Great question! To start off, the difference between the new Monza and the Monza Closeout besides color is that the cranks are different. Also, the new Monza is 10 speed where the old one is a 9 speed. As far as Monza vs. Tiempo both are great bikes and will work well for you as you begin your triathlons. Main advantages of the Monza are that it is lighter weight and has a total component upgrade in every category. I would say that for the $100 extra the Monza would be a great investment, but you can't go wrong with either.

52 is the best size for her. When a person is between sizes it is always better to go with the smaller of the two sizes.

This bike has very comparable geometry to the Imola which you asked about, because of that you'd be a 56cm in this one as well.

Deric, enter your postal code and the computer will generate quotes for you

Shipping over $50.00 is free.

No its not free!!! They charged me $40. Its everything except bikes.

Pedro's, no wd-40 it will just everywhere, use it often so there will be no seizing.

The Tiempo will be a great bike to get your son into cycling. The 47 frame is the smallest available and fits riders 4'11 to 5'2.

The Tiempo is now made of high tensile steel that provides a very comfortable ride on rough roads.

At 6'6" the Tiempo in size 61cm is the bike for you! It's one of the best values in a complete, steel road bike anywhere.

Thanks Mike...also, what is the difference between the Tiempo and the Imola really? I read above that the Imola is lighter...is it significant? thanks again.

I have the 61cm and I'm only 6'2". You may need a longer seat post.

I have recently purchased the IMOLA it is a smooth ride, and the components work well. it was an upgrade from my beginer bike, and I cant complain about one thing. The IMOLA would suit you well. Read all of the reviews of both bikes, and then decide what ya want to do, that 's what I did.

They are both ride beautifully. The Imola is lighter weight then the Tiempo

A small one. Depending on your reach and inseam i would suggest the 54cm or 56cm. Better riding geometry.

Just get the Imola with carbon forks and save some money.

At 6'6" you would be at the upper end of the spectrum for fitting the 61cm Tiempo but it could fit great with a few fit adjustments. Feel free to give us a ring at 877-731-6051 so we can help.

new seat post and you're good to go.

You can definitely mount a rack that is designed for 700c wheels. Here's a link to a rack that we have in stock that will mount to the Tiempo.

http://www.giantnerd.com/blackburn-xr-1-bike-rack.html

We keep all of our bikes as to keep our prices as low as possible. Most road bike shifters do not have a display to show you what gear you're riding in. The good news is that you can always take a quick look at your drivetrain to see what gear your in. Also, the Tommaso Monza features Tiagra Shifters that do have a display.

http://www.giantnerd.com/tommaso-monza-road-bike-beginner.html

just look between your legs and that is the only thing you need to see what gear you're in.

I also don't have any idea about pedals - i just use standard bike pedals with my sneakers. A little nervous about clipping my feet in. Suggestions on what's best for beginners?

A 47cm is the perfect frame size for your if you're 5'0" tall. We also recommend that you out our vp 399t pedals that have a built in toe clip. Let us know how we can help!

http://www.giantnerd.com/vp-vp-399t-road-bike-pedals.html

I mean genius build and pro build sorry I forgot include the main point!!!

Giantnerd will ship your bike in one of two ways…

1. Bikes purchased with the Giantnerd Genius Build Service are individually assembled and signed by our Head Master Mechanic. Our Master Mechanic removes the bike from its box and does a full inspection to insure it is in perfect condition. Using our 25 point assembly checklist, our master mechanic then does the following:

• Completely assemble the bicycle checking the alignment of the frame & fork
• Add additional lubrication
• Pre-stretch the cables
• Align and adjust the derailleurs
• Grease the pedal threads
• Align & tighten the crank sprockets and arms
• Position the saddle level and center it on the seatpost
• Attach the brakes and adjust them correctly
• Assemble the handlebars
• True the wheels

Our Master Mechanic then Test Rides each bicycle on a controlled loop (to make sure that the gears and brakes are correctly adjusted). This assures us that your bicycle is in mint condition.
We will then disassemble the bicycle just enough to fit it back into the shipping box, add more packing protection, and secure all movable parts to prevent any damage that might occur during transit. Oversized bicycles will arrive in 2 boxes. Both Wheels need to be attached. Reassembly typically takes our members only 10 to 15 minutes. We cannot offer the pro-build on bicycles shipped when shipped via USPS.

2. If you do not purchase the Giantnerd Genius Build service, bikes will be sent to you Factory Ready.
Factory ready bicycles are delivered to you 75% assembled and packed for shipping in the original manufacturer’s box. No adjustments are made. Factory ready bicycles will require assembly by a professional mechanic in order to validate the warranty.

If you do not purchase the Giantnerd Genius Build service, bikes will be sent to you Factory Ready.
Factory ready bicycles are delivered to you 75% assembled and packed for shipping in the original manufacturers box. No adjustments are made. Factory ready bicycles will require assembly by a professional mechanic in order to validate the warranty.

The Tiempo has 24 speeds, 3 on the front and 8 on the back. The Tiempo is a great entry level road bike, it will get you into the sport but will not break the bank..win, win!

thanks I really appreciate that because I was a little unsure about it!

24 spd and totally worth the $

24 speeds, 3 on the front and 8 on the back.

24

24

The largest tire that you run on the Tiempo is a 700 x 28c. Cyclocross tires are made in this size and you can probably run most 28c cross tires depending on the tread pattern. The issue with fitting cross tires on the Tiempo or any road bike is tire clearance on the dual caliper brakes.

The Tiempo has changed from Chromolly to Hi-tensile steel in the most recent shipment that came in at the beginning of this year. In general for specs of products trust our site over a 3rd party as they could have an older model or be unaware of what they have, we keep our products up-to-date with the most accurate specs.

Pedal are sold separately on all Tommaso bikes. That way each rider can pick the pedals that best suit their riding style. We have a huge selection from cages to toe clips to clipless.

http://www.giantnerd.com/bike/parts/pedals.html

Same as what Mike said... the pedals have to match your style and your shoes, since most riders use clipless pedals and riding shoes. Your pedals have to be compatible with your type of cleats on your shoes. Using special road bike shoes secure your feet to the pedals and give you more power and endurance, since you can engage all your big muscles in your legs when your feet are secured to the pedals. Hope this helped you out... I love my bike :)

Look KEO classic.

Hi Gary,

You have a couple different options here. One, you could go with the VP 399t pedal that you would use with casual shoes and the VP R 80 pedal that you would use with a cycling shoe. The only this is you would have to change the pedals for what shoes you were using. Which isn't a big deal if you have the right tool.

If your not feeling that idea then you can go with Shimano PD-M324 SPD Dual Platform Mountain Bike Pedals. Obviously this pedal will add some weight to the bike, but you will not have to switch them in and out for whatever shoe your using. One side is the traditional platform and the other is clipless.

Here are links to all three. Either way you will be under 100 bucks!

http://www.giantnerd.com/shimano-pd-m324-spd-dual-platform-mountain.html
http://www.giantnerd.com/vp-vp-399t-road-bike-pedals.html
http://www.giantnerd.com/vp-r80-clipless-road-bike-pedals.html

Okay, thanks so much for the info. Would like to hear from Tiempo owners on their pedal choice.

i'm looking into purchasing the imola carbon and i think i may go with both the shimano road bike pedals and the shimano SPD dua platform

the aspect i like about the SPD dual pedals is the ability to be clipped into the pedals but also the option to wear any other type of shoe while riding

I'm gonna second or third the SPD Dual pedals for simplicity and convenience. You can also get some pretty nice-looking shoes that'll serve you well under some light walking if you just want to fly straight off your bike and into casual Friday.

I use the Shimano R540 pedals... they are SPD cleat compatible but I can use them with regular running shoes- and I have done so without problems. No need to change pedals and they feel great either way. Hope this helps you!

Mo- I would suggest looking at the Imola with the Carbon fork. yes it is a bit more money- BUT completely worth it. I started with the Imola last year- did 8 Tri's and about 2500 miles. I highly recommend Tommaso bikes in general- I now have a Cotello as well. I think the advantage for you going with the Imola is the carbon fork option- it will reduce the road buzz on those longer rides. Plus I think it is a bit lighter so climbing will be a little less taxing.

excellent i'll look into it.. thanks for your personal input and opinion. greaty appreciated

this bike would definitely work for commutes and for nice long bike rides. Usually for tri's you are going to want something a little bit lighter, but a few extra pounds in frame weight shouldnt stop you from finishing. You can get some aero bars pretty cheap, so slap those on there and you are golden for tris. Plus you arent going to find bike of this quality at this price anywhere!

i ended up settling for the monza i think it has the best bang for your buck especially with the prices here

Gary-I am 5'10 with a 31 inseam and find the 56cm to be right on the money. I would not go any larger. As you can see from the reviews this is a great bike and I know you will enjoy it!

The 56cm is the correct size for you!

There is a whole segment of humanity that is either right between sizes or is to either one side of the other of a size but prefers the other. I'm one of those people who've always liked a bike slightly larger than the I size I measure out for. A lot of this has to do the physical dimensions of your body: are you longer in the torso or longer in the leg, etc.
. . .
The best way that I have found to size for a bike is to take your measurements and do your research and calculations using the standard formulas, then go to a bike shop and test ride a few different make bikes out. Once you have done that you'll have a better understanding how your body correlates to a specific size chart. You can use that information when looking at the bike you decide to buy.

It comes in silver and in blue. It's one of our best selling bikes.

The Tommaso Tiempo is a 2010 model.

not a one.

the tiempo is an extremely sturdy bike due to the cromoly steel frame... i think it would be a great fit and a bit cheaper than the imola!

I was also wondering about purchasing road bikes for women, in general. From what I've read, there are dimension differences between men's bikes and women's bikes but I've also noticed that there are significantly fewer women's bikes than men's out there. How concerned should I be about buying a woman's bike as opposed to buying a man's? Is there a big difference or do most bikes function as a uni-sex sort of thing?

I shipped my bike with UPS to and from college. They have boxes, and will even pack for you. However, I recommend you pack it yourself--they aren't too careful. Cost about 80 dollars.

Our specialty bike box measures 56 x 8 x 28 inches and has a shipping weight of 50 lbs. Also, there's really no true womens bikes, just womens paint jobs and womens saddles. All of our bikes are unisex and can be enjoyed by either guy or girls.

u should call the nerd station on their website or phone it says about it if u look more into the website thats were i saw it.

Robin, I have never owned a "woman's specific" bike and I have been a cyclist for many years. Most all bikes are really unisex in nature and what matters is how tall you and bike fit. Check out the bike size charts on any bike that you are looking at and make sure that you get one that matches your height. Go with the bike you like and have fun!

There was a day, and still is for some of the cheaper big box store bikes, when women's bikes were specifically designed without a top bar. Historically this design had to do with the larger skirts women wore back when the bicycle was invented and being developed into what we now think of as the bicycle.
. . .
At one time the non-top bar bike was called a step thru design as the rider could step thru the frame to mount the bike instead of throwing their leg over the bike.
. . .
For the most part nowadays a bike is a bike. It’s been a long way since the type Victorian era beliefs that dictated what a woman could and should do influenced this type of thing.

The Tiempo's steel frame is great at absorbing bumps while urban riding. It weighs 27.6 lbs in 54cm. The Aluminum Imola and Imola Carbon weigh less at 23.76 for the Imola and 22.48 lbs for the Imola Carbon. Their Aluminum frames do not provide as much road dampening as steel. The Imola Carbon features a carbon bladed fork that not only drops weighs but also reduces road vibration. I recommend that you go with the Imola carbon as it is very light for the price and it's fork will keep you comfortable on the roughest of roads.

http://www.giantnerd.com/tommaso-imola-with-carbon-fork-road-bike-beginner.html

Your Answer...I am leaning more toward the Tiempo because of the steel frame (added shock absorbance) as well as the greater degree of access to the shifters. I however do like the overall look of the Imola and the fact that it is lighter but I feel that the shifters are so small and getting access to them may involve awkward positioning of the hands. I haven't been able to find much on the shifters so maybe there is something that I am missing in-terms of the way they work. Thanks again.

What about the difference in shifter design. Are they both similar with the exception of level size? Thanks.

We recommend that you ride a 58cm Tommaso Tiempo. This bike would be an excellent choice as it's cro-moly steel frame is as sturdy as it gets. Biking is a great low impact exercise and who knows maybe you'll get hooked like us at Giantnerd!

I am 6'1" and weigh 215 and the 61cm fits very well.

My answer

another answer

how about another answer?

Only silver at this time

Your Answer...

If you're new to cycling, the Origin8 pedals with toe clips are a really good value. You get a nice platform pedal with the advantage of secure toe clips.

One thing to think about is moving to a clipless system. It's a bit intimidating (and slightly more expensive) at first, but once you're used to it you get a really secure attachment to the pedal and nice, light pedals.

I bought the bike and the Origin8 pedals for my son. He has 11 years old but has experience on bikes since he has 6 years. He is more than happy with the bike and start to get confident with the clips system. My advice: don't get to tied the pedals at first, just in case you have to stop kickly. Within days you going to feel the benefits of be secure to yours pedals and later on you can change to the clipless.

For a beginner pedal selection has a lot more to do with what experience you are looking for than anything else. Just about any pedal will do. Going clipless is one way to go. There is also clipper or cage pedals, and platform pedals. Going clipless means buying clipless shoes, which is a significant added expense. Platform pedals can be used with any footwear, even barefoot. Cage pedals generally can also be used with any footwear but I have found that I prefer a specific smooth bottom shoe type with clipped pedals as they allow for easy inserting and removing of the foot from the cage. I have also found that certain footwear just doesn’t fit in the cage.
. . .
On the clipless side there are two styles: road and MTB. Personally I prefer the MTB style even on my road bike. I am not a competitive racer so that little extra weight isn’t a concern. Plus I get the huge benefit when walking as the recessed clip of the MTB shoes provides a flatter bottom in comparison to the road shoe, which has that large exposed clip under the ball of the foot.
. . .
In the end you have to decide. Clipless gives you a more powerful stroke than clip; clip provides a more powerful stroke then platform.
. . .
In the most simplistic terms: If you were going to be using this bike around town for short shopping trips and non intense exercising you would probably want to go with platform. If you were using it as a road event bike then you should be using clipped at a minimum. If you are extensively road riding you’ll want to go clipless.
. . .
Also keep in mind that clipless are the hardest to get accustomed to.
. . .
There’s also a platform pedal that has a clipless contact point incorporated within it that you can use with either clipless shoes or regular shoes. I use a pair made by Shimano on my around town Hybrid so that I can jump on that bike and run to the store if I need to after riding my road bike without having to change out of my clipless shoes.

Just to edit my question, I might have my bike vocab mixed up. My derailleur is not aligned with my gears.

We first wanted to see if you had us build the bike with our probuild service or if you had brought the bike into a Local Bike Shop for assembly. All new bikes need to be properly tuned by a professional mechanic to ensure optimum performance. Send us an email or call us at 877-731-6051 and we'd be happy to help.

Adjusting a rear derailer is kind of an art form. It will take you some practice. I do recommend that you call them and ask for help. To help you, if you are looking at the bike from the rear, and turn the barrel adjuster counter clockwise, the derailer will pull a little to the left, or toward the larger gear. the best way to adjust your bike, is start at the smallest gear, and shift up to the next gear, and then turn the barrel adjuster till it smoothly shifts up. try shifting it down again. Once it is smooth both ways, work your way up the cogs till it is smooth all the way. It is best to do this in the middle ring, as that you will spend most of your time on that ring. Side note- NEW CABLES STRETCH. Your cables will continue to stretch over the next 30 rides or so. In the beggining, you will spend more time than later adjusting your derailers. Make sure to clean your chain first before adjusting the derailers, this will make the adjustment to the derailers more acurate.

If you do not feel confident enough to correct the indexing adjustments you can bring the bike to your LBS and have them adjust it - figure it this way, as you use your bike the cables will stretch, and eventually you will have to have a LBS mechanic retune the components, so, if you cannot do this yourself, you are going to have to eventually bring it to a LBS anyway you look at it.
. . . . .
Generally I have found that LBS charge around $7 to do this.

SHIMANO.COM HAS A SUPPORT PAGE FOR ALL COMPONENTS , ON THIER HOME PAGE THIER IS A DROP DOWN MENU FOR TECH SUPPORT THERE YOU WILL SEE TECH DOCS, CLICK ON TECH DOCS AND YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO A PAGE WHERE YOU WILL CHOOSE ROAD ,MOUNTAIN ETC. THIER PDF DOCS WILL DESCRIBE HOW TO ADJUST YOUR COMPONENTS . THEN AGAIN IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING THIS THEN YOUR BIKE SHOP WILL TUNE YOUR BIKE FOR YOU. GIVE IT A SHOT, WHAT DO HAVE TO LOOSE.

I recommend a Local Bike Shop also... did the same with mine when I assembled it and had a few minor problems. Had them go over the entire bike and adjust the gears and brakes and it cost a whopping $40... completely worth it, 'cause now she runs like a champ!

You are looking at the bike we would recommend. For larger riders the steel frame and 3-cross 32 spoke wheel lacing are as tough as Tommaso makes. With shipping and a Pro-Build, should you opt for that, you will still be under your budget.

One note is that most wheel manufacturers have a suggested rider weight limit of around $250, this is especially true for the less expensive wheels. The frame will not be an issue but the wheels are something you will want to look into splurging on.

There is NO 32 hole wheel that can reliably support someone that weighs this much without pinging spokes every ride or so, I've been there. You should consider 36 hole wheels, instead.

It looks like none of the road bikes for sale here have them. You could buy this bike but then be ready to buy some moderately priced 36 hole wheels off of ebay for $250 or so and then resell your new 32 holes from this bike to offset the cost. Good luck.

i'm also looking to buy this bike and thank you all for the answers provided

Tiempo for sure.

Micah,

There are two levers behind the brake lever, one for shifting up and one for shifting down. The brake lever itself does not move like some shifter models do, the shifters on the Tiempo sit directly behind the brake lever. Definitely let us know if you have any further questions regarding this.

The larger handle/fingerboard lever on either lever (right left) shifts the chain to the larger sprocket/gear and the smaller shifts the chain to the smaller gears.
. . . . .
So if you move the right hand shifter to position the chain on a smaller gear you are shifting up as in from 1 to 10, which is harder to pedal (more friction) but gives the most power to your energy expelled to distance travel equation. In simplistic terms this means:
. . . . .
You generally use harder smaller higher-number-gears on flats and easy grades . . . and . . . larger lower-number-gears on hills and steeper grades.
. . . . .
If you move the left hand shifter to position the chain on the smaller gear you are moving down in gears as in 30 to 20 to 10 depending on the amount of chainrings on your crankset. In simplistic terms this means that:
. . . . .
Left hand Small = down, slower/easier - - - Right hand Small = up faster/harder
. . . . . . and . . . . .
Left hand Larger = up, faster/harder - - - Right hand Larger = down slower/easier

The Tommaso Tiempo is a fabulous road bike with a strong and forgiving steel frame. Tommaso bikes come standard with a lifetime guarantee and its a great boutique company to purchase from if you dont want to pay a premium for owning the big box brands. Check out the Tommaso Facebook fan page too! http://www.facebook.com/Tommasobikes?ref=ts

Once you visit and see what other fans have to say about their experience with Tommaso you will most likely join the Tommaso Nation fan club and become a proud and loyal owner of a Tommaso Bike.

Dollar for dollar, Tommaso puts together some of the best bikes in the industry. Comparing the Tiempo to other bikes from Specialized and Trek, the Tiempo stacks up well, the only thing the Tiempo cannot meet with the other brands is price, its just not that high. The solid Shimano drivetrain, Tommaso components, and amazingly comfortable ride that steel provides is really the seller for this bike. Tommaso has really worked to keep the Tiempo at a reasonable price and yet it delivers a solid ride for new riders. If you are looking for something a bit lighter, take a look at the Tommaso Imola, just a little bit more and it drops some weight due to its aluminum frame.

We have had a lot of very happy Tiempo customers. Please chime in other owners!

I don;t see any other way to reply to the answers above so I'm putting this here.

I am a fan on the facebook page and have chatted with some people there. I really dig the comradery and excitement of the Tommaso nation! I work in the watch business and we sell big names and design and produce our own pieces as well. So I know what can be done by skipping through the big brand chain and delivering a quality product.

I also love the simplicity of the Tommaso designs clean lines great colors and simple graphics. I am excited to get my first road bike and after a lot of digging and research I am going to make it a Tommaso. Thanks for the input!

It's a solid bike, I've had mine for a few weeks now and really enjoy the ride, it's a comfortable fit but the bike feels very tight and agile. The components aren't $800 but they work quite well so far. There's not a lot of information on the sunrace shifters but I really like their design. I've ridden friends bikes with the classic 'push the brake lever to shift' style but I prefer these ones, especially when i'm up on the hood.

All in all, it's a solid bike, perfect for the price, and giantnerd does a pretty good job setting it up.

Here's a summary of the component used:

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/30316/Shimano-reveal-line-up-that-caters-for-limited-budgets

For me, the most important factor in deciding on which bike to purchase was the groupset/compoentry, as this stuff is basically nearly universal in its application. I wanted to get as much Shimano 105 or better components as possible. My theory was that I can always upgrade by selectively buying individual components of better quality in the Shimano product line and utilize the ones that I am replacing on my older (non carbon) bike. That way I would be upgrading both bikes at the same time.
. . . . . .
So when looking at the difference between any of the bikes listed on the Giantnerd site and the ones on the shelf at the big box store or anywhere else you should be comparing components. I would bet you that dollar for dollar the Giantnerd offerings will be the better deal hands down.

The best for the $.