Bike Purchasing - Help required

[bobbie]

 

 

http://www.fujibikes.com/2007/bikes.asp?id=278&subcat=#

 

 

a friend of mine has just started cycling, borrowing my hybrid etc. and now wants to buy her first "real racing bike" . She has not got buckets of cash to spend and has been searching for quality for money.

 

please can one of you experts help and let us know if the bike on the above link is any good, i.e. value for money etc etc.  Please bear in mind that this person is a complete novice .

 

thanks in advance

 

bobbie2007-05-29 06:14:24

[slowpoke]

hmmm, what is her budget? i don't know what the price tag on that is, but i see it has sora... personally i would rather try to find something with minimum tiagra, even if it is second hand.

[AndreZA]

Not bad for a beginner's bike but I would look at something with atleast Tiagra shifters preferably 105. You can look at Raleigh, Silverback and Trek aswell. At that end of the market they are all the same frame quality.

[bobbie]

hmmm' date=' what is her budget? i don't know what the price tag on that is, but i see it has sora... personally i would rather try to find something with minimum tiagra, even if it is second hand.[/quote']

 

 

sorry Slowpoke but what on earth is "sora"  - and what is minimum tiagra.. (excuse my ignorance... )

 

 

the price is R3000

 

 

[Gumpole]

the groupset (moving bits!, gears, crank etc) on your bike is sora which is bottom of the range, tiagra is one step up. Then 105 (which is good and if she is really going to cycle a lot - then this is the way to go).

 

I've got a Fuji and I'm very happy with it.

 

but for R3000 raleigh would probably be the best value for money (any budget raleigh is the best value for money)

[Gman1834]

My 10c.

It is not a bad bicycle for someone just starting out, I don?t know what her budget are but you can look for a new 2006 model as well. Here in Pta you can Find a Fuji Newest 1.0 2006 for half the price of a new one, at Solomon?s.

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You can rather spend more money on the extras (good shoes and pedals, computer, ect) and she can use it on the next bike if she wanted a new bike after a year or three.

 

Can any body remember what the specs were on the pro?s bikes in the early 80?s and what times they did 100km?

[slowpoke]

bobbie, sora and tiagra and 105  and ultegra and dura ace are all shimano groupsets - that is the gears and shifters and stuff. sora is the entry level one, and isn't the nicest out there... in fact it is (imho) lousy....

 

ok, at R3000 she can either try find something second hand (just take someone along who knows bikes to check) or a special on an entry level raleigh or giant with tiagra or 9 speed 105's. unfortunately i don't know the kzn-natal area to suggest/recommend shops.

[AndreZA]

hmmm' date=' what is her budget? i don't know what the price tag on that is, but i see it has sora... personally i would rather try to find something with minimum tiagra, even if it is second hand.[/quote']

 

 

sorry Slowpoke but what on earth is "sora"  - and what is minimum tiagra.. (excuse my ignorance... )

 

 

the price is R3000

 

 

 

sora and Tiagra are the names of Shimano groupsets. Groupsets are basically all the moving parts like hubs(middle of the wheel), cranks (where the pedals are attched to), brake calipers (the arhes that brakes the wheels) and the STI levers (brake and shift levers in one). The order is as follows from cheapest to most expensive.

 

Sora  -  bikes between R3 500 - R5 000

Tiagra  -  bikes between R5 500 - R8 000

105  -  bikes between R7 500 - R15 000

Ultegra  -  bikes between R10 000 - R25 000

Dura Ace  -  bikes up to R100 000

 

 

[Gumpole]

jaa, in that price range getting an older (2006, or 2005) model that fits her will be good value - still new from the bike shop, just old stock.

 

Can any body remember what the specs were on the pro?s bikes in the early 80?s and what times they did 100km?

 

Specs were a fair bit worse than todays bikes, 100km times were muuch slower than today (excluding Merckx)

[bobbie]

http://www.raleigh.co.za/bikes.php?rangeid=10&bikeid=15&year=2007#range

hey thanks so much.  so now this is the entry level Raleigh RC1000  - your opinions please...

 

lbs has told her they have a RC2000 for her but price is out of her league....

 

HELP!!

[AndreZA]

Bobbie, so far the Fuji looks better because at least it's got a carbon fork that will absorb some vibration from the road.

 

 

[slowpoke]

see if she can't argue the lbs down on the rc2000. i'm not normally a big fan of them, but i know that there is a cajees in dbn - their prices are generally quite good

[Gumpole]

I'm sure the new RC3000 retails for about R4500, might be able to get a 2006 model (almost identical) for close to R3000.. if you haggle a bit.

 

I (personally) wouldn't go below the RC3000

[slowjoe]

her bucket was R3000 ?

 

She's gonna need about 3k just to get started with cycling kit (helmet, clothing and shoez)

[slowpoke]

gummy, i do agree that the difference to the rc3000 is well worth it, but i also know the feeling of a strictly limited budget

[slowjoe]

get a 2006 RC3000 raleigh, full tiagra & carbon fork.

Sure they will sell under 3k