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Old 04-14-17 | 03:47 PM
  #10  
HTupolev
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Joined: Apr 2015
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From: Seattle
Originally Posted by AnnieD
Initially I was hoping for 1000-1200$ but from what I'm seeing in my local "used" adds this may not be enough.
What to you is "enough"?

Functionally, there's not a huge amount of difference between road bikes of different tier.
Higher-quality parts tend to weigh less, but the total weight of the bike is a small fraction of the bike+rider system; cutting several pounds off a bike might make the bike feel much lighter, but the actual speed difference ascending a steep hill is on the order of one or two percent. Higher-quality parts can have reduced friction losses in the bearings and drivetrain, but these losses are very small even on bottom-end systems. Sometimes paying more will get you parts that are more aerodynamic, but similar to weight, the vast majority of aerodynamic drag on the bike+rider system is coming from the cyclist. Higher-end groupsets can have a lighter and crisper tactile feel, but even Shimano's bottom-end Tourney stuff manages to shift just fine if it's kept in adjustment. Higher-end systems tend to have more cogs on the rear cassette, but even vintage 6-speed freewheels can be quite capable if you couple them with a triple crankset.
The main things a road bike needs to do are allow you to pedal comfortably in a reasonably-aerodynamic road posture, provide the gears that you need for the terrain that you'll be riding, and be equipped with road-oriented tires. And even entry-level bikes can provide those things.

I don't really want to dissuade you from looking into good stuff, because good stuff is good.

But.

The "never go below 5800 105" and "you need a carbon fiber frame" people largely don't know what they're talking about and/or are trying to sell you something.

Don't worry about arbitrary quality cutoffs, get what you want.
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