Great, thanks for the information. Its always good to get some ideals before you go out looking. I put faith in to what people who have nothing to gain from there opinion before a salesman who wants to sell you the latest greatest. And like I said I have no clue at all what kind of bike I need. I tent to go all out and I am trying not to add to my collection of high priced stuff I dont use anymore if you know what I mean.:sombrero:
Aside from having bought dozens and dozens of bikes, I've sold hundreds of bikes. There's a definite process to buying a bike. It's all about narrowing the field.
I'd figure out your price range first. That will instantly narrow the field. Look within that range to see what you lose in the lower end and gain towards the upper end. That might force you to adjust your price range. There are some thresholds that are key. As an example, if you wanted full suspension, but all you had to spend was $1200, it would be darn tough to find many solid options. Bump that up to $1800 and you have dozens of options.
Increases in price primarily purchase refinement but sometimes purchase features. For example, a $900 hard tail and a $1200 hard tail might offer identical features with regard to number of gears, disc brakes and so on, but the $1200 bike
should offer more refinement in how the bike shifts, brakes, and performs in general. That refinement can sometimes translate to additional durability, but not always. Or, that jump from $900 to $1200 might add features. Maybe the $1200 bike has an air dampened fork with lockout. Maybe it has hydrolic disc brakes. Maybe you go from an 8 speed drive (24 gears) to a 9 speed drive (27 gears).
What I would suggest is try to work in groups of three. Find three bikes within your target price range with the features you want. By all means, balance the pros and cons, see which one is a better value, maybe take it for a spin and then - BUY THE BIKE THAT SPINS YOUR BEANIE. Seriously, if you get to three bikes that make for good options and they're all the same value and most importantly FIT YOU, then go with the one that looks cool. I've had customers spend weeks trying to make sure they buy the perfect bike. And regarding test rides, don't let that be the make or break. So many variables (many adjustable) contribute to a bike's ride quality. Use your brain, not your butt. Do your research to find your bike and then test ride it for kicks and to be sure it's the one. Don't forget to give yourself a good budget for other bike doo-dads like pedals, shoes, helmets, jerseys, shorts, etc. That stuff is key.
Buying a road bike is tricky in my opinion. There you're completely paying for refinements and most of those don't amount to a pile of poo with regard to making a bike faster. Believe it or not, MIT has a bike science department that has debunked a lot of equipment performance myths. Long story short, science has proven that a $1200 road bike is as fast as a $12,000 road bike in most applications, certainly for the garden variety cyclist.
With road bikes, fit is critical. I would advocate shopping for the best bike shop and THEN begin your search for the best bike. Humans produce a pitiful amount of power and proper fitment helps maximize those few watts of power.
Cycling is full of funny myths that sales people love. If it sounds to good to be true, it is. Carbon fiber for example has qualities pixie dust would aspire to have. Pretty sure carbon fiber cured Lance Armstrong's cancer.
Shoot me a PM if you ever have specific questions.
New bikes rule!!
