Why no sub $1000 bikes
 

:mad: :mad: :mad: I have been shopping for a new commuter / weekend road bike and cannot believe the prices. :mad: :mad: :mad:

I currently ride an older trek 1200 to work every day and have been looking at new bikes because
1 My bike cant wear 28c tires without rubbing
2 I would like fenders *and* 28s to fit
3 I would like a wider gear selection
4 newer sti setups are more ergonomic than my down tube setup
5 I cant put racks on my bike (no 'braze ons')

I have decided on either touring or cross bikes.

I want a bike that is road fast but allows me to install racks, fenders, and has newer technologies like sti

If a person is looking at strictly road bikes, he could pick up a decent ride like the trek 1000 for under $600. The cheapest cross bikes areTWICE that.

I looked at the Cannondale cross bike. Only available in one configuration and the only Cannondale dealer within 200 miles is asking $1350.

The Trek cross bike is around $100 cheaper but no one stocks it around here, special order only. Bike shops cant understand why I hesitate to order a bike I have never actually ridden. Wierd.

Surley web site goes on and on about how cheap the cross check is. I just left the only surley dealer in wichita: $1500. On what planet is $1500 a cheap bicycle?!?!

The only thing close I have read about under $1000 is the Bianchi Volpe. There is a bike shop only 6 blocks from my house which will order one for me. Next closest Bianchi dealer is 150 miles away. Sigh. $850 is getting reasonable, but what if I ride it and decide I'd rather just pay $500 more and get the cannondale. F@#$ing bike dealers. I dont want to get a bike based solely on what I read online. Is it too much to ask that I take the bike for a test ride?

I ride about 100 miles per week. If one more person justifies the price of a $1500 bike by telling me how much gas I'm saving I'm going to kill them. I don't cycle to save gas. I cycle because I enjoy cycling! It only takes about $6 worth of gas for me to drive the 100 miles I put on my bike weekly.

Am I crazy? Is $1500 what I should expect to pay for a bike? Is $1500 really reasonable to everyone here? Why is there no bike like the Trek 1000 with just a bit more tire clearance in the $600 - $700 range? Specialized has the Sirrus but it isnt available with drops.

Thank you for reading my rant. I'll go back to sanity now :p

Chill pill, dude.

Surly Cross-Check complete is around $800ish. QBP catalog also lists a complete version that sells for $1500ish with STI shifters and better components - they're not yanking your chain, just not showing you the entry level model.

Jamis Nova also sells for around $1K. Jamis Aurora is even cheaper (around $700ish, I think).

Fuji Touring is sub-$1K (I've seen it selling for under $800).

My Jamis Aurora was well under $1k and has everything you're talking about. I also clock 100 miles a week commuting and it's treated me very well. After a lot of research, test riding competing bikes (though not a Volpe) and gabbing here on the forums I ended up ordering one without having ridden it first, which I was a bit hesitant about but the shop I ordered from a) only required me to put down a portion and b) would have applied it to a different bike if I didn't end up wanting the Jamis -- which I did.

http://explosive.net/gallery/biking has some pics.

In Kansas, you might not have an REI store handy, but pretty soon they will start selling off their 2005 bikes at steep discounts. Picked up a Randonee (2003 retail: $800, currently $900) for $529 that way in 2003.

I got my Surly CrossX complete for 899.00......shipping and all.

Just bought a new Fuji Touring bike for $799, added SKS fenders, and it's one great bike. Has everything you're looking for at a great price.

I may be in the same position as you. I'm looking at hybrids, which are cheaper than both road and 'cross bikes yet have (almost) all of the qualities that a commuter needs. I've narrowed my search down to the Jamis Coda series. The Comp version has a steel frame and a carbon fiber fork, providing a better ride than most aluminum bikes in its class; a one-position-does-it-all flat handlebar; triple-ring Shimano XT setup; Avid canti brakes for one-finger stopping; a gel-filled seat; 700cc wheels (Mavic, I believe); and, yeah, eyelets for racks and such. My local has it for around $750. There's a Sport version, with a lower-grade set of stuff, for about $200 cheaper. That said, most bike companies are making these sport hybrids. Some are better than others, though. Hope that helps.

Hybrids?
Shave some real time off your commute and get a road bike.
I don't understand the affinity for anything wider than 700x23 on pavement.

Just go look for a good, older, used steel road bike. I bought a Panasonic Touring Deluxe a while back for 35$ and I'm in the process of getting fenders for it. Plenty of clearance. Probably a better bike than anything sub one grand nowadays. A lot of older road bikes have ample fender clearance. I'd agree with Helmet head on the road bike v. hybrid, but find the smaller tires make the ride rougher; I prefer 700x28 on urban bikes.

Now you know why most commuters have tricked out custom rigs ;). You can very easily get a road bike for $600-$800 and fit it for commuting. I have two bikes like this, one of which is a commuter. Cross bikes are more expensive because they are user specific and the market for cross bikes is smaller.

My advice is to pick up a road bike, put full fenders and a rack on it, and forget about a commuter specific bike. There is, as of yet, no such beast. Another piece of advice is to go for lesser known names in the bike world. Bianchi is known to be a bit spendy.

BR

Amen to that. Your commuter will be beat to hell anyway. This is no fairweather bike you are talking about. It is a commuter: might as well go with old technology. I ride fixed- but it sounds like you want some gears. Try an old 7 or 8 speed- and skip STIs. You want something bulletproof that can take a beating, rain or shine. Old-lugged-steel. They are almost giving these away. Modern touring bikes will often be steel anyway. Get something that you can afford to have stolen.

Cobblestones and lots of tram tracks. Not to mention the tram tracks that are on cobblestone streets! A wider tire really comes in handy when going over these obstacles.

I love my Rockhopper mountain bike in the commuter role. My only change would be the slimmer tires but I am not a speed junkie and am quite happy with my 10 to 12 MPH commute of 9 miles round trip. I also have a few curbs to jump as well as a shortcut off road so the MTB is a better choice on that route. I have $500 in it including a rack and trunk bag. I went that route to give me a duplicate of my issue police bike for personal use. Works great. I might put some fenders and skinny tires on it but for now it is a real winner.

I do have my eyes on a Specialized Allez entry road bike (about $600) to try my hand at that game. Might like it much better for the commuting role if I do the 5 mile route, road only.

There are plenty of bikes that do what you want. They might not be close to you at your LBS though. Another vote for the Fuji Touring and the Jamis Aurora. Both good bikes.
If you have a triple now and you use the low gears or the very high gears you will not like a cross bike. They are designed for Cross racing, don't have low gears like a touring bike or high gears like touring bike. A touring bike will make a better commuter and there are plenty of them in your price range. The touring bike will be better to put a rack on and will handle better with a full load.

Just go for a bike ride in Rhode Island. :D
Or any place that has snow and ice in the winter to rip up the roads.

What's wrong with a Trek 7500FX? Thin slicks, a full set of braze-ons, and a nice light frame. Is it still too "hybrid?" You could get one from nearly every Trek dealer. BTW, I got mine for $850 CDN...

If you have some mechanical ability, I'd go with the Old Steel. Find one with 27" wheels that you can swap with solid 700 wheels to get even more clearance.

The costliest thing ought to be the wheelset, but a good set is a good investment.

There's a Raleigh in my basement I picked up for 10.00 at a garage sale. I made up a list to make a good commuter bike. Goes like this:

fenders, SKS or ESKGE 40.00
new cables: 20.00
new kool-stop pads: 12.00
planet bike rack: 30.00
tires, Vittoria 35c: 40.00
chain: 20.00
wheels: there's better deals out there, but for 305.00 from peterwhite you can get LX hubs with 36H Mavic 719s,bombproof wheels for loaded touring/commuting.
I think Performance has 105 hubs with Mavic MA3s for like two hundred.

Cogset: 13-32 from Sheldon Brown for 60.00

you might want to get a good sealed headset and bottom bracket too., but price so far is about five hundred and that includes accessories you'd otherwise have to buy!

Personally, I wanted to put moustache bars on this steed which is another 70.00 plus bar end shifters, which are 60.00 for shimano (I have some old suntours) and 70.00 for the Brooks B.17.

So, you can save quite a bit of money and end up with a bike that has really awesome parts. Good luck.

Maybe I'm old, but I'm astonished by what's available today in the $500-$1000 range. These are bikes that would have cost thousands of dollars a decade ago. I remember a thread a few months back where the poster asked whether a $1000 bike today was equivalent to a Tour de France winner from 1980. The consensus was no, more like a contender but not a winner.

My custom touring bike cost me $325 and exceeds the Bianchi Volpe* in nearly every respect, particularly the drivetrain components and the premium tubing steel frame. LX derailers + brakes, 105 hubs + cassette, Mavic rims, Truvativ cranks, etc. The only thing is the Volpe has Tiagra STI while my bike has SunTour bar-end shifters.

I agree, build a custom bike. Start with a sturdy steel frame. I have a "spare" 56 cm 1980s Shogun with Tange Champion tubing in my basement, has double eyelets and touring geometry. PM me if you're near DC and interested.



* A coworker of mine rides and loves the Volpe, FWIW

I ride 'em and love 'em. With coupons you can probably get these for $140 or so. I'm 165 lbs and they give a very nice ride feel with 28 mm tires.

Nice thread, get's me excited about some bike building ideas... : )

Another shout out for the Aurora. Comes stock with 28s, braze-ons front and back, and plenty of room to clear a fender. I just picked mine up last week, but have yet to actually commute on it (maybe tomorrow). $780

I use a wheel based on these parts, and it's pretty much bombproof. If you are super picky on parts, you can go ultegra, but I really see no reason to for a commuter/general use bike.

Because the makers are convinced wannabe racers whose bikes are toys must be catered to. People who really use their bikes and value versatility are marginalized.

I would second the used idea.

The drawback is that it may take awhile to find the right bike, but you'll get so much more for your money. If you are mainly looking for a frame, you can find something more quickly.

I spent about $600 on my first commuter--a new bike--when I didn't know much about bikes. I just bought my second commuter for $350 (hardly used Bridgestone MB-1), and I'll probably put another $200 into it eventually to get it just how I want it. In the end, I'll spend $500-$600 for a bike that would cost me $1500 if I bought something comparable new.

If you don't like to work on your bike, or you need something right away, go new. If you want to get more for your money, find a quality used bike and customize as your heart desires and pocketbook allows. Personally I don't think I'll buy a new bike until I'm ready to get a custom frame. That's just my take.

On the new bike front I've only heard good things about the Bianchi Volpe. Because I get a shop discount I looked into getting one, but decided against it. Bianchi is having a hard time meeting demand with the Volpe. Not at all a bad price at $850, but still, if you have the patience, not a great deal when you consider what $850 would buy you used.

(Did anybody see the nearly mint Miyata 1000 that went for $500 on ebay a couple of days ago?)

--AK

I saw it, wanted it but didn't buy it. I've seen 'em go cheaper, tho' that was in great shape.