Hey guys! So I've finally decided to officially take cycling up as a hobby after cruising around on a piece of crap Schwinn Prelude for a few months. Problem is, I'm not exactly sure where to start. I want to buy a fairly decent entry level road bike but I really can only spend around $800 for the time being. Does anyone have any suggestions? I know fit matters most, but if anyone could give me a starting point I'd love it

Thanks guys!

Visit all the bike shops in your area.

Find the most friendly one and go from there.

Brand doesn't matter as much as a good fit.

I have a Fuji Newest 3.0. Performance Bike is having weekend sales every weekend. You can get this bike for a lot less than $800. I shopped around for a long time and this is the best bang for the buck you will probably find.

Buy the frame in my sig.

All of the manufacturers offer entry level bikes in the 800 ish range, I would ride as many as you can in your area and one of them will "speak" to you.

I can only give you one suggestion based on the bike I have. I got a Giant Defy 3 brand new from a bike store for like $750. They also had some Scotts that were similar prices, but I liked the Giant a little better. I've had the bike over a year now, and it's a great bike without any problems. It's light and rides great. The stock Alex rims that came on my bike are awesome. The Sora components work just fine.

Not sure where you live or what kind of riding you do, but you could always get a single speed for a LOT less than a geared bike if you are just poking around or commuting and not riding hilly centuries every weekend.

use the search function "under $700 road bikes thread"