Introductions - Word from Wenatchee, WA

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Sparky00196
05-23-04, 11:41 PM
Word,
Hey everybody. I just signed up for this forum dealio today. I used to bike alot when I was 12-13 but then stopped for a bit. Now that gas prices are freaking high and a 17 year old gets charged an arm and a leg for car insurance, I've gotten my bike back out and started riding again. It's a 4-5 year old Royce Union full suspension bike from Sears. I like it but I'm thinking about getting a road bike (any suggestions?(up to $600)). I figure what I don't pay in car insurance I can use for a bike. That's about it. Later

khuon
05-24-04, 12:07 AM
I like it but I'm thinking about getting a road bike (any suggestions?(up to $600)). I figure what I don't pay in car insurance I can use for a bike.

$600 will get you a fairly nice entry-level bike. Check out the usual suspects: Specialized Allez Sport, Trek 1000, Giant OCR3, and Fuji Finest among others. In this price range, you'll most likely be looking at bikes with somewhat unexciting but adequate aluminum tubes (although the Fuji has a steel frame), 24-speed Shimano Sora drivetrain where it counts and house-brand components where they can shave corners by not spec'ing name-brand such as in the brake calipers. Some such as the Specialized may even come with a carbon fork which would be a nice touch. The bikes will still be a huge step up from your current one but don't expect them to be the kind that appear in the Tour de France or anything.

However, don't forget that unless you already have the recommended accessories (helmet, shoes, shorts, tools, pumps, spare tubes, etc) you may want to set aside a little bit of your budget for things other than just the bike. Mind you, these are not always necessary but are considered a good idea and if bought from the bikeshop along with the bike, you can typically save 20% on their purchase (many shops give you a 20% discount on accessories when you purchase with the bike).

Also, there are plenty of "new bike" threads on these forums so make use of the search facilities and you should be able to pick up more than a few gems of wisdom. Good luck.