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Help buying a road bike.

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Help buying a road bike.

Old 09-23-09, 09:55 PM
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kwross
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Help buying a road bike.

I've been riding my cheapo mountain bike for some time now and I've decided I want to ride a road bike. The thing is though, I'm absolutely strapped for cash. I ran into a womens huffy road bike with 26 inch tires on craigslist for only 85$. My questions are: I am a guy will riding a womens bike effect me in anyway? I'm pretty tall (6'1) will this fit me? And huffy is a brand I've never seen before do they make quality bikes?
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Old 09-23-09, 09:56 PM
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Originally Posted by kwross
huffy is a brand I've never seen before do they make quality bikes?
...hahahahahaha.
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Old 09-23-09, 10:02 PM
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So I'm guessing that's a negative?
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Old 09-23-09, 10:24 PM
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I will give you the best advice anyone here will give you. Just buy a GMC Denali Road bike from Walmart. It costs 100 bucks in store and 140 online. Its new not used and it runs fine for a starter road bike, but once you get the cash, hopefully soon, buy a good bike, 500 bucks will get you alot of bike.
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Old 09-23-09, 10:30 PM
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Huffy makes excellent lightweight aluminum frames.
 
Old 09-23-09, 10:47 PM
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kwross, some people here can be quite mean and sarcastic. Many in the roadie community think if you don't spend over $1000 on a road bike, you are nobody. Of course that's not true.

What is true is Huffy makes the worst bikes ever. Period. Even if it's free, do not take it unless you are truly desperate and you do NOT already have a bike.

If you want a road bike as an improvement over your MTB, bike, do not buy any bike with 26" tires. And for God's sake do not get a woman's bike if you are NOT a woman. May as well keep your MTB and just put slick tires or street oriented tires on it like Continental Town & Country tires. It will make a hell of a difference in handling and speed on your MTB.

Road bikes is all about speed. Find one with 700c wheels/tires and as light as possible. Keep looking in the classifieds for one that is 10+ years old, and in your size. Then do an internet search on that model to get an idea of how good it WAS when it was new. Whatever road bike you get, if it is a high performance road bike (even 10+ yrs. old) it is going to be faster and more efficient than your MTB. Good luck.
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Old 09-24-09, 01:38 AM
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Originally Posted by kwross
I am a guy will riding a womens bike effect me in anyway?
Other than affecting your driving and navigation skills, you mean? Hard to say. Some companies make WSD (Women Specific Designs) which pretty much translates into flowers, pink and cute animals painted on the bike. Others actually design the bike around female proportions. Given that we are talking Huffy, I doubt any R&D has gone into their regular bikes, so I wouldnt hold high hopes.

I'm pretty tall (6'1) will this fit me?
Without knowing the size of the bike, hard to say. But are there WSD bikes in such large sizes available? Not sure.

And huffy is a brand I've never seen before do they make quality bikes?
No.

On a budget, try to buy a single speed (not fixed gear) road bike - you can get a new Nashbar one for <$250 right now through their website sale. Or look for a used bike on Craigslist. Either or those would be better than a Huffy.
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Old 09-24-09, 04:34 AM
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Originally Posted by Jason4516
Huffy makes excellent lightweight aluminum frames.
How many pounds of weed can you smoke in a day? Must be a lot.
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Old 09-24-09, 04:50 AM
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Hey OP, what's your budget?? Might I suggest starting a bike fund and waiting just a little bit. This will give you some time to shop Craig's List/garage sales, etc.

Keep riding what you have for now.
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Old 09-24-09, 06:41 AM
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pass on the woman's huffy. just keep searching craigslist. i found a perfect condition early 90's steel trek for $50 last year that runs and shifts perfectly. keep looking.
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Old 09-24-09, 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by FR4NCH1SE
I will give you the best advice anyone here will give you. Just buy a GMC Denali Road bike from Walmart. It costs 100 bucks in store and 140 online. Its new not used and it runs fine for a starter road bike, but once you get the cash, hopefully soon, buy a good bike, 500 bucks will get you alot of bike.
wrong, this is not the best advice anyone here can give you, there's a high probability that this bike will kill your interest. save up 500, wait for craigslist, and you can probably pick up a full sora bike for around there... even better if it's a few years older (i've seen 2002 + ultegra for 600)
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Old 09-25-09, 05:04 AM
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I got my 2004 Avanti Vivace, full Tiagra for $431 In my size. $431 AUD BTW. Which is peanuts to you yanks.
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