Hi
I am looking for a decent roadie that is comfortable (easy on the back) to ride to and from work . I am not familiar with bicycles in general and hoping you could
Provide some valuable insights and hopefully could recommend some good bargains. Willing to spend up to $1.5k
For starters I've been looking at this merinda bike
http://www.99bikes.com.au/bike16-merida-ride-400-juliet-44cm…
Thanks for the help
Hi John what kind of details u need to assist you with providing suggestion?:)
I'm of no help as I know nothing about bikes either, but I would assume more learned people would need stuff like:
But I'm just guessing :)
Highly recommend this one - http://www.99bikes.com.au/merida-scultura-4000-green-black-2…
I've ridden the Merida Lite 90 and the Merida Scultura 4000 for around 45km's in one trip and highly recommend the Scultura 4000. It has a really light frame which makes climbing hills much easier and at a higher speed (compared to a standard alloy frame as I believe the Scultura 4000 is a carbon frame), quicker gear shifting (thanks the Shimano 105 groupset) and stronger brakes! If I remember correctly, a friend of mine recently bought the Merida Scultura 4000 from 99 bikes store for around $1500 (including basic pedals and bike fully assembled by the 99 bikes workshop mechanics) after negotiating the price with the sales staff.
Did some research online on the Merida Scultura 4000 on the price:
$1599 here ($100 cheaper than 99 bikes listed price): https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/a/road-bikes/merida/wa/becke…
Found this deal as well which looks to be a very very good price: https://www.bikeexchange.com.au/a/road-bikes/merida/qld/wool…
From what I know, 99 bikes also price beat other stores.
Giant Contend SL 2, currently on sale for $1299
Have you been casually riding or this will be your first bike?
Reason I ask is that if your first bike I probably won't spend too much money. May be pick-up used from gumtree.
If you have been riding and looking after decent roadie - I will probably go with 105 group set at minimum. More trouble free esp if you use it for commuting.
I will suggest alloy frame but if bike weight is an important consideration, try carbon. Alloy holds road well.
Suggest try bikes at shops incl Avanti, Trek, Giant etc. cycling is very personal - depending on your height, body stature/proportions etc you may prefer some vs others.
Good luck n safe riding !
I'll freely preface this with me being a Specialized fan. I try other brands each year, but I find that Specialized just works best for me, so I recommend them.
At that price point, well just a few shekels more, you could be on a '16 Amira which is a fantastic bike. Or for a little more comfort, the Ruby. Similar bikes, but they do ride differently. Though if what I get from your post is correct & it's your first bike, or first in a long time, you may want to go with a wider tyre for stability. At least until you feel comfortable on the road. If you dont need a race type bike, the Vita Sport is a brillant around town ride.
If you go in to a store, they can do a free body geo on you & give you a better idea of which would be the better fit & most appropriate. You'll get some good info out of it even if you don't buy one of their bikes.
Thanks guys for all your input. I have been riding for awhile now. Nothing serious. Just to and from work. Currently I'm riding on a Giant roadie with Sora groupset. I find it frustrating that gears doesn't shift properly. It makes weird noises/doesn't like it when I shift to lower/higher gears. So basically I only use one gear to ride. When I brought the bike for a service , the guy said nothing much you can do about it as it's a lower end bike. Didn't think it would matter if it's low or high end bike.
Would shimano 105 helps to eliminate this problem with gears shifting? Sorry for such stupid question but I do appreciate for all the advice here. Thanks
I'll head into Store and check out the merinda 4000.
The 105 is effectively the best of the lower end stuff across all brands. It's very reliable, & rather bullet proof. If you can afford the Ultegra, you'll notice a big difference, but really, a well serviced 105 is plenty good for the average rider. Plus, you'll jump from a 9 speed groupset to an 11.
I ride Shimano over SRam, but if you ever get to try putting in some eTap kilometres, then you may consider it justifiable to remortgage your house or sell your first born!
How old is your current bike? Sora is no slouch, and it really sounds like a proper adjustment is all you would need to solve that problem.
More details required.