Introductions - New guy with a question

First I'd like to start by saying hi...there, now that is out of the way. :rolleyes:

I used to play college baseball and that was my means for keeping myself in shape (I was a pitcher, so I became very acquaited with the roads on my long runs after my pitching appearances), but now that I've used up all of my NCAA eligibility I've decided to take up cycling in order to keep myself in good shape.

Here's the deal, I bought a very, very cheap bike to begin with just because I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy cycling or not. It's a cheap Schwinn that I purchased at Target for approximately $200, so I'm sure it has pretty low quality components all around.

I've actually taken quite the liking to cycling, and am wanting to upgrade to a nicer bike sometime in the near future because I makes sense to me that a more expensive bike would theoretically perform better, correct? But I'm not quite sure on all the mechanics of how the road bikes work--exactly how do the more expensive bikes perform better then the cheap bike I am tooling around on right now? Is it just a smoother ride or is there more to it then that?

And I think the most I'm willing to spend on a bike at the moment considering I'm still a student would be about $800 or so, if any of you have any suggestions for what I ought to look into in that price range please feel free to put your input in.

This message turned out to be a lot longer then I expected it to, but hopefully some of you can help me out and hopefully you'll be seeing more of me around the forums from time to time.


**EDIT: thought I'd throw out there I'm interested in Road Bikes at this point in time, I just realized I forgot to mention that in the post.

If you can handle it:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=237231

It's a very interesting discussion (rather heated at times) over that very thing.

Otherwise, you can look at Craigslist in your area for a good used bike--where do you live, and do you know what size bike you ride?

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

Welcome to BF.

For $800 you can get a decent entry level road bike -- NEW -- not used.
Check with a few bike shops near you and see what they have to offer.
At the shop I work at we have 3 road bikes in the $650-$800 price range.

Welcome to BF.

For $800 you can get a decent entry level road bike -- NEW -- not used.
Check with a few bike shops near you and see what they have to offer.
At the shop I work at we have 3 road bikes in the $650-$800 price range.

And when Ron says decent, he means nicer than the Denali :p . There's a lot to be said for getting a decent new bike, especially if you have not had much exposure to good bikes, and aren't certain what to look for.

East Hill

OK, thanks guys. So would you say that since I'm pretty new to the cycling scene I should focus on purchasing a bike directly from a shop and avoid buying online? I would imagine if I bought the bike from a shop they'd tune it so it would perfectly fit me, right? Whereas if I bought online, I don't know the first thing about fine tuning a bike.

There are quite a few discussions on that subject, but my personal view is that certainly for a first time buyer you would be MUCH better off purchasing in a shop--especially if your shop is halfway decent.

Fitting can be tricky, because there are so many variables involved. Once you become familiar with bikes, you could possibly venture online, but I'd stick with the LBS for the moment. Additionally, an on-line purchase will still have to be put together by a bike shop, unless you are prepared to do it yourself (not that difficult, but still needs to be done, and you may not have all the tools). If so, some local bike shops are not especially keen on doing the job for you...

Check with your regional forum to see what bike shops the locals recommend.

East Hill

OK, thanks guys. So would you say that since I'm pretty new to the cycling scene I should focus on purchasing a bike directly from a shop and avoid buying online? I would imagine if I bought the bike from a shop they'd tune it so it would perfectly fit me, right?
True.


Whereas if I bought online, I don't know the first thing about fine tuning a bike.
Bikes purchased online come in a big box and YOU get to assemble the pieces. :o

Greetings LL, my advice....read. There is a lot more to cycling than pedaling along the road. Learn as much as you can about how the different components work. This forum is a great place to start. You are in for a LOT of fun. talofa

I just wanna thank you all for your help thus far. I appreciate it.

I figure I'll continue to ride my cheap road bike that I have right now for another month or so and then look into getting something a bit nicer once I get a bit of money set aside for it.

Again, thanks.

Trek makes some very respectable frames that, when fitted out, will end up around $800 if you go to a LBS and are willing to buy last year's model (usually just means the paint).

Before I purchased my Cannondale I was stuck between it, and a couple Trek's.

Find the guy who knows road bikes (most LBSs usually have one - the rest around here anyway tend to be MTB'ers). When he starts talking about the time he biked through Chille starting in Alaska just smile and nod. When he trys to sell you on the $2000 wheelset act interested. Eventually he'll start trying to sell you a $12000 bike. Sound really interested. Then comment that you'll need to come back for that one but in the mean time you want to get a bike for your son who is exactly the same measurements as you, then buy that bike.

haha, well the catch is that i'm only 23 Bella and look pretty young for my age as well. that having a son who is the same measurements as me wouldn't work at all, but it was a novel idea though. :p

haha, well the catch is that i'm only 23 Bella and look pretty young for my age as well. that having a son who is the same measurements as me wouldn't work at all, but it was a novel idea though. :p

Okay then... it's a Godson, nephew, really good friend, priest... be creative.

The important thing is to get the roadie talking. He'll talk about stuff that's crap, stuff that's okay, and stuff that's only acceptable because he doesn't have the money to build his own chainring out of carbon fiber and (insert exotic material here). Buy the "stuff that's okay". The stuff that a roadie in an LBS says is okay is actually great kit... remember, they get somewhere between a 20-40% discount to buy carbon everything*.

With a $800 budget you can get a very servicable and completely respectable bike... especially if you make friends with the guy at the shop. If you're a girl you can usually turn a pretty decent discount on accessories also (edit = *especailly sports bras - ladies, just try it... they're bike geeks but they're still geeks*).

*Why I've thought about taking a weekend job for a few months at an LBS - (edit = *the bras also*).

Anyway, good luck on whatever you decide to purchase. Happy biking.

"exactly how do the more expensive bikes perform better then the cheap bike I am tooling around on right now?"

I can't speak for your bike. But first off, $200 is not real cheap. Yes, it's cheaper than $800 but consider you can buy a new bike with theoretically the same functions for $80 or $100.

Anyway, my experience with the $100 mountain bike: I just got through replacing the rear wheel for the second time. I've never actually used it for "mountain biking", latest thing that did it in was just a leisurely slow trip across a grassy field, but that was enough. I can adjust the cables on the gearing to get it into high gear or low, but not usally both at the same setting. Shifting does not sound pretty. Brakes are pretty minimal at best. Open them out enough so they don't rub, and you just about don't have enough travel to clamp them down. It's developing a couple of squeaks. Replacing the wheel is a pain because of the way the derailleur thingamabob attaches. I think I had to replace both inner tubes shortly after I bought it. Now, some of these problems could be improved with better maintenance (but then again, if I knew any better, I wouldn't be riding a $100 bike, would I?), some could be improved with a lighter rider, but some of that is just low quality. And heaven forbid I should ever try to jump that thing over a stump, I'd be carrying it home in pieces if I wasn't maimed myself.

I can't speak for your bike. But first off, $200 is not real cheap. Yes, it's cheaper than $800 but consider you can buy a new bike with theoretically the same functions for $80 or $100.

Anyway, my experience with the $100 mountain bike: I just got through replacing the rear wheel for the second time. I've never actually used it for "mountain biking", latest thing that did it in was just a leisurely slow trip across a grassy field, but that was enough. I can adjust the cables on the gearing to get it into high gear or low, but not usally both at the same setting. Shifting does not sound pretty. Brakes are pretty minimal at best. Open them out enough so they don't rub, and you just about don't have enough travel to clamp them down..


First of all, $100 for a road bike is just about impossible, the OP mentioned he was shopping for a roadie not a MTB. Even if you picked a road bike out of the trash (hell, even if you pulled a 1980 Shwinn english racer 3-speed* from the trash) you'd probably end up dropping more than $100 restoring it. Prices are very different between MTB and road.

The main difference is the quality of products. What you're going to get for $150 from Target or $300 from Dick's is much different than what you're going to pull from the LBS for even $600. $600-$800 is pretty much entry level for a road bike, yeah - you can get cheaper but it's going to be... well... cheaper.

When you're 60 miles into your dream century, or leading a pace line for the last 5 miles you need to trust in your gear. You can't be thinking about how your next shift is going to be "not pretty". When a car cuts you off in an intersection because (he claims) he didn't see you you can't wonder if your "minimal" brakes are going to make muster. At 25 MPH in the flats not trying to clear a stump but just to make it around that hair-pin ahead without spilling.

There's more differences between a $100 road bike and a $600 bike then I can detail here. Stiffer frame, better components, more comfortable ride, etc.

Shopping for a road bike? Get on a frame at the bottom of your price range at a LBS, ride it on a test ride for as long as they'll let you. Ride another bike. Then another. Find another one after that. Then drive 50 miles to go to a different LBS and ride all their frames. Eventually you'll find you're willing to pay a few hundred over the low end of your price range. When you find one that works for you, buy it... use credit if you have to. You're starting out, there's no need to buy the 100% carbon frame but on a roadie you'll know the difference.

If you're looking for a MTB, you can get away about half the price for a fine bike. If you're really looking to go cheap I've known a lot of people who've built some impressive fixed gears/"track bikes" for less than $50 - although LBS prices tend to run around $500 - $750.

*If you did pull one from the trash and would like to sell it, please let me know.

Before you spend $600 - $800 on a new bike spend a bit on tools. Spoke wrench, cone wrenches, hex key set, cable cutters. Then go to the Park Tool or Sheldon Brown website and get everything adjusted on your current bike so you know what makes it work. These tools will be good for your new bike.

Welcome to bikeforums.
Be careful, the road forums are rude.