What type of bike?
 

I'm basically looking for a bike to get around.
I'll be bringing it with me to get around NYC, as well as college when I go there in ~1 year.

I'm thinking now that commuting bike (dur) are the best option, but would I benefit from a racing bike?

Oh yeah, I've only got about $500 to spend, so maybe that can narrow things down a bit.


Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.

Kona Smoke. If you need cheaper, go to garage sales.

Thanks.
Are there any other bikes similar worth looking at?

You need to figure out what you're going to do with the bike or what you're going to use it for, then ask this question again.

The Kona Smoke has fenders & is fine for commuting. It's MUCH better built than the department store bikes, and will last. It (unlike a racing bike) won't be a prime target of thieves. Ideal college commuting bike.

What do you use your bike for? Commuting, Scenic driving, mountaing biking, BMX'ing, freestyling!?

Road riding only.
There are no dirt paths or anything, I'm looking for a road bike.
I'd like everything to stay sub $500 now, so I don't need special pedals or anything for now, just a basic set up.

Thanks.

If you are looking for an urban utility/transport bike then the features that you need are:
Clearance for the widest tyres you will use.
Threaded eyelets for luggage rack and fenders.
A gearing range suitable for local conditions.
Strong wheels.
Lights/fenders/rack/lock
Lightweight enough to carry up steps.
You can do this with some older style road bikes: ones with horizontal dropouts are good candidates because you can convert them to fixed or singlespeed.
Used touring bikes have low thief-appeal.
Hub gear bikes (like the Breezer) are good for their low-maintenance and also for dynamo lighting.
How sporty or utility you want to go is up to you, bear in mind your alternate use (racing/touring/off-road). Commuter bikes are the ultimate custom bikes, build whatever you want.

I went to the store today, and the guy said I could get a Specialized Allez (I'm guessing Triple) for $700. This includes free tune ups, and labor if I buy any parts for my bike.

Is this worth it or am I better off looking elsewhere?

Allez is a popular bike. Whether it is worth it or not is a question ONLY YOU can answer, based on your projected uses of the bike. The Allez will be a twitchy-steering, race-bike type ride, and will be an attractive target for thieves.

Since the Allez doesn't allow fenders, you'll have a "racing stripe" up your back in all wet weather. You'll also have a time mounting saddlebags or baskets, if needed. If you want to eventually race, the Allez is a bargain. If you want to commute, the Allez SUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS!

Don't let the bike salesmen OR the self-styled "experts" on bikeforums.com (including ME!) tell you what to buy. Instead, analyze your needs, and buy the bike that is suited to those needs. In the end, YOU have to live with the purchase you make, day in and day out. Focus first on what you need - then on what you want.

If I was going to have just ONE bike (perish the thought) it would probably be a mountain bike. Why?

The "economics of volume" enable companies such as Trek to sell $400 mountain bikes that are better built, and more reliable than a $600 road bike. A mountain bike makes a tough, reliable urban commuter just by putting on light weight slick tires and light plastic fenders. Urban potholes that would destroy the wheels on a road bike present "no worries" to the beefy rims of a "name brand" mountain bike. The MTB is a bike that can take a beating, week after week, yey not spend a lot of time in the shop.

On week-ends, an MTB becomes a "go anywhere" bike that can handle dirt trails, by putting on fat, knobby tires. So, it can take you places that you could never go on a road bike.

Security? Mountain bikes in the $300 to $500 price range "clutter" the urban landscape, so they don't draw the eye of the "better" class of crooks...the ones that know how to open even the best locks. Road bikes have a "high end" image, in part because even "entry" level road bikes cost more than $500...a crook can get a good price for a newish road bike.

You need to budget around $600 for your first bike with gear. About $400 to $450 for the bike. You also need a Kryptonite or OnGuard U-lock, a cable lock, a good helmet, a pump, spare tubes, and a basic tool set. With reasonable care, you can get five years or more of hard daily use out of such a bike...about twenty-five cents a day for transportation, better health, and fun and relaxation. Such a deal!

Stay away from "new" bikes that sell for under $200. They are NOT a bargain...most won't last a year in hard daily urban riding.

Keep in mind NYC is the bicycle theft capital of the country, so many riders use the cheapest looking, most beat up looking bike they can find for "getting around." Anything halfway decent has a good chance of getting stolen. Personally, I'd go for an old, yet well maintained, junker.

Fantastic synopsis! Wish I'd written it! You ROCK, alanbikehouston!