abiram

Im goingta buy my first roadbike..... not used to maintaining one so thinking about going for a cheaper one...Actually need one to go on long rides on weekends to practice for a local triathlon.....

I gotta know Kent GMC Denali Road Bike is available for 150 bucks.... Anyones got a comment on this.. Thanks for any kind of input.

Thor29

DO NOT BUY A "DEPARTMENT STORE" BICYCLE!!!!!!! The cheapest "real" road bike will cost about $550. Please go to a few different bike shops and ask some questions. I have encountered a GMC roadbike up close and it was a horrible piece of crap much better suited for use as a boat anchor. I'm not kidding. If $150 is all you can spend, start saving your money.

Elvish Legion

Lets see.

GMC Denali 'Road Bike'
Comes in one size
Is classed as a 'toy'
Has grip shifters
Has a listed weight of what 30lbs?
Is likely put together wrong

Honsetly, if you do buy it you'd be better off converting the frame to a fixie...though that may cost more than the whole bike

abiram

hmm....
thnks dude...
any models u wud recommend towards the lower spectrum of the price chart?

aadhils

Check Ebay....

chroot

Every major manufacturer puts out a low-end road bike at about the same price point, e.g. the Specialized Allez, the Giant OCR3, the Felt F70, the Trek 1000, etc.

I agree that cheapest "real" road bikes are about $500-$600. Keep in mind that triathletes don't usually use road-racing bikes, though.

- Warren

CBBaron

When I was looking around at entry level bikes I really couldn't tell the difference between all the manufactures at the $500-$600. So look for a LBS you like and/or a discount on last years model.
You maybe able to get a higher end used bike for a similar or lower price on Ebay or other used outlet like craigslist.
I've also seen some mail order companies and Ebay stores that sell decent quality off branded bikes for considerably less. Often these are nearly identical to the major brands as they are built in the same China or Tawain factory but you will not get any or very little support from the shop. An good LBS can be very helpful in getting you the right bike including getting the correct size.
Craig

Walkafire

I sure as hell would test drive a few..

500.00 to over 1,000.00 is a lot to spend on a ride you are gonna spend a lot of time in the saddle. I too have been looking for a "roadie" but I am taking my sweet old time doing so, DAYUM are those things LIGHT!

I keep wondering how frickin fast I would be on one... you see, all I have riden in the last 15 years were MTB.

When I was in my 20's, I had a Miyata (spellin?) I used to have cagers follow me to see how fast I was going, cause I would go all out... use to love the Road Bike circuit..

might have to make a jump into it again.. Spring for sure!

Az B

I found a used Trek 2120 this summer for $200. Even though it needed a little TLC, it is a far better buy that that Denali thing.

Az

s-creek-rider

I'm with Thor29 - the last thing you need on your commute is to find that that nice shiny new dept store bike, after giving you DAYS of faithful service now won';t shift properly, has ders which wont engage gears properly and simply begins to feel like, well, a $150 bike. Save your nickels for a new low end Giant, Trek or Specialized, better yet - find a good used one (though people hate to part with a good bike) and see what a good ride really feels like.

You get what you pay for. Plain and simple.

cerewa

you can get good used road bikes for as little as $5 at some garage sales; i've gotten a $20 road bike from a thrift store (value village) and a $31 road bike from a used-bike shop. In that range, you're talking about decades-old 10-speed bikes rather than 14-speed or 27-speed. For $200 you may be able to find a bike on craigslist or in your local classifieds that would be a lot closer to the $500 new road-bikes. (still not as nice of course) It's your call, but I highly recommend a used bike. Some signs of a higher-quality bike are that the cranks aren't permanently attached to each other*, the brakes don't look like they were made from a piece of sheet metal that was then bent (common on dept store bikes) and the front gears can be removed and replaced.

*'three piece cranks'

Elvish Legion

Agreed I always check out thrift town, I'm waiting to find that one gem that everyone finds.