On Wed, 23 Mar 2005 17:54:13 -0500, The Eye wrote:

I want to buy a used or new road bike with the best price/value ratio.

Noway over $1000. Hopefully half that and used would be fine.

Doable at $1000, probably not at $500. Used is chancy unless you really
know the size you need, and know something about what you are buying.
Lots of people get poor bargains used from people who value their old
bikes much more highly than is realistic.

Look at entry-level bikes from Bianchi, Trek, Specialized, etc. Stick
with things having either Shimano or Campagnolo components, particularly
shifters and brakes. Bontrager components are also good.

As far as frame material goes, at this price range aluminum is probably
the best bet. Cheaper steel bikes tend to be heavy; even cheap aluminum
frames are fairly light. Problems with aluminum frames tend to be either
extreme lightness (stupid-light), but that is in the high-price end, or
poor workmanship, so stick to known brands in this bracket.

Deal directly with a shop you can work with. Go in and talk to them
first. Make sure they don't ignore you; some shops have a tendency to
ignore anyone not interested in high-zoot bikes costing 5 times what you
want to pay. Make sure they will take the time to fit your bike to you
properly -- not just straddle the bar and go. Fitting involves
determining the right stem length, proper placement of bars, position of
the saddle, etc. They should swap stems as needed as part of the deal,
and if the saddle is not for you, a swap should be not too expensive. But
trust them, as well, and don't get a too-soft saddle since it feels so
good in the shop, or have your bars too high. You will get used to the
bars being lower than you would think, and a soft saddle will kill you
after 50 miles.


--

David L. Johnson

__o | Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I can
_`\(,_ | assure you that mine are all greater. -- A. Einstein
(_)/ (_) |