Suggestive comments about a new bike

[StreetCowboy]

Dr Frankenstein could not revive the previous thread on this topic

so consider this the Son Of Frankenstein.

 

In the last three years I've done 15,000 km plus on my Avanti cyclocross bike, but everywhere I read that I should be riding a 'proper' road bike.

To be fair, it handles like a tractor, and rides like a road-roller, but it shows no sign of age (bar needing a tightening of the wheel bearings earlier this year, and a new bottom bracket a while back, and replacing the brake pads again, and ...).  It does weigh 14 kg, though, which is as much as my beer gut, and I wouldn't want to go around carrying two of those.

 

So if I was looking for a "proper" road bike in the 30K - 50K baht range, what should I be looking for?

Every time I've done this exercise before, I've come back to my own bike...

I want comfort for longer rides, not faster.  So the thick tyres are good.

I want safety in all conditions, so the disc brakes are good.  Hydraulic would be better, so I'm still looking...

Shimano 105 is as much as I can hope for in my budget.

I don't want a frame that I can throw further than is good for it, so aluminium wins in that respect.  Drop it, put it down on the road, throw it over a fence (if you can) or whatever.

The long wheelbase and shallow front angle make it a struggle to get it in the car, and a bit truculent on tight corners, but I can ride along handless well enough (legless too, some evenings).

 

I'm not planning on buying anything till the end of this year, but what should I be thinking about?

 

SC

[impulse]

You may be looking for a brand new bike and I understand that.  But I really enjoyed scrounging this place on Rama3 in BKK to look at a variety of used bikes, apparently mostly from Japan.  Even if you don't want to buy a pre-owned bike, it may give you some ideas...

 

 

The place is a genuine dump (not a slam, BTW- I like places like this) and the front looks more like a car parts place- which is also part of the business and the charm of the place.  This photo is from Google Street view in the back.

[StreetCowboy]

That looks fun.  Do they have separated parts for the Dr Frankensteins amongst us, to build their own monster?

Unfortunately I don't have the patience or self-discipline (or mechanical knack) to maintain an old bicycle.  The New Boy builds his bicycles off the internet, searching out period parts for the authentic look.

[ttakata]

http://www.worldwidebike.net/product.php?p=60

http://www.worldbike.co.th/index.php/bike-on-road/80002223-detail

[StreetCowboy]

I took my bike into the shop with a shifter problem that he was able to solve, as a stop-gap solution at least, but his recmendation was that at the next service I should look at buying a new groupset, which will be of the order of RM 1,500. I think I’ll be needing new hub bearings (probably RM 200 - 300 for the set) and soon enough a new chainwheel set (about RM800); so maybe I’ll be as well scrapping this bike and buying a new one (RM 4,500, probably, more if I trade up).

What do you think?  Is 22,000 km over 4 years a reasonable economic life for a bicycle?

[Chomper Higgot]

Have you considered some 'last year's model deals'?

 

Last month I took a friend around bike shops to choose his first road bike, the best deal we found was a last year's model BMC Carbon Frame and Shimano 105 Group Set, this came in around BH48000, so just in the budget you gave.

 

However, while looking we came came across plenty of extremely nice road bikes with the same group set that were priced around Bht35000.

 

When I first got back into cycling around 9 years ago, I bought an aluminium Giant TCR with a SRAM group set. Back then I paid Bht 32K and to be honest it was a better bike than many of the team bikes I raced on in the 80s.

 

For durability I would again go for an aluminium frame but as I mentioned above, for under Bht50K you can find some superb carbon road bikes. 

 

[StreetCowboy]

On 5/25/2019 at 3:18 PM, Chomper Higgot said:

Have you considered some 'last year's model deals'?

 

Last month I took a friend around bike shops to choose his first road bike, the best deal we found was a last year's model BMC Carbon Frame and Shimano 105 Group Set, this came in around BH48000, so just in the budget you gave.

 

However, while looking we came came across plenty of extremely nice road bikes with the same group set that were priced around Bht35000.

 

When I first got back into cycling around 9 years ago, I bought an aluminium Giant TCR with a SRAM group set. Back then I paid Bht 32K and to be honest it was a better bike than many of the team bikes I raced on in the 80s.

 

For durability I would again go for an aluminium frame but as I mentioned above, for under Bht50K you can find some superb carbon road bikes. 

 

I think I would stick with aluminium so that you can throw it around.  I don’t feel the need for better than Shimano 105.  The other stuff - weight, whatever, I can’t reliably measure, so it brings me back to my current bike. I’d like hydraulic brakes.

My buddy’s buddy is thinking of stripping the paint off his aluminium frame and anodising it

[el jefe]

On 5/22/2019 at 6:36 AM, StreetCowboy said:

RM 1,500. I think I’ll be needing new hub bearings (probably RM 200 - 300 for the set) and soon enough a new chainwheel set (about RM800); so maybe I’ll be as well scrapping this bike and buying a new one (RM 4,500, probably, more if I trade up).

What do you think?  Is 22,000 km over 4 years a reasonable economic life for a bicycle?

Drive train parts will always wear out. The quality of the components and how well they are maintained will determine the life. However, frames should last almost forever unless they suffer damage in a crash. My current two frames, a carbon Focus and a Specialized S Works, have about 90,000 kms and 50,000 kms respectively. My prior bike, a titanium frame, had a weld failure at the rear dropout after only 150,000 kms.

[StreetCowboy]

I’ve convinced myself that I’m not allowed a new bike till I get to 40,000 km and my second groupset / chain wheels.  So until then, i’m Thinking of switching from Schwalbe Marathon 38s to 28s, with a pressure rise from 90 psi to 110 psi.  What do you think? I’m not planning on any more children, but I’m not going to cut back on condoms, regardless of tyre pressure or saddle angle

[StreetCowboy]

The new 28s are good but it was a devil of a job fitting the front one;I think maybe the well in the wheel profile is not deep enough to make it easy.

I reckon they might give me 1 kph extra on the flat - just as well as I’ve foolishly entered my first ever bike race next Sunday. I’m more used to boat races