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what to look out for in a used road bike
Good day,
Recently I test rode a few entry-level road bikes at $600-$800, but I could not decide if I would keep riding. I think another option is to spend $200 or less on a cheap road bike as a starting point. I figure, after a few months riding it, I will know if cycling is for me and what to look for in a road bike. It is possible that I may not upgrade the cheap bike as I am not after the latest technology. For example, I don't quite care the newer derailleurs and STI shifters as long as the drive train is decent. What vintage am I looking at? What parts should I look out for? Or will I be better off buying a new bike? TIA, -AG |
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I do ride an old Trek 720 hybrid. I have not tried a road bike yet.
I have the motivation, I know. I do not mind index shifters. I do not use shifters much. When they annoy me, I will get rid of them and ride a single-speed. -AG Badger_South wrote in message . .. On 12 Oct 2004 11:44:09 -0700, (AG) wrote: Good day, Recently I test rode a few entry-level road bikes at $600-$800, but I could not decide if I would keep riding. I think another option is to spend $200 or less on a cheap road bike as a starting point. I figure, after a few months riding it, I will know if cycling is for me and what to look for in a road bike. It is possible that I may not upgrade the cheap bike as I am not after the latest technology. For example, I don't quite care the newer derailleurs and STI shifters as long as the drive train is decent. What vintage am I looking at? What parts should I look out for? Or will I be better off buying a new bike? TIA, -AG What passion! (not). This is a clear departure to the "I'm just getting back into biking and want the best bike for the $$ and I want to ride fast!" type questions. So let's say you get a bike that's cheap and rides down the road straight without falling apart and you can work the rusty riction shifters adequately. How is that gonna help motivate you to ride more? All other things being equal, I must say that unlike any other improvement in the past 20 years, indexed shifters must be tried to be believed. Try riding some road bikes in a higher price range, just to get the feel of excellent shifters. I mean it's free. Why pick the lowest level to try out? I'd imagine a lot of people go ride a new bike and pick a cheap one and are not impressed, and then ride one set up for entry level racing (about 1200 bucks) and are -very- impressed, and end up spending more money with a smile. You'll learn more test riding more types and price ranges of bikes than by asking here, imo. ;-) Having said that, 'biking' is not all about the bike. If you don't come into biking with some excitement, say with being 'human-powered', or with seeing the sights at 20mph, or the physical thrill of riding fast and hard, or at least a desire to save money commuting, then why are you bothering? Biking is fun. Get the best equipment you can afford that won't hold you back, while still being durable and reliable. A used bike may wear you down with frequent repairs. Make the path to the biking habit be that of the -least- resistance; optimize every possible angle to allow yourself to get 'hooked'! -B |
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You bring up some very good points, Badger. If you're the type of person who
is going to look at the bike with all its nicks and dings, then a $200 bike is about $175 too expensive. On the plus side, if you have the money and can buy a $1000-1200 bike, you will be able to recoup some of your outlay should you find you're not riding it. That's why we have eBay... I have had crappy bikes in my life, prior to now. I just got one of those "entry-level racing bikes" and I am indeed "-very-" impressed. The excitement/passion/drive to be "human-powered" probably came first, but this fine piece of machinery is only adding fuel to the fire. If I could somehow work out the commuting thing, I'd be a very happy man! I did spend more money, and am smiling for it. "Badger_South" wrote in message ... I'd imagine a lot of people go ride a new bike and pick a cheap one and are not impressed, and then ride one set up for entry level racing (about 1200 bucks) and are -very- impressed, and end up spending more money with a smile. You'll learn more test riding more types and price ranges of bikes than by asking here, imo. ;-) Having said that, 'biking' is not all about the bike. If you don't come into biking with some excitement, say with being 'human-powered', or with seeing the sights at 20mph, or the physical thrill of riding fast and hard, or at least a desire to save money commuting, then why are you bothering? Biking is fun. Get the best equipment you can afford that won't hold you back, while still being durable and reliable. A used bike may wear you down with frequent repairs. Make the path to the biking habit be that of the -least- resistance; optimize every possible angle to allow yourself to get 'hooked'! -B |
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On 12 Oct 2004 22:24:11 -0700, (AG) wrote:
I do ride an old Trek 720 hybrid. I have not tried a road bike yet. I have the motivation, I know. I do not mind index shifters. I do not use shifters much. When they annoy me, I will get rid of them and ride a single-speed. -AG Hi, if you don't "use shifters much", odds are you are not making the most of what your bike is capable of. Multi-speed bikes, particularly modern 8-9-10 [16,24-18,27- 20,30] speed ones, have the advantage of allowing you to always being in the optium gear. Here is a website, with lots of really good info and much of it, is helpful to more than just beginners. http://www.sheldonbrown.com/beginners/index.html Be sure to read the section on "Gear Shifting". Three years ago, I got back into biking after taking about 25 years off. The first year back, I rode my old 10-speed, changing nothing but tubes and tires. The second year back, I had my LBS install index shifting, in this case, using thumb shifters, on the bars. It improved my level of both performance and enjoyment. Mid-season of my second year[2003] back, I bought a new 2002 LeMond Tourmalet, a 9 speed triple. I love the close ratios, that are available, I even swapped out the 25-12 cassette for a 25-14. The modern day brifters with indexing, make shifting a breeze. Life is Good! Jeff |
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Having said that, 'biking' is not all about the bike. If you don't come
into biking with some excitement, say with being 'human-powered', or with seeing the sights at 20mph, or the physical thrill of riding fast and hard, or at least a desire to save money commuting, then why are you bothering? I agree, sort of, but a lot of that excitement won't come until you try it. When I got into it, it was because I moved to a bike-friendly town and saw a lot of other people doing it. I thought, "hey, it might be fun to try riding a bike again, now that I've got safe places to ride." I rented a bike and it seemed more like play than exercise -- it was fun! So I bought a bike. I enjoyed it enough that first year that I wanted to start riding it to work. So I became a bike commuter. And so on. At this stage, I think the most important thing is comfort - and that means finding a bike that fits, whether it's a road bike, a mountain bike, a hybrid or a cruiser. If you're comfy, riding is a pleasure. JR |
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(AG)
wrote: Good day, Recently I test rode a few entry-level road bikes at $600-$800, but I could not decide if I would keep riding. I think another option is to spend $200 or less on a cheap road bike as a starting point. I figure, after a few months riding it, I will know if cycling is for me and what to look for in a road bike. It is possible that I may not upgrade the cheap bike as I am not after the latest technology. For example, I don't quite care the newer derailleurs and STI shifters as long as the drive train is decent. What vintage am I looking at? What parts should I look out for? Or will I be better off buying a new bike? In the sub-$200 price range you'll probably end up with a late '80s or early '90s vintage bike. Watch out for- and avoid- cottered cranks, chromed steel rims, and centerpull brakes. You could just replace/upgrade those components but since you're unsure if you'll even continue riding I'm pretty sure you don't want to have to become a bike mechanic just to try riding. Besides, if you live in a major metropolitan area you should have no problem finding a used sub-$200 bike with more modern componentry. Regards, Bob Hunt |
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