New to the road- HELP PLEASE!

[haolieboy]

So I am in search of my first road bike. I've been to a few shops and have been measured- I have short legs and a longer body- so I'm looking at a 51cm from what I've been told multiple times. I've ridden a few bikes and feel like I'm shopping for a car- whatever price range I give them, they always seem to start me well above that. I'm trying to spend under $800- I'm looking to get a taste for cycling and I'm afraid that I won't catch the bug so am not ready to invest $1000's yet. I've ridden a Giant Defy, and Jamis Sport and a Raleigh- not sure of the model- and I was just looking for recommendations from the community. I know that I should go for carbon in the forks if possible and that I need to be comfortable with the shifting componentry, but please, point me in the right direction. If you were just starting out and had $750 to get up and running, what would you do?

 

[CalicoCat]

test ride lots of bikes and pick one that fits you well and is in your price range. A bike that fits is a bike that you will ride. Also, don't underestimate the importance of establishing a relationship with a good LBS. So if you find two different bikes at two different shops and everything else is equal, buy from the shop that you like and is conveniently located because you'll want to go there often and have good rapport with the folks there.

 

[vspa]

Originally Posted by CalicoCat .

test ride lots of bikes and pick one that fits you well and is in your price range. A bike that fits is a bike that you will ride. Also, don't underestimate the importance of establishing a relationship with a good LBS. So if you find two different bikes at two different shops and everything else is equal, buy from the shop that you like and is conveniently located because you'll want to go there often and have good rapport with the folks there.

+ 1

800 usd is not too bad of a budget,
Giants are good and come with a clever mix of compenents making them good price to quality,

 

[crawfordguard]

Well my friend was in the same position as you and bought a used bike off craigslist to see if he like the sport. After about 2 shorter rides he found out he didn't so he sold the bike. I would definitely recommend renting a bike like the defy to see if you actually like cycling before you start spending big money. I got into the cycling about a year ago with a defy 2 and fell in love with the sport and now I desperately want a better bike. So after you rent a bike and decide you like the sport, I would spend the extra money and get something like the defy 2 so you aren't disappointed with the components and wish you had gotten something better.

 

[kdelong]

+1 on what Calico said. The bike rental is a good idea if it is available in your area. Here is a link to a website that has rental bikes. Going rate is $50.00/day though so you need to make up your mind pretty quickly.
http://www.rentabikenow.com/

Originally Posted by CalicoCat .

test ride lots of bikes and pick one that fits you well and is in your price range. A bike that fits is a bike that you will ride. Also, don't underestimate the importance of establishing a relationship with a good LBS. So if you find two different bikes at two different shops and everything else is equal, buy from the shop that you like and is conveniently located because you'll want to go there often and have good rapport with the folks there.

 

[Yojimbo_]

I don't agree that you need to ride lots of bikes. All the well know makers make good bikes and they're all pretty much the same.

 

[doctorold]

If you are fairly comfortable knowing what size bike you might need, I would suggest the Craigslist route. There are lots of lightly used bikes collecting dust in garages that can be had for hundreds less than new. Find one, ride a while....go from there.