killtheaquitted

Hi All,

I've been lurking here for awhile trying to glean some initial biking knowledge from this great community. I am looking into buying my first "real" bike, and it has been pretty daunting just figuring everything out, so I was hoping I could get some feedback from you all. Here's where I am at so far.

Budget: $700 or less
Me: 5'9 - athletic 180lbs
Location: Chicago (all city riding, not planning on commuting)

So I figured a road/street bike will be my best bet.

I know I would like disc brakes, and I don't prefer drop handlebars. I test rode a Jamis Coda Sport & Allegro so far. I would love any recommendations. I know a lot of you recommend second-hand, but I don't feel confident enough in my knowledge to buy ebay/craiglist. I understand that $700 isn't going to get me a lot of bike, I'm just testing the waters for a few years before I jump into a big investment. Apologies for any and all ignorance in this post. I feel like I know just enough to get me into trouble with all of this. Thanks in advance and I look forward to contributing to this awesome community!

xscottypx

ever think about a single speed? take away the gears and your money goes a LOT further. you can get a pretty nice frame with disc brakes in your price range. i fully plan on a single speed for urban riding to get me around. also, one less thing to worry about in regards to other bikes and people bumping into your gears when locked up, also most single speeds do not have any quick release which is great for not getting your **** stolen.

however disc brakes could be a bit more pricy for maintenance? i've never had them but they are hydraulic i think.

Bunyanderman

If you don't like drops, you want a flat bar then?

killtheaquitted

Yes, Sitting upright felt more comfortable for me.

Lazyass

If your budget is $700 or less and you must have discs then you have hardly any options but here's one.

Save Up to 60% Off Disc Brake Road Bikes - Motobecane Turino Disc

Bunyanderman

So I take it you have never owned or seriously rode a road bike. I think if you got a flat bar, you would like it at first then wish you got a road bike bar. If you get fit for a road bike, the drops are not uncomfortable to most people. Even if they are, you are probably not going to be in then for more than a couple of minutes. Most of riding on a road bike is done on the hoods, which is where your hands sit by the shifter/brake. I find the hoods to be more comfortable than a flat bar.

Many "hybrids" come with disk brakes in today's market. I believe I saw some with disks and flat bar in the $300 range new.

killtheaquitted

Thanks for the suggestion. I thought about getting a fixie, but my test ride bikes had those shimano shifters and I had way too much fun shifting up and down!

killtheaquitted

@Bunyanderman I see you have the Misceo 2.0. I am going to test ride the 2014 tomorrow. How do you like it?

Bunyanderman

I thought it was a pretty balance bike overall. It is very heavy though, about 30 pounds. It is very very durable bike, I crashed it and was able to ride it home. The gearing had a very high and low gear, you could crawl up a mountain, or hit 55mph going down. If you are not doing any serious climbing, I liked the bike a lot for what it was. It was very fun to take off the roads, and had no problems doing so. It does not have suspension which is very good for riding on the road. I threw on a cheap pair of time trial clip on bars, and could hold 19mph on the flats.

I just found that I was only riding it on the road, and it was good for it, just not for climbing. I now have a road bike due to racing now.

Raiden

? He has lots of options, many of the big brands/manufacturers has a disc hybrid in his budget. Trek 7.2FX Disc, Specialized Sirrus Sport Disc, Fuji Absolute 1.9 Disc, off the top of my head. Bikesdirect is a fine suggestion if he knows he's building it himself or paying someone to do it.

OP: I like discs too, but consider discs are going to be most beneficial on hills, or in wet weather. If you're going to be doing mostly flat riding in dry weather, they're an added expense to the bike that could go toward nicer components elsewhere on the bike. The V brakes most hybrids come equipped with work really well and they're really cheap. Most options under your budget, with disc brakes, come with 3x7 speed drivetrains- my preferance would be to aim for 3x8 or 3x9, I feel there's a big difference in durability and feel of the parts over 3x7- even if it means sacrificing the disc brakes (unless, again, you're doing lots of hills and wet riding).

The Jamis bike you rode has nearly identical parts as come equipped on all of the bikes I mentioned before, but has a nicer/slightly more expensive frame (cromoly steel, as opposed to the typical aluminum). Nice steel often gives a little smoother ride than an aluminum bike, but not always.

killtheaquitted

Thanks for this info! This is exactly why I posted here. Cheers @Raiden!

playback2004

I don't really understand why people need disc brakes except for mountain biking. I think they are altogether inferior except on downhill. They squeak, they look like ****, they don't feel as nearly as solid when braking, they are pricey. Why

bigdo13

$700 bucks can get you plenty of bike!


I don't know if $700 bucks gets you a bike with disc brakes however... Honestly if there's a couple pieces of advice I could offer up they'd be this:

1) don't get a bike with disc brakes; this is your first bike, you just don't need them yet, and as previously stated, they are wicked expensive to keep up and maintain over time..

2) you're gonna be doing mostly city riding and the like? How about trying a single speed or a fixie bike? They probably would be more practical for a newb like yourself and brand new ones, with flat bars or drop bars can be had for very, very cheap... It'll give you time to learn how to ride and as you put it, "test the waters" as well as give you time to learn how to maintain a bike (they're very easy to maintain) before you buy your first real roadie..


here are a few sensible suggestions, the first couple are fixed gear, the others are full road bikes:

6KU Fixie Single-Speed Fixed Gear Bike Nebula Black

Crew Bike Co. District Fixed Gear Bike Built By CG | City Grounds

Specialized Allez Sport Road Bike 2014

City Grounds | SE Bikes Royale 16 Speed Road Bike 2013

killtheaquitted

Thanks for the feedback @bigdo13 Someone else recommended the fixie route and it makes a lot of sense. I just had too much fun shifting around to go single speed. Sounds like disc brakes aren't as important as I thought they were. I test rode one and they felt nicer, but if there are other, more important components to put my money into, I should reconsider discs.

RoadGuy

I'm still going to recommend a used bike as your first bike. You don't know what you'll like, and you are not likely to keep your first bike forever, whether you stay with biking or lose interest after you try it.

With $700, could could get at least two or three really nice used bikes.

You don't need a disc brake, you can't get "brifters", unless you get a drop handlebar. Disc brakes, and brifters add weight and expense, while making the bike heavier, less reliable/rugged, increasing maintenance, and making the bike more expensive to own.

From the sounds of it, you might be more comfortable to start on a hybrid. You could probably find a 3-5 three year old Trek 7.X for less than $200 right now. That would save you $500 towards a road bike later (a nice 5-15 year old Trek road bike is $200-$500).

A used $300 or $400 bike will be lifetimes better than any bike you can buy new for $700.

What's you "bike" inseam, and tall are you? People will look on your local Craigslist and make recommendations for you if they have a feel for what size frame you need.

Wanderer

Ride lots of them, and decide which ONE you like best. Then Buy it!

There are lots of disc choices with straight bars in your price range.

Drago1010

killtheaquited
If you're just going to ride around Chicago you don't need to shift much or disc brakes (disclaimer - I just bought I new road bike with disc brakes). Don't decide that you need a flatbar before you try riding a bike with drops. At one time a few bikes ago, I was convinced I needed a flat bar road bike, best thing that happened was when the salesman suggested I try a drop bar - never looked back. Caution on craigslist - at least in Chicago, lot of stolen bikes posted (ditto for going to Swap-a-rama). Two good honest outlets for refurbished bikes in Chicago with money going to good causes are Working Bikes and the Recyclery.

killtheaquitted

Thanks for the insight @RoadGuy What I am worried about used is that I have no idea what to look for when I am looking at the bike in person. What is advertised isn't always what you get. I'm 5'9, 180lbs, and I have been test riding 54c.