>>1247779Pt. 2
Carbon fibre frames aren't all equal though. There's a huge difference between costly & uncostly carbon fibre, to the type of fibres used, how it's manufactured, & other important factors that make a big impact. Carbon fibre can be relatively easily manipulated by designers to create frames w/ the particular balance of properties they want, whether that's comfort, low weight, stiffness.
Choosing the Correct Size
Choosing the correct size of the bike is absolutely critical when getting your 1st road bike. Don't go for a bike that is too large or too small just because it is a bargain. Only w/ the correct size bike for your dimensions will you really get the most from your new bike.
Generally, road bike sizes are given via cm but the way that frames are measured varies. Some offer 3 sizes & some offer 10 w/ smaller increments between them. However, as their many different body shapes, it can get complicated.
It's better to get a short go on a bike. The minimum rule is that you should be able to stand over the frame w/ a couple of cm of space between the top tube & you. If you can't it's definitely too big.
Components
Bike component manufacturers assemble their parts into groupsets - collections of brake & gear parts matched for function & designed to work together. Bike makers get groupsets to build into bikes. There are 3 major manufacturers that you're likely to encounter: Campagnolo, Shimano, & SRAM. At entry-level, Shimano is the popular choice.
The order of Shimano goes like this, from entry-level to top-end: Claris, Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra, & Dura-Ace.
Campagnolo starts w/ Veloce, then Centaur, Potenza, Chorus, Record, &, @ the very top, Super Record.
SRAM offers 4 road groupsets: Apex @ the entry level, Rival, Force, & Red. The further along the list that you go you get better performance, lower weight, or both.
