Emperor Ryker

Hey guys, I'm new here, and have registered to get some opinions on what bike I should purchase. Namely, I have recently started entertaining the thought that I'd give road cycling a go. My main focus would still be hitting the gym, so I'm not someone looking to be a cyclist necessarily. By that I mean that I would go on longer rides (~2 hours) maybe weekly (hard to say, depends on time and how much I like it). I would, however, like to ride my bike every day to commute to the university, which is roughly a 3 mile ride each way.

My plan was to get a cheaper mountain bike from Walmart (def. < $100) for stuff like grocery shopping with bags on the handle bar, going to the university and events in rain and crappier conditions, etc., but use my "good" bike when the weather is alright and all I need to do is go from one place to another. Since I'd use that "good" bike to try out road cycling, as well, I'm prepared to spend a bit more on it than I am on the regular bike. However, my funds are limited, and I'd like to keep it below $250 or maybe $300, if I saw a really good deal.

But at this point I'm quite lost, since I'm new to this stuff and have no idea about what's good and what's not. All I know or think is that suggesting I need to invest $1000 for the above-mentioned is bull****, because no way am I going to spend that amount of money on a bike for commuting and occasional road cycling. I've ridden bikes to go to work or events for the past 5 - 10 years, and throughout this time I never paid more than $70 for them. But this time I want to get something nicer, because the commute is a bit longer.

I measured my inseam, and it seems to be 85 cm (33.5"), and my height is about 182 cm (5'11" - 6'0''). From stuff I found online, this would have me looking for a 58 cm frame. Is that correct?

If so, I was looking, for example, at this bike:

- Aluminum Road Bike / Commuter Bike Shimano 21 Speed 700c - Road Bikes Best Prices - Road Bikes, Fixed Gear Bikes, Tri Bikes

Then there are also two used road bikes on CL:
- Bianchi Limited road bike -- gorgeous shape
- Motobecane road bike 58cm

How are those prices? Are the two used ones overpriced? The first one looks great, but is on the high end of what I want to spend and also has a 56 cm frame.

Walmart and Amazon also have a boatload of Schwinns and other road bikes in my price range, so is there anything else you'd recommend? Thanks in advance!

NormanF

I'd recommend at your budget to get a performance hybrid AKA flat bar road bike.

A drop bar version will command a premium. Giant Roam, Trek FX, Marin Fairfax, Cannondale Quick and Specialized Sirrus are some performance hybrids to consider.

Emperor Ryker

Thanks for the suggestion. Why would you recommend a performance hybrid, though?

BigJeff

...Because they are in your price range and road bikes cost more.

The question you should have asked is what is the entry level road bike price, the answer to that is "around $600-$800, depending upon the sales promotion"

If you want to spend under $600 buy a used bike.

NormanF

It has the fast speed of a road bike and the comfort geometry of a hybrid bike. And it would give you a feel for a lighter bike until you're ready to upgrade to a road bike. And you can keep it as a back up bike when you do get more funds to acquire a good road bike in the future.

NormanF

OP has a limited budget. That's why I recommended for his first bike a performance hybrid.

Emperor Ryker

Hmm, but if it has the fast speed of a road bike, what are the disadvantages? That is, why are the hybrids cheaper? Would I still be able to do, say, 40 - 60 mile treks with them?

As for the geometry of the bike, I guess I don't really have that much of a preference either way. The reason for why I was looking at pure road bikes was that I'm also buying a (crappy?) mountain bike with the usual flat bar to have for shorter distances and rougher rides. I thought I'd thus have one bike for each occasion.

Yeah, my budget is indeed limited, and there is just no way I'm going beyond it at this point. But within these limits, what exactly is wrong with the three bikes I listed? I think I would be able to commute with either of them without any problem, wouldn't I? What about longer rides? Would they break down fast or why would you or other people not recommend them to me? For example, looking at the first bike, which would be a new one, what exactly is it that would make it unsuitable for what I'd like to use it for? Keep in mind that I'm not intent on competing for time even if I am to go on longer rides, and those rides would be something I'd like to do without too much effort (something not achievable with a mountain bike, since you can't really cover distances with it), but ultimately they would still play second fiddle as cardio to go with the other activities I'm doing (the gym). So I don't think I'd even strive to beat previous times or anything like that. I'd just like to be able to go on longer and smoother rides than a mountain or urban bike allow.

ademm

Yeah 300 is a pretty stiff budget. I definitely agree that a hybrid is a great place to start. Decent weight and geo and usually a reasonable price tag. At the risk of sounding like a hipster, you can get slightly higher quality stuff on a single speed when you start crunching the budget since you wont be paying for a drivetrain. This might mean a slightly nicer frame and wheelset (and very easily self maintained with a little homework). I don't know where you live though. I've pulled off ss mostly fine in areas like vancouver and seattle without much of a problem avoiding the crazy pitches. If you live in a flat area and you just wanna bounce around under 20 miles at a time I think that might get you the best bang for your buck until you save for something nice! Other than that you might get lucky on craigslist. Not sure how much you know about bikes but I'm sure some folks around here may be able to help if you think you see something that might be a good deal.

Cheers!

Emperor Ryker

On my daily commute there's a a couple of climbs and descents just when I leave the apartment, but most of the way is flat. The campus, though, is not completely flat, so I'm not sure how a fixed bike would perform then. I was thinking of going that route myself, but kind of decided against it.

But as far as the hybrid goes, I guess I'd like to ask you the same questions I asked NormanF when I quoted him. That is, what are the disadvantages of hybrid bikes if they're also as fast as road bikes, and would I be able to do a 40 - 60 mile ride with one of them? And why would they be better than, say, a $200 - 250 road bike? I'm just worried that if I get one I would only be able to commute, but not do an occasional longer ride, and if it that's the case, then I'm not willing to spend that much money on a bike. I feel that for commuting I should be able to find something for even $100, and that paying extra should give further returns. Thoughts?

Oh, and I was looking at performance hybrids NormanF suggested, but couldn't really find them sold at prices that would fit my budget. So if I went with a hybrid, how would something like this do - Performance Hybrid Bike Flat Bar Road Bike Shimano 21 Speed 700c Bicycle - Performance Hybrid Bikes - Hybrid Best Prices - Road Bikes, Fixed Gear Bikes, Tri Bikes?

I don't know much or anything, really, about bikes, as I'm just learning. I mean, I've ridden bikes for a long time and can't go without one, but I can't really say I've looked into them much more than them being the most convenient means of getting from point A to point B, given that point A and point B are not more than, say, 10 km apart.

As for craigslist, I posted two used bikes in my original post, and was hoping someone would be able to tell me whether they are good deals or not. But is there a particular subforum I should for such specific questions? For example, is that Motobecane Grand Touring bike for $200 a good deal?

NormanF

Without knowing your height and how you like to ride, its not possible to know whether the Motobecane Grand Touring bike is good fit. As for the Performance bike you listed, this is exactly what I had in mind with your budget. You want a road bike frame and fast rolling tires and I can see this is a good entry level bike to ride. If you need a commuter bike, you would want something more practical with regards to hauling stuff than in riding fast on the road.

Emperor Ryker

My height is roughly 182 cm, so 5'11" - 6'0", I guess. Supposing the Motobecane bike fit me, would it then be a good deal?

What do you mean by how I like to ride, though? I'm not sure how to answer that question, because in the past I just always got used to whatever bike I had. First, I had a mountain bike, then I got a more urban/leisure bike, and then recently I had a mountain bike again.

Also, what do you mean with your last sentence? Are you saying that the performance hybrid is more practical than a pure road bike? In what way? As for hauling stuff, like I said, I'd just my mountain bike for that. So if I was to go grocery shopping with the intention of balancing grocery bags on the bar, I'd use the mountain bike. The "better" bike would be used for both commuting (with not more than a backpack) and occasional (I don't know the frequency, but let's say once or twice weekly at most) longer rides (maybe one 40 - 60 mile ride and one 20 mile one). Would the hybrid listed be suitable for that?

Oh, and what about companies like Schwinn, Dawes and others that offer road bikes in my budget range (for example, this Schwinn Prelude - https://www.wayfair.com/Schwinn-Mens-Prelude-Road-Bike-S4030-YZ1190.html or this 2015 Dawes Lightning Sport AL - Save Up to 60% Off Shimano Road Bikes - Dawes Lightning Sport AL)? What exactly is wrong with them that would put a performance hybrid ahead?

I'm sorry for so many questions, but I appreciate all the help!

NormanF

I guess you would need a M-L or a 56 cm frame. You would probably fit a 19" in performance hybrid. I wouldn't recommend the big box store bike Schwinn - heavy, one size only and crappy components - I mean the one sold on Wayfair. On the other hand, the Dawes sold by Bikes Direct is a solid beginner road bike - the 54 cm is the correct size according to your listed info. If you're more into commuting, the Windsor Oxford in 56 cm is a solid choice.

stevepwolf

craigslist for a used bike. i was in the same boat 6-8 months ago... looked for a while... bought this cannondale for $280. better than any bike i'd get new for under $500 imo

NormanF

If you look hard enough and are patient, you can find a nice road bike on CL or eBay. If OP could up his budget to $400, that brings in some very nice used Reynolds 520, 531 and 853 steel road bikes as well a used midlevel vintage Cannondale road bike.

At $250, its simply not realistic to acquire the kind of high quality road bike he would really like to ride. I'm not saying he needs a large chunk of cash to get what he's looking for but he does need a more realistic budget to do it.

dtrain

You did really well! My first bike was a slightly used Trek 1000 for under $300. Wasn't that long ago...but maybe closer to $400 now.

Emperor Ryker

Hmm, I found a bicycle sizing chart online (https://www.hartscyclery.com/images/b...road-bikes.pdf) that put me in for a 58 cm frame, since my inseam is roughly 85 cm or 33.5 in. Same with Vilano's sizing suggestion chart - Vilano Performance Hybrid Road Bike 700c 21 Speed Shimano. Do you think this is incorrect then?

But 19" is 48 cm, isn't that too small? I was thinking more along the lines of 21", going by this - Hybrid Bike Sizing - What Size of Hybrid Bike Do You Need? | Hybrid Bike Squad.

Hmm, good hearing the Dawes is a good beginner road bike then, I might look into it more. Is it also better than or on par with the used Motobecane Grand Touring and Bianchi Limited bikes I mentioned in the original post?

As far as the Windsor Oxford goes, it looks quite gentlemanly and I'd love to ride it with my usual attire (a tailcoat, tall hat and a monocle), but I think it's currently not what I'm looking for

NormanF

Yup. $400 is realistic road bike shopping territory these days. Even if OP buys only from BD, going up in his budget would get him a better road bike - like the Windsor Wellington 3.0 with a triple crankset AND full Shimano STI shifters. Spend more, get a good road bike without breaking the bank!

Emperor Ryker

Yeah, please don't look down on me for wanting to get a "cheap" bike. To me, even $250 is a lot of money and is more than I've spent on my in the past 10 years combined. If I get into road cycling more, I'd definitely be willing to spend more, as well, but I can't just put up $400+ hoping for that to happen. At least not with my current income.

Hey man, thanks for bragging No, seriously, that one looks really nice and I was hoping the Bianchi Limited or Motobecane Grand Touring would be similar steals. Not so, I guess? But I can also afford to wait a few more weeks to make the purchase, and hope for something better to turn up.

NormanF

55-57 is about right for a road bike and 19-20 are appropriate for a performance hybrid. You can't go wrong with either one. Are the bikes you mentioned in your original post in the recommended sizing? Better way to find out if they fit is to test ride them! Its established you want a road bike and not a commuter bike, so glad its out of the way. I'd go for the Dawes Lighting if money is an issue but if you are able to spend more, I do think the Windsor Wellington is definitely what a "Goldilocks" road bike should be from both a price and a feature spec list.

NormanF

I don't look down on you! I live on a budget too and I get where you're coming from so if that's all you really can afford, the Dawes Lighting, Bianchi Limited or Motobecane Grand Touring should be enough to get you started and you could upgrade later to the road bike of your dreams.

Emperor Ryker

The Bianchi Limited is 56" and the Motobecane Grand Touring is 58". With that, any opinion on how they compare to others?

And as far as the Windsor Wellington goes, did you mean this one - Save Up to 60% Off Road Bikes - 2013 Windsor Wellington1?

stevepwolf

just keep looking! i legitimately searched ebay and craigslist every day for 5-6 weeks. i finally found a good deal and picked it up. just know what 2 or 3 bikes you'd be interested in, and what size for each of those different bikes. take the extra couple weeks and keep looking, you will be glad you did.

i went to a bike shop and sat on different bikes to see exactly what size i wanted to. online sizing will only go so far.. you really need to physically sit on a few different bikes to see what will fit you. that will cut down your search online considerably. when i knew i needed a 60cm cannondale instead of a 56-60, i zero'd in on bikes much quicker.

LesterOfPuppets

Budget $100 for a lock if locking up while in classes.

Emperor Ryker

Well, I don't have a car, so my options are even further limited, as I can't go pick it up unless it's in my immediate area. But I will keep looking, that's for sure. Here, I wanted to get a clear picture of what it is I'm looking for, though. It's good hearing that if nothing else turns up, I can go with the Dawes for $260.

NormanF

I looked at the most recent bike but I think the 2013 Windsor Wellington 1.0 is an absolute steal at $300 and there are similar bikes that cost $800 or more with similar specs! You can't beat free shipping and even with a $50 bike shop build, you would still come out ahead. And you can keep upgrade costs down if you have stuff like a saddle and bars in your parts take-off bin. You can save even on the build cost if you do have some mechanical skills.