Road bike for under $1000

[Adaruts]

Hey everyone!

I am looking to upgrade from a GT Nomad Hybrid to a true road bike. I will competing in my first triathlon in August and my Hybrid is just not cutting it. Accordingly, I am looking for a road bike that will not set me back several mortgage payments. Does anyone have any recommendations for an entry-level or better road bike that stays under that elusive $1000 mark? Please keep in mind that I am a women, 5' 6", athletic body frame, and currently have a mens small hybrid.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!

Ada

 

[alfeng]

FWIW. I'm a big fan of Hybrid bikes which have "rigid" forks ...

• one of my current "project" bikes involves a Hybrid frame which had been gathering dust for over a dozen years ...
• it will have Drop bars + Campagnolo shifters + Shimano derailleurs & Cassette + a standard Road crankset.
  

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YOU can change the handlebars on your Hybrid to DROP handlebars, too ...

• ... you may need-or-want a shorter stem, or not, to adjust the reach, BTW.

10-speed Campagnolo shifters ($100-to-$200+ on eBay, depending on model & whether they are "used"-or-new) will mate with 8-and-9-speed Shimano drivetrains ... depending on the number of cogs on the Cassette, you may-or-may-not need to use the hubbub.com alternate rear derailleur cable anchoring ...

Add slimmer tires and/or change the rims-or-wheels if necessary ... the wheels & tires will probably be the greater expense ...

• Remember, if you put it on your bike then you can take it off, so almost anything you buy to update your Hybrid can possibly-and-probably be used on a future bike ...

BTW. If your bike happens to have a suspension fork, then you can/(should!) replace it with a Rigid fork -- either one with cantilever bosses OR a "regular" Road fork ... the latter will probably change the frame's geometry so that it will be closer to what you would find on a typical Road bike (i.e., a 73º head tube angle) ... yes, I've done this & the bike rode very well (IMO) ... if you put a Road fork on your Hybrid frame then you will need to adjust the saddle position, accordingly ...

• if your bike has V-brakes, then a MINI V-brake should be substituted for the FRONT pair of calipers because of the different "pull rate" which regular brake levers have when compared with the "pull rate" of V-brake levers ...
• you can get by with a standard V-brake in the rear, but the pads will need to be set very close to the rim ...adjust the seat postion & saddle, accordingly ...
• a Road fork will require a different brake caliper ... a brake with 39-49/50 reach will fit on most carbon fiber forks ... tire size for most CF forks is usually limited to less than 700x28.