General Cycling Discussion - Need advice!

Hi! I am interested in cycling. Currently I have a cheap mountain bike from wal-mart that is falling apart :( and I'd like to buy a good beginner road bike but have no clue what kind to get. I want a good quality bike but don't want to pay too much... under $500. I am 5'3". Any advice on which brand to get, what size, what type of frame...? Thanks :)

http://www.fujibikes.com/road/bike.asp?category_short_name=road&myArray=87,88,89,90,91,92,93,102,94,95,96,103,97,104,106,99,98,100,105,101,107,108,109,112,110,111,1 13,114&myArrayID=13&yr=2004# (http://)
would this be a good bike?

I have been dealing with much the same issues as you are, though i think my budget is a little h igher. I am a petite 5'0" and in the market for a road bike. We have been discussing alot of good bikes on the thread titled looking for advice. You may want to look there.

If you are looking to buy a road bike.. its gonna be a stretch to find a bike for less than 500 NEW. I'd suggest getting fitted for a road bike at a professional bike shop and looking for last years models, or people who are looking to upgrade and selling the bike cheap.

You may or may not have trouble finding a bike that fits properly. Allot of smaller women have alot of trouble finding smaller bikes that fit properly. Again this is discussed in many of the threads here.

Why are you thinking about a road bike? What sort of riding are you planning on doing. If your just going to take it out every now and again, a hybrid or a so called comfort bike may be a better bet. (though most people who truly cycle get frustrated with these quick) But you can get a nice bike for much cheaper.

Yes the fuji bikes are usually alot of bang for your buck.. The link is not working soo i dont know what model you are looking at.

There should be a lot of information on the thread i started.

Giant ORC, another reasonable brand

Good Luck

-KL

I dealt with the Wal-mart bikes, assembled by people far less than pros.
I returned it and went to my local bikeshop and bought a Trek 4100 which is not an
expensive bike but it certainly works well. I paid far less than retail and considering the service i get from the bike shop it's actually cheaper than a Wal-mart bike.
Buying a bike is kind of like buying a car, dont pay the sticker price and buy from a store who services what they sell.

Check out the Trek FX series hybrids or the Specialized Sirrus hybrids. Both will feel like road bikes, but you will have more upright, comfortable seating. Trek uses a MTB frame geometry. Both have 700cc wheelsets like a road bike. Both have flat handlebars, but you can add barends to vary your hand position. Chances are good to find one in your proper size.

Or like someone said, get a lower end Trek MTB, and put slicks on it. Still a better ride than a Wally World special.

What kind of riding are you looking to do?

Try Fuji. They have good road bikes that are soft on the budget.

I would NEVER go with a hybrid again. If you intend on doing some serious mileage, your body will thank you for it!

Koffee

"What kind of riding are you looking to do?"
I'd like to ride for and hour every day just for fun and to get some exercise

Sorry about the link...I'll try again http://www.fujibikes.com/road/bike.asp?category_short_name=road&myArray=87,88,89,90,91,92,93,102,94,95,96,103,97,104,106,99,98,100,105,101,107,108,109,112,110,111,1 13,114&myArrayID=13&yr=2004
If the link still doesn't work the bike is a Fuji League. Would this bike be a good bike to start with or would it be better to spend a little more for another?

I just got my first road bike, last year's model Bianchi Brava, for just over $600 (that included the custom hub/rear wheel). I'm quite pleased with it. IMO checking for the last year's model at bike shops is the way to go; the smaller sizes are usually the ones still in stock, either at the shop or available through the distributor.

A basic mountain bike's good if you don't intend on being too serious with it. Have the bike shop replace the stock tires with some semi-slick tires and you're good. Something like the Trek 820 or specialized hardrock can be had for around $300.
If you're willing to move on up to about $600, you can get a baseline road bike which provides a faster ride and more positions to ride in though it'll be more hunched over than a mountain bike.
Hybrids do a little of both but aren't good in any one specific area.