WTB Road bicycle wanted (maybe electric assist?)

[MAC702]

Would like to have a good quality road bike to help a friend train for their triathlon. I'm still fit and can probably keep up, but I'm also thinking is there an electric-assist option so that I can add to my endurance and keep up longer?

I'm willing to buy at a good bicycle shop, but I'd want to know what I'm getting without relying on what a salesman says.

I'd probably rather have a mountain bike for the option to hit trails and things that would actually be more fun, but is it a huge sacrifice to road usage?

 

[Luxom]

Would like to have a good quality road bike to help a friend train for their triathlon. I'm still fit and can probably keep up, but I'm also thinking is there an electric-assist option so that I can add to my endurance and keep up longer?

I'm willing to buy at a good bicycle shop, but I'd want to know what I'm getting without relying on what a salesman says.

I'd probably rather have a mountain bike for the option to hit trails and things that would actually be more fun, but is it a huge sacrifice to road usage?

I ride a 26" full rigid mountain bike about 200 miles per week. If you have electric assist you should be fine. The biggest difference is rolling resistance but if you have a 5x multiplier you should have no problem either way. I saw a guy in his fifties on a regular ebike earlier that I was drafting for probably like five miles up boulder highway. He wasn't even trying and we were going 22mph into the wind. I'm a very fit cyclist and was fairly challenged to stay on him. Would have been easier if I was on my road bike but not much, and my hips and back just do much better with the little extra tire. I would suspect you want some form of mountain bike with electric assist. I've been thinking some bodies old junker 29er would make an awesome donor for a project that could result in a really cool range cruiser for me.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[MAC702]

Even though I will not commit to buy without independent consultation of someone I trust, what store in town would you recommend for looking at some?

 

[Just an Average Joe]

I'm gonna offer a different take - if you are buying the bike to ride with/keep up with someone in training for Triathlons, it would be MUCH harder to keep up on a mountain bike (and your friend would be on their Tri- bike, or on a drop bar road bike.)

If you are as fit or more fit, you may be able to keep up on a flat-bar road bike, but you would still be working harder than you would on a dedicated drop-bar road bike.

edit to add: don't know much about electric bikes, I figure once I get one I can forget about getting much exercise or burning calories on a bike ride - as the temptation to roll on the electric throttle and enjoy the breeze would be too much.

 

[MAC702]

That's what I feared. It may well be worth getting a road bike and then worry about something else later.

 

[Just an Average Joe]

That's what I feared. It may well be worth getting a road bike and then worry about something else later.

How much are you looking to spend? Do you think you will use the bike enough to be worth a substantial investment?

I would say that to get a high quality bike that you won't outgrow quickly, and will still want to use in a couple of years, would start at a minimum of about $1k. But anything in a bike store or at REI that is above $500 will still be light years better than any bike you could get at Walmart or Target or Costco.

One can find deals on Craigslist occasionally, but it's tough if you don't know what you are looking for.

How tall are you, Mac? freakishly long arms or legs or average proportions?

Are you very flexible - if not and not an experienced cyclist you would probably be happiest on an endurance frame type of road bike - not as far bent over as race bike framed models. I only ride those types of frames, and in fact prefer my flat-bar road bikes the most.

 

[MAC702]

I figure my budget at $1-2k. Yes, I want something that is high quality, but I don't need something that the pros are buying that shaves an ounce with every $100, either.

I'm 5'10" and 150#. When I was in the Navy I was a runner, but only a couple half-marathons. I usually just did 3-5 miles a couple times a week to keep it up. I'd never been a runner growing up, and my first summer in the Navy was pretty brutal. I had pretty severe shin splints in my 2nd week. When I recovered from that, I started running more and more. I've owned bicycles, including a cheap mountain bike once. But I'm not a cyclist.

Other than staying in shape by eating as much as I want and drinking a lot of dark beer, I've also done manual labor my whole life, and I'm thinking I'm still spry for my age, not counting the ruined shoulder and elbows, hip, and knee.

Oh, and fuk REI. I'll pay extra to go somewhere other than that anti-freedom hippie hell-hole.

 

[Luxom]

Legitimately I don't think keeping up will be that much of a problem unless he's regularly averaging more than 25mph which is what ebikes are supposed to be limited to by our local laws.
Basically you can go 25mph with the modern bikes without hardly even pedaling. Again I was going 22mph uphill against the wind drafting just some guy. He literally was barely pedaling. The electric assist on these things is crazy. And the bike he was riding had smaller tires than my 26". It was some kind of folding contraption.
I know that batteries and motors are fairly heavy though and I'd honestly rather have a slightly beefier frame, but with your budget you might be able to get something like a flatbar crossover or "gravel bike" with electric assist. The market is pretty crazy these days.

I don't really buy bikes though, I build my own, so I can't even really recommend a shop.

 

[Just an Average Joe]

This looks like a nice flat-bar road bike:

https://lasvegas.craigslist.org/bik/d/las-vegas-2019-trek-fx-sport/7536540092.html

Large frame, would fit me at 5'11" and average dimensions, so should fit you.

Price is right too, at $950, as MSRP is $2599

https://99spokes.com/bikes/trek/2022/fx-sport-6


eta: scanned the private sales in CL, nothing else jumped out at me as a good deal on any type of road bike in your size and price range, but you can miss good deals if you don't check at least every other day.

 

[Bumper]

As I recall, a good road bike is about 30% less effort to ride on the street than a good mountain bike. Tires have more rolling resistance and the more upright riding position makes for more drag. Neither is electric. Wife has an electric bought as Costco. I doubt it could even begin to keep up with my road bike, certainly not for long, but the bigger better mo' powerful (say 500 watt) electrics sure will, as long as the battery lasts. The ride around Tahoe is 72 miles - - just sayin'.

Not an offer to sell, wrong size anyway. I had a heart attack (the silent variety) a few months back, and doc says no more bike riding. Haven't been in a hurry to get rid of them, as I'm sort of hoping for a miracle I guess. I have both road and mountain bikes for tall riders (62cm), they are on the pricey side, (nice used Trek Madone 6.9 are running about $2.5K, and Trek EX 9.8 mountain bike, was a bit under $4K new. Back then I had more money than common sense . . . an equation with a ratio that may not have changed all that much.

 

[rpd83lv]

My wife has started triathlons and she says Shane at Las Vegas Pro Cyclery will shoot you straight. She adds, “not to be confused with Las Vegas Cyclery”.
If you opt for professional fitting, avoid Greg Choat like the plague. Failure to deliver on paid services in a timely manner, only responsive after I showed up in person to ask what his plan was to make good on the money I had already paid him.

 

[Luxom]

On my mountain bike with road tires (they're smooth like road bike tires.) I average 17mph. The same ride on my 700c road bike I average 19mph.

The battery and motor capabilities will likely matter more to his ability to keep up with a triathlete than anything else. Like bumper said though. So long as the battery lasts.

 

[MAC702]

Legitimately I don't think keeping up will be that much of a problem unless he's regularly averaging more than 25mph which is what ebikes are supposed to be limited to by our local laws.
Basically you can go 25mph with the modern bikes without hardly even pedaling. Again I was going 22mph uphill against the wind drafting just some guy. He literally was barely pedaling.

I don't mind the workout, but I also want to keep up on the hills and honestly don't even know what my endurance is going to be like yet, so I'm considering the option, knowing nothing about them other than the fact that they exist.

 

[bdubs89131]

PM sent

 

[Gullwing]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1239567833...T7Uk-6wwUa5IgZ4sXtBVSijKPObnJN0IaAkuYEALw_wcB

 

[QuazDawg]

Stop by Giant Las Vegas in Summerlin, half of us that work there are members here as well. We have some options that will work well for your intentions. Worst case if what we have isn’t to your liking, we’d be more than happy to point you in the right direction so you don’t end up on something that isn’t going to work

 

[Bonez]

Get a good quality non-electric bike that meets your needs based off of the experienced folks here, then convert it to an electric yourself if you want that feature. It is a lot more bang for your buck going that route, you will have better components and range for a lower price. https://www.johnnynerdout.com/ I watch this guys YT videos a lot - he does conversions but more importantly, he sells the parts and advice for you to DIY and get everything you want for a better price/quality.

 

[Fogie]

electric or not, you’ll probably die

 

[QuazDawg]

Biggest issue you’ll face with cheap eBay ebikes or diy kits will be serviceability. As in parts to repair them yourself take forever to arrive from China if you’re mechanically inclined enough to do the job yourself (may or may not be an issue). Most shops won’t service them though, none will touch the parts that make it an ebike, if you catch a shop at a slow part of the day with mechanics in a good mood they’ll repair flats and things involving the regular parts of the bike, you’ll pay a premium for it unfortunately

 

[MAC702]

I'm way too busy to DIY something for this. I'll get pro advice and pay for pro service. Will probably get something this weekend. Sorting through all the leads I've gotten from y'all. Thanks.