Road Cycling - Thinking about getting a road bike...

Currently, I am riding a $200 schwinn "sierra" mountain bike that I got for christmas 10 years ago and would like to switch to a road bike b/c of the sluggishness of the mountain bike on pavement. I would like to spend about $500-$800 dollars. Some things that I would prefer to have on this bike are the following:

-carbon fiber front fork
-no shocks
-decent handlebars/shifters
-reliable and smooth gear system
-relatively lightweight
-a solid feel (some bikes tend to feel like your riding on 10 components which are glued together...)

is it possible to have all these things within my price range? What would be a good brand to go with? Schwinn, Motobecane? I'm not really familiar with many brand names. Thanks for any advice in advance.:)

Hey, it depends how light you want and what level of components you want. Fork 500-800 dollar price level, you can get bikes equipped with Shimano Sora and Tiagra. You can get a bike with 105 used for about 800 or so. In your price range, you should consider the Trek 1000(sora components and around 500-600 dollars), trek 1200 (tiagra and 700+ dollars), Giant OCR 3 or 2(sora and tiagra). Generally these bikes are around 24-26lbs, which isnt heavy, but not exactly light for a road bike. Personally I would spend a little extra like 1000 or 1100 and get a bike with at least 105. There is a big difference between Tiagra and 105, and that is probably worth the price difference.

Is 105 a brand name?:confused:

He means Shimano 105 components. It is a grouping that included hubs, shifters, deraillers, etc.

Fuji is making road bikes with 105 gear in the price rang that you mention. Also check www.getawaybikes.com for some good values. Best -

Time to hit the shops, ride a few bikes. Make sure you keep an eye out for a good, used bike. Also keep half an eye out for which shop you want to be yours. Service counts for a lot, and that can make a big difference in how much you enjoy the bike after you've bought it. I don't believe anyone has mentioned Felt yet, they seem to offer a lot of bike for the buck. Personally, I
don't much care for aluminum bikes. I prefer steel, or Ti.

thanks for the feedback!

Please don't let the talk about 'components' mislead you from what is really important - your comfort on the bike and the quality of the frame itself.

As always, components wear out...but your frame doesn't.