Jones'n to ride. Looking for Road Bike under $500

[NuckingFuts]

My Fox fork took a crap (yes its the loose crown issue) so the LBS is sending it back under warranty but its going to be 2 weeks w/o a ride (I have a hunch it will be longer). I'll fall off the wagon if I don't ride for that long so this is a perfect excuse to go try out a cheap road bike (or maybe one of those hybrid rigs). I've been interested but dont have a lot of cash to spend with the holidays coming up and all. Basically I want something I can just train on to get better on the mt bike. "Comfortable endurance" if that makes any sense.

I don't know squat about what to look for in a road bike so I'm asking for help from my local guys here. $500 max so I'm pretty sure I'll have to hunt for used. Any makes I should strictly stick to?

I'm going to drop by the LBS later today and ask some questions and have them size me up so I have an idea about possible used rigs that could work.

I found this on CL this morning, is this going the wrong direction? Is a hybrid good for endurance training?

Trek Fitness Road bike 7.3 FX

Thanks guys!

[nativeson]

cx bike, go ride road + trails.

[TrungLam]

If approved by the Commander-in-Chief, I'll get the '13 Specialized Allez Compact for $769.99

[Fast Eddy]

Search CL for "Japanese Steel", get a really good bike and save yourself $200.

[Dion]

Fck all that noise. Rigid singlespeed, son!

That's a back-up bike that works.

[pvd]

Don't buy a CX bike unless you are CX racing. They suck for everything else.

Just buy a cheap used aluminum road bike on craigslist.

[pvd]

2010 Jamis Ventura Comp

[IAmHolland]

Fck all that noise. Rigid singlespeed, son!

That's a back-up bike that works.

Road bikes work, get one of those to mix it up (a necessary evil), but to ride trails Dion has it right.

I'm enjoying my 1990 Rockhopper on trails again after converting it to SS. Old bikes are cheap, and steel is real.

Fast Eddy has the lowdown on a cheap roadie.

[rho]

I'd still take my CX bike for road/fire road duties.

I race it, ride road on it, trails on it... etc.
On the road, with road tires its fast enough. top end kinda is lacking, but meh.
It might suck at everything besides CX racing, but it is FAST at fulfilling its destiny of sucktitude.

[GuruAtma]

Getting a road bike that fits is more important than getting a mtb that fits exactly right, since you're more or less in the same position for a longer time. Figure out what size frame you need first--they go by cm, not by small, medium, large. Then go shop for used ones.

[Dion]

Agreed with everything said here! I still think a budget rigid singlespeed is a great extra bike. Be careful, though. You might end up riding it more than your fancy FS!

[rho]

Agreed with everything said here! I still think a budget rigid singlespeed is a great extra bike. Be careful, though. You might end up riding it more than your fancy FS!

Yep. That is going to be my next bike.

Sent by smoke signal.

[NuckingFuts]

Agreed with everything said here! I still think a budget rigid singlespeed is a great extra bike. Be careful, though. You might end up riding it more than your fancy FS!

Well let's talk turkey!
Why a single speed vs say those Japanese steel rigs? Remember this is for endurance training which for me means lots of metcalf road, coyote and Almaden valley.

[Dion]

Well let's talk turkey!
Why a single speed vs say those Japanese steel rigs? Remember this is for endurance training which for me means lots of metcalf road, coyote and Almaden valley.

Oh, so you're looking at more of a "training" bike... a road bike is good, but I definetely wouldn't go with a hybrid.

I think the reason why TSP is talking rigid singlespeed, is because it's still a mountain bike, but it will destroy you, too. They are super, duper (duper is a word - look it up on the internet) fun, and kinda force you to ride efficiently in all ways: line selection, cadence, momentum, etc.

Plus, on a road bike, you have to adopt a bad attitude - alpha-male-I'm-gonna-drop-this-guy type persona. You can't smile at people and you can't wave to other riders. At one point, you'll end up shaving your legs and tossing used gel packets on the side of the road. Then, when you hit über roadie status, you'll start tossing your water bottles on the side of the road before a climb. You'll have to also buy a European car with roof racks.

Plus, you ride in baggies, and that's gonna have to all change to race kits (maybe even a skin suit) if you ride a road bike. You're arms are WAY too big to be a roadie. You'll need to lose 80lbs (97% in your upper body) if you want to own a road bike.

You don't want all that, do you?

So, CX... that can be fun for a training bike. I got p0wned riding with TJ (rho) the other day, but they are great for variety and on-road/off-road adventures. TJ drives a Jeep, and was banned from being a roadie years ago because of this.

[IAmHolland]

Before I got my CX (which is set up for road only right now) I used my 1990 Rockhopper with gears as a road bike. Add some drop bars and skinnies and it'll be a slacker road bike. You would need a size smaller frame to get roadie drops though.

For road, a road bike is cool. It's faster, but if you don't care about that, the steel rigid works. The problem is the positioning of the hands, there weren't enough with my riser. I added bar ends, which helps, but I would say I needed a drop, to really stretch out.

To be honest, I treated my old rigid much like a CX bike, just a ton slower. You could do the same with a 29er, though I don't know if they make them like the old bikes.

My new CX bike is super light, and super bling. The gearing is nice, but after riding it a few times, it doesn't offer much over the rigid other than being light and fast and needed less power to get there.

However, to mod the rigid, takes money. You can pick up the rigid for $100 on CL. That's how much I paid for mine, but I think the prices have gone up now. I guess a few $$ on some parts and you can go. The SS would be about $50 or so. For road stuff, more.

Or, you can pick up the rigid and Japanese steel for under $500 and be a bike whore (like the rest of us). That way you can fit in and submit to peer pressure.

[NuckingFuts]

You guys need to stop. My depends are filling up and I'm on my last pack.

[HrznRider]

Don't know if you picked something up already but just FYI. I have a Trek FX 7.2 and it takes care of my road riding perfectly without needing a real road bike. Perfect for my wet weather road rides.

[NuckingFuts]

Thanks man, I appreciate your input!

[HrznRider]

The flat bars work well for me, giving me a similiar feel to a mtn bike. With the 700cc wheels/tires the bike feels like a 29er but the bike is really light and pretty fast. It's fun hybrid/fitness bike. I picked up a brand new 2009 model in 2011 for a great deal. Great inexpensive addtion to my stable: hardtail, full suspension and hybrid... no road bike for me.

[tosa]

Agreed with everything said here! I still think a budget rigid singlespeed is a great extra bike. Be careful, though. You might end up riding it more than your fancy FS!

Not for me...my next bike will be a fancy FS!

[Dion]

Not for me...my next bike will be a fancy FS!

Your Cadillac is sad with that sort of talk. Shame on you, Tushar.

Josh, you need one of these. You can even build them flat bar. I've gone both ways on this frame. My frame is bi-sexual.

[rho]

Your Cadillac is sad with that sort of talk. Shame on you, Tushar.

Josh, you need one of these. You can even build them flat bar. I've gone both ways on this frame. My frame is bi-sexual.

And you can put those skinny road tire things on them as well!

[Entrenador]

I think the reason why TSP is talking rigid singlespeed, is because it's still a mountain bike, but it will destroy you, too. They are super, duper (duper is a word - look it up on the internet) fun, and kinda force you to ride efficiently in all ways: line selection, cadence, momentum, etc.

Agree:
29er single speed full rigid - Mtbr Forums

[AnonymouseTech]

Don't know if you picked something up already but just FYI. I have a Trek FX 7.2 and it takes care of my road riding perfectly without needing a real road bike. Perfect for my wet weather road rides.

I have one of these too in candy red. I sometimes wonder if it's supposed to be a girls bike. Took care of most of my road riding for the past year. It was heavy but fun to ride. Now it sits at my parents house collecting dust until I go visit them.

[Adivid]

CX can be fun for a training bike you know.