Originally Posted by
coolcrow
Hello all, I just joined this forum, and I have already learned a lot, so thanks to all who help maintain this community. Here's my situation, I am a 20 year old college student, and I'm home for summer break. I live in rural Western Illinois, and I've always enjoyed biking during the summer. This year, though, I've gotten more serious about it, and I've been going on 10 mile plus rides. I currently have a no name Wal-Mart bike, but I would like to try out my first road bike. I might also use this bike at college to bike to classes and such later this year, but I'm not entirely sure about that. Unfortunately, I'm on a very strict budget of about $250. Still, I would like to find a nice, sturdy, beginner road bike that would fit me well. I'm open to buying a new or used bike that is in good condition. I know that a personal fit is a very important part of buying a bike, but I really don't want to have to invest the money to pay for a professional fitting or pay the gas money to drive to a bike shop to have one done (the closest bike shop to me is about 45 minutes away . . . and not very good from what I've heard from a few sources). Is it really worth the money, or could I get a good enough fitting from following instructions from a website? Also, how much could a fitting cost me? To give you a good idea of my general size, I'm 6' 3" tall and 185 pounds. I also have quite long arms (I wear a 42 extra long suit jacket). I'm open to any recommendations in my general price range.
Here are a couple that I've looked at:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=3663046
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=4698938
Please don't think I'm a Wal-Mart junkie. These are just two that I've been able to check out in a store. I could also take them back if they're is something wrong. Buying online would be a bit more of a chore, but I'm more than willing to try if I find something I like. I'm open to any and all suggestions. Thank you all so much for your help in helping me develop my new hobby!
P.S. One last question. If I buy a new or used bike, would it be advisable for me to go to a bike shop and have my new bike tuned? How much could that cost me? Thanks and sorry if this post was too long.
I would get a nice 80's steel frame road bike. You can find them on craigslist and ebay. If you keep your eyes open, you can often find these at goodwill or yard sales for $10-20 in the midwest. There are a couple benefits to this: You will get a good, sturdy bike for cheap that will ride more comfortably than many modern bikes. Also, older bikes were more adjustable. They had a quill handlebar stem that can be raised or lowered. Most modern bikes don't have this accessible feature.
Try to get one that fits you. If you stand over the bike and the top tube is within a couple cm of the twins, that's a good bet.
Once you do that, don't be afriad to spend some extra cash here and there to make yourself comfy. Get gloves, shorts, a comfy saddle, etc. Reward yourself for going farther and faster and you'll be sucked in like the rest of us.