Sounds like you are doing pretty good on the bike you have? how about a picture of your bike, or at least what brand/model? $250 could buy you everything from trash to treasure in an older steel bike? In today's used bike market $250 could buy a very nice steel bike with good components, it could also buy you a crummy aluminum bike with low end components, and pretty much everything in between. Frame material is less important than fit and overall build quality, Devil is in the details. @
jamesdak has a great collection of nice bikes here is a thread of his that might be relevant
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...pace-game.html if you are holding 17-20 mph not bad