[tprice14]

I am new to cycling and have only been riding about 2 months. It initially began because being that im in college i drink a bit of beer and was noticing a little weight gain. Im not a big fan of running and recently broke my ankle last fall playing soccer so i was looking for something low impact but fun, which led me to cycling.
My dad owns a early 1990s hybrid scott. its been left in the rain a few seasons but it rides okay. i rode on my own for awhile but after speaking with the local bike store after a tune up i began riding with the local cycling club. i then got my friend hooked on it and he ordered a Gavin Nuovo which he is happy with.

and now on to the purpose of this thread.

ive been reading the forum for a few weeks now and can only imagine the response this will get (i presume humorous). i ordered the vilano tuono for $260 and a set of $50 aerobars (my fathers bike has a set of neon green ones and i liked the lounging option). this was sort of an impulse buy and went ahead and ordered it. in anticipation for its arrival, which is tomorrow, i did further research; although i would hardly call the initial inquiry research. i have since discovered nothing but negative things about the bike. although i am sure it will be an upgrade from my current bike, im not sure how long ill ride it.

since there is virtually no material on here from someone who's actually touched the bike, i thought i would start a thread and let you all know how it is. obviously it wont be the most educated opinion since im new to this and cant really tell the difference from one brand of components to the next. luckily, my father does have a friend who was a bike mechanic so it will at least be set up properly. worst case scenario if im not pleased with the bike ill probably ride it for a few months, sell it on craigslist and buy the montobecane grand record from BD.

i will be posting about my experience and uploading pictures.

disclaimer: i know most of you think you should buy used instead blah blah. i didnt feel like scouring craigslist for months bc i want to ride now. call me crazy i just dont believe in paying $1200 for a bike. thats more than my first and second car combined! anyways, approach this objectively and keep criticism constructive.

 

[tprice14]

shipping

i ordered the bike tuesday night and received tracking info on wednesday. it is expected to arrive tomorrow afternnon. so at least the shipping was quick.

 

[oroy38]

A lot of people don't even believe in paying $260 for a bike either, so when I tell them how much my bikes cost their jaws drop. It's almost as bad as when they ask me where I got my dress shoes/how much they were.

If it rolls well, fits you well, and you have fun on it, then don't worry about those of us who ride bikes that cost more than we'd like to admit. Unless you really plan on getting dedicated to the sport, there's no real reason for you to spend much on a bike just yet. Maybe a few years down the road you'll realize that you really like cycling and that you want to really get into it. At that point, you'll have enough miles in to judge what kind of bike you're looking for, and what to look for in a test ride.

For now, ditch the aerobars and have fun.

 

[tprice14]

thanks for the reply.
im afraid its something i all ready love. im going to be competing in the music city triathlon next month on it. why drop the aero bars?

 

[tprice14]

Vilano Tuono 2010

the bike came in well packaged. there was no damaged. i put it all together and ran into only one problem, which i take 100% responsibility for. the tires were rated for 100 psi and i thought i knew better and went for 120 and popped the tube. happens to the best of us. anyways after i put it together my dads friend who i mentioned earlier came over and did all the stuff that was over my head.
im not sure how much of the following is standard stuff for a new bike but ill list everything he did. he cut the brake cables and tightened them. did the same for the cables going to the front and rear derailer (i think thats right). the brakes were super loose and had to be tightened significantly. also put my seat at the proper height it should be.
as for riding it i felt much faster. i couldnt get my cyclocomputer to register so i cant tell just how fast i was going but it seemed significant. i wasnt expecting to like the saddle but it wasnt so bad at all. my one and only complaint is the placement of the shifters. they take up a considerable amount of real estate and leave little to no room for the computer or headlight. the bike is super light and was a definite upgrade for me. the guy who helped me out is super experienced and says its a decent beginners bike but the lack of STI shifters is a kicker.

i will post a picture of the old bike as well to give you guys an idea of what i was working with.

anybody have a solution to my space problem? i would like to attach the light to the forks or the frame but the mount doesnt allow it.

anybody know of a way to upgrade to STI shifters for under $100?

thanks!

 

[FatTireFred]

nice ipod

 

[gr8blues]

Hey it is a first bike ride it and have fun, you could change out the shifters to bar ends (poor mans sti) down the line. Bar ends are okay and they will clean up your bar tops. Putting STI shifters on would be expensive and probably not worth it. It looks a lot better than the other bike your riding thats for sure, go out and kick some ass.

 

[chasea]

You could try to mount your computer to the stem with zip ties. If you can do that, it would free up room on your bars for your light. Hope this helps.

 

[tprice14]

Hey it is a first bike ride it and have fun, you could change out the shifters to bar ends (poor mans sti) down the line. Bar ends are okay and they will clean up your bar tops. Putting STI shifters on would be expensive and probably not worth it. It looks a lot better than the other bike your riding thats for sure, go out and kick some ass.

thanks! this is what ill probably end up doing.

 

[bachboost]

OP - Thanks for the Review!

I went ahead and ordered it this morning. I don't mind the stem shifters for the price and the fact that it'll be my first Road Bike.
If I decide to get a better bike in the future I'll truly appreciate the better quality components.

For now, as gr8blues said, I'm just extremely excited and happy to just get out there on a lighter and faster bike than my trusty MTB mounted with road tires!

OP - what size did you get, and how tall are you? I'm 5'5" and went with the 50cm.

This is a great community here, I've learn so much in the past 1/2 year, thanks to all!

 

[tprice14]

i went with the 54cm and i am 5'7 155 lbs.

i agree. i imagine at this point in our riding careers we wouldnt be able to tell the difference between $1000 Scott or a pro level felt or something. i just believe itll be a good bike to learn technique, get in shape and get a feel for what it is i want in a bike.

 

[tprice14]

just make sure you take your reflectors off the spokes ha

 

[Coolhand]

Trim that helmet strap! Then ride a lot.

 

[wayfarer103]

I am considering buying this bike as an entry level, ive only been riding the road for a few months. im 5 ft 10. do you guys feel that a 58cm would be alright?

 

[Fantino]

Congrats and welcome to the road! Padded bike shorts and ride the snot out of it

 

[bachboost]

wayfarer,

Nobody's replied to your post, so have you tried asking the seller? I emailed them a question and got a response early next morning.

When researching them, I found them on eBay selling the same bikes. For some reason, the eBay page had a "sizing chart," that wasn't on their website. It may help you:
http://cgi.ebay.com/VILANO-ALUMINUM...md=ViewItem&pt=Road_Bikes&hash=item2a0848eea1
If that link doesn't work, just trying searching "vilano" on eBay.

I didn't use this, but it's been recommended in this forum: online fit calculator -
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO

Hope that helps.

 

[Sarahbarah84]

I'm also considering buying this bike off ebay. I have only been a mountain biker, but I'm planning to try out this road thing to see if I like it. I'm 5 11 and I ride a 21 in. mtb, is 58cm the right height? Like tprice, I don't want to spend a ton of money on something I'm not going to enjoy doing

 

[cyscorvt]

thanks for all the info. I will be purchasing the Vilano as well an was looking for any first hand advice. Hope to see more post soon about how it rides.

 

[tprice14]

ive had it for a couple weeks now and ive put around 120 miles. im starting to develop a few complains.

the most disappointing thing overall is the handlebars. they are angled very oddly for your hands when they rest near the brakes. also the drops arent near long enough.

the saddle is also a bit stiff. i understand you have to break it in and toughen your sit bones up but i did that with my previous bike and this one still hurts.

lastly after i am done riding i almost always have a black greese mark on my right calf. im assuming the chain is just spinning off oil but its annoying.

 

[Mr. Versatile]

You can likely change the angle of the bars so that you're more comfy, but there's nothing you can do about the length of the drops. To alter that you'd have to buy new bars & change them out.

Saddles are a very personal choice, kinda like shoes. Some local bike shops will "sell" you a seat and let you return it if you dislike it within a week or so. Check around.

The grease mark,..does it look like a tattoo of the chain ring? If it does you need to be more careful about where you're putting your leg. Lube spinning off the chain sounds very unlikely.