Introductions - In need of road bike advice

I've had a Cannondale M400 mountain bike for the past 6 years but have just moved to Boston and am in need of something more city-suitable. I'm considering either a road bike or what I've seen call an "urban" bike. I think I'd prefer a road bike though--but not a racing bike. I'm looking for something used and around $250-300, fairly lightweight (have to lug it up my building's stairs) and 56cm (21"). Any direction would be much appreciated. Thanks! David Smith

You might want to consider something like a Bianchi Volpe or even a cyclocross bike. You get something a little more sturdy, yet with the road bike type of set up and style. Try Craigslist or Ebay.

Hey, welcome to the forums (I'm new as of today also :) )

I haven't had too many bikes, but from personal experience, I must say the bike I currently own
will suit your needs - a Trek 7200FX. However, the 7200 is a year old, and you'll probably find a newer
version in your local bike shop called the 7.2 FX (they changed the name).

Trek calls the FX bikes "fitness hybrid bikes", but they can be very useful if you attach a rear rack and some lights - some things that most people will use on a commuter bike.

As for the ride, my 7200 came with a really good Bontrager seat and seatpost which had a shock built into it, so your butt is cushioned :D Because I'm in Michigan and the streets are pretty cracked up, I usually commute with the tires just slightly lower than I would normally have them, as to allow them to absorb some road noise while not damaging the rims. The best thing, though, is that the bike is a sturdy and structurally sound commuter bike that allows me to hit the roads for a workout on the weekends, utilizing its "fitness" aspect.

I bought the 7200 about four or five months ago, and it has been really good for me. However, I'm sure other suggestions for bikes will come from much more experienced riders if you put your question in another section of bike forums.

Good luck!

kill.cactus

Oh, and here is a picture of the 7200FX:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kill_cactus/220176559/

There is another in my photostream somewhere but I'll leave it to you to find it if you want.

Check out the Roadie forum, there's some stickies on inexpensive road bikes although for your budget, you might want to check out Craigslist and eBay and look around at the garage sales and Salvation Army. Good luck and welcome to BF!

The Kona Smoke can be had for about $350. This bike features a steel frame. Strong for commuting.

Check the website for closest dealer.

http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=344&parentid=253

The Trek FX or the Kona Smoke would make great commuters. You can put racks and fenders on both.

The FX uses the larger road wheels with narrower tires; my wife's are 700 x 32's.

The Kona Smoke uses 26" mtb. wheels with 1.5" wide slicks for road riding. The FX should be faster but maybe not as comfy on the bumps.

The FX's gearing is better for the road while the Smoke has such low gearing it should be able to climb cliffs and stuff. FX definitely faster here but gearing still low enough to handle the hills.

Ride them both and lots more bikes. Get what fits best and is the most comfortable. If it's not comfortable you won't ride it.

Oh, and welcome to Bike Forums.

I have a trek fx bike as well. I have the fx3.5- nice aluminum frame and decent components. It's perfect for urban riding and one could throw lighter weight wheels on it to speed it up a bit.

A note - although it is probably too late - the FX is more comfortable when you have a seatpost with a spring or shock. It doesn't make it super better, but it helps :)