Originally Posted by hanshananigan
...I saw an old cro-mo Murray 10-speed at a Goodwill store yesterday for $10.99. It needs probably $50 in cables, tires, etc, but the truing, frame and components look good. I'm pretty broke, and just want a road bike for exercise during the week.
Do I scrape up $400 for an entry level road bike from pricepoint.com (or a LBS), struggle to find a decent used one locally, or buy the Murray?
Used "toy" bikes are great values if you have the mechanical aptitude to work on them yourself. Otherwise, you'll rack up hundreds of dollars in parts & labor at the LBS getting it up to speed. Used "racing" bikes are a much better deal for $150-250. You can find them in the local papers, on Craigslist, fleaBay, etc. These already include the parts that you'd be buying to upgrade the commuter bike when the original parts wear out.