ozarkcdn

I've been looking at getting a hybrid and scouring the local CL - but there isn't much available where I live that's between cheap old junk and way overpriced higher end bikes. After parousing the pictures thread and seeing the awesome work some of you all have been doing with baking your own bikes - I was thinking about looking for a road bike that I could hybridize, but not sure where to start. Seems like what's needed is a flatbar, swaping shifters / front derailleur / brakes / wheels - but that could add up also so it might be better to start with a mountain bike then a wheel / tire change. Not sure if it would be cost efficient when I was looking for a $500 new bike to start with?

bikeguyinvenice

If you have a $500 budget why not just buy a budget hybrid from a local bicycle shop? For $500 I know there are plenty of bikes to choose from. It would be more cost effective than buying a used bike and customizing it to meet your needs.You might even be able to find a used bike that is a higher end model than a new lower end model.

themishmosh

You probably could find a decent used road bike easier than finding a performance hybrid. Then (assuming shimano components on the road bike) get a flatbar shifter for road like the Tiagra SL-4600, a set of brake levers, flat bar, and grips--the latter 3 being fairly cheap.