Originally Posted by
Bontrager
Sounds like you've never ridden a road bike. Do you know how to ride any bike? Ever used gears before?
Sounds like you haven't done enough research into buying your first road bike.
Sounds like you pretty much told the sports store sales guy you're a complete noob and he's just trying to help you out. I'm sure he could have taken your excitement and probably talked you into buying a nicer new bike that may have just been out of your price range that you'd probably scrape up $ for (did you even think about jersey, shorts, helmet, water bottles, pump, tubes, clipless pedals, shoes, etc? They add up and suddenly your $750 "cheap" road bike costs less than all the ancillary gear you bought.
Probably not but I'd start out with at least riding some bikes. Tell us more about you - how old are you? Are you athletic? Do you just want to ride on the weekends or daily to work/school?
Sounds like you should talk to the guys and gals in your local club that you want to ride with. They'll give you good advice and let you try some of their bikes. I'd be willing to bet that at least one of them has a great, maintained, used bike that would be better than anything new you can buy with the $ you have to spend to try out a sport you don't even know you'd like.
ive been riding bikes for quite a while actually, since childhood - like most people. i know how to use gears , etc. And actually, the bike that the sales guy was recommending was 3 times more expensive than the road bike (130 euro). im 26, rowed at Notre Dame, spent a yr at USNA (track team). ive always been involved in athletics and am looking for a new sport. i love bicycles. im looking for painful training and adrenaline. i want to train 3-5 times a week and eventually race.