no guitars worth buying for under a grand. Just as there are plenty of great guitars, there are plenty road bikes for under a grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members colejustesen Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 I bought my bike from www.giantnerd.com a few years ago and have loved what I got! I went with the Tommaso Monza and it has been really a good bike. I have upgraded a few things, but out of the box it was pretty good for a starting road bike. I was also really happy with the service that I got from Giant Nerd! Cole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zeppelin Rules Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 I'd look into more of a hybrid bike for what you're suggesting. If you're set on road bikes I have a KHS that I'm really happy with that I paid around $600 for. http://www.khsbicycles.com/05_flite_220_12.htm (Mine's last years model which is a little different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yourguitarhero Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Well, the things to look for are for it to have 700c wheels (as opposed to 26" mountain bike sizes), and then tyre width (35 or less probably) - this is if you want a fast, smooth flowing bike, and to decide if you want any kind of front suspension. If you're just on the road and they are relatively smooth then no need for suspension - more machinery and weight. But if he wants to cycle on any tracks, then it might prove useful but isn't a requirement.Have a look at Cyclocross bikes for a look at a fast off-road bike with no suspension, though they're probably over your price range and not designed for what your dad does. 'Commuter' are more likely to be rigid forks, 700c wheels, derraiiliur (sp?) gears, mudguards and maybe a rack on the back'Urban' are likely to be quite light, simple bikes, either single speed or hub gears, rigid forks, 700c wheels, skinny tyres, stripped down kind of things. These will be fast.'Hybrid' are more like mountain bikes, but a bit more relaxed seating position, and short travel suspension, either 26" or 700c wheels. ^ Obviously these are generalisations but if you look on a large bike store's website they'll likely be broken down into categories like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madryan Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 I was waiting for the bike snobs to show up. This is like someone telling you that there are no guitars worth buying for under a grand. Just as there are plenty of great guitars, there are plenty road bikes for under a grand. Find me a "road bike" for under a grand that's not an utter piece of Walmart {censored}. I'm waiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madryan Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Well, the things to look for are for it to have 700c wheels (as opposed to 26" mountain bike sizes), and then tyre width (35 or less probably) - this is if you want a fast, smooth flowing bike, and to decide if you want any kind of front suspension. If you're just on the road and they are relatively smooth then no need for suspension - more machinery and weight. But if he wants to cycle on any tracks, then it might prove useful but isn't a requirement.Have a look at Cyclocross bikes for a look at a fast off-road bike with no suspension, though they're probably over your price range and not designed for what your dad does.'Commuter' are more likely to be rigid forks, 700c wheels, derraiiliur (sp?) gears, mudguards and maybe a rack on the back'Urban' are likely to be quite light, simple bikes, either single speed or hub gears, rigid forks, 700c wheels, skinny tyres, stripped down kind of things. These will be fast.'Hybrid' are more like mountain bikes, but a bit more relaxed seating position, and short travel suspension, either 26" or 700c wheels.^ Obviously these are generalisations but if you look on a large bike store's website they'll likely be broken down into categories like that. This... Also, if you just want to kick around in the neighborhood a singlespeed road bike is lots of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yourguitarhero Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Lol, this is my newest bike. Never made a NBD post since they're would be bound to be a million chumps calling me an idiot for my business idea, but anyway: An old, 60s/70s maybe, Pashley postman's bike. A particularly solid piece of machinery, with no gears, and incredibly strong frame and rack on the front, and dinky ass rod operated brakes. My first single speed, lol. It's actually quite a nice bike to ride - Reynolds 531 frame and brooks saddle along with medium sized urban tyres make for a nice ride. Edinburgh has lots of very bad road surfaces (and cobbles) and my Cannondale with aluminium frame and 28mm tyres jars my fillings loose. Obviously, this bike is nice to ride if you are taking a leisurely pace! Bought it as a working bike - my friend and I are setting up a bike-mobile hot dog cart. Basically, that bike, this trailer: and a weber grill: Plus a few other things to meet council hygiene/safety requirements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cougar Hunter Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 I was waiting for the bike snobs to show up. This is like someone telling you that there are no guitars worth buying for under a grand. Just as there are plenty of great guitars, there are plenty road bikes for under a grand. Most of the time, I disagree with your posts, but.......... A-{censored}ING-MEN!!!! Plenty of nice bikes in the $500 range for what the OP's Dad needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madryan Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Most of the time, I disagree with your posts, but..........A-{censored}ING-MEN!!!!Plenty of nice bikes in the $500 range for what the OP's Dad needs. But they're not "road bikes" per se... They're mostly hybrid bikes of some sort. They're bike trail bikes. They're neighborhood bikes. If you want a real road bike, as in, drop bars and a half ass component spec you gotta fork out at least a grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cougar Hunter Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 But they're not "road bikes" per se... They're mostly hybrid bikes of some sort. They're bike trail bikes. They're neighborhood bikes. If you want a real road bike, as in, drop bars and a half ass component spec you gotta fork out at least a grand. what is your minimum component spec? I mean, I guess, I would want at least 105, which would put the bike around $1,000 with a cheap frame, but how is a $600 Specialized with Sora components and drop bars "not a road bike"? Is Tiagra good enough for a weekend warrior in a group ride? Is everything under Ultegra just crap? There are quite a few poseurs around here with $5,000+ Italian, Carbon-Record-equipeed bikes who get dropped by dudes on Sora-equipped, Chinese bikes. I assemble mongrel road bikes and get dropped by everyone, FWIW, I really like the SRAM Reflex derailleurs, and Shimano 105 hubs.(by "like", I mean they go over and above my bang for the buck, functional, durable, lightweight specs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madryan Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 what is your minimum component spec? I mean, I guess, I would want at least 105, which would put the bike around $1,000 with a cheap frame, but how is a $600 Specialized with Sora components and drop bars "not a road bike"? Is Tiagra good enough for a weekend warrior in a group ride? Is everything under Ultegra just crap? There are quite a few poseurs around here with $5,000+ Italian, Carbon-Record-equipeed bikes who get dropped by dudes on Sora-equipped, Chinese bikes. I assemble mongrel road bikes and get dropped by everyone, FWIW, I really like the SRAM Reflex derailleurs, and Shimano 105 hubs. Part of my issue is I'm a big strong dude who tends to wear stuff out. For me 105 is the bare minimum I can get away with. Same with mountain bike stuff. If I don't get quality gear I'll break it. Obviously that's not an issue with the OP but I'd rather just spend a few extra bucks at the outset and buy a nicer bike and be able to ride the hell out of it and not have {censored} break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cougar Hunter Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 Part of my issue is I'm a big strong dude who tends to wear stuff out. For me 105 is the bare minimum I can get away with. Same with mountain bike stuff. If I don't get quality gear I'll break it. Obviously that's not an issue with the OP but I'd rather just spend a few extra bucks at the outset and buy a nicer bike and be able to ride the hell out of it and not have {censored} break. I agree with that. I just spotted a big crack in my aluminum Selcof seatpost. Time to fork out the $90 and buy a Thomson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members madryan Posted June 13, 2012 Members Share Posted June 13, 2012 I agree with that.I just spotted a big crack in my aluminum Selcof seatpost.Time to fork out the $90 and buy a Thomson. Last year I finally bit the bullet and upgraded to good brakes (Hope discs) and full Sram XO on my Specialized as I'd been using the XTR stuff it came with and it just wasn't cutting it. The Avid disc brakes that came on the bike were pure crap and the Shimano stuff was fine when it was clean and brand new. Over time it started getting sort of "iffy" and after one muddy ride where it was just pissing me off I decided to switch. Actually the reason I went with the XO stuff was a buddy who has a whole XO set on his bike was on the same ride. His XO stuff is absolutely beat to {censored} and was shifting as crisp and nice as you please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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