I went for a 30 mile ride last weekend. How is that for a first time out? I do spinning at our local YMCA and they have periodic weekend rides and the instructor keeps asking if I want to go (while her husband is standing there, knock it off.) I've always said I don't have a bike and wasn't planning to buy anything until after the Italy trip.
I'm back from Italy, so I took her up on the offer to go with their group and we did a 30 mile round trip on some local bike trails.
She brought her husbands Giant FCR 1, IIRC. It was a flat bar bike with 23mm tires and an 8 gear cassette in back. I don't recall the hardware specifics. Let's just say I had a blast, especially when at the end of the ride, I reeled in her brother on his brand new Giant Defy and left him and others in my dust.
It seems the Giant Rapid series is comparable to that bike and they run about $1200 at the local bike shop.
I don't plan to ride trails, but this may be something I do two or three Saturdays each month and possibly sometimes with my wife, but probably not the same distances with her, etc.
What else should I be looking at that is comparable?
What are the pros and cons to this style bike?
What other questions should I be asking that I'm not even thinking about?
I've owned discount store bikes my whole life and what a shock to ride something that was engineered to be as slick as this several years old FCR 1.
But I don't necessarily want to jump on the first bike I've ridden and say giddy-up. What else should I be looking at?
I'm back from Italy, so I took her up on the offer to go with their group and we did a 30 mile round trip on some local bike trails.
She brought her husbands Giant FCR 1, IIRC. It was a flat bar bike with 23mm tires and an 8 gear cassette in back. I don't recall the hardware specifics. Let's just say I had a blast, especially when at the end of the ride, I reeled in her brother on his brand new Giant Defy and left him and others in my dust.
It seems the Giant Rapid series is comparable to that bike and they run about $1200 at the local bike shop.
I don't plan to ride trails, but this may be something I do two or three Saturdays each month and possibly sometimes with my wife, but probably not the same distances with her, etc.
What else should I be looking at that is comparable?
What are the pros and cons to this style bike?
What other questions should I be asking that I'm not even thinking about?
I've owned discount store bikes my whole life and what a shock to ride something that was engineered to be as slick as this several years old FCR 1.
But I don't necessarily want to jump on the first bike I've ridden and say giddy-up. What else should I be looking at?