I'm a beginner looking to get into road biking. I've only ever ridden hybrids in the past. I read that Giant Contend AR is good for beginners because it's a little more forgiving than a regular road bike in terms of comfort and terrain. I live in San Francisco is that matters, where there are a good amount of hills.
Do you think the Giant Contend AR could be right for me?
I've been thinking of buying used to save money. I saw that BicycleBlueBook has a 2021 Giant Contend AR 3 size ML for sale direct through them for $727, and supposedly all parts are in 4/5 "very good" condition (should I trust them on that?): https://www.bicyclebluebook.com/marketplace/buy-now/2021-giant-contend-ar-3-88208/
I offered $550 and they accepted. I'm local and so wouldn't have to pay for any shipping fees.
Is this a good deal?
I'm just over 5'11 (181cm), have an inseam of 33", and I think my armspan is about 71-72". Giant's Contend AR 3 size chart https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/contend-ar-3-2022#geometry says M is good for 5'7-5'11, and ML is good for 5'10-6'2
Do you think ML is the right size for me, or am I better off with an M? What does it mean to be at the upper/lower end of a given size? It's unfortunately a little harder to "try out" different sizes since I'm buying used.
Thanks for the help!
by WastePurchase
2 Comments
I think it’s a pretty reasonable deal. Seems to be in good condition but take the time to look over it thoroughly.
Edit : apologies I didn’t look at the pic fully. It’s is a Sora group set with mechanical discs. Not ideal at that price. My guess would be closer to $400 is suitable. Hopefully others here can share experiences with Sora mech discs, Shimano make good stuff so they may work very well and suit your needs. My personal preference is hydro for discs , they just work better. Apologies again I think I just assumed it was 105
I think size wise you’ll be ok. If you are on the manufacturers sizing you will be in the right ball park. The only thing to be mindful is that you might have to look at a different stem should your proportions not suit.
I think at $550 it’s fine. The average new bike with Sora drivetrain costs $900-1200. Half price is reasonable for a lightly used name brand bike from the last 5 years. I have a bike with partial Sora and it’s been dependable, no complaints. Mech brakes are fine if adjusted properly, all bikes like this were mech until 10-15 years ago.