How good are GT and Fuji road bikes?

[Doggiedog]

I'm thinking about starting to do some weekend cycling for fun and exercise.

I saw this Fuji

and this GT

in the price range I'm willing to spend. Are any of the other brands good? I always thought Schwinns were low end, kind of like Nash for skateboards, but they seem to be pretty high priced.

I'm a total beginner and am starting out slow so is there anything I need to be aware of or should look for in a bike?

Thanks

DD

 

[Shortcut]

make sure the bike fits! definitely test drive the bike at the store - the gearheads at performance are usually cool about helping get the right size bike for you.

 

[OUCaptain]

Can't say much about the GT road bikes but their mountain bikes are great. I've had mine for 17 years with no problems other than regular maintenance.

 

[dahunan]

when looking at the lower end of the new bikes... I have always felt much safer buying a higher end USED bike than a low end new one

Lower end bikes really have TRASH components


Craigslist.org
find your local area
bikes section
bam.. you will find a bike that cost $1000 new on sale for $450 and barely ridden

 

[dahunan]

Can't say much about the GT road bikes but their mountain bikes are great. I've had mine for 17 years with no problems other than regular maintenance.

Lets hear it for Team Zaskar Titanium

 

[dingster1]

I ride a Fuji Newest 3.0. I do exactly the kind of cycling you are looking into. It works just fine. My other bike is a Trek 7.2 Fx.

 

[FleshLight]

Both are good. I'd get at least Shimano 105 or SRAM Rival if you plan on doing anything serious in this sport. The most important thing is that the bike fits. Performance will give you a basic fitting. Once you have a bike that fits, ride it for a year or two until you get the itch to upgrade. Then go on Craigslist and buy a nice used bike.

I got a Specialized Roubaix full carbon Ultegra/DA bike off Craigslist for $700. Everything was in great condition, just had to give it a wipe down.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

when looking at the lower end of the new bikes... I have always felt much safer buying a higher end USED bike than a low end new one

Lower end bikes really have TRASH components


Craigslist.org
find your local area
bikes section
bam.. you will find a bike that cost $1000 new on sale for $450 and barely ridden

This. Get used. Entry level components in the below $900 range on a new bike completely suck.

 

[dahunan]

^^ it is very true.. I have logged near 8,000 miles and jesus can I tell you that tiagra or w/e those below 105 are .. SCARE ME...

I have a freaking personal greatest hits collection of gnarly near faces of death bike wrecks on good gear because I felt safe to push it to the limit etc.. I would be afraid the brakes would suck or the derailleur would mess with the chain when I got off the saddle to sprint as hard as I could

My main suggestion to you

Go to Sears or wherever and test ride a piece of shit.. then test ride the low end brand name bike.. THEN.. test ride some used bike with full ultegra or just 105 with some quality wheels on it....

the piece of junk and the low end bike will have more in common than the used ultegra etc

 

[Doggiedog]

^^ it is very true.. I have logged near 8,000 miles and jesus can I tell you that tiagra or w/e those below 105 are .. SCARE ME...

I have a freaking personal greatest hits collection of gnarly near faces of death bike wrecks on good gear because I felt safe to push it to the limit etc.. I would be afraid the brakes would suck or the derailleur would mess with the chain when I got off the saddle to sprint as hard as I could

My main suggestion to you

Go to Sears or wherever and test ride a piece of shit.. then test ride the low end brand name bike.. THEN.. test ride some used bike with full ultegra or just 105 with some quality wheels on it....

the piece of junk and the low end bike will have more in common than the used ultegra etc

Wow! So something in the $600 range is considered low-end?

I asked my friend about it today and he said the same thing. He said you would need to spend at least $1000 to get a decent bike. But I thought that was like asking me how much you need to spend on speakers to get a decent set (I'm a bit of an audiophile).

I'll go check out the local bike store. Perhaps I can get last year's model for a good price.

 

[Gibson486]

Wow! So something in the $600 range is considered low-end?

I asked my friend about it today and he said the same thing. He said you would need to spend at least $1000 to get a decent bike. But I thought that was like asking me how much you need to spend on speakers to get a decent set (I'm a bit of an audiophile).

I'll go check out the local bike store. Perhaps I can get last year's model for a good price.

for a road bike, yes.

Mountain bikes.....well, soon it will be. Entry level prices rise every year.

FOr a road bike, the $600 price point is tough. You are essentially buying the same thing no matter what you get from a known brand. It it all up to geometry and comfort at that point.

 

[Ksyder]

I have a fuji newest 4.0 that I bought last year... paid around $430 for it. Its a good bike for that price. The main drawbacks to it are cheap wheels, downtube shifters, and cheapie brakes/drivetrain. But it is still enjoyable to ride and a fine bike if you can't afford better.

You have to hand it to Fuji for finding a way to serve the customers at the >$500 price point... it is hard to find a new road bike for that price.

 

[Shortcut]

if you know what parts you want (and what parts you can compromise on), and you know your sizing, you can buy a brand new bike at a very reasonable price from bikesdirect.com

is a good option if you know exactly what you want (bike size, parts, etc)

 

[kalrith]

Wow! So something in the $600 range is considered low-end?

I asked my friend about it today and he said the same thing. He said you would need to spend at least $1000 to get a decent bike. But I thought that was like asking me how much you need to spend on speakers to get a decent set (I'm a bit of an audiophile).

I'll go check out the local bike store. Perhaps I can get last year's model for a good price.

Yes. And that's why it's better to buy used (or buy last year's model). You can spend the same amount and get a mid-level bike instead of an entry-level bike.

 

[Doggiedog]

Yes. And that's why it's better to buy used (or buy last year's model). You can spend the same amount and get a mid-level bike instead of an entry-level bike.

I guess it's kind of hard to buy used when I don't know what to look for. I'll see what the local store has in terms of last year's inventory.

 

[MikeMike]

 

[Excelsior]

I just got into cycling and bought a decent bike for $400 off CL. Giant TCR with carbon fork and 105 components. Very pleased with it.

 

[Farang]

Go to 3 bike shops to get fitted. Trust whatever one seems to care the most about fitting you, and remember the frame size they recommend you.

Search Craiglist for a bike that size.

Buying a bike new is a bad idea, especially if you're just getting into the sport. Its kind of like a car, if you buy used you can basically resell for what you bought if for. If you buy new you're losing 30% of the value off the lot.

Of course if you can afford it, buy new. The most important thing is the components. Most big brand name companies, like Fuji, will have decent enough frames for a beginner. What you will notice is the difference in component quality. 105 is the best. For ultegra and up you're basically paying for weight reduction which you don't really need unless you're seriously racing.

 

[vailr]

Re-check the sizing after the purchase.
Might need a longer handlebar stem, for example, to obtain the ideal fitting.

 

[ciba]

I was in the same boat you are a few weeks ago. At the strong recommendation of a friend to get a bike with better components than what I first looked at, I bought the 2009 version of this at performance bike for $799. I've only logged about 75 miles on it so far, but I'm glad I spent the extra couple hundred bucks.

 

[coldmeat]

I've been looking for a bike in that price range. I've been checking craigslist, kijiji, usedottawa.com every day for at least a month and haven't seen anything good. It seems people here only have >$1500 bikes, or bikes from the 70s.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

when looking at the lower end of the new bikes... I have always felt much safer buying a higher end USED bike than a low end new one

Lower end bikes really have TRASH components


Craigslist.org
find your local area
bikes section
bam.. you will find a bike that cost $1000 new on sale for $450 and barely ridden

This.

 

[JulesMaximus]

That Fuji will be just fine for someone getting into cycling. Buy it and ride it for a season or two and then upgrade to something better if you want to.

The only drawback to the cheaper road bikes are the components, you might have issues with it hunting between gears and cheap heavy wheels but other than that they aren't unsafe.

 

[2dt Drifter]

If you had to buy one of those two bikes and you're new to the sport I'd suggest the Fuji due to the fact that it's crank has a 3 chainring (30, 42, 53) in regards to the GT's 2 chainring crank (39, 50). The cassette's are the same on both bikes as 12-25. It will give you a wider range of gear ratio's and climbing hills will be a bit easier.

 

[kalrith]

I guess it's kind of hard to buy used when I don't know what to look for. I'll see what the local store has in terms of last year's inventory.

You could post your local CG page and let us make recommendations for you.