dokka

Hello guys, first time on here. I was wondering if anyone could give me recommendations for a decent road bike that isn't too expensive. lately, I have been going on forest trails and it's so much fun. The current bike I'm using is just a standard bike I got from Walmart but I do want to upgrade to a better bike suitable for going on trails/city bike roads. My current bike is a havoc hyper mountain bike. The bike is great but every time I see other people with road bikes they seem to go way faster. I do eventually want to participate in local casual ride alongs so I think investing in a nice road bike would be ideal.

Broctoon

How much money do you have to spend? You can get a decent road bike for about $400 or so. Supplies are low right now for new bikes, but sometimes you get lucky and find one that works for you. Used bikes can be a great value, if you know what to look for.

My best piece of advice would be to go to some bike shops (not discount/department stores like WalMart or Target). They will have products that are a bit more expensive and MUCH better quality. Their stuff will be properly assembled. And they will be able to give you good advice and assistance.

Perhaps what you want is a true road bike, to help you take your riding to the next level. But you might also do well with a hybrid bike. These are somewhere between road and mountain bikes, and often a good choice for someone in your situation.

LarrySellerz

Get a giant escape 3, entry level hybrid, it’s all you need, does the job right. Will be more robust than a road bike and closer to how you are used to riding. I’ve owned some road bikes and am back on my giant escape now, have 3 in the garage (one I got for my brother)

GlennR

Supply is VERY low, so go to all the local bike shops and buy whatever they have in your price range.

You can't be picky since there's almost no inventory to pick from.

guachi

I don't know what your budget is but you can get a very good ride bike for $1000-1500.

CliffordK

What type of trails are you riding on? Paved? Dirt? Roots? Highly technical?

You can do a little bit of riding on trails with a road bike, but it is not really optimal, especially if you go with narrow tires.

So that would give you a couple of classes of bikes:

LarrySellerz

lots of hybrids these days are faster than gravel bikes, they are essentially upright road bikes with slightly wider tires

Broctoon

I can kind of see where you’re coming from, but in spite of the current short supply, my advice to the OP (or anyone) is still to only buy a bike if it fits. Buying one that’s not comfortable because it’s the wrong size is never a good idea.

Pizzaiolo Americano 

I work at a local shop and all I will say is this. Do your research on the "must haves" for this purchase before you start shopping. Then go look around at the different options available in your area and be prepared to purchase right away when (or if) you find a bike you like. If you pass on a bike or go home to think it over, there is a very good chance the bike will be sold when you go back. I have been telling people this and some don't listen. Those folks are still looking for a bike...

bruce19

If you are looking for a "do everything" bike you might consider a cyclo-cross bike. However, it's never going to be a road bike or a mountain bike. Which is why so many of us have several bikes for different purposes.

PeteHski

Isn't that what gravel bikes are too i.e. road bikes with a more relaxed geo and slightly wider tyres.

LarrySellerz

I think of gravel bikes as mountain bikes with drop bars lol, but idk much about them.

PeteHski

Well that's certainly NOT how the industry categorises gravel bikes! They are basically endurance road bikes with more tyre clearance and often performance oriented. Hybrids on the other hand cover all manner of frankenstein road/gravel/mtb mash-ups, often with crappy ineffective suspension forks. Mostly non-performance oriented machines aimed at the commuter/casual rider. Gravel bikes are usually more focused on going fast over variable terrain, which is why I thought your comment about hybrids often being faster was misleading. Basically a gravel bike is a very good compromise for road and light trail riding if speed is important.

LarrySellerz

As far as im concerned gravel bikes are categorized as they are to sell mountain bikes to roadies. I don't do much trial riding so maybe gravel bikes beat out my hybrid there, but their wide knobby tires make them slow even though they have drop bars, they can't touch a hybrid with slick tires on the road.

PeteHski

I don't think you know what a typical gravel bike is. They don't have knobby tyres for a start, nor do they have mtb geometry. They just have a little light tread and are a bit wider than normal road tyres - typically 38 mm. With a second wheel set on full road tyres they are pretty much as quick as a performance road bike. What hybrid are you riding that would be faster?

LarrySellerz

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/escape-3-2021 This thing, it has a less aggressive geometry but thinner tires than most gravel bikes ive seen. Maybe I should ride one with thin tires and it would change my mind. I should be a brand ambassador for that hybrid because I own 2 and bought my brother one haha

PeteHski

A typical gravel bike would have a more aggressive geometry than your hybrid and very similar tyre width (usually 38-40 mm). They may have a little more tyre tread for off-road riding, but depends on the model. Here's a typical gravel bike:-

https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/revolt-2-2021

With road tyres it would become a fairly sporty road bike.

LarrySellerz

Yeah that thing would need slick tires to keep up with my hybrid. I wonder how much faster it is on the trail, it might be considerable. I went riding on a trail a few weeks ago and was struggling on the more technical stuff with my slick tires. I was thinking of putting drop bars on my dumpster bike I found to make a janky gravel bike, I almost don't wanna do that to my LBS though, might upset a mechanic for having to do something so stupid.

PeteHski

A lot depends on the trail I guess. Mountain bikes still work best on my local trails, but they are mostly soft forest singletrack full of roots and the odd steep drop-off. I've seen a few guys on gravel bikes out there recently, but they tend to stick to the easier trails. With the ground being so soft and sandy in places, I have a feeling wider mtb tyres are actually quicker on most of our trails.