Biking - 1999 Men's Fitness Gear Guide - Buyers Guide - Abstract

Men's Fitness, Dec, 1998 by Steve Shimek

Street- and trail-ready mountain bikes are booming in popularity, and road bikes are resurging because they provide an optimal aerobic workout with minimal impact. Manufacturers are offering tremendous values in 1999, making now a great time to buy a bike. A few years ago, high-tech designs commanded a premium, but prices are falling in today's competitive market. Here are the hot bikes for the new millennium.

Santa Cruz Heckler X

Bikes will never look the same now that full suspension has become de rigueur for aggressive off-road riding. The Heckler X is the bike to buy if you plan on spending most of your free time playing in the dirt and mud. This bike eats the steeps; the shock-dampened feeling of full suspension provides calm control on rocky and rutted downhills - and control translates to speed and agility.

The Heckler X frame is built of light aluminum tubing and has a single pivot point near the front sprocket (single-pivot bikes require less maintenance). The Manitou SXE front-suspension fork offers a plush ride and can be locked out when suspension-amplified up- and-down motion is a problem (usually when climbing). The stiffness of the Fox Vanilla rear shock can be adjusted to your body weight and riding style. The blend of Shimano componentry (drive train, rear derailleur and hubs) is not quite top-of-the-line, yet is still race-capable. The Avid V-Brakes are smooth and, positive, and the Bontrager wheel rims are light and strong enough to stay mostly straight. The bike comes without pedals - add your favorite system. And at 26.5 pounds, the Santa Cruz Heckler X is super-light for a full-suspension bike anywhere near this price ($1,495).

Bontrager Privateer

Here's the deal: Front-suspension bikes (no rear suspension) are cheaper, lighter and climb hills better than full-suspension bikes. They also ride better on pavement (less energy-sapping pogoing). If you ride a mix of pavement and dirt and you want a high-quality bike, check out the Privateer. While the big manufacturers have tried to convince us that stiff aluminum frames (more easily mass-produced) are a good thing, most experienced riders will tell you that the vibration-dampening feel of steel can't be matched without paying for pricey carbon fiber or titanium. Bontrager's made-in-the-USA Cro-Moly steel frame is strong, light and a work of welder's art; the Rock Shox Indy XC suspension fork (midrange in the Rock Shox line) reduces teeth-chattering vibration on rougher rides. Add Shimano STX and LX 27-speed drivetrain components, Bontrager-crafted rims, tires, handlebars, stem, seat post and pedals, and Avid V-brakes, and you have one deluxe bike weighing in at just over 24 pounds ($800).

Raleigh R-600

If your weekly riding mileage or your pocketbook don't justify an expensive racing machine, check out the Raleigh R-600 road bike. The R-600 offers 80 percent of the performance of pricier thoroughbreds at about two-thirds the price. The aerodynamic butted aluminum frame is light and stiff for tremendous responsiveness and zip - stand up on the pedals and the R-600 leaps forward. The Raleigh's ride has a little more vibration than a steel bike, but it's relatively silky for an aluminum-frame. The triple-chain ring crankset (more like a mountain bike) and nine-speed rear cassette offer more variety and lower gearing than usually found on a road bike. Shimano 105 components are middle-of-the-line but are superior to the componentry found on other road bikes in the same price range. Even the Kevlar Michelin tires are surprisingly high-end for a bike in this neighborhood. For the cross-training athlete looking to work a road bike into the mix, there's no better value than this 21-pounder ($1,030).

Bianchi Veloce

While American bike companies continue to jump on the latest fad frame materials, the Italians stick with steel. The vibration-dampening quality of the Veloce's steel frame is especially comforting when riding in an aerodynamic hunch over dime-wide tires pumped rock-hard to 110 psi. Its Campagnolo components are pure Italian as well, and the Veloce shifts and brakes cleanly and effortlessly. This 22.75-pound racer is also the best road-racing bike available for the money. If your idea of fun is jetting along the road at 25 mph on the flats and 50 mph on the downhills, and if you have quick access to unimpeded rural blacktop, this just might be the bike for you ($1,400).

Accessories

You don't need to hear this, but we'll say it any-wear a helmet when riding. Giro helmets, stylish, lightweight and strong, stay on your head without being suffocatingly tight. Check out the Gila ($70) for mountain biking or the rakish Boreas ($150) for the road. For protection of a different kind, try Pearl Izumi's Classic Short ($65), a durable cycling short with a synthetic chamois crotch for extra padding. Pearl Izumi's form-fitting Eclipse jersey ($75) has cool new graphics.

Nike, Shimano, and a slew of other Goliath companies make performance-enhancing cycling shoes compatible with clipless pedals. Still, the industry David is Sidi. Try on a pair of Syncros ($155) for the dirt or a pair of Genius III ($179) for pavement.