|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
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? |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
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
|
|||
|
|||
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
|
|||
|
|||
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
|
|||
|
|||
"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. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
"The Eye" wrote in news:q6GdnfUIyu0YbtzfRVn-
: I want to buy a used or new road bike with the best price/value ratio. Most important feature is fit. Buy the one that fits you the best, preferably from the dealer that gives you the best service (including fitting). Feature differences in that price range are relatively small. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
"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
|
|||
|
|||
"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
|
|||
|
|||
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" |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|