I got my first road bike in the spring of 2007. My previous cycling experience involved very heavy Canadian Tire grade mountain bikes that I rode about 1-2 km from my apartment to campus. I knew nothing at all about bikes. Words like “Shimano” and “crank” were foreign to me and I did not understand the difference between riding an aluminum or carbon frame. Four years and four bikes later I’m a professional triathlete and a self-proclaimed bike nerd. In hindsight there are many things that I wish I knew when I was buying that first bike (in case you are wondering I ended up going with a Devinci Silverstone SL, aluminum frame, 105 groupset). I thought it might be helpful to pass on some of this information.
Groupset:
Here’s the quick and dirty low down for newbies:
- Groupset is the name for the mechanical parts of a bike including: brake levers/shifters, front and rear derailleurs, front and rear brakes, bottom bracket, crankset, chain. Use the bike part diagram below to familiarize yourself with these parts.
Anatomy of a road bike (from aarline.info)
Women In Cycling 