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What's the Best and Cheapest Road Bike



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 23rd 05, 11:54 PM
The Eye
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Default What's the Best and Cheapest Road Bike

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.

Suggestions?




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  #2  
Old March 24th 05, 12:06 AM
David L. Johnson
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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
(_)/ (_) |


  #3  
Old March 24th 05, 01:01 AM
Bill H.
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Well, I think it depends on how much you know about what components
you'll want/need and if you know what size you need. If you have a
pretty good idea of what you're looking for and have a little
mechanical ability you could probably save some money on a used bike.
Ebay can be your friend here.

Most shops don't sell used bikes so if you go to a bike shop, expect to
pay a lot more. However, the service you get might be worth it to you,
especially if this is your first road bike or if you're unsure what you
need.

-Bill H.

  #4  
Old March 24th 05, 02:10 AM
Jeff Starr
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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.

Suggestions?



Depending upon size, you might be able to find a good deal on new
closeout. Some of my local dealers, sometimes have two and three year
old, new bikes. Check around, where are you located?

One local chain has an annual 50 at 50% off. I bought my 2002 in 2003
and paid $700 for an $1100 bike. They had a LeMond Reno, I think it
was, list $1000, for $500. So, i would suggest that you visit all the
bike shops in your area.


Life is Good!
Jeff


  #5  
Old March 24th 05, 02:11 AM
Gooserider
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"David L. Johnson" wrote in message
Look at entry-level bikes from Bianchi, Trek, Specialized, etc.


Doesn't Cannondale still offer an entry level road bike? Cannondales are
great in that the frame is handmade in the US, no matter what bike you buy.
Get an excellent frame and upgrade the components in the future. That being
said, the OP would be well served to look for a used bike.


  #7  
Old March 25th 05, 12:29 PM
Donald Gillies
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"The Eye" writes:

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.


Get a TREK 2300 3-tubes carbon bike from ebay. They sell anywhere
between $400 and $800. they were made from 1990-1998 i think. The
bike is 18 lbs and was TREK's flagship model from about 1990 until
OCLV. Trek has been trying for many years to come up with a suitable
replacement for the 3 tubes 2300 carbon bike, but they have failed to
ever improve on the compliance and ride quality of this bicycle.

I owned one of these bikes from 1998-2004.

Don't overtighten the seatpost bolt or sweat on the top tube, though!

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA





  #8  
Old March 25th 05, 02:59 PM
Arthur Harris
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"The Eye" wrote:

I want to buy a used or new road bike with the best price/value ratio.
No way over $1000. Hopefully half that and used would be fine.


Used bikes offer the best possible value, but also the greatest risk if
you're not knowlegeable about road bikes. Proper fit is more important than
fancy components.

Everyone wants to spend the least amount of money. But a cheap bike that
never gets ridden can be a big waste of money. A moderately priced bike that
gets ridden for many years is a better bargain.

For low cost new bikes, check out Giant, Fuji, Felt, Specialized, Trek 1000.

Art Harris


  #9  
Old March 25th 05, 09:53 PM
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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.

Suggestions?


Bianchi Brava.

"http://www.bianchiusa.com/brava.html" MSRP of $650, typically on sale
for around $600.

I don't know how long Bianchi can hold out before succumbing to the
desire to destroy this model. Hurry.

2004 Fuji League (not 2005)

Fuji has wrecked the 2005 League (in one year they went from a regular
frame to a compact frame, chromolloy steel to aluminum, and quill
headset to threadless headset) no doubt because the League was hurting
sales of their other road bikes. The 2004 went for around $350 street
price, see "http://www.bayareabikes.com/Detailed/21.htm"

Chromolly, non-compact frame, and quill headset, are highly desirable,
and usually only found on expensive road bikes; these two models are an
exception.

Oh, I forgot the usual useless, mindless drivel:

"Look for a shop, not a bike."
"There are only small differences between different brands and models."
"Look on eBay."

Actually, there are often good deals on craigslist, at least in the SF
Bay area, i.e. see:
"http://www.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/search?areaID=1&subAreaID=0&query=steel+road&cat=b ik&minAsk=200&maxAsk=600"

 




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