hello, back around 8 years ago i was very into bmx racing. although as i entered high school i found new interests and i got anyway from riding. recently i decided that i wanted to get back into riding and i don't know what size of bike to get. i am 6'1'' and around 170 ilbs. i plan on doing road riding so i don't need a mountain or a bmx style bike. so if any of y'all could help with some suggestions that would be great. thanks!

A few sites you could have Google searched and found.

Read up on the bike parts/frames:

http://treksandiego.com/page.cfm?PageID=145tp://

Choose the right frame size:

http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/

And get the best price here:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/

After reading up on this stuff you should have a good idea of what suits your needs. Good luck and ride safe.

looks like no one wants to help you

What sort of rideing do you want to do (raceing/just training/circus rideing?)
have you ridden drop handle bars befor like racers have on there bikes. How much money would you like to spend.

Haha, yeah I was beginning to think that I was never gonna get an answer. Basically I going to use it for training. There's always a chance that I might decide to get into racing later but if that's the case I can always go back and get a better bike. I realise that you get what you pay for but if I'm just doing some leisure riding how important is it that I spend $1000+ on a bike? Being a college student I don't exactly have the money flowing out of my pockets so maybe you could tell me what I could get for <$500, $500-$1000, and $1000+. Thanks for your help

One way is to periodically check eBay. A very good deal can be had if you can be patient
Focus on used/new bikes from reputable sellers without low starting bids and no reserves.

I was able to score a brand spankin' new Jamis road bike (MSRP >$1100) for <$400.
I even saved on shipping becuase it was an LBS 40mins away from where I work.

Good luck on your search!

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The inportant thing to realise here is that if you buy a cheap bike you will end up spending more in the long run. A good quality bike could last a life time and only require chain and sprockets to be replaced every once and a while, and of course the occasional breakage when you fall off trying to jump 25 cars. The ebay option can definitly get you a great bike for a cheap price, these days every one wants the latest equipment so if you find something a little out dated you can get a real bargin. Look for quality componants such as Campagnolo. my father has a 35+ year old bike with campag wheels and componants and it still runs great, Im an mtb rider so i wont tell you what brands to look for cause ill just be wrong. Hopefully some roadies will see this thread and tell you of a few good bikes to look out for. Good luck and feel free to ask any silly questions you come up with during your search.

Be patient

if you plan on riding a lot on the road or paved paths only, go for an aggressive hybrid (e.g. the trek fx series). if you want the option to ride on rougher terrain, try a hybrid or comfort bike.

if you live on campus, you may want to go on the cheap side. when i was in school, bike theft and vandalism was a major problem.

i've got a diamondback wildwood (comfort bike - $225) for when i ride on gravel roads or in really sloppy weather. the db components weren't very durable. the bike has quite a bit of $ sunk into it for upgrades and repairs. i've got a trek 7300 hybrid ($400) for roads and rough paths. i'm in the market for a pure road or cyclocross bike. i'm going to stay under $2k for that bike.

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The Giant OCR 1 or 2 makes a good 1st road bike that you can turn into a great commuter bike with panniers. I think you might be a size large. I hit 29.8 mph on my OCR 1 with 2 Jand panniers (32.9 mph on my Cervelo Soloist racing bike) - all flats no wind. The OCR's have a comfort geometry.

I'll go with the second hand crew too. I think if your just getting into a hobby the way to go is cheap entry level or s/hand professional gear, this way if you change your mind you haven't wasted a fortune. I just picked up a 2 year old racer that retailed here for $2400, I paid $450. It had a bent hanger and a dirty chain, a few ships in the paint, but aside from that it's in top nick! The trick is to really inspect the bike well, being on the look out for dented metal and sloppy or worn parts.