Thread: New to cycling
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Old 08-29-16, 08:26 PM
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Kevindale
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Bikes: 1980 Koga-Miyata Gentsluxe-S, 1998 Eddy Merckx Corsa 01, 1983 Tommasini Racing, 2012 Gulf Western CAAD10, 1980 Univega Gran Premio

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A friend who was an experienced fixie rider got a Bikes Direct Motobecane and has been very happy with it. Two keys: work to get a good fit (hard to do over the internet, but not impossible) and get some help in assembling it (and perhaps taking apart the things that come assembled, regrease them, and tighten them up yourself). Having someone with experience help with this would be extremely useful. Check to see if you have a local bike coop if you don't have friends who ride a lot. The LBS can do this, but their fee will negate some of your savings.

If you take your time, you can definitely find a good road bike on Craigslist in your price range. Again, it takes some knowledge, and having the help of an experienced person is extremely useful. This is really what you're paying the LBS for when you buy a decent entry level road bike -- they'll help you find what you need, and stand behind it. If you go that route, shop all the nearby LBSs to find the one you like best. One additional advantage of going that route at this time of year is that we're coming into the season where the remaining bikes of 2016 are going on sale.
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