What's the difference?

Hey Kelly, I'm not an authority on these things, but will give you what information that I know.

Helmets: You are in some respect paying for the name, but not entirely. A $15.00 helmet at Walmart will most likely fit poorly, have limited adjustability, and the padding may not be the best, nor the overall safety. You will notice that most of these have a line of tape keeping the thing together at the seam of the shell/padding. Another benefit of spending a bit more is going to be that they will more easily allow for a head-lamp, which, if you're going to get into racing, and 24-Hour relays, is a good thing. I think the most important aspect of a good helmet though, will be the air vents. A better helmet will provide much better ventilation, keeping you from overheating, as well as keeping you a little more dry. They will also have sweat absorbers in the right places, and if you sweat as much as me, then you may want removable sweat pads that you can wash. Granted, you may not need the full $100 Specialized helmet, but this is something that you hope to have for a while, or until that major crash. And, coming from a guy who's had multiple concussions, your head is something worth protecting.

As for racing, I'm not sure about the Illinois area, but I know that here in Ontario, there are multiple magazines, websites, and a few racing organizations that list upcoming races. I started by just entering a few with some friends, and have been hooked ever since. Online is a great place to look, but also your local bike shop will possibly host a race, or know about some. If you mean to get into it in a professional capacity, I think you have to really start by entering some small scale races, and win!

As for the bikes being made somewhere else, well, that's really common. Kona is a Canadian/US company, and their frames are also made overseas. It's just a more cost-effective way to do things on a mass scale I suppose. As for the components, these come from all over the world anyway. Does anyone know any good US bike frame makers? I know a few great Canadian ones: Rocky Mountain and Devinci come to mind. At least you're staying in North America with those two. Just remember, you will usually pay for the "Made in America" sticker, so if price is an issue, this may dissuade you. Specialized is an American company though, and their frames have a warranty that is almost unbeaten in the industry. I think you made a good choice.

As for your derailler breakin, you may have to be more specific. Was there chain suck involved? Were you changing gears at the time? What brand/model derailler do you run. Has it been maintained/lubed properly? Was it the same derailler that broke twice, or a brand new one broke the same way as the first? If you can clarify, I'm sure someone can help you out with that.

Shorts? Yeah, they aren't cheap, although, they will be more durable, breathable, and the right length for riding. Also, they may be padded, which is really nice. Another aspect is that the shorts are made a little closer to the...ummm...crotch, so that you don't catch on the seat when shifting to the back/front of the bike on climbs or downhill. They also for the most part have the right type and location of pockets for riding.

Hope this helps. I know what you mean about the cost of the sport. I spend way too much money, but I think that in this sport especially, you often get what you pay for. Hope this helped a little bit.

Brandon

Sorry, didn't see the pictures until after that post. Wow. That's some crazy stuff. So, completely different derailleur got ripped right off. I would suggest bringing this to a bike shop. I would have no idea on why this could be happening. Could be one of many things. Sorry.

I agree with what Brandon was saying.

 Some things to consider are this... if you buy everything from Specialized or everything from Trek or everything from however... it's probably going to cost more.

 Now I'm a big supporter of my local bike shop and when I find a deal online, I call of visit the shop and see if they can match; sometimes they can and sometimes they can't.

 But I bought a really nice Giro helment on Nashbar.com or about $40.  It was like a $90 helmet.  So be sure to check out Nashbar.com and Pricepoint.com

The other thing is sales.  Every year at my LBS (local bike shop) they have their bike annual sale.  I mean big!  Great shorts and jerseys for $20 each, socks for $1.99 a pair, bikes 30% off, everything!  So that's when I get my shorts!  

The main thing is this... you usually get what you pay for.  You can either buy a crappy helmet now and have to buy a better one later, or just buy the better one first.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure the Cannondale is USA made.  But yeah, with all USA made bikes, I really bet that adds a few hundred dollars.  Not that it's bad, but it is extra.

It looks like you have a Specialized Hardrock.  The reason I think the derailleur broke is because it's a crappy rear derailleur.  Is it an Acera or Alivio?  Ouch, it's "entry level" but it's not good at all.

Go ahead and order the Deore, or even the Deore LX.  I bought a Specialized Hardrock in 2003 and it was fine for a long time, but the first time I took it on a serious trail, my rear derailleur broke.  So I replaced the Acera with a Deore LX and it has been fine to this day, although I bought a new bike now!

The Hardrock is a good bike but the rear derailleur is junk.  That's about it for now I guess... but really, don't buy a Specialized helmet unless you get a good deal.  I mean, they look really cool, but the price is too high.  

Let me know if this doesn't help your question!

Yeah, sales are great. I hit up the Bike Show a few weeks ago, picked up some great shorts for $40, and a set of tires for $70. These things are great, since most of the retailers do not want to bring the stuff back to their shop, so hit them up with the ol' "Cash money" approach, and you should be able to get a good deal. Still, not the cheapest things in the world, but much better than paying $60 per tire, and $120 for the shorts!

I suppose it all comes down to quality and purpose. If you're looking for something for just one season, then you can skimp a little, but if you want something to last, then I would recommend paying extra. I was going through 2 or more pairs of gloves a year so I started buying better and more expensive gloves, and they tend to last through the season.

You do get what you pay for. I also agree with mike on the point that if you set yourself up with only one brand, you will pay a lot more. I think as long as you get a fairly prominent brand, you will be fine, and try to always support your local bike shop. They need it, and you will more often get much better service from them.

Thanks Kelly. Shimano makes a large array of deraillers, from cheap to really expensive. If this was the same derailler that broke twice, then I would have to agree, that it most likely was a cheapie, and had some sort of malfunction. That being said, not even a cheap derailler should just snap off riding on pavement, so there may have been some other issues going on. Sometimes when people experience chain suck or their chain getting jammed, their first instinct is to hammer on the pedals, I know I've done this.

As for Shimano being crap, I would be hesitant to say that the XTR derailler is crap, or any of their mid to high end deraillers. As Mike said, the Deore would be a great derailler for you, at a very reasonable price. I have a Deore XT on one of my bikes, and have had very little trouble with it.

Although your brother may have an opinion, I don't think a broad generalization like that really works here. There are two solid names in drivetrains, and those are Shimano (who pretty much invented the thing) and XRAM, which is a great option as well. They use different ratios for shifting, so if you want to change to XRAM, you may want to bring it in to your bike shop for that.

Otherwise, you could get a new derailler for under $40 usually, and most places will install it for you as well. And have them take a look at the bike when they replace it, to make sure it's not something more serious going on down there.

Hope this forum has helped.

Brandon