Originally Posted by Maelochs

I have to disagree here simply because that is not really where you are now, and not likely where you will be.


I generally suggest buying used if and only If you are aware of all the potential problems and are fully prepared to spend the time and money to do all the potential repairs. If you are just getting back into riding, maybe you would rather buy something which worked well right out of the box and kept working well for a long time. That's your call.

Go to BikesDirect of Nashbar.com and see what you cna get for $500--$600. There are a lot of really decent bikes with decent parts which will offer you a pleasant, reliable ride for years to come.

if you can handle minor maintenance and can tell when a bike has been treated well, certainly buy used. You can get some monster deals if you are patient--and if you know enough about bikes to recognize them.