Looking for a low end STEEL road bike ..
 

Hi everyone.
I guess these threads come up a lot with a mtb rider looking for something for the road. I just moved into my new apt in Chicago and I'm thinking about a road bike purchase. I took my aluminum HT mtb around town & along the lake and it was pretty obvious that I have the wrong tool for the job.

So anyhow, I'm looking for an all-purpose steel road bike with 105/Tiagra components for about $800-900. The bikes direct Mercier Serpens is really tempting too .. it's just a tad over budget and I'm not sure I want to go down that route just yet, considering some of the things I've read on here.

.. actually, even better would be something like the Trek 1200, but with a nice steel frame.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Get a used high-end steel road bike for less cash.

E-bay would be the best choice. Your price point is too restrictive, I'd rather not waste time, mine or yours by going-on much, given such a limited budget while requiring Tiagra for example. You know already know that . Besides, I've submitted litanies of choices addressing posts in the past as such,it's a waiste.

You might be able to find a DeBernardi Zonal in your price range. Otherwise, look at steel LeMonds from a couple years ago. Jamis makes steel bikes, too, but I don't think they're lugged, if that matters to you.

Used on eBay for sure.

alright. so I'm being a little selfish by making my own "what should I buy" thread. :) sorry!

Am I being too specific? I'm looking for low end steel road bike with 105/Tiagra ... it's just a little frustrating since I've been to 3 LBS and I'm seeing bikes I like, but they're all aluminum.

What's wrong with aluminum?

I recently got a new old stock 2006 LeMond Croix de Fer. It's OX platinum steel w/ 105 group. Total weight as I ride it is about 21 lbs. It's a few hundred $$$ more than your budget, but if you can find a mildly used CDF or Sarthe you may be very happy.

The ride is too harsh...

LOL...damn, that's funny.

Dude, you are in Chicago, a pretty good cycling city, there is going to be a ton of great used stuff there. There are close to a hundred new listings for bikes today alone, what is your inseam and height? That gives us an idea of what size you will need. Don't spend 900$USD on something that may not even be to your liking, road cycling is quite different from mountain cycling.

I love the feel of steel .. I kinda wish I still had my first mtb, it was a 91ish GT avalanche. It's just a preference for comfort ... I could lose about 10-15 pounds before I start worrying about that kind of negligible weight difference anyhow. :D

Thanks Jet, through some google work I found this website http://www.chicagobikeshops.info/. I guess I'll try and hit up a few more of the better rated shops on the weekend and scope out craigslist/ebay. Traffic is kinda nuts here when you least expect it .. ah well .. gonna take a while to get used to the city.

oh, I'm 5'9" with a 30/31 inseam.

Look at the Jamis steel bikes.

buy whatever you can get a good deal on with a good wheelset and the components you want. Don't worry about size, material, etc. Buy a nice steel frame that fits you (good used steel frames abound), switch everything over, sell old frameset. Ride off into the sunset.

This is how I built my road bike (Schwinn Prelude frame lugged Columbus Tenax, with 9 speed Tiagra, and ultegra/open pro wheelset) and I think it would be impossible to get a better bike for the price (<$400).

You will also get to know your bike extremely well. The only downside is it takes some time.

I bought a marin columbus steel frame with CF rear seat stays off ebay for about 500 2 years ago for my first rode bike. It has Tiagra components, and although everyone moans that anything less then DA or Record is about as useful as a sail made of fishnet, it has been more then competent to put a 1000 miles with nothing more then cleaning the chain between tuneups.

Bianchi Volpe. $899 retail. Weighs about 26 lbs. Bit on the heavy side but TOUGH! I bought mine in February and it's awesome. Or a Bianchi Virata off eBay. Less weight, some carbon fiber thrown in. Get it used, save money.

Road'ish:
http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/...satellite.html


Touring'ish:
http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/bikes/...es/aurora.html

my two cents worth...found a very nice 2003 Fuji Roubaix Pro (853 steel) w/complete 105 setup for the wife on eBay...for less than 400 bucks.

You should be able to find the 2006 croix de fer for around $900. I'm very happy with my new Lemond.

Bianchi and Jamis both have some cheaper steel bikes.

You can also try building up a budget frame by Surly or Soma.

If you wanna buy used, check oodle.com.

+1. Jamis Nova is 105/tiagra although it is technically a cyclocross bike.

It's already been said: Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bianchi-Veloce-R...QQcmdZViewItem

You should totally buy Schwinn Madison dude... LOOK HERE

+1

I got my Madison back at the end of March. So far I love it!

A bit heavy? That's obese.

I've got a Serpens and I love it. The wheels are solid, the components are excellent, and the frame rides well. I bought it originally just for the components and figured if the frame was crap, I'd just get a JAmis or something and swap everything over. Turns out the frame is the older Fuji Roubaix 853 frame, and that frame won awards for it's smooth ride. Fuji dropped the steel frame in the US because of marketing reasons, and that was my gain.

I think I would rather order a new bike from bikesdirect than buy a used bike on Ebay. One of the big complaints on here about bikesdirect is lack of after purchase support, but I've seen too many people get thoroughly ripped off on Ebay. Just last week a guy brought in his Rocky Mountain ESTX... got a great deal on it from Ebay. Only thing was, the frame was cracked.

Az