Newbie Help here
 

I joined the forum because I am looking at getting into road cycling , and possibly commuting. Do you experts have any recommendations on what I should get, I am 5' 10" with a 32 inch inseam. I want something that gives me the flexibility to throw gear on the bike to commute to work ( laptop bag or something of the sort) but also something that rides well when running on the road for a 50 km run or longer. I am also on a limited budget, I found a 02 Trek 2300 OCLV on Kijiji locally for $800 CDN but I'm not sure if that's something that would fit the bill. Also if I am looking at used bikes, what would be a reasonable price. I can see by reading some of the forums, I have a lot to learn lol.

Any recommendations on what I should be even looking for would be very helpful.

Cheers,

A

Hey, check out bike swaps. Older road bikes (70's & 80's) have eyelets for fenders and racks, and are still quite light. The steel can be spread to accomodate the wider axles for todays many cog rear ends, but I still run 2x5 speed on my 88 Bianchi strada as my primary commuter. I bought mine for $40 at a bike swap in Fredericton in 2005, I'm still riding it, having replaced both wheels, tires twice, the bar tape once, and a bunch of tubes. Pretty cheap to run. I may replace the chain and freewheel this year (~$40)
Fenders cost me $40 at MEC, rack was $10 off Kijiji.

If you're commuting, a rack and fenders trump just about everything else. If you're riding 50km by yourself, an 80's road bike is fine (look for indexed shifting on the rear - I find it's worth a lot to me). If you're with a group, it might be worth it to get something with some more ratio options or newer, depending on your fitness and vanity.

Depending on how mechanically inclined, retrogrouchy, and cheap you are, you might want to consider vintage bikes. If you think you might be one of us, check out the Classic & Vintage forum, and do a little reading/searching, then post your questions. Many of us commute on our inexpensive, custom built and self-maintained vintage bikes, which can be nearly ideal for the purpose. Welcome to BF! :beer:

Thanks for the info, I have access to some old vintage stuff around here.. I do like tinkering in the garage, I drive another 2 wheeler with a motor as well so backyard mechanics comes second nature to me. I never thought about getting 2 bikes used to fit in the budget lol...