Road Cycling - Why are entry road bikes so much more expensive...

Why are entry road bikes so much more expensive then and entry Mtn bike. I have a mtn bike and love riding on the trials, but have been looking for a road bikes at the local bike shops, and the cheapest ones they have are in the 550$ to 600$ range. Thats alot of money to spend on your first bike in a new sport. Ive been looking at used ones on ebay but since i know very little about road bikes i dont want to purchase a crap bike. Im just complaining now i guess since I saw the giant ocr 2's( nice looking bike in my price range) and will not beable to purchase one till I get the wifey 2 new bedroom sets of furniture. :mad:
Well unless i see a cheap one on ebay. :D thanks.

MTBs were more popular and thus in higher demand throughout the 1990s. This encouraged component manufacturers to create a plethora of lower end parts thus reducing cost of materials. Road bikes only remained popular amongst the more hardcore cyclists who were willing to pay for higher end stuff. However, I can see a definate trend towards a revitalisation of the roadbike market so they've gradually been coming down in price. I remember paying close to $800 for an entry level Specialized Allez with Shimano RX100 (non-STI) back in 1993.

look used! check your local boards or craigslist... my friend just picked up a pristine 2003 trek 1000 for 180$!!! the only problem with it is that it was missing a rear tire... haha... got it from one of those guys who plan to ride, but end up never doing so

I see where a lot of people say to look for used bikes for their first. I wanted to remind everyone to also look for the year-end closeouts. They can be a huge money saver. I found an OCR2 on a year-end close-out where the LBS had knocked off about $300. Then, I talked him into knocking off another 10% on top of that. Just b/c it was last year's style and the new ones were coming out. It seems that bikes can be negotiated a lot like cars.

The only bad thing about year-end close outs - sometimes it can be hard to find the right size in the exact bike you want. I shopped about 5 stores and 3 different bike brands b/f I found mine!

Good luck!

I agree with Spack, year end deals and also buy in the winter months, dont pay
sticker price. I'd stay away from used at your/my level, i appreciate having my
bike shop to take my bike to for tune-ups and all GBY

I think the higher demand comment is correct. Also, it depends what you mean by expensive. My lbs has these $700.00 to $800 Shhwinn Road bikes with nice frames that are very well equipped. You get one of these with the proper frame fit so that you can change out components to adjust the fit as you adapt to riding, these bikes will last you a long time. A too cheap bike won't and will therefore cost more in the mid term.

I started out in the $1100 range and I'm glad I did.

Al

Fuji do some reasonable entry level road bikes at $3-400, but if this is your price range, it may pay to investigate a much better used bike.

definitely opt for better equipped bike, i kinda regretted i didn't go for s105 component...

well...maybe i will upgrade later once i get into a better shape

Be patient and watch for good used deals. I just picked up an '85 Trek 460 which back then was their entry level road racer....light, lively and good equipment. You really dont want to know how much I paid for it.




Well ok....it was given to me when it didn't sell (it's in primo shape, too).






Olds

Thanks for the replies. Since i live right next to a mtn i mtn bike around 3 times a week. I dont know how much time i would spend on the road bike especially since none of my friends have a road bike. Also need to spend some time with the famiy or i would never see them. Its hard to believe how much time cycling takes up. :D. What do you guys think of the tommaso carpi bike? Its a very entry level bike on ebay for approx 400$ shipped.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3689378826&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

Check out the Bulletin Board at your LBS, or talk to people on group rides. I am riding a Felt F65 right now that I picked up from a guy that put 120 miles on before deciding that he didn't like it. It was the owner of the LBS that told me about the bike mainly because I had come in to ride their bikes every couple of weeks. I was able to get it for $600. At the end of the year I will be purchasing my next bike, a Felt F35 from a guy that I ride with every week in the group rides at the LBS. I think that buying a used bike from someone is a great way to go, and you can get a great deal on it too!

Thanks for the replies. Since i live right next to a mtn i mtn bike around 3 times a week. I dont know how much time i would spend on the road bike especially since none of my friends have a road bike. Also need to spend some time with the famiy or i would never see them. Its hard to believe how much time cycling takes up. :D. What do you guys think of the tommaso carpi bike? Its a very entry level bike on ebay for approx 400$ shipped.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=7298&item=3689378826&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I ride a Tommaso AS1. The frame is as Chinese as you're gonna find yet it's nice (probably slightly more than 3 lbs with a carbon fork). The components are decent (Tiagra/105). The original wheels sucked as did the pedals and saddle. I replaced all of these parts (mavic open pro wheels, Thompson seatpost and Fizik saddle) and still spent less than $600. The Capri you're looking at is a heavier frame and uses cheaper components (Sora). The bike and components will last as long as you take care of them but I would go in with full knowledge that the bike can potentially be a limitation to performance as you get fitter.

-mark