Originally Posted by
cougarkite
Thanks for the Raleigh links! Also, don't know much about components in regards to how good they are...should I just be doing research on each individual bike or are there some brands I can just assume are good?
For the Raleigh bikes- Claris shifting is entry level and will have 8 cogs in the back. Sora is lower middle level and will have 9 cogs in the back.
Both are going to work just fine.
For used bikes- its buyer beware. I would research each bike and whats on it. Every common bike brand(meaning the large ones) is just like Chevy- they have a product line that runs a wide spectrum on price and quality. Just because you get a Trek or Giant doesnt mean much- its the frame and what hangs off it that makes the bike a good choice.
Likewise, there are a lot of house brands/perimeter brands like Diamondback, Novara, Jamis, etc etc which are every bit as good as the large names and they dont have the same cache due to what is written on the downtube.