Longtime Mtn Biker looking for road saavy addition

[Vicelord]

Hey first of all this is my first post so I really appreciate you guys being here to answer my questions. I did a lot of browsing around and it seems like a great group with a wealth of opinions and ideas.

I have never owned a road bike but I want to get one to commute to and from work as well as get some good exercise and back in shape. I could ride my XC racer but the tires get expensive, it's not geared for high road speeds, and it obvoiusly has the wrong geometry.

All said, I want the lightest and highest quality bike I can get for under $1,000. I gravitate toward small brands, so I am not interested in Specialized, Trek, etc. They may be great bikes and maybe even the best bike for me, but I want something I feel good about riding, and something that reminds me I support smaller businesses. I also like wild colors and graphics. I've been browsing Yeti, Fuji, and Felt's websites with a general level of confusion taking over my brain. I don't see any product lines that I'm familiar with, no Sram XX, no Shimano XTR, nothing.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? I live in a city with a ton of great bike shops so I have access to many manufacturers. Slippery Pig, my MTN Bike shop has a Kona Zing that I enjoyed riding, and they have a lot of small brands (Ventana, Salsa, Moots, etc.) but unfortunately not much in the road bike category, so I guess a point in the right direction in regards to bike AND where to see one would be great.

thanks,


John

 

[OldGoat]

For $1,000 or less you can get either a new, bottom-of-the-line road bike for your LBS, or if you buy used on eBay or Craigslist you can get yourself a high-end machine. My all-carbon Aegis Aero Svelte with full D/A (9 speed) cost me $1,275 from a local seller who let me ride it before buying. My Bianchi Cross Concept, with D/A and an FSA carbon crank cost me $700 or so. Try getting a deal like that from your local dealer.

 

[Vicelord]

thanks. I'm nervous buying a used road bike, because I really don't know enough about them to keep from getting taken advantage of. With those kinds of savings possible though, I might as well read up and then hit craigslist.