warp9

Hi

I'm currently living in Houston; I've been a runner for a long time, and it seems that I'm getting more into biking over the years.

Right now, I have a mountain bike. It would be really nice to get a good road bike, but it is hard to be sure of the best choice. I am willing to spend a fair amount of money, yet I need to know that my money is going to make a real difference in my biking experience.

If it helps, I do plan on using my bike for events like the MS 150. It would be cool to have a somewhat decent bike for stuff like that.

Hopefully the insight of this community can be helpful in making a good decision.

East Hill

Hello warp9, you might want to check out the local Craigslist to see if there are any good used bikes that might fit the purpose. Also, visit the Texas regional forum, and see if anyone local can give you a lead.

A visit to the Classic & Vintage forum will show you that an older steel bike isn't necessarily a bad choice... .

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

warp9

Thanks for the welcome, East Hill!

I guess it is partly a matter of knowing what "fits my purpose."

Until I've spent enough time riding a road style bike to get used to the experience (different riding position, etc), even a limited amount of test riding may not really tell me all that much.

It would be bad to spend $2000 on a new bike, only to find that I could have gotten just as good a ride with an older, much cheaper, steel bike.

East Hill

Well, without knowing how tall you are, it's a bit difficult, but I just looked at IAH's CL and spotted a nice Schwinn Tempo for $150, ready to ride (complete with aerobars!), or, if you are as small as I am, a nice Giant Perigee road bike for $200...

East Hill

warp9

(FYI) Height: 5'10"

And thanks for the info, I'll have a look over on CL and check those bikes out!



Still, I should say that I do have a bit of a concern that I might be missing out on some technological improvements by going with an older bike.

Seeing statements like the following (from over in the vintage forum) makes me a bit nervous about the a vintage bike option. . . .

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/302708-riding-vintage-bike.html


Personally, I don't have an opinion on this matter---what do I know?

But I do have to make the choice.

East Hill

It does depend. If you just want a good, sturdy bike, without plans for racing, an older steel bike works perfectly. Down tube shifters are old technology, but work extremely well.

You could try PM'ing someone like bigbossman to ask him about how he retrofitted his Palo Alto frame (or, just read some of his threads).


East Hill

warp9

I did want to do some racing, so that is a bit of a concern. But it is nice to know what my options are.