I've been biking for a couple months now, and I'm hooked- However, I'm currenty stuck atop a 35 lb. target schwinn, that's too small for me, and doesn't have nearly enough of a gear range for me (I only use the highest 2 gears, and even then, it's too slow for me- I feel like I'm stuck in third gear on the freeway).

I'm trying to rationalize dropping ~$800 on a real road bike, but of course, I have my hesitations. I'm really enjoying cycling, but since I haven't even been riding a real bike, I can't say I can really appreciate the experience of true road riding. I don't have any interest in offroad riding, so the type of bike isn't an issue, but I guess whether I'll stick with it or not concerns me.

I currently ride my bike to work, and I want to continue that, plus go on some longer rides in the evenings and weekends. I've been test-riding some bikes, and man do they feel sweeeeet. I live in New Orleans, so locking new expensive bike outside of work scares me a bit.

Nonetheless, I've pretty much made up my mind to dive in, but come on folks, tell me what I want to hear! Tell me why I shouldn't think twice about it!

you need the bike and the bike needs you. you are helping the economy with your purchase. you will save electricity at home and gas on the road by being out on your bike. you will live longer and be happier doing so. sorry i can't help you rationalize your purchase.

You are going to spend many, many hours in the saddle of that bike: grueling, miserable, joyous, triumphant hours. You are going to put in a lot of effort to make yourself fast, or to cover a lot of ground.

If you're going to ride hard, or ride a lot, then you need a good tool for the job. You need a bike that fits you and is reasonably durable and light. Your budget will allow you to obtain that.

If you're not planning on riding hard or riding a lot, maybe you can justify it based on resale value... the "cost" is a lot less than the price.

If $800 is too much go with $600 for a Trek 1000 or something. Raleigh has models cheaper than that too and they both will feel much better than the machine your on now. Just make sure the fit is good.

Each ride has a $10 fee...

Ride the thing 80 times and the thing pays for itself because you get to ride for free afterwards. LOL.

If you truly like riding a bicycle, go ahead and buy a good bike. You won't look back at the money you spent. I just dropped $1700 dollars and not for a minute have I looked back, and I'm just a recreational rider. A great piece of gear has asethic dimensions that are satisfying in and of themselves, not to mention the practical value of a good piece of engineering. Buy a good bike.

If you don't buy the road bike you hate freedom.

Why do you hate freedom?

I'm sorry to tell that this is just the start of a long, slippery slope. Once you rationalize your $800 purchase, you'll have to do the same for the several hundred dollars in clothes, computers, and other misc. equipment that of course you'll need to go along with your new bike. About the start of next season you'll find that since you are now a much improved cyclist, you really need a better bike. This trend will continue indefinitely

If I must buy the bike to help spread freedom and fight the terrorists, then I MUST BUY THE BIKE!

Now I didn't need to hear that- It's a lot easier to justify the purchase if I think a little more shortsighted, ya know? Although from what I read in these forums, this hobby can be more addicting than crack...

Do what I do. Say: $800 is going to get me a bike which will last me for years. If I ride it regularly, then the $800 is money well spent.

Does two things. It rationalizes the purchase, and it forces you to ride to get your money's worth.

BR

If you are happier with your bike you will ride more. The road bike will make it easier to go on longer more interesting rides, and faster shorter rides. The more you ride the better you get. The better you get the more you want to ride. You may lose weight and for sure you will be healthier. $800 is not far above entry level for road bikes. It's not up to mid price road bikes. You are not going crazy and buying something much too expensive. You can commute faster or easier, your choice. It's easier to carry up stairs and to put in the car because of the weight.

You like your bike more you ride more. You ride more you get healthier. You get healthier, you get sick less. You get sick less, less chance of severe illness. Less chance or severe illness, less chance of death. You could be saving your life.

You buy more bike gear you are happier, you are happier, you reduce your stress.
You reduce your stress, less chance of being sick.......... etc.

You are preaching to the choir.... Somehow I rationalize 200$ seatposts, carbon wheels, look frames.. goshdarnit how I love this stuff....

have fun

now that's what I'm talking about- If I don't buy the bike, I actually may die an early death- there is no other way around it!

Just add up your commuting costs and figure out how many times you will have to ride to pay for the bike. Do that on your old clunker and then the new bike is already paid for. Of course, I would BUY IT NOW!!! But I would buy used and get twice the bike for the money.

if u ride to work then get the bike. That was an easy one. I figured that I spent 40 bucks on gas a week when I drove. I now save that money with the bike. So do you. So get the bike it will pay itself off.

Think creatively, somehow I feel your pain...I ride an old beater thats a lil too big and thinking of getting a new bike. Eyes set on a $800 build as well...just for the frame tho in my case. Blasted lust.

You can make lists and lists of pros and cons
advantages and features
upcharges and discounts

in the end, your decision will be made based on a 'feeling' you have
Pick 4 bikes made by four good builders of widely distributed cycles, e.g. Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale. At that price point, the feature set will be pretty comparable, and the frame will be too... so you are left with... 'how's the mojo of this bike vs. that.

And you will likely say to yourself... 'I want the red one cause red is faster!'

The ramifications of not buying that bike are far reaching........

You will still be wishing you bought that beautiful bike while you are on your death bed !!

If the craving for the bike you did not buy makes you hard to live with it may ruin your marriage and ruin the life of others. You kids will be desperate and turn to a life of crime. They will die alone and in jail. After being abused in prison. The bike shop runs out of money and the whole family has to become beggars.

It is the civic and moral duty of any reasonable person to buy that bike. To do otherwise would be immoral and selfish. Get over there and buy that bike right now !!

Well, okay, you didn't like my last reply, so let me try again ...

My wife and I both got bikes and went from 2 cars to 1 car. I calculated the savings from depreciation, insurance and gas to be several thousand dollars a year. The real problem was not getting a bike, but getting too cheap a bike. Given what we were saving, I should have bought a MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE bike! Fortunately, I've now rectified that situation with my latest purchase

If you ride a bike, you won't be generating all the pollution a car makes. Your one bike could be the difference between the polar ice caps melting or staying icy. If you don't buy a newer, better bike obviously you're going to revert back to your car. Lots of cities will be flooded, many will die. And it will be all your fault.

Get a new bike.

For an entirely objective assessment of your dilemna I recommend a consultation with the owner of the nearest Local Bike Shop.

If parking fees in N.O. are anything like Sacramento, you can justify it on that basis alone. Now go buy that bike!

You gots to buy it... Do you play golf. Buddy of mine does... He spends $800 on ping clubs... How much does he golf ... 10 days a year and he has to spend $400 on admission fees, another 200-400 in clothes a 100 in gas. All you do is buy a bike for 800 feed it a computer buy some nice clothes and its faithful and subservient. Ride it around for years and its cheaper than all the golf balls you will slice factored in with the cost of the clubs and admission and etc.... The women are going to dig you ehhh maybe I got a little carried away there.

On the other hand. The people at work laugh at you because you wear tights... Big deal..

- i feel your pain on the rationalizations... but after spending foolishly on too many other hobbies, i have learned a few lessons...

- bicycling is good for you mentally and physically, so for me, the determination that i would acquire and then continue to use an intended purchase was key...

- i don't know a whole lot about current road bikes (my knowledge is limited to an intense four-year usage of a Viscount "Death Fork" bike in San Francisco nearly 25 years ago)...

- so, as luck would have it, i found a suitable used 20-lb triple $900 bike for $500 at an LBS... i'm in the process of upgrading the components to 105 (just shifters and derailleurs - other components are fine)....

- i plan to ride the crap out of the bike, and when and if i'm ready to upgrade i'll have a 'beater' for rainy days...

- but for now i enjoy a great ride and have a 'learner' to get me back in shape and back into biking!

:-)