Originally Posted by
Nada
Hello every body,
I am thinking of buying a road bike for my commute to college, a 16 mile commute. This will be my first bike since middle school, therefore I am looking at the bike in the $400 range since I am a beginner.
I have looked at some bikes on some websites, but don't know which is the best one since they are all close in their pricing. The bikes are the (Vilano Aluminum Road Bike 21 Speed Shimano), the (Vilano Shadow), the (Giordano Libero) and the (GMC Denali Road Bike). I know these are not the best bikes in the market, but I don't want to spend a lot of money on a bike, then find out that I am not into this sport.
Appreciate your response.
I have ridden the Denali for a year and its just fine for a commuting bike. Some color options are more expensive than others. Check out Walmart.com and Amazon. If you get the Denali you will have to assemble part of the bike yourself. Its not very hard and requires a few tools. Take it to your local bike shop and have them do a safety check on it which entails tuning the gears, and brakes. Purchase some different brake pads as well-they are the weak link on the Denali. Everything else is good to go, and will suit your commuting needs. Its a heavier road bike-you will get a better work out. Purchase a good U-lock, some lights and maybe a helmet. I had no problems rocking a backpack. I also bought a rack and some paniers,
I've had my Denali for a year and its served me well. I've done some improvements and ran into a snag with the brakes. If you can swing it-learn how to fix your own bike. I live in LA and there are two bike co'opts that are a short distance away from the light rail. They charge a small fee to use their bike stands and have helpers that show you how to do just anything in regards to fixing a bike.
The posters on this thread mean well, but have never ridden the bike and appear to be comparing it with higher end bikes which isn't fair but each to their own. Posters in other threads and on other bike forums are flat out leetist snobs. If you have any question let me know.
Grizzly907la
