It’s one of those things I’ve always really wanted to do but have never gotten round to.
I would like to do so for enjoyment, fitness to learn more about the sport, friendship and eventually to take part in competitive tournaments.
I’m slightly worried I’m taking it up too late, but better late than never.
Would anyone mind answering a few questions about cycling?
First and foremost what would be a good entry level road bike?
What should my budget be?
Bearing in mind that this is an experiment but one that I hope to fully commit myself to.
Finally as a foreigner with a shamefully disgraceful level of Chinese, is it worth getting involved in cycling clubs?
Never too late to start. I just started last year when I was 31 and see plenty of bright riding future ahead, although I don’t plan on getting too competitive with it (other than against myself).
As for bikes, I’d go Giant or Merida. Since they are wholly-Taiwanese companies, they make some of their bikes specifically for sale in Taiwan so they have a major price advantage compared to other major brands (which make them in Taiwan, ship them elsewhere, then ship them back with heavy import tariffs and retail markup).
Unless you are in love with an offering from another brand, I’d stick with them. You’ll save a lot of money (perhaps in the neighborhood of 5-10,000 NTD on an entry level bike). They also have a huge dealer network all over the island and will do basic service and adjustments at any location for free.
You can get a decent alloy road bike for around 20,000 NTD. It will most likely be spec’d with Shimano Claris 8-speed or Sora 9-speed.
I don’t know much about cycling clubs although I’ve randomly ridden with them on occasion and had plenty of fun stumbling along with my terrible Chinese.
I was thinking of Giant but hoping to shop around.
As for the actual cycling I’ve been reading that when you start out for the first fortnight or so, you shouldn’t push yourself to hard to give your body a chance to adapt, so what kind of rides should I be doing before I start getting ambitious?
Buy a lock and make your short trips to Sev or for groceries on your bike. If you haven’t thrown a leg over for quite some time your sit bones are not going to be prepared so short, purposeful jaunts will get you an idea of any adjustments you’ll need to make. Planning a longer ride than that and then getting sore knees or numb junk will just take the wind outta your sails.
P.S. keep your head on a swivel at all times. Ride safe.
Friend of mine just bought a TCR with Shimano Tiagra setup for under 20,000. Descent bike and the frame is now warrantied for life. Defy is also good, in fact a bit better IMO. A bit more relaxed geometry but still fast. More popular in the USA and outside of Taiwan. Not so popular here, for some reason.
[quote=“circleback”]Friend of mine just bought a TCR with Shimano Tiagra setup for under 20,000. Descent bike and the frame is now warrantied for life. Defy is also good, in fact a bit better IMO. A bit more relaxed geometry but still fast. More popular in the USA and outside of Taiwan. Not so popular here, for some reason.
What is your height?[/quote]
Wow, that’s a nice price. I was just going off list for 2013 (and 2014 in the case of the Merida). I would actually recommend the OP do go 10-speed if he can afford it (Tiagra, Apex or Veloce being the cheapest major 10-speed sets) in order to have more of an upgrade path, being able to swap out parts to better ones when they wear out. However, that only goes so far anymore with everyone going 11-speed on their high-end kit now. Still, something to consider.
[quote=“circleback”]Friend of mine just bought a TCR with Shimano Tiagra setup for under 20,000. Descent bike and the frame is now warrantied for life. Defy is also good, in fact a bit better IMO. A bit more relaxed geometry but still fast. More popular in the USA and outside of Taiwan. Not so popular here, for some reason.
If you have barely ridden for a long time then I would recommend getting relatively cheap but durable bike. You won’t be setting any speed records but it’s fine for training on and you don’t have to worry about it getting stolen every time you lock it up outside. If you find yourself riding a lot (like >200km/mo) then you can get a cool road bike.
Here is a boring bike that will get you around but only costs 5000ish NT. This is comparable to my commuter bike that I have ridden 6000km in the last 3.5 yrs with no problems. You can even do some basic touring with it. I have ridden to Hualien (900km trip) and several shorter weekend trips. giantcyclingworld.com/web/bi … e01d6f2d1a
I’ve just bought myself my first road bike as an upgrade to the cast iron hunk of shit that I’d been riding around for the past couple of years. I was in the same position as you, I like cycling, but I’d never owned a decent bike in my life, and I eventually decided on this one app.strava.com/activities/70339738 there were some pretty some pretty steep hills along the way, and there were a few times where I could have used some lower gears, but it did a good job and I’m looking forward to taking it out for some more mountain rides in the future.
Whenever anyone says they could use lower gears, remember that in days of yore, they just developed stronger legs.
Get used to the riding position and the gears in any drop bar bike you can find, and then if the bug really hits, invest a lot more when you finally get a much better bike. Top of the line bikes cost upwards of ten grand US, so there’s a lot of saving up to be done while you find your way on one of the cheap bikes listd here already.
Hey guys back again, please forgive my general ignorance.
I went around scouting today and visited a few dealerships. One being KHS and I just want an opinion as to whether these bikes are any good.
First from KHS
The guy in the Giant shop was offering my the Defy like paddyb said but would throw in 3000 worth of gear. So I’m just wondering should I go for the budget option or buy a bike thats clearly a cut above the rest and seems to have more room for upgrades than the others for just a little extra money.
the Defy will keep you in good stead until you decide to race or get really serious, at which point you will have made enough friends in cycling and picked up enough of your own experience to know what you want.
the Flite is a reasonable cheaper option, which will probably do most of what the Defy will but will be a wee bit heavier, and you will soon discover that in the mountains every kilo counts. Nothing wrong at all with KHS, they are just the smallest of the three main Taiwan brands.
the Performer is similar in shape and has similar gearing, but is a kilo heavier and has a triple gear combination, not necessary for the exact same range of gears covered. Not worth the rice drop IMHO.
that manhattan has wheels that are too small (650c size), and cheaper gears with less range, and is basically not a bike for you but for a smaller person with less lofty ambition.
At your height, you need the largest size available, the 52 cm, unless your legs are short. Most shops in Taiwan will try to jam you onto a bike that’s too short, believing that your feet should touch the ground while you’re sitting in the saddle. Don’t believe them!
The KHS Flite is actually 0.5kg lighter than the Defy3 on the spec list but the Defy3 might be better since I prefer triples. I like tighter spacing between gears but others don’t mind.
The performer seems like a budget Defy but it is ugly.
The Manhattan is kind of odd…
All of the frames (listed) are kind of small but luckily you’re 5’7" instead of 6’+. The largest frame of each is probably alright for you.
Even though I’m normally loath to recommend anything from the Giant behemoth, as someone who was in the past once directly involved with manufacturing for KHS, you’re better off the the Defy3. The frame will be better executed and finished, it’ll be better put together, the stem, bars, post and saddle will be generic but reliable Giant branded items from major OEMs, the wheels will be better built, it’s got an on group Sora crankset in beginner friendly triple and 25c tires. Giant will never be a ‘dream bike’ brand, what they do is middle of the road value for money in the entry to mid levels and they do it well. Merida, KHS and the rest of the local entry level also-ran brands tag along well enough but cut corners to undercut on price. Unless price is your primary concern, don’t bother.
Tell the Giant shop you want 10% off or at least 10% worth of in store credit for accessories, if they say no try another one. Urodacus is right, the Defy is all the bike you’ll need for a long while without being too much for a beginner. Ask the shop to recommend a size, then buy one size bigger than whatever they say.
It’s time for me to leave the comfort of my air conditioned gym and join the bikers of the world. What do you experienced bikers say about the Giant Roam 2? It gets excellent online reviews, but I am interested in hearing from those who know.
I’m thinking of buying a pair for me and my wife. I’m 188cm tall, assume I need the (L) large (shop owner said the medium was fine but I am hesitant).
[quote=“Tomas”]It’s time for me to leave the comfort of my air conditioned gym and join the bikers of the world. What do you experienced bikers say about the Giant Roam 2? It gets excellent online reviews, but I am interested in hearing from those who know.
I’m thinking of buying a pair for me and my wife. I’m 188cm tall, assume I need the (L) large (shop owner said the medium was fine but I am hesitant).[/quote]
188cm? Good god, man! I’m 10cm shorter than you and I’m size M and can do M/L on some frames. Don’t ever take sizing advice from shops here. Ever.
As for the Roam, it depends on what kind of riding you want to do. If you plan of going on very long rides in the mountains you may want to get something lighter with drop bars, although a hybrid can do that too.
If its mostly just the bike paths and buzzing around town then a hybrid like the Roam would be great.
I think the Roam is definitely a good bike for your wife (w/o actually knowing your wife). Flat bars and really low gearing. It is heavy but it sounds like you will be doing leisure/fitness riding instead of racing. It is a heavy bike and it would be better to get rid of front suspension since it serves no purpose for a city rider. The nice thing about this bike is that you can do some weekend touring on it fairly easily.
You definitely should not get an M although this will cause some issues at the bike shop since they will probably have to call all over Taiwan to find an L for you. But that is their problem.
Sorry but the sizing is usually correct - the assistants do usually know what they are doing because they follow the specs. Check the specs online for yourself if you are not convinced. I’m 5’7 and ride a small. It’s fine. Also, many shops have sizing bikes on location now. Do yourself a favour - get fitted. Of course, if a dealer is trying to flog you the wrong size - find another
