I have been riding my road bike for a little over 200 miles so far and have been loving it all, took it on a trip and found myself going longer and faster with every morning trip. I am definitely a newb with the bike so far, and in my search to find a group to ride with when I am at school... I discovered the cycling team with a couple guys that race and are in charge of a couple group rides a week. This damn near about made my day since I'll be in the middle of Iowa for a good part of the year and want to keep riding.

One of the reasons I bought the road bike was to eventually race. I have played sports all my life and found that the ones I enjoyed most were competitive but at the same time doing my own thing but part of a team. I am not super competitive and more or less pretty laid back (no, this is not a personal ad :p) but when its something I enjoy doing on my own, motivation is not hard at all.

Here comes the question... I am a 19 year old college student with not a lot of money and a nice month old bike that will see some usage. It's an all stock 2005 Specialized Allez Sport with 105 rear derailleur, tiagra front and shifters, strap on pedals and the stock (and somewhat uncomfortable but im due for a more formal fitting soon) seat. I know people have asked the question about whether their bike was "race ready" and I understand the majority of it is in the machine... but if I could be pointed in the most economical upgrade path for the bike to bring it to more of a racing spec, that would be great. Logic to me would say clipless pedals, some shoes (which will already put me back 200 or so) but if that money is better spent let me know. I probably wouldn't want to race immediately since more and more riding is definitely in the tab, but while I am home before school and I can look around since selection here is much better than in Iowa... besides the online shops.

Thanks!

Logic to me would say clipless pedals, some shoes (which will already put me back 200 or so) but if that money is better spent let me know.


Your logic is correct, it's otherwise a race ready bike.

You could get a cheap pair of shoes, SPD pedals and cleats for under $100 total.

In fact, I don't think there is anything in the USCF rulebook about needing clipless pedals for racing, so you're welcome to race in tennis shoes and toe clips if you like.

Having done collegiate racing in the past, the various Specialized Allez models seemed to be the most common in the peloton. If you're going to be racing, you'll be putting on a lot of miles, so a better seat would be a good idea. Clipless pedals are definitely the next upgrade, you can get SPD and go that route, or get some Looks for 60-70 and some decent shoes for 70-80. Look online for combo deals, but be wary of cheap shoes, they can be quite uncomfortable.

Once you start getting into racing (it's inevitable) you could always get a set of race day wheels. But that's a ways off.

Silas

This might be a dumb question, and I see the word everywhere but I just figured that SPD was the clipless pedals... am I right or way off :p

Its not that I think I need clipless for the rulebook, but rather 20+ miles really starts to heat up some not so breathable shoes and makes things quite uncomfortable. I haven't gotten to the point where it was impossible to ride any farther, but it was a thought in my mind towards the end of those trips.

SilasCL, what were your thoughts on collegiate racing? I have only seen pictures and have yet to send the club leader an email letting him know my interest, but whats the whole scene like. Always nice to know before entering :p

About wheels... the ones on this bike are shite so far it seems like. The wheels always seems slightly out of true after every ride (although it has seen some transportation which might have been a bit much on the back of a car) and I was thinking if anyone was familiar with them, if I should consider getting some new wheels. They are the Alex AT400's and seem decent but I don't think its out of reason to want some damn straight tires when I ride. I am a little larger (6' and 170ish) and the tires are marked for 125 and i usually fill them to that and figure a couple pounds lost when i remove the pump)

This might be a dumb question, and I see the word everywhere but I just figured that SPD was the clipless pedals... am I right or way off :p

Its not that I think I need clipless for the rulebook, but rather 20+ miles really starts to heat up some not so breathable shoes and makes things quite uncomfortable. I haven't gotten to the point where it was impossible to ride any farther, but it was a thought in my mind towards the end of those trips.

There are a lot of different clipless pedal systems. SPD is one of the older ones, and is offered for both road and MTB use. You can get a no-name (ie: Performance) pair of MTB pedals you can use on your road bike for about $20. Cleats will run you $10. That leaves a lot leftover for a decent pair of shoes.

Sure, it won't be pretty. It won't be light. It won't be the hottest, newest thing out there. But it'll get your foot in the door, so to speak. You can always upgrade later.

This might be a dumb question, and I see the word everywhere but I just figured that SPD was the clipless pedals... am I right or way off :p

SilasCL, what were your thoughts on collegiate racing? I have only seen pictures and have yet to send the club leader an email letting him know my interest, but whats the whole scene like. Always nice to know before entering :p


There are lots of pedal options. You can get SPDs, SPD-Ls, Looks, Times, Speedplays, Campagnolos, and those are just the big brands! SPDs have a two bolt system, while most others have a 3 bolt. Most of the models made by these companies are capable designs, and it's mostly about preference. Search for pedal favorites and you'll find plenty of information.

Collegiate racing was interesting. I raced up in the Northeast under ECCC, and the two years I raced were their two biggest years in participation in the history of the conference. There were a lot of inexperienced racers, and a lot of crashes. The bad weather races were actually much safer, because all the new guys stayed home. You are one of the new guys, so I suggest you do as much group riding, training races and that sort of thing to get your skills up to par. Midwest racing could be a whole different animal, maybe smaller fields, and a different feel. If there's a team at your school I would join up, see if you get along with the guys and go out and do some racing. It's fun traveling with a team and learning about the sport together.

Silas

Checkout pricepoint.com. They have very good deals on shoe/pedal combos. For my MTB I use the 661 Expert. A very inexpensive but comfortable shoe that would get you started.

Checkout pricepoint.com. They have very good deals on shoe/pedal combos. For my MTB I use the 661 Expert. A very inexpensive but comfortable shoe that would get you started.

Thanks for the link Minimalist... I just checked out their site for a while and it looks like they definitately do have some great deals instead of buying the two seperately.

I looked at the other threads regarding favorite pedals and it seemed like it was comparable to me asking who makes the most reliable bike... but overall there were some good recommendations. I am not familiar with float and that, and am a little skeptical of buying some new pedals without trying them on much. I am starting to see the difference between all of them but I guess my main concern is just ease of getting in and out since my feet can sometimes not be the most...mmm, coordinated :p

SilasCL, I dropped an email to the cycling clubs president and he said they do an "aggresive" ride once a week so that should help... that and quite a bit of solo riding. Its a shame all the participation made racing less fun, but I am sure the midwest is a whole different story. There seems to be a lot of new riders, myself included, but I have been biking for a couple years now and wanted to try out road biking... which seems to be a great choice so far!

i am in des moines where are you at in central iowa?

...the only other stuff is that you're going to need some duds...meaning a helmet, gloves, a decent pair of short (preferably bibs) and jersey, unless you get one with the team...make that several pairs of shorts and bibs. There's lots of threads in various forums about clothes, shoes, helmets, etc., and of course...this is RoadBikeReview, so you can, um, read all the reviews...good luck, go fast...

i am in des moines where are you at in central iowa?

I go to school at Iowa State University (Ames, IA) so I won't be too far from you... are you familiar with the school team at all?

SkiRacer... I already have a jersey and *gasp* some baggy shorts that will probably be replaced by some road shorts soon. Might be adding to the seat discomfort :p I have the helmet and gloves so its really just my bike right now that could use a little something here and there. I have been searching for cleats and pedals... also looking at some wheels.

Is there an understood good performing wheel at a good price... just wondering if there is something I overlooked or ignored.

I will keep reading the reviews and going fast!

I go to school at Iowa State University (Ames, IA) so I won't be too far from you... are you familiar with the school team at all?

SkiRacer... I already have a jersey and *gasp* some baggy shorts that will probably be replaced by some road shorts soon. Might be adding to the seat discomfort :p I have the helmet and gloves so its really just my bike right now that could use a little something here and there. I have been searching for cleats and pedals... also looking at some wheels.

Is there an understood good performing wheel at a good price... just wondering if there is something I overlooked or ignored.

I will keep reading the reviews and going fast!

...I like Look pedals a lot, and you can find the older versions of them at a pretty good price. Good cheap wheels...I think it's time you got acquainted with Excel Sports in Boulder...there's a lot of excellent LBSs in Colorado, and Excel is kind of the racer's choice for our area...I've never ridden them, but I have to believe that their branded wheelsets are about the best bang for the buck...

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=7&major=1&minor=24

They've got Castelli and Descente shorts on sale, both excellent:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=7&major=4&minor=7

Also Look PP396 pedals on sale, I've used them and they're excellent:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=PP396+Pedals&vendorCode=LOOK&major=5&minor=2

Shoes, they have a bunch of them on sale:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=7&major=5&minor=1

Another good place to hook up with is Colorado Cyclist:

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/

...Sierra Trading Post has lots of good deals:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/asp/dept_id.L2~181/qx/prod_list_display.htm

...and there's always Performance...

www.performancebike.com

...I like Look pedals a lot, and you can find the older versions of them at a pretty good price. Good cheap wheels...I think it's time you got acquainted with Excel Sports in Boulder...there's a lot of excellent LBSs in Colorado, and Excel is kind of the racer's choice for our area...I've never ridden them, but I have to believe that their branded wheelsets are about the best bang for the buck...

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=7&major=1&minor=24

They've got Castelli and Descente shorts on sale, both excellent:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=7&major=4&minor=7

Also Look PP396 pedals on sale, I've used them and they're excellent:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=PP396+Pedals&vendorCode=LOOK&major=5&minor=2

Shoes, they have a bunch of them on sale:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=7&major=5&minor=1

Another good place to hook up with is Colorado Cyclist:

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/

...Sierra Trading Post has lots of good deals:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/asp/dept_id.L2~181/qx/prod_list_display.htm

...and there's always Performance...

www.performancebike.com

I read quite a bit about the older Look pedals as being top quality, and after reading some reviews it looks like I will probably invest in the PP396's. They are listed at a very very nice price too :p

As for the tires your LBS offers, without reviews and hearing much about them I have to say I am a little skeptical about jumping into the blue and ordering them. Have you heard any specific claims about a tire they make, which also is very customizable since they seem to build a tire to any specification. I don't know a thing about tires (except some notion that larger people shouldnt ride a low spoke set of wheels, would i classify as larger compared to those super lean bikers?) so a little guidance would be great. I feel bad ditching the wheels that I have now but they just dont seem to hold well at all, and reading reviews about my Allez Sport show that the wheels are definitely an understood downfall. I have only heard of wheel companies and will search into it more, but a little guidance would be great :p

The above two points are what seems to be the most logical upgrade parts, along with a set of shoes and a comfortable seat. Looks like my "$1,000" dollar investment has doubled since I stated that last.

Good deals on the links though SkiRacer, the Boulder bike shop makes things seem a little more possible :p