KBNYY's Intro, advice much appreciated..
Hello all! This is my first post to the forums, but I've been lurking around the past few days trying to get a better idea and feel for the site. At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot, I figured I might as well throw out some questions to see what insight you all can bestow upon me.
I have been considering joining Team In Training to prepare for a Century Ride for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,but am hesitant as to what I am possibly getting myself into. I'm in good physical shape, and with the ride being in October, I feel I have plenty of time to get into shape for the ride, but I have absolutely no clue as to how much this charity ride could end up costing me financially. With that being said, anyone have recommendations for a good cheap road bike (or hybrid??) that I should keep my eyes out for? Or is it just too much to try and find one for under $300? I really would like to do the ride as it will be personal to me, but cannot commit a lot of money to it. I'm all for getting a cheap bike and over time putting money into it and learning the tricks of the trade to try and tune it properly, but at present I can't put forth the money.
So enough rambling, is this a possibility? I have been searching for quite some time for cheap bikes, but it is like looking at a foreign language. I don't know if a $200 bike from Wal Mart would spell my doom or if it could be a great starting point. Any guidance or direction will be greatly appreciated and I truly appreciate anything you all can offer in terms of advice. Just point me in the right direction!