[Penn State]

Well I am wanting to start doing some road biking. As training for the trails and since roads are more easily accessable. Anyway, does anyone know where i can get a decently build road bike? I don't need something that keeps up with lance or anything, just a good bike to take out once or twice a week for a 25 miler. I'm looking in the 500-700 range as i'm a stuggling college kid . Anyway, i've looked into putting slicks on the mtn bike, but without a shock lock out in the rear on a FS it still is a pain to road ride. I borrowed a real road bike the other day, and WOW.. i'm hooked

Your truely,
future convert.

 

[noonievut]

I looked around for a road bike after reaching the same conclusion as you, but I opted for slicks on a 2nd set of rims on my mountain bike (hardtail).

At the price range you mentioned it's a little hard to find a road bike with good quality components. At that price you will probably get the basic drivetrain (not sure how this compares to mtb drivetrain specs). There is a drivetrain hiearchy for the road, something like Sora, Tiagra, 105, Ultegra then Dura Ace. Well an $800 CAD bike will has mainly Sora parts, no carbon. For $200 I got a set of good mtb rims, hubs and cogset and still get to use my quality mtb parts, including the clipless pedals and shoes.

 

[HTrider]

Well I am wanting to start doing some road biking. As training for the trails and since roads are more easily accessable. Anyway, does anyone know where i can get a decently build road bike? I don't need something that keeps up with lance or anything, just a good bike to take out once or twice a week for a 25 miler. I'm looking in the 500-700 range as i'm a stuggling college kid . Anyway, i've looked into putting slicks on the mtn bike, but without a shock lock out in the rear on a FS it still is a pain to road ride. I borrowed a real road bike the other day, and WOW.. i'm hooked

Your truely,
future convert.

Welcome to the dark side

 

[fsrxc]

Well I am wanting to start doing some road biking. As training for the trails and since roads are more easily accessable. Anyway, does anyone know where i can get a decently build road bike? I don't need something that keeps up with lance or anything, just a good bike to take out once or twice a week for a 25 miler. I'm looking in the 500-700 range as i'm a stuggling college kid . Anyway, i've looked into putting slicks on the mtn bike, but without a shock lock out in the rear on a FS it still is a pain to road ride. I borrowed a real road bike the other day, and WOW.. i'm hooked

Your truely,
future convert.

Try and find a road bike with Shiman-o 105 or Ultegra (or the Campy equivalent, their stuff is quite nice too). Used might be an option since road bikes don't get trashed the way mtbs do. You might need to replace a few parts like rear der/cassette but that's about it, and you can get a better frame for the money (cheaper road bikes usually compromise on frame quality as well as components).

 

[namaSSte]

Look at Supergo. They carry a 105 equipped Scattante for $700. Probably the best value at that price out there. From what Ive heard, it rides very well. Just a thought from someone who was a former road racer turned mtb'er. That said, I just bought a Litespeed roadie last month so I know where you're coming from.

 

[mward]

Sora parts are fine. I don't find this parts snobbery exists as bad in the roadie community, even though stereotypically they're supposed to be far more stuck up. When I outrun guys on 5000$ litespeed titanium / dura ace road bikes in a time trial on my 25 lb sora-equipped cyclocross bike it makes me sure it's not the parts, it's the engine. Take a look at a Kona Jake. You can put skinny tires on them and ride the roads, or knobbies and ride dirt roads and light trails. Cheap, and it has cheap parts on it too. A bike with ultegra or 105 is going to be out of your price range, probably, although supergo has a good deal on their house brand bikes. Remember, a fancy bike with light stuff isn't going to make you work as hard as a cheaper bike with heavy stuff, and we're using this to train for mountain biking, right?

 

[Berkeley Mike]

It's not the bike.....

It has been said so many times. I ride an 1982 Medici Pro Strada with a 53/43 and 12/26. I replaced the rims this year, building the wheels around the original Campy hubs and changed out the saddle.
I ride about 2000 road miles per year on this bike, climb thousands of feet at a time (though that 43/26 is a killer above 6%) and decend at over 50 mph. My total outlay for this ride is less than $600.
So, look for something used that fits you and get out and ride it. If you find you need something else down the way you can always get this money back and go Chi Chi when you are more committed or know what you are doing.

 

[Cary]

Look at Supergo. They carry a 105 equipped Scattante for $700. Probably the best value at that price out there. From what Ive heard, it rides very well. Just a thought from someone who was a former road racer turned mtb'er. That said, I just bought a Litespeed roadie last month so I know where you're coming from.

This bike rocks for the money. I don't think you will come close. You should also check out bikesdirect.com and ibexbikes. Don't fool yourself, you can get a perfectly good bike for this price that will last you years and be within 10% of a $3000 bike.

 

[Penn State]

Ok bikes direct looks pretty good for a deal. Like i said, i just need a horse to train on. So the harder i work the better. (odd concept for biking eh?) I normally like to go easy, but not training i suppose. Anyway... whats with the frame sizes??? cm? come on... we aren't in europe. I take it the more cm the bigger the frame (not a total idiot). but, where would i lie? i'm 6'4'' 200# and ride an XL mtn bike frome. 62cm? 59cm?

thanks again

 

[mward]

Ok bikes direct looks pretty good for a deal. Like i said, i just need a horse to train on. So the harder i work the better. (odd concept for biking eh?) I normally like to go easy, but not training i suppose. Anyway... whats with the frame sizes??? cm? come on... we aren't in europe. I take it the more cm the bigger the frame (not a total idiot). but, where would i lie? i'm 6'4'' 200# and ride an XL mtn bike frome. 62cm? 59cm?

thanks again

62, probably, but it's better to measure yourself to be sure. If you go on www.wrenchscience.com over on the right side is a calculator that you measure various parts of your body and type the results in and it's REALLY accurate on bike fit, at least it has been in all the times I've used it. It'll get you closer than anything else I've tried. (But yeah, a 62 sounds like about your size, if not larger).

 

[Bike Nazi]

Supergo for a good deal on a road bike

Well I am wanting to start doing some road biking. As training for the trails and since roads are more easily accessable. Anyway, does anyone know where i can get a decently build road bike? I don't need something that keeps up with lance or anything, just a good bike to take out once or twice a week for a 25 miler. I'm looking in the 500-700 range as i'm a stuggling college kid . Anyway, i've looked into putting slicks on the mtn bike, but without a shock lock out in the rear on a FS it still is a pain to road ride. I borrowed a real road bike the other day, and WOW.. i'm hooked

Your truely,
future convert.

I would not recommend trying to make your MTB a road bike, riding on the road is much less boring if you get a road bike because you can keep the MPH and motivation up, also remember Dura-ace = XTR, 105 = LX And Ultegra = XT which is always your best bang for the buck.

 

[Cary]

Anyway... whats with the frame sizes??? cm? come on... we aren't in europe. I take it the more cm the bigger the frame (not a total idiot). but, where would i lie? i'm 6'4'' 200# and ride an XL mtn bike frome. 62cm? 59cm?

thanks again

Road bikes are always measured in cm. It is rather nice as it allows for easy comparision rather than having to convert back and forth. 6'4", depending on if you are leggy, torso long or normal will put you around a 63cm frame.

 

[Ricko]

Looky Here...

bikesdirect.com

I believe that a road bike is the perfect mountainbiking ascessory...all mountain bikes should come with one .

 

[meloh1]

This one might fit the bill

Good advice to go to Wrench Science and see what size will work. However, given what you've told us this one might fit the bill. http://marketplace.consumerreview.c...sults_format=long&db_id=45650&query=retrieval

 

[Nat]

Well I am wanting to start doing some road biking. As training for the trails and since roads are more easily accessable. Anyway, does anyone know where i can get a decently build road bike? I don't need something that keeps up with lance or anything, just a good bike to take out once or twice a week for a 25 miler. I'm looking in the 500-700 range as i'm a stuggling college kid . Anyway, i've looked into putting slicks on the mtn bike, but without a shock lock out in the rear on a FS it still is a pain to road ride. I borrowed a real road bike the other day, and WOW.. i'm hooked

Your truely,
future convert.

How about getting a used one? It's not as if roadies huck off of rooftops or anything.

http://marketplace.consumerreview.c...ts_format=headlines&query=category&sort_by=22

 

[langford]

How about getting a used one?

Used is the best place to go in your price range. I bought a used 12 speed in the spring, all Shimano 105, It's been great, haven't done a thing to it, rode it about 1000 km so far. It's the best 200 bucks I've spent in a long time. I can pretty well keep up to my buddies riding their $1500 aluminum Ultegra bikes. (If I had some legs I could pass them!)

 

[TobyNobody]

You prob'ly need a 57/58cm

Occaisionally one of the banners here on MTBR is hocking an Ultegra bike for around $850. My spidey senses tell me that the same manufacturer probably has a 105 bike for less.

But others are right in saying that cheaper stuff will get you going the same speed. The difference is how long your bike feels healthy. A bike with Sora (same quality as Alivio) will not feel new after a year or two of regular riding. Tiagra (Deore quality) will last a little longer, and 105 will last much longer. Ultegra is a slight increase over 105, and Dura Ace has negligible quality difference over Ultegra.

Tiagra is 9speed, like 105 and Ultegra (for now) so its easy to upgrade parts if you want to in the future. But yo won't notice a difference in speed or performance between a Sora bike and an Ultegra bike. Little smother shifting and longer lasting is all you get for your dough.

A tiagra bike here in Canada goes for about $1000-$1200, which should translate to 700-800 US. Thats the price the bikes are going for in shops. I'm sure you could save a few bucks by mail-ordering it if you want to and a service warranty doesn't interest you.

As for size, I am 6'4" too, and on a modern 'sloping top tube' road bike I take a 57-58 cm. It fits like a 22/23" mtb. Thats probably what you'll need too.

People are talking about 63cm and thats true if your looking at traditional level top tube road bikes, which are becoming scarce on the new bike market.