Road Cycling - bike suggestions

let me start out by saying I have always had a mountain bike. And until recently really liked having a mountain bike. Lately though I have been taking my tank of a bike for longer exscursions and I think I would be better off with a road bike. I am completely new to the whole road bike thing so I am asking for some suggestions. I have a small budget, about 500 bucks and would be willing to cosider a used bike. Please any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

James

$500=EBay

I have a small budget, about 500 bucks and would be willing to cosider a used bike.

I assume you mean CAD500. I would suggest a used bike from an LBS... especially if you don't know anything about road bikes. If you really want new then you might be able to pick up a decent entry level bike from Fuji (Fuji League) or Ironhorse. Expect unexciting 7000-series aluminum or cro-mo steel frames and forks, Shimano Sora level components (8-speed) and probably a triple-crank. Brakes will be Tektro and expect the weights to be in the mid-20s. They're not bad bikes (I do like the Fuji) but they're nothing that will turn heads either. They will however get you on the road. If you can bump your budget up by another CAD100 then you might be able to pull off a carbon fork and possibly a 9-speed drivetrain. What I would do is hit a few manufacturer websites and look for their low-end roadbike models. Then see if the website has a link to local bikeshops/dealers or look them up in the phonebook. Then spend a day and visit a bunch of shops to try them out. At that pricerange, components will be pretty much on par with one another. Also, bear in mind that coming from a MTB background, your position on a pure roadbike will be different. You may even find that initially you aren't as comfortable on a roadbike and can't actually ride faster or longer. This will change over time as your body adjusts to the different position.

Ack... disregard what I said about price. I saw Vancouver and thought north of the border. For USD500, you can definately get something with a nicer frame and carbon fork. I would still look at Fuji, IronHorse (Triumph and Triumph Comp) and maybe Giant. Also look at 2003 closeout models. The only thing about Giant to watch out for is that they only come in limited sizes. But if you happen to fit one then they offer a pretty good bang-for-buck.

Although slightly out of your price-range, if you can manage to bump up your budget a little, Trek (Trek 1000) and Specialized (Specialized Allez Triple) are quite nice bikes.

let me start out by saying I have always had a mountain bike. And until recently really liked having a mountain bike. Lately though I have been taking my tank of a bike for longer exscursions and I think I would be better off with a road bike. I am completely new to the whole road bike thing so I am asking for some suggestions. I have a small budget, about 500 bucks and would be willing to cosider a used bike. Please any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

James

You need to factor in the needed accessories into your budget. I would think you would want at least:

1) A helmet for obvious reasons.

2) Stuff to repair flats - tire irons, hand pump, and spare tube and bike bag to stick em all into.

3) a floor pump to pump up the tires and a set of allen wrenches for adjustments.

4) a pair of bicycle shorts.

5) a water bottle and cage to hold it in.

Getting a used bike, gives you the most bang for your buck. But the single most important thing on a bike is fit. Also to get a good used bike, you need to know something about cycling - what size to get, what a good deal is and enough about the mechanics to know if the bike is in good shape.

You might try a local bike club and think of joining one. Often there are club members with old bikes that are just sitting around and taking up space that they are willing to sell pretty inexpensively. Also most club members are very willing to help and encourage new members.