esemce said:Budget limitations (<$500) restrict me to looking at either a new low end flat bar road bike or (my preference) a used curly bar road bike.
My current bike is an old Repco 14 speed, not sure what's wrong with it, but everyone (of course) is reccommending a replacement over repair..
My uses are really recreational/transportational, with a back of the mind fitness motive and I guess I have the same (perhaps totally unjustified) bias against flat bar bikes that all curly bar riders have.
Am I going to get better value and enjoyment out of a low end flat bar as I will an older (but presumably better set up) mid range curly?
Some oil/grease + minor adjustments can go a long way toward making a recalcitrant part operate properly.
Consequently, IMO, if your Repco''s frame is "sound" (that is, it isn't bent & it fits YOU) and the bike is for YOU to ride and not for resale, then I would spend the money for the parts + check the Park Tool OR Sheldon Brown's websites (BOTH, free!) AND/OR buy a DIY maintenance book (e.g., the appropriate ZINN or BICYLCING MAGAZINE's maintenance book -- I haven't looked at either, but I trust 90+% of the info is what it should be).
Even if you have to buy replacement wheels/tires, shifters/cables/housing, et cetera, for your bike, you can certainly do it for less than $200 ... or, you could spend thousands!
If you are not mechanically inclined, find a friend who is.
If you're on a tight budget AND your current bike frame doesn't fit, start haunting your local thrift/Goodwill stores OR garage sales ... there is a lot of "abandoned" junk, but I hear about other people scoring on some reasonably decent stuff, too.
An old flat bar bike can be turned into a drop bar bike, and vice-versa.
BTW. There is an entire thread about the current Schwinn Varsity (available through WalMart) in which people discuss their experiences AND suggestions for other low-priced BUT reasonably good bikes you can buy.
