Originally Posted by
force10
Thanks guys. I guess that confirms my original suspicion. I’ll keep looking on CL.
I did stop by my local bike co-op and they had a bike about two sizes too small that I could probably get the geometry right with some creativity. Is that a bad idea?
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, it's not the best time to find a bike at a good price but just keep looking. I bought my first road bike (2010 Opus, aluminum frame, 18 speed, Alexrims) off a buy & sell site for $250 which was a steal. Rode it outside for many years but got to the point where I didn't want to keep switching from the trainer to outside so dedicated it as a sacrificial trainer bike. Worth it.
Regarding choosing a bike that's not the right fit, I would not recommend that. You end up spending a lot of time on that bike in the winter months and if it doesn't fit right, you will feel that after many hours of the same motion.