Agree with previous posts, check out bikes at locals dealers and buy the one you that feels the best. Most of the bikes with have similar components given their the same price, so that's a wash for the most part. The best thing you can do for your biking is drop some pounds and get riding vs. spending too much time thinking about the purchase

Think I made a decision since im a bigger guy and I am afraid of certain road conditions im thinking of these 2 bikes

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/xo/xo1/

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...7&menuItemId=0

what do you guys think?

Many people use and like cyclocross bicycles for road riding. The big advantage to a cyclocross bike is having the option of using wider tires than typical road bicycles allow.

The Tricrosses are well liked. I'm not familiar with this particular Trek.

Trek XO $1650 -> Shimano 105. Highest low gears. No pedals (add $50+ for decent clipless pedals).

Spec Tricross Comp $1800 -> Shimano 105 + Ultegra rear derailer. In between, low gear wise. Plastic pedals (not for long term use) (add $50+ for decent clipless pedals).

Spec Tricross Sport $1100 -> Triagra shifters, Deore LX rear derailer, Sora front derailler. Lowest low gears. Comes with pedals good for starting-out with (not clipless).

The Sport is the cheapest and has the lowest low gears (which you might like if there are any steep/long hills and/or you are a bit out of shape). The components on the Sport are solid, quality stuff. (The Sora front derailer is fine). You'd be fine with the Sport.

Keep in mind that bicycles from LBS's that are about the same price are going to be similar in quality. And bicycles starting at about $1000 are going to be very good quality nice bicycles. Mostly what you get from spending more is a bit less weight.

They are certainly worth trying.

hi, I would second the suggestion to check Craigslist. I really wanted a carbon-frame bike but could not come up with the $1700+tax for the entry level model at my local bike store. then I went on Craigslist and found the same bike, gently used for a couple of years, for $1000 (and no tax). It has needed a tune-up and a new chain but was still a great deal. The seller also let me test-ride it for 5 miles, which I'm not sure every bike store would do.

if your budget is $600, buying new will get you something like a Trek 1.1, which is an OK road bike but will soon leave you wishing you had spent a few hundred more for the Tiagra components mentioned above (they start at around $1000 new). If you are not averse to Trek, you could look for a used 1.5

good luck

The cyclocross bike is an okay choice and since you are looking at those two already I would also check out the Giant version.
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/....2/3889/36630/

This is funny :lol:

Better:

Your post is hard to read. Please use correct punctuation and capital letters at the beginning of each sentence.

Eliminate the words 'so', 'a little more', 'as well', 'for the beginning?' and never use the word 'pretty' unless you are talking about a girl.

And no I am not an English teacher, just an edumacated college graduate.

Well, what do you think about them? Go ride them. I thought the Tricross felt like a boat compared to the Specialized Allez or even the Sequoia. There are plenty of bigger guys on road bikes and if you ride long enough you won't be a bigger guy anymore. Having wider tires is more psychological than anything. I was in a duathlon race this morning in pouring rain and 2 people wrecked. They were both riding wider tire bikes. One of the wrecks happened 3 feet in front of me and I was able to avoid going down.

I don't recommend mail order for complete bikes (at least not your first) - find a reputable bike shop that can advise you regarding fit, set-up, etc. For entry-level, the Giant Defy 2, Cannondale CAAD8 S6 and Trek 1.5 all got good reviews in the June 2010 issue of Bicycling magazine. More reviews of entry level bikes can be found HERE. Be sure to save some money for pedals, shoes, shorts, gloves, a jersey and a helmet. You'll also need a small seat bag for a spare, a multi-tool and an inflation device.

Hey guys been looking at some bikes on CL what do you think about this one?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/bik/1803860491.html

That is a really nice bike if it is YOUR size and especially if they will move on the price a LITTLE. Like to 750-800.
Otherwise, great find and good luck. That bike has REAL nice components that you would most likely not need to upgrade until you buy another bike.

THis looks like a pretty good deal right here only issue is im not too sure if this size bike is too small for me and no way to sit on it .... I am 6ft and dont know if the specialized bikes run diff then giant

http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-SPECIALIZED...item43a0038228

I'm always suspicious of these lo-detail bike ads. Seriously, an $850 bike with NO details about the history, reasons for selling, experience with the bike? Screams STOLEN to me.

That should be the correct size for you. "Should Be" being the optimal word choice. Your inseam and reach matter more than your actual overall height, but typically they fall along the same lines. 56 is a Large is specialized just like Giants.