J_BergHey guys. I'm a student at CU and I'm really digging road biking. I've been biking up Falstaff regularly on an old hard tail schwinn mtn bike with crossover tires.

I know nothing about what makes a good road bike but shoot me some tips. I'd buy something used. And cheap/basic as possible. I'm about 6'4 195.

Idk! Shoot me some ideas! Brands, styles, sizes, components

Shimano 105 is pretty much the best group set you will find that can perform adequately. Any new group set will be 11 speed which is more than any recreational biker needs.

In regards to bikes, go to your local bike store and get fitted. It will make you happier over the long run. No one here can tell if you have long legs and a short torso or vice versa. It makes a difference.

https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/753397/The-Road-Bike-Thread

Check this thread it rocks.

.MASSHOLE.Shimano 105 is pretty much the best group set you will find that can perform adequately. Any new group set will be 11 speed which is more than any recreational biker needs.

In regards to bikes, go to your local bike store and get fitted. It will make you happier over the long run. No one here can tell if you have long legs and a short torso or vice versa. It makes a difference.

Can you speak to style of frame or anything I'm a noob

J_BergCan you speak to style of frame or anything I'm a noob

You basically have two types of frames, endurance and aero. Aero frames are bikes like the new Trek Madone 9 series, Specialized Venge and Cervelo S Series. These frames are obviously built for their aerodynamic profiles which in turn can result in less comfortable positions (some would argue otherwise). Endurance bikes are bikes like the Trek Domane, Emonda, Specialized Roubiax, Allez, and Cervelo R series. These bikes have a less aggressive profile (better for riding longer distances) and have a gentler ride (again, some would argue otherwise).

Aero bikes are mostly used for racing but you will see some people who purchase them just because they look cool. I imagine you are on a budget so now is a great time to go purchase a bike. Shops are looking to close out any left over inventory from 2015 bikes and will have some on sale. Take a test ride and see what bike you like. They are all different.

.MASSHOLE.Shimano 105 is pretty much the best group set you will find that can perform adequately. Any new group set will be 11 speed which is more than any recreational biker needs.

In regards to bikes, go to your local bike store and get fitted. It will make you happier over the long run. No one here can tell if you have long legs and a short torso or vice versa. It makes a difference.

SRAM is better than Shimano. SRAM Rival is the SRAM equivilent of Shimano 105. Good entry level stuff for racers. If you want something a bit better, SRAM Force is the next step up (same level as Ultegra, but better because SRAM>Shimano).

Cats.SRAM is better than Shimano. SRAM Rival is the SRAM equivilent of Shimano 105. Good entry level stuff for racers. If you want something a bit better, SRAM Force is the next step up (same level as Ultegra, but better because SRAM>Shimano).

Entirely subjective.

.MASSHOLE.You basically have two types of frames, endurance and aero. Aero frames are bikes like the new Trek Madone 9 series, Specialized Venge and Cervelo S Series. These frames are obviously built for their aerodynamic profiles which in turn can result in less comfortable positions (some would argue otherwise). Endurance bikes are bikes like the Trek Domane, Emonda, Specialized Roubiax, Allez, and Cervelo R series. These bikes have a less aggressive profile (better for riding longer distances) and have a gentler ride (again, some would argue otherwise).

Aero bikes are mostly used for racing but you will see some people who purchase them just because they look cool. I imagine you are on a budget so now is a great time to go purchase a bike. Shops are looking to close out any left over inventory from 2015 bikes and will have some on sale. Take a test ride and see what bike you like. They are all different.

This is all true, good advice, however there is also a third category: lightweight (example: Trek Emonda). Basically it comes down to

Aero road bike: Good for going fast on flat terrain, good for going fast into headwind, good for breakaway sprinters. Examples are Madone, Venge

Lightweight road bike: Good for going fast uphill, good for racing in mountainous and very hilly areas. Examples is Emonda

Endurance road bike: Good for very long rides, good for racing on rough roads i.e. Paris-Roubaix but other than that not ideal for road racing. Example is Domane

One more thing to keep in mind: Tri bikes (triathalon) have a focus on aerodynamics but they are not the same as aero road bikes. Aero road bikes are the standard road racing style bikes, they have drop bars, etc. Tri bikes have aero bars, are very heavy (compared to road race bikes), etc. Tri bikes are aero and they have aero bars and they are *technically* aero road bikes, but they are not what people mean when they say "aero road bike".

Taking Specialized as an example: The Venge is the aero road bike, the Shiv is the tri bike.

You do not want a tri bike. Aero road bike may be a good choice especially if you live in a flat area, but a tri bike is a bad idea unless you intend to race tri and nothing else.