i know you guys don't like people riding cheap bikes on the road, but i don't have $5000 to put into a carbon fiber racing bike, and i don't want a $900 bianchi that the local bike shop was pushing on me. the cheapest bike there was a bianchi pista at $800.
is commuting on a bike not welcome unless you spent at least a grand? does it not save any money unless i get a "quality" $1000+ bike with carbon fiber or forged alumium compoentes?
i think im better off buying a kawasaki ninja 250R for $3500, since its a little more useful than a carbon fiber trek with aerospokes and what not that everyone must have. CHEAPER TOO!
Geez, a little judgemental aren't we? Believe it or not, not everyone who rides an LBS branded bike is an arse. Most of the people here are very helpful and many started out right where you are, including me.
Forget the snobs. They are no different than the trust fund babies who think you need a Mercedes Turbo to go on a beer run. I ride 20+ year old frames, two of which are chrome-moly and I don't hang my head for anyone. You are still better off staying away from WalMart bikes, not for the snob appeal, but because they tend to be very low end and will cost you more in the end, either with repairs or early replacement. Look for a used, brand name bike like Trek, Giant, Fuji, Cannondale, Specialized, etc. I've found good used MTBs for under $100 and decent road bikes for under $250. As long as you get a good solid, straight frameset that fits you well, you can ride them for a very long time. You can even put money into repairs and refurbishing without flushing it away like you would on a department store bike. My main bike is based on a 1990s Trek 700 frameset set up as a light touring bike with midrange components. I bought the original bike in ridable condition for $35. Even with the upgrades I have less than $400 into it (way less if you consider the money from flipping a couple of donor bikes). I'll be riding this bike for many years after a new Huffy or Roadmaster would have been sold for scrap. The bike snobs might look down on my bike but I don't give a rat's arse. It's comfortable, reliable, reasonably fast for a touring bike, and I built it with my own hands.
It's not inexpensive bikes that most of the forum members warn against, it's "cheap" bikes that won't perform well or hold up. You don't save money with a cheap bike, you just spend smaller amounts over and over. If you think brand name bikes are expensive consider it this way, a soda or coffee costs $1.00 or more. For the cost of skipping one soda or coffee per day for one year you can get a very decent used bike and a helmet. After the first year you can ride your bike for a decade virtually free. If you can even contemplate spending $3,000+ for a motorcycle, you can certainly ride a quality, reliable commuter.
And don't knock those guys on the carbon fiber bikes. I purchased my used aluminum Trek 1400 from a community bicycle co-op for $200 when one of those roadies upgraded and donated three older but high quality road bikes (all Treks). It appears he even had them serviced not very long before donating them, all the bearings were freshly packed, the wheels were true, and everything was in proper adjustment. Doesn't sound like a snob to me.