Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Steel, Carbon, Alloy I have all the types & I've clocked quite a few thousand kms on each (probably 10k or so) what I can say with authority is; All are reliable and ridable in every condition imaginable.

So first things first - Carbon doesn't mean weak! And steel isn't indestructible either, Alloy actually has none of the advantages here as it might be perceived as a stronger than carbon but that is far from the truth cause alloys are quite brittle & crack easily. So If you crash badly & with enough force no type of frame will guarantee it'll survive. Ask me who has crashed & mangled a steel frame, my riding partner Prabuddha has also cracked a steel fork. We have also crashed on carbon & it didn't damage anything & we've seen people ride on alloys who've bent them!

For the cheap Chinese carbons I can't say since none I know have used them! But I've seen people use them without a hitch. The same goes for low quality alloy or steel bikes too, just cause it's metal doesn't make them any safer, I've seen an alloy stem crack on a brevet on a Low quality alloy bike (Fomas or something I guess).

If you're getting into roadbikes I'd suggest the used bike route, I've gone thru the same even with my carbon. If you're looking for a very decent road bike for the reasonable money you can find only used, new ones often come with sub-par components. Like the T1.2 it's components are clearly below average & bottom of the pile.

not that it should sound like a sales pitch but My friend Prabu is selling off his Fuji Altamira which was custom made (i.e. only frame was purchased & rest components were added as per taste & quality). Altamira is considered a very good endurance & sportive bike & he's put in a lot of quality components on there. You can see the bike in Cyclop/ bikezone too. It's ridden 95% of the time right in my eyesight & I can vouch for its scratch-less mint condition.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Thanks a lot Kaushik,

It's really nice to have a suggestion from a veteran like you. Now I am more confused ....... but defiantly check the bike you have suggested. My another question is what about on the service because I am not an expert once I tried to remove rear wheel of my Firefox and ended up in jamming the wheel ........ so about road bike that to with costly component I do not dare to do any thing by myself........ I am the one who learns the things from Internet and ends up in a mess . So can you please tell me how about maintenance part of cycle. I know it sound very funny but I am very new to cycling.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Cycles don't require much maintenance. And whatever little, is pretty simple.

But if you are really as bad as you describe, you can always take it to a cycle shop. In Delhi the shops charge around 250 rupees for a service.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Thank you Monk,

I will keep this in mind before the purchase.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

As monk said, there's no maintenance to a bicycle other than cleaning & lubing. Also depending on which part of this city you live you can avail of quite many shops for any trouble shooting required. Near Borivali we have Bike Shark, Townside we have Prabodh's shop - Keny Cycles & Pankaj's Shop. Near Bandra you have Faisal's Shop & near Thane you have Joe's shop. I'm not really aware of Chembur side of the town.

BTW the more quality components you get the less you fiddle with them. Eg. My top line bike Cinelli Man Machine was bought used as a Frame from France back in 2011 while returning from PBP. I raised the bike bottom up as per my specs & available new components at that time Shimano 105 which was still considered serious back then. Later I found out a friend from Kuallalumpur was selling is Campagnolo Centaur Drivetrain which I grabbed since Campy is considered quite expensive & high quality. Since then I've clocked a number of miles on it in the last 3yrs. And how much times have I adjusted the drivetrain???? "ZERO". Honestly.

Well my other Bike the Scott actually has drivetrain components from my 1st steel bike which was also used & was about 15yrs old when I bought it. It had Shimano Ultegra(a very high groupset) & believe me man.... its still going strong & shifting well, I bought it 2009! it's spent a good 7yrs with me & I ride that bike esp in rains.

That's what happens when you get quality components even if it's used & old it's still far far ahead in every aspect than bottom of the pile components. That's the reason why enthus like myself rarely buy off-the shelf fully built bikes coz generally ones with good components are usually the highest range top-line bikes & even mid-range bikes come with atleast some if not all crap components.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?


Thanks a lot Kaushik,

As I explained earlier I am a new be to the Cycling world still lot to learn from the experts like you and Monk. I am on a pretty tight budget of say 70,000 and from this discussions I know that I will get the re-sale bike with the good specification.

Here I need your help on the specification part. What should be a steal deal in this budget and what should I look for. Like you explained about the drivetrain. Can you please put some specs so that all the new guys like me have some idea on what to look for while purchasing and what is mean by good component.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?


Steal deal? Lets be reasonable; we have 1000s of output form combinatrics you arrive at this price range. Campy Super Record or Dura ace would be a steal. Do some research on groupset hierarchy and reasonable outcome would be like 105 grouspet can be called as steal. Get any proper frame from Giant/Specialized/Merida or others who produce it from Taiwan over China, though all are made from Giant's factory.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

well on a resale bike it depends on how much the seller is asking & if his prices are realistic enough. Like Balaji said a bike with 105 + good wheels would be a very good deal at 70-80k since a new groupset like 105 alone costs 30k odd. A good new wheelset begins at 25k+, a decent frame alone would be in the range of 35-40k & rest of cockpit components would cost about 15k. So when you buy a decent used Road-bike in that range you profit atleast 40k+ compared to new bike of same specs.

Like I said should not sound like a sales pitch but you can check this out.... - Fuji Altamira 3.0 carbon road bike 55 cm - BikesZone Cycling posted in Feb'16 he's asking 70k for it.




Frame is Fuji Altamira 3.0
Frame size 55 cm,
levers, brake callipers, fd, rd and standard 53 39 crank are all Shimano 105.
Wheels are Mavic Aksium One.
Tires are Vittoria Rubino Pro 23 mm.
10 speed cassette 12-28.
Stem is Scott alloy 9 cm.
Handlebars are Deda alloy 42 cm.
Seatpost is Oval Alloy.
Saddle is Fizik Arione.
Bottle cages are Stradalli Carbon.

I believe it's terrific value for money, Others on the forum can comment on it since it's my friends' I could be biased.
Hell that Saddle alone is 8k odd & those bottle cages are the ones I have too.. & those alone costed us 3k for a pair!!!

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

55cm. Would that be good for around 5'9" to 6'? If it is i would pick it up for that price. Man, me tempted

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Fine, call me a Troll if you want

Check the thread for updated information on the TVS

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I dont think so

Have a Hercules cycle and it does it all efficiently

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You make me laugh, 40k+ for a cycle which will not do anything additional to a 5k cycle

A Hercules cycle is good enough for whatever you can achieve on the Trek

Knowledge is what differentiates people, some idiots spend a lot of money and get expensive stuff that does the same thing a wise man's cycle would

Get out of the Raleigh, Trek, Firefox, Montra bike marketing jazz

Just get a single speed hard tail from Hercules or Hero and it will be just fine in any mountainous terrain

Put some good thick off-road tyres if you want

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

I read that you're waiting for KTM Adventure. Why don't you put knobby tires on whatever commuter you decide and go off road/long distances.
As per your logic, people who buy 250+cc bikes are fools and the same could have been achieved on a 100cc bike or scoot with knobby tires and stuff.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

+1 Divya

@yudhistir A trek is never equal to any Hercules or Hero with knobby tyres. I have read peoples doing Leh with their Trek, care can you do that with your Hero or Hercules stuffs? Do not underestimate or mock if you are not sound in what you write. I have ridden more than 6000 miles on my mtb without a major fuss, can it do that? You will never know the purposed of gears if you haven't driven it. You seem like a kid, who just reads and talk. I breath and live before writing on it.


I know somewhere 105 full carbon bike available for 50k to be picked up; Brand new. Would you call me idiot or wise?

Definitely the TVS is the way to for you. Forgot KTM it doesnt do anything.

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Monk, check this http://www.competitivecyclist.com/ and do a fit analysis. You would be require a 55/56/57/58 depending on the inseam. And never/ever go one size down as pro's do. That is purely meant for Aero and sprinting not for comfort.

And what MTB is that you were riding in Mongolia?

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

In cycling while size has some science to it, it's more to do with personal liking as well. a 5'7" - 6" height person is luckiest in this regard as a bigger range of sizing & cockpit adjustment is available to them based on how their personal preference is. eg I'm a 5'10" and I've had a 54cm Saroni, Surly 56cm, my current Scott is 52cm, Cinelli is 53 & Olmo is 55 . But again not all bikes have exact same stem lengths or stack heights. So that way I've had a range of stems too. My Cinelli has a 95mm, Soctt 110mm, Olmo 100mm and I had Surly with 100. then 90 and 85! I'm from old school thought, so For me It basically boils down to what the bike is for, how it's gonna be ridden & then the cockpit & reach & drop etc is decided accordingly over a period. Tough the general philosophy is Racing bikes/ speed demons needs to be shorter frame, Touring needs to be bigger/biggest in your size range & endurance/ serious recreation falls somewhere in between.

To be honest Monk for 70k this bike is a killer, full Carbon frame+fork, mid-range components and very good wheelest & top-notch cockpit components. A single Deda bar costs 4k & stem costs 2.5k alone. These are not what you get in a OEM bike unless you're buying flagship or top line bikes. If you're interested get it, you can check with some of the Bangalore bikers like Venkateshwara, Anatha, Arvind from Happy earth about me & Prabuddha & this deal. The reason he's selling the Fuji is he's just built an expensive custom steel bike from Psynide and actually needs space. If I myself didn't already have a carbon & other 3 bikes this would be mine.

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Do you even cycle ?

A Motorcycle and a Bicycle are entirely different

I'll teach you something new today, as follows,

A Motorcycle requires an Engine to run (Unless it is a Moped like Luna)
A Motorcycle is way heavier than a Bicycle for a Human to peddle it

A Bicycle requires a Healthy Human to run it
A Bicycle is light enough for any Normal Human to peddle it (provided you are not obese or skinny as a stick)

Everyday lakhs of people use a modest 4k Bicycle and peddle it from one place to another with a load of more than 50kgs
Same cannot be done on a Motorcycle with a lower capacity engine

That's why Engine's matter in Motorcycle

And, By the Way, a 100cc engine will also work for off-roading depending upon how its suspension and drivetrain is setup

Majority of Off-Roaders range between 110cc to 250cc, you will not find a 400cc or 600cc off-road bike

KTM Adventure is a Dual Sport, not just an Off-Roader, to know more, please Google "Dual Sport" or ask your friendly neighborhood mechanic (if he is friendly to you, which I highly Doubt)

City Commuting on something more than 200cc is Idiotic, you won't be able to ride it at high speeds it is capable of and won't be getting good mileage either

Touring requires a modest capacity engine for Highway cruising, dual sports are advantageous as India has a lot of places to explore without any decent Roads

Now that you have learnt something new today, bow down and respect your teacher

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Time for your teaching lesson too

I have been cycling for a longer time than you would have first touched a cycle

I can take apart and rebuild a bicycle faster than you can think about it

I have a 20 year old Hercules still going strong

A Trek will give you light weight chasis, light weight rims, thick tyres, disc brakes, shimano gears

All this will be required if you are one of the following kind of people :
Puny Thin Little Man who cannot handle the weight of a proper bicycle
Fat Obese Big Man who cannot ride a proper bicycle as his own body weight is too much
You have chicken legs and are not fit enough to ride a proper bicycle fast enough and hence need Gears to assist you
A Milkman is more experienced at riding a bicycle than you

When you ride a bike, you are pulling not just the bike's weight but your weight as well

Costlier bikes will obviously have better rear suspension but on mountain trails, hard tails are as it is better, unless you are coming down-hill where full suspension will be slightly faster

Hercules and Hero both have light weight chasis and rims with thicker tyres, disc brakes and shimano gears available in their range now

Go to their website to check it out or a cycle shop and take a test drive

Additional Lesson No. 1 :
Single Speed will not cause fatigue is better than Gears on an up-hill
24" wheels will always be faster than 26"

Additional Lesson No. 2 :
Thicker the tyre, heavier it will be
2 or 2.2 width is sufficient enough for mtb

Additional Lesson No. 3 :
Invest more in a proper saddle (noseless saddle if you are lucky enough to find it in India)

Additional Lesson No. 4 :
Get your weight in check, fitter you are the better you will be able to cycle (cycling alone will not make you lose weight)

Additional Lesson No. 5 :
Build some forearm and grip strength if you planning to ride your bicycle in hilly regions

Additional Lesson No. 6 :
Stop acting like an arrogant know it all just because you ride a costlier cycle, idiots spend, wisemen know when not to spend

Additional Lesson No. 7 :
Ride your favorite most costly so called top end bicycle back to back with a Hero bicycle like the RX1 to know the real difference rather than staying locked up in your house
It will save you several thousands of rupees which can be well spent elsewhere

Additional Less No. 8 :
Do you even know any Mountain Trails or have ever ridden any ?
Did you forgot that there was a time when all these costly bikes were not available in India and people were still able to cycle effectively, they were actually healthier too

Additional Less No. 9 :
If you want to treat Cycling as a Healthy Hobby, buying an extremely lightweight cycle will be counter-productive, you will not be performing much effort of work to make it healthy
Get a heavier cycle will full suspension as it robs you off the effort you invest in peddling the cycle and makes you do more work and hence making it a much more healthier alternative

Additional Less No. 10 :
Suspensions are overrated, only front is needed if you plan to come down-hill on the bicycle
Rear suspension will increase the traction of the tyre but also will rob you of the enery you invest in pedalling, can be a pain in the ass when going up-hill
Gears are overrated, you can do without them entirely, really expensive mtb bikes dont come with gears
Real Cyclists adjust the chain slack, travel and distance themselves to suit their needs, they don't rely on fixed ratio gears

No Need to Thank Me, consider yourself Enlightened !!!

Re: How to select a bicycle according to your needs and budget?

Dear teacher, you can take your knowledge (lop sided) and treasure it for someone/some place else

There's a very good reason people knowledgeable enough on the topic have avoided your posts because they make zero sense.
Also since we're googling stuff on motorcycles - google what CS Santosh rides in the Dakar. He's obviously a better off roader than me or you.

Finally, I don't have a mechanic. I work on my vehicles myself.

You're requested to keep your tone in check. You are welcome to post counter arguments if they make sense in a polite manner. You have FB/Twitter for rants but xBhp won't support such activities.

You are free to leave the forum if you don't like it, but stop posting irrelevant stuff.